Look after your mental health

In order to support all Aussies feeling the impacts of the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Beyond Blue has launched a new, dedicated Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service.

The free service, funded by the government, is available around the clock, delivering clear, evidence-based information, advice and support specifically tailored to the mental health and wellbeing challenges raised by the pandemic. Through a digital site, the service includes practical advice about coping with loneliness and self-isolation, managing your mental health if you have the virus, ways to deal with the impact of job loss and financial worries, and coping with concerns about your physical health. 

It enables easy access to a broad range of support from online wellbeing tips, self-help tools to phone counselling from trained mental health professionals, and peer-to-peer support.

“We anticipate growing demand for mental health support as this pandemic develops, both from people who are already managing mental health issues and those who have never struggled before,” says Beyond Blue chair Julia Gillard.

“We’ve built this service rapidly because we understand that all Australians need this support immediately and that now more than ever, prevention matters.

“Just as people are looking after their physical health, we’re asking people to actively look after their mental health.”

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman says the service will evolve to reflect the changing needs of the community.

“At Beyond Blue, we’ve seen a 30 per cent spike in contacts over the past two weeks and on some days, as many as one in three calls to our existing Support Service is about COVID-19,” Ms Harman notes.

“People are telling us they’re feeling overwhelmed, worried, lonely, concerned about their physical health and the health of friends and loved ones, and anxious about money, job security and the economy.

“Right now, people are looking for simple, practical information that’s available, reliable and relevant to them.”

She explained that trained mental health professionals working behind the scenes of the new service are trained to link callers to other relevant services, such as those relating to financial aid, family violence support and official government COVID-19 information sources.

“At a time when the need for physical distance remains paramount, we’re using all forms of technology to support every Australian,” Ms Harman adds.

Practical tips for small business owners

Pressure on revenue, employee management issues including staffing levels, working from home arrangements for short or extended periods, and planning for the future while dealing with the present, are all weighty issues that need to be addressed. Looking after your own mental health as well as that of your staff is equally important.

Here are some practical tips straight from Beyond Blue to help you navigate this tricky time as a small business owner.

Supporting your employees

If you’re a manager, it’s important to think about how you can support your employees during these uncertain times.

• Maintain regular communication with your employees;
• Keep staff up-to-date about your business’ response to the coronavirus outbreak;
• Make sure your staff are aware of the support that is available to them (for example, if you have an Employee Assistance Program in place);
• If you’re concerned about a workmate, make sure to check in, have a conversation with them and encourage them to get the support they need;
• and Don’t forget to take time to look after yourself.

Working from home safely and productively

During the coronavirus pandemic, many people are either already working from home, or are likely to have to work from home for a period of time. With this in mind, here are some tips for employees and managers that will help support everyone’s mental health.

If you need to work from home, you should:

• maintain a healthy worklife balance by setting time limits;
• create a separate office or workspace, if possible;
• move around every hour, and go outside once a day (if it’s responsible to do so);
• choose a good chair and set up your computer properly;
• keep connected to colleagues and communicate daily with your manager;
• set a work schedule for the day and stick to it;
• shower, and dress comfortably, as if you’re going to the office;
• and keep the kitchen stocked with healthy snacks and meals.

If you are a small business owner, or a manager with a team working from home, you should:

• ensure employees are aware of resources to support their mental health and wellbeing;
• be aware that individual circumstances vary and consider options to support each team member’s needs;
• provide strong IT support and guidelines for remote working so employees can be fully productive;
• be mindful of the disruption that potential school closures may cause to families;
• agree on working hours that employees know they are not expected to work beyond;
• touch base with each team member daily and have regular longer one-toone meetings;
• remind employees to work in ways that are kind to their mind and body;
• maintain regular virtual team meetings - advise teams to stay as connected as possible;
• and remember that being a manager doesn’t make you immune to the same stresses as your employees and that you need to look after yourself too.