Zone mental health first aider Lucy Griffiths gives tips on how to stay positive and productive during the pandemic…
In 2018–19, stress, depression or anxiety were responsible for 44% of all cases of work-related ill health.
Now in 2020, we’re in a global pandemic that will undoubtedly exacerbate mental health issues. Sadly, there have been job losses across the UK and for those fortunate enough to still be in work, it has caused an unprecedented shift in how we’re all working. No time in the office means no face-to-face meetings, no catch-ups over coffee in the kitchen, and no Africa by Toto blasting across the Zone Bristol office on a Friday afternoon.
Winter is upon us, bringing colder weather and longer, darker nights. This, along with the new lockdown, means it’s more important than ever to be looking after ourselves and our mental health. As a mental health first aider at Zone, I believe it’s important to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in the workplace to ensure we continue to deliver excellent work for our clients and to avoid burnout.
In the past few weeks Zone has been running incredibly useful mental health sessions in collaboration with Creative Equals. In the first session we looked at resilience, which is defined as ‘the capacity to recover from different life events and to grow from the experience’.
In the session, we discussed what we saw when we looked at the picture above. We concluded that we are all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat. Everyone’s personal circumstances are different. Some of us will be cruising along in lockdown fairly comfortably in the indestructible warship, while others will be battling extreme waves in a one-man canoe. Be mindful that what your team-mates and colleagues will be going through will be different from your own experience.
Similarly, not everyone will respond in the same way to different life events. We all have our own coping mechanisms and levels of resilience. In the session, Liz from Creative Equals took us through the ‘Domains of resilience’ which are the Heart, Body, Mind and Soul.
I’m going to share with you some general tips in relation to these four areas, which have really helped me keep positive and productive at work during the pandemic:
Heart
- Stay connected. Take 10 mins to have a cup of tea and a virtual catch-up with your colleague before starting work. Check in with your team to see how they’re doing.
- Use available resources. Make the most of resources and sessions you have available to you. Workshops like the Creative Equals mental health sessions are a great opportunity to take a short break from work and refocus your mind.
- Acknowledge your feelings. Take a break if you need to. You’ll be in a better place to come back to work afterwards.
Body
- Routine. It can be very tempting to stay in PJs all day when working from home. But getting up, getting dressed and having a nutritious breakfast can really help set you up for success each day.
- Set goals. They can be big or small, but writing them down and ticking them off as you go can provide a real sense of achievement for your day.
- Keep moving. Take a break from your computer at least once an hour and walk around. When you are sitting down, try to position your computer at eye level. Do you have empty boxes laying around? Try creating a temporary stand-up desk.
Mind
- Switch off. Be strict with yourself and when you finish work for the day, make sure you switch off your laptop and walk away. Limit your news consumption as well.
- Set boundaries. Avoid conference call fatigue. Only attend meetings you need to be in. Try making your usual 1-hour meeting 50 mins so you have a break or can complete a task before your next meeting.
- Use available support. Reach out to your colleagues, line manager or HR if you need any support. If you have mental health first aid trained colleagues, speak to them as well.
Soul
- Take time for yourself. Have a tea break. Go for a walk outside. Try to get out at least once a day for fresh air — it can make a huge difference to your mindset.
- Work/life balance. Working and living in the same space can be tough. Try to differentiate the two. It can even be as simple as changing up your ‘working’ and ‘watching TV’ space on the sofa.
- Mindfulness. Take one minute for some deep breathing exercises between meetings or to start/end your day.
Most importantly, do what works for you. Try it for yourself: take 10 minutes to draw four boxes and label them Heart, Body, Mind & Soul. Write down some ideas for actions you could be taking in order to prioritise yourself and your wellbeing in these four areas. You can do this exercise for in the workplace and/or your personal life. Your actions don’t all have to be achievable straight away, but they can act as goals to aim for or even just reminders for the coming weeks.
Zone has been proactive in making everyone feel as comfortable and supported as possible while working from home. As well as the Creative Equals sessions, Zone has been sending wellbeing packages and treats out to Zoners throughout the lockdown period. We’ve had gifts including a selection of herbal teas, fresh fruit and healthy treats. It’s little things like this that can make a huge difference to someone’s working day.
At Zone there are 11 trained mental health first aid champions. We’re here for anyone at Zone wanting some additional support. Whether they would like to be directed to specific tools/resources, or simply want to have a chat over a cup of tea, we’re here to help and listen.
We don’t have any control over what is going on in the world right now, but we do have control over how we respond. Not just individually, but as a company too.
Remember: whatever happens, you’re not alone. We’re in this together.
Take care and stay safe!
