Continuing Mental Health Maintenance During a Pandemic

By: Scott Bahr

It has never been more necessary to undergo ongoing maintenance and monitoring of employee mental health than during times of crisis and uncertainty. With daily routines being disrupted, as well as the news being dominated by information about COVID-19, It’s important to make sure conversations are being regularly held regarding mental health.

Knowing when to suggest bringing in outside help and when to check in with employees is a skill that should be developed during this time. At Bit Service, we’ve invested time into this and would love to share that information with you.

Why mental health is essential, especially now

Mental health is always important, but during unprecedented times, like the current pandemic, it’s extra important to make sure employees are dealing with the changes and stress healthily. Like we mentioned, having your daily routine disrupted, both at work and home, can certainly throw anyone for a loop. As well, the pressure of staying informed about the current global situation while also being bombarded with constant information, chaos, and often fear, can be taxing on anybody’s mental health.

With all of this in mind, if you don’t know how to properly cope with change, loss, and grief, it can be challenging to process this while still working full-time at your job. This is why at Bit Service, our team checks in with one another, and offers assistance when it’s needed.

Check-ins and frequent communication

Previously, Bit Service offered communication seminars for employees to share feedback and ideas, and from this idea, we have begun to regularly check-in with employees. The purpose is to have regular conversations to see how people are doing, how they’re coping, and what they might be doing in their free time to help deal with stress and fear. Some signals that might arise are a lack of tasks or plans outside of work, which may prompt leadership to dig a bit deeper to see if everything with the employee is okay. By having regular communications with each employee, it gives them a chance to share what they may be struggling with but also allows the supervisor or manager to observe how the individual is doing.

Education around mental health

Additionally, having mental health clinics or seminars could be an excellent way to educate everyone on mental health and also let employees know that their workplace is a safe environment to share concerns surrounding mental health. It’s also a good way to obtain information from professionals when a conversation between coworkers might not be enough, like a therapist or counsellor.

The education component might also relieve mental stress regarding employees who are struggling to help family or friends cope. Giving them the tools to be a support for those around them might help take some of the stress off their shoulders.

Creating a positive work environment

Finally, leadership teams may just want to create a fun and positive work environment to escape from that stress and chaos in the world right now. It could be a team-building activity, having a lunch and learn about an interesting topic, or organizing an activity after work. All of these things are ways to help take their mind of the pandemic or their stress in general.

Remember, the pandemic is stressful for everyone. While every person deals with it differently, it’s important to take care of yourself and others, especially in the work environment where people spend a lot of their time.