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Jun 6

Don’t compound the problem – Winnipeg Free Press

Exercise Programs Comments Off on Don’t compound the problem – Winnipeg Free Press

The recent Free Press headline, "Booze sales spike during pandemic" hit home with me as I suspected this could be a problem during the COVID-19 crisis. Ive seen the long "social distancing" lineups at the doors of various liquor stores as Ive driven on by. And Ive heard of the significant increase in domestic violence due to forced isolation combined with alcohol. In fact, some advocacy groups are referring to the skyrocketing numbers of domestic violence incidents as a "pandemic on a pandemic."

Isolation, anxiety and loneliness have proven to be bigger problems than initially anticipated amongst our newly minted "at home" workers and/or those who have been laid off temporarily or otherwise. Unfortunately, this has apparently led to an increase in alcohol use. For instance, the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, reports that the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to work at home, the lost jobs and resulting isolation, anxiety and loneliness have altered peoples alcohol intake patterns. In fact, the centre reports that people are binge drinking at least once per week.

John Roberge / Tallahassee Democrat

It is also interesting to note that 56 per cent of survey respondents indicated that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their mental health. Yet, another survey showed that 60 per cent of participants were not seeking either formal and/or informal supports to help develop coping mechanisms.

So, why is it that people dont seek help when they know they are suffering from mental health issues and they know their employer has resources and services available? One of the key reasons for not disclosing is the continuing fear of the stigma of mental health. It seems that the old-fashioned stigma and fear are simply cemented into their minds. And, in spite of the fact there is a third-party provider, employees still worry about confidentiality. They worry about privacy, especially if a call is made during working hours and/or if they need to take time away from work to attend an appointment. There is fear about the impact on relationships with colleagues, the danger of being labelled and/or limiting any potential promotional activities. Overall, the result is that anxiety is doubled up... anxiety from the pandemic and anxiety from disclosing.

Managers need to be cognizant of the underlying fears employees are experiencing but dont outwardly express. They need to be more proactive and assertive in dealing with mental health issues during these stressful times. This includes things such as simply taking more time to discuss and listen to employee concerns about what is happening for them, right now. They need to focus on getting leaders out in front of the communication strategies and ensuring consistent ongoing messages. Managers need to monitor their own frame of mind and concentrate on demonstrating positive thinking so that employees have confidence in how the organization is handling return to work issues.

On the other hand, an additional survey identified 63 per cent of participants were confident in their own abilities to bounce back after the pandemic. This suggests to me that a good portion of employees will also engage in personal self-care when they feel their anxiety level is reaching a level of concern. Thats good news and with this in mind, I am providing the following suggestions to help readers bounce back.

Remember the link Keep in mind there is a connection between your thoughts and your physical reaction. In fact, there are five components to any issue; the environment, physical, mood, behaviour and thoughts. Whenever you start to feel anxious, take time to review all of these elements and reflect on the interconnections. Look for your triggers.

Listen to yourself Believe it or not, your mind is working 24-7 and in times of anxiety you are probably repeating negative sayings in your head. For instance, if you are using words such as "never and always" then you are probably generalizing in a negative way. You could be labelling yourself as stupid or foolish, or you might be jumping to conclusions. The result is that all of this negative thinking creates more negativity. To learn more, check out the "Ten forms of twisted thinking" on the internet and learn to become more aware of your automatic thoughts.

Identify your mood Whenever you are anxious and/or in a down mood, stop and analyze it. Ask yourself what was the situation you experienced that resulted in a down mood? What was your automatic thought? Next, rate the intensity of your mood. Next, examine the mood to determine if you have any evidence to support your thoughts? Examine an alternative and more positive thought and think it through. Youll be amazed at how this can change your mood.

Test your assumptions theres no getting around it, all people have various underlying assumptions that trigger their emotions and behaviour. These assumptions are usually negative and direct people to automatically make a judgment that may prevent them from taking action. They focus on a phrase such as, "if such and such happens, then...." This leads individuals to jump to conclusions. Take time to look at your emotion and determine if a false assumption is behind the feelings.

Face your fear one way to face your fear is to conduct a personal "cost benefit analysis." Ask how worrying will help you and how will it hurt you. Look at the advantages and disadvantages of taking action by facing your fear and weigh them against each other. Is your fear is helping or hurting?

Engage in positive self-talk this strategy is based on the fact that our mind doesnt care where the message comes from, it simply accepts the input. So, the trick is to feed positive messages to yourself. This essentially "programs" your mind and creates new beliefs. Its not hard, youve done it all your life. Its a statement such as "I can do that," "Im good at this" and/or "I take responsibility for myself."

Stay in the present Anxiety is all about a future-oriented mindset. Instead of worrying about whats going to happen, focus on what is happening right now. What do you need to do right now to feel safe? What do you need to do right now to stay on track? Calm yourself down and get focused on the here and now by looking around you. Name three things that you see or hear. Appreciate them. This can help to refocus your mind and bring you back to the present.

Get active Go for a walk. Clean house, clean cupboards, polish up the car. Cut the grass, read a book, start an exercise program. Take your children for a bicycle or car ride. Watch a funny video, or seek out funny cartoons. Just do something to jolt your mind into positive thinking.

Every individual has the responsibility for managing their own mental health and their behaviour at home and at work. While good help and counselling is often available in the workplace, there are still many healthy choices and strategies than can be undertaken on a personal basis. Lets all do our part to avoid a pandemic upon a pandemic.

Source: Anxiety, loneliness, depression common amid pandemic: survey, Compensation and Benefits, May 26, 2020

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, CCP, M.Ed., of the consulting firm Legacy Bowes, is the author of eight books, a radio personality, a speaker, an executive coach and workshop leader. She is also chairwoman of the Manitoba Status of Women. She can be reached at barb@legacybowes.com

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Don't compound the problem - Winnipeg Free Press

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