These days, people around the world are dealing with the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak at different aspects of daily life. As a result of this, strong collective levels of uncertainty, anxiety and stress have emerged. Inevitably, these emotions have been transferring into workspaces. According to Russell Grass, CEO of Ginger an on-demand mental health company, “coronavirus crisis is stressing 7 of 10 US workers” and “it is taking a huge toll on employees’ mental health and productivity”.
How you cope with stress can affect your well-being, people around you as well as your performance at work. It is necessary to spot stress signals in order to take actions to build resilience and ask for professional help if it is the case. The following tips and information is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Employers have the ethical obligation to support their workers with mental health services.
Recognize symptoms and sources that can add stress
Stress symptoms you may be experiencing are:
- Feeling irritation or angry.
- Feeling nervous and anxious.
- Feeling sad or depressed.
- Lack of motivation.
- Concentrating and sleeping troubles.
On the other hand, there are work-related factors that can add stress during pandemic. Pay attention and identify if you are through the following situations:
- Having concerns about the risk of being exposed to the virus at work.
- Feeling uncertain about the future of your employment or your workplace.
- There is a lack of access to resources, tools and equipment to perform your work properly.
- Difficulties to adapt to different work schedules, workspaces and new communications tools.
- Feeling non-productive.
- Taking care of personal and family needs while working.
Managing work stress
We share with you the following tips to build resilience and manage work stress:
- Communicate with your coworkers, supervisors and employees constantly. Provide an open talking platform in order to identify things that cause stress and find solutions. All concerns, doubts and suggestions should be considered and communicated to everyone clearly.
- Try to increase your sense of control by creating a consistent daily routine. Take breaks from work to stretch and exercise. If you are working from home, try to set a regular time to end your work. Additionally, you can practice mindfulness techniques, do things you enjoy in your free time and keep a regular sleep schedule.
- Stay informed. Keep updated about facts and essential information to keep you safe and others. Be careful with the accuracy of the information you share. Even so, hearing about the pandemic regularly can be upsetting and mentally exhausting. Take breaks from social media, hearing news and watching videos.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust such as friends, family and supportive colleagues through phone calls, video chat, text messages or social media. Share with them your concerns, how are you feeling and how the pandemic is affecting you.
Kwema is a company that mitigates the safety risks that employees face by providing wearables that activate an emergency protocol. Our technology is designed to avoid adoption hurdles and training costs by being placed in something many employees already wear.
Watch how Kwema is disrupting workplace safety
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