>>BRUCE HAMILTON: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RESULTING ECONOMIC FALLOUT ARE CREATING NOTHING
SHORT OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
FOR
AMERICAN WORKERS. IT’S NOT
SURPRISING WHEN YOU CONSIDER
THAT MORE THAN 40 MILLION
AMERICANS RECENTLY LOST THEIR
JOBS AND MILLIONS MORE HAVE HAD
THEIR WORK HOURS OR
PAY REDUCED OF THOSE FORTUNATE
ENOUGH TO STILL HAVE JOBS.
MANY ARE WORKING LONG HOURS AT
HOME AWAY FROM
COLLEAGUES BUT CONSTANTLY
CONNECTED THROUGH ALWAYS ON
DIGITAL CHANNELS AND EMAIL AND
THERE ARE MYRIAD OF
OTHER STRESSES. ACCORDING TO A
RECENT SURVEY OF EMPLOYEES IN
AMERICA, 66% SAID THAT COVID-19
PANDEMIC HAS HAD A NEGATIVE
IMPACT ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
SO WHAT ARE THEIR TOP CONCERNS,
49% FINANCIAL IMPACT OF
THE PANDEMIC 40% SAID LOSING A
LOVED ONE 37%
GETTING SICK, 25% CONCERNED
ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY AROUND
HOW THE VIRUS WILL IMPACT
FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS.
23% ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THE WORK STRAIN
AND OVERWORKED DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC DOCTOR TRACY ALLOWAY
IS A PSYCHOLOGIST WITH UNF WAS
BACK HERE IN THE MORNING
SHOW WELCOME. THANKS FOR HAVING
ME BRUCE SO EMPLOYERS NEED TO
BE MINDFUL OF THE STRESSES ON
THEIR EMPLOYEES ONE OF THE RED
FLAGS TO WATCH
OUT FOR.
>> SOMETIMES AN EMPLOYEE MAY
NOT ACTUALLY ARTICULATE THE
KIND OF
STRESSED EXPERIENCING. SO IT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EMPLOYEES
TO LOOK FOR MAYBE SOME OF THE
PHYSICAL CUES ARE SOME OF THE
EMPLOYEES COMPLAINING ABOUT
HEADACHES MORE FREQUENTLY
THAN USUAL STOMACH ACHE.
SO THIS IS CALLED SOMATIC
SYMPTOM ALL UH GEE
WE SHIFT A MENTAL HEALTH
CONCERNS TO A PHYSICAL
CONCERNED BECAUSE WE’RE NOT
ENTIRELY SURE HOW TO ARTICULATE
THE STRESS. >> AND WORRY THAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING. YEAH, YOU KNOW
CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR. THEY’RE
THEY’RE PRETTY OBVIOUS,
BUT THERE MORE SUBTLE
INDICATIONS LIKE CHANGES IN
BODY LANGUAGE END AND
COMMUNICATION TALL. >> ABSOLUTELY YOU CAN LOOK TO SEE IF TYPICALLY EMPLOYEES A
VERY OPEN. EXTROVERTED TYPE OF
INDIVIDUAL OF THE ADOPTING A
MORE CLOSED OFF STANDS THE
BODY LANGUAGE AS YOU SUGGESTED
ABUSES THAT CHANGE TO BE MORE
INWARD LOOKING DO THEY TEND TO
ENGAGE IN MORE CELL SOOTHING
BEHAVIORS LIKE TOUCHING THE
FACE TOUCHING THE HAND. THOSE
ARE GOOD NEWS
FOR HOW SOME OF THE BEHAVIOR
COULD BE SHIFTING TO MANIFEST
SOME OF THE STRESS THEY MIGHT
BE EXPERIENCING.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: AND NOT
EVERYBODY IS IN THE OFFICE
THESE DAYS A LOT OF PEOPLE
WORKING REMOTELY AND THAT
PROMOTES SOME UNIQUE
CHALLENGES SO HOW DO YOU AS AN
EMPLOYER OVERCOME THAT BARRIER
AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPACT OF
THE STRESSES. >> I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS TO FIRST OF ALL
RECOGNIZED BOUNDARIES FOR YOUR
EMPLOYEES TO RECOGNIZE THAT
JUST BECAUSE THEY AREN’T
