Page 10 - MENTAL HEALTH: The Yorkshire Post Covid-19 2020 Help E-Mag

Mental Health and Coronavirus – How to take care of your well-being and your team
Jodie Hill, MD and Solicitor, Thrive Law, www.thrivelaw.co.uk
It’s understandable that, at this unprecedented time, with news headlines, constant social media updates and having the opinions
of others at our fingertips can take
its toll on our mental health. However, because there is no certainty in this situation, it’s more important now than ever we are looking after ourselves and, ideally, taking every day as an opportunity to do something to better our well-being, or (at a minimum) just taking some time every day to look after ourselves and our mental health.
We have put together some tried and tested ways that you can ensure your mental health is a top priority during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Keep informed, but not overwhelmed
It’s best to only keep updated with Government Guidance and credible resources on how it will impact you
as opposed to online news stories, and perhaps focus on local, positive, stories where you can. It’s easy to turn to the internet and social media in the search for answers and more information, but that can become overwhelming and, for those with anxiety issues, perhaps addictive, with mixed messages from
people who claim to be experts, when they are not.
If you’re concerned about your employment rights or your pay, sign up
to our newsletter, to get expert guidance direct to your inbox, sign up below by clicking the link. We have created a number of a blogs which you can find here with easy to follow guidance on your rights and we’ve set up a dedicated email helpline at coronavirus@thrivelaw.co.uk which should help to allay any workplace anxiety related to the current issues.
Self-Care in Self Isolation
Staying at home doesn’t have to feel like you’re trapped. There are many things you can do for yourself inside to keep up with a routine and practice self-care
• Meditation – There are loads of free guided mediation videos on YouTube that span from 5 minutes to an hour. Meditation is great for helping clear your head and your daily stressors. Find a quiet comfortable place to sit down and let the mediation guide you.
• Exercise/yoga – For a lot of people, exercise is a common way to help better your mental health. Once again, putting on a YouTube video and getting in the
zone can be just as good as being in
the gym. Yoga is something that helps your mind and body and if you do feel cooped up inside, practice some yoga in the garden. Within the current lockdown rules, you are allowed to leave the house once a day for exercise so make sure you are utilising this.
• Staying away from screens – It can be so easy to check your phone and the next thing you know it’s been an hour and you’re still flicking through social media. You can instead spend that time reading or taking up a new hobby.
Stay Connected
Something worth noting is checking in on others. Just like you would check
in with someone about how they are feeling, although this might be a video or phone call instead of face to face, we are all in the same boat and you might just make their day.
Whether you were already an anxiety sufferer, or if your mental health deteriorates due to COVID-19, the most important step is to acknowledge how you are feeling; it is an understandable fear. Anxiety may be displayed in different ways during this outbreak. Stress levels are generally heightened all
round, but people may find themselves being less patient, less able to calm down, or generally more nervous in every way.
If you would like to find out more about taking care of yourself during COVID-19, you can read our blog: Coronavirus is contagious, but panic is too.
Training your Staff:
Whether your staff are furloughed or
not, now is a great time to train them
up on mental health in the workplace. We have worked with industry experts and champion health on an interactive online training that qualifies you as a Mental Health Champion. If your staff are furloughed, you can still give them training and this portal means you can work at your own pace. The portal will be launching at the end of this week, if you would like to register your interest in the training, please click here.
If you would like to keep up with
the latest Government Guidance on employment law without all the scary news headlines and learn of ways in which you can help yourself and others during this time, click here to receive our daily updates.