WORKING AT HOME BECAUSE WE
AREN’T WORKING IN THE OFFICE
AND THEY ARE WORKING
AT HOME. THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU
HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR TIME 2470
STILL SET BOUNDARY THAT YOU
NEED
TO RESPECT AND FOR THE PART OF
THE EMPLOYEE, IT’S IMPORTANT TO
CONSIDER IDEAS STRESS THAT
STRESS DOESN’T COME LIKE A BIG
FIRE THAT IT’S NOT CONSTANT,
BUT IT’S MORE LIKE A WAVE
AND SO IT DOES COME IT WILL
DISSIPATED WILL DIE DOWN
AND SO AN IMPORTANT THING TO
TAKE AWAY FROM THAT AS AN
INDIVIDUAL IS WHAT WILL YOU DO
TO RIDE OUT THE WAVE. WHAT IS
IN YOUR CONTROL SO A GOOD KIND
OF SELF TALK TIP WOULD BE TO
STOP AND SAY
WHAT IS IN MY CONTROL THAT I
CAN WORK ON RIGHT NOW WHAT CAN
I DO TO MANAGE SOME OF THAT
STRESS MAYBE THAT MIGHT BE
STEPPING AWAY FROM YOUR LAPTOP
FOR A FEW MINUTES, MAYBE THAT’S
JUST YOU KNOW GETTING A CUP OF
COFFEE IN YOUR KITCHEN,
WHATEVER THAT ACTIVITY MIGHT BE
IMPORTANT TO FIRST OF ALL
RECOGNIZE THAT STRESS IS A WAVE
NOT A FIRE SO IN OTHER WORDS IT
WILL DIE DOWN. AND SECOND
OF ALL WHAT IS IN YOUR CONTROL
THAT YOU CAN MANAGE YEAH JUST
SOME
SIMPLE THINGS.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: AND IT’S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT
EVERYBODY HANDLE STRESS
DIFFERENTLY, EVERYBODY
EXPERIENCES, MENTAL ILLNESS
DIFFERENTLY, BUT THERE
ARE PATTERNS.
>> AND THAT IS SUCH A GREAT
POINT TO SAYS THAT THIS IS
ESPECIALLY A CRITICAL TIME THAT
WE SHOULD NOT COMPARE OURSELVES
WITH APPEARS RESEARCH SHOWS
THAT POINT SOFA ME SOMETHING
MIGHT BACK TO JOYS OF 5 OUT OF
10 FOR SOMEONE ELSE THAT MIGHT
REGISTER AS A 2 OUT
OF 10 AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO USE
THIS TIME TO SELF REFLECT AND
TO
BE AWARE OF WHAT THOSE
LEVELS ARE NOT OWN STRESS IN
TAKE AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THAT
INSTEAD OF MAYBE LOOKING AT
SOMEONE ELSE AND SAY WHAT
THEY’RE GOING THROUGH THE
SAME THING HOW IS IT SO EASY SO
HOW IS IT SO DIFFICULT
FOR THEM.
>> AND WE SHOULD BE AFRAID TO
BROACH THE ISSUE AND
SAY HEY IF YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING
GOING ON IT’S OK TO GET
SOME HELP.
>> ABSOLUTELY THAT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW
SOME OF THESE BEHAVIORS A
NOTICEABLE EVEN THROUGH ZOOM
EVEN THROUGH ONLINE IF YOU DO
NOTICE THESE JUST AS I
MENTIONED THE CELL SOOTHING
TYPE OF BEHAVIORS
THAT YOU EMPLOYEES ARE THAT
YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE DISPLAYING
THAT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
SAY HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY
AND IN THAT QUESTIONING IT’S
IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU DON’T. IMPOSE YOU’LL WORRY
OR ANXIETY ON THEM SO INSTEAD
OF SAYING ARE YOU FEELING
STRESSED, KEEP IT OPEN ENDED
SAY HOW YOU FEELING TODAY
BECAUSE AGAIN WE DON’T WANT TO
KIND OF. TAKE WHAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING WHAT WE’RE FUELING AND PUT THAT ON THEM.
>> THAT ALSO MEANS THAT WE HAVE
TO BE GOOD LISTENERS AND
RIGHT AW