Mental Health in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Today on our mission to make workplaces a positive and healthy space, we are talking to a mental health expert about the effects the current state of events has on our well-being and how we can use this time in isolation to our best advantage. 

Donal Scanlan works in a mental health hospital in Dublin as a qualified mental health nurse, and is the manager of Mental Health First Aid Ireland. MHFA is a training and research program that has been using education to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. To date, over 7,500 people in Ireland have joined a growing community of approximately 4 million worldwide trained in Mental Health First Aid.

Even if direct delivery of their training has been paused for the moment, Donal says they are very keen on encouraging their communities of instructors, corporate clients, and public community groups to use their skills during this time. The people they train have learned how to have a better conversation about mental health, how to support a person in an empathetic and compassionate way, and how to do so without needing to diagnose, without needing to take over. They can now apply their training to support their family, friends, neighbours and remote colleagues to get through these difficult times.

Mental health support can still be provided even during isolation

Mental Health First Aid trains people not to diagnose but to give them the skills and confidence to have a better conversation about mental health. Of course, in-person communication is not an option at the moment, but using online channels to reach out to people can be very beneficial as well: 

"So if we're having these webinar sessions or if we're having a one to one meetings or zoom calls with people, take a moment in that meeting to check in with people and to really ask them how they are. And of course, the usual answer in Ireland is I’m grand, I'm fine. Well, I suppose using your skills to be able to say, well, how are you really? Because this is a tough time. This is not the norm, is it?" Donal Scanlan says. 

People need to understand that there is no normal, no right or wrong way to feel about this situation. Donal is confident that the 7500 people they've trained can do this using their skills, and even people that have not received training can reach out to somebody and ask "how are you really doing, what's it like for you at the moment? To spend a moment at least, checking in and having a real human connection with somebody, even if that is virtually or over the phone, hearing somebody's voice, could make the difference in someone’s day".

What should true leadership look like in today's remote working teams

This is not only a matter of team leadership skills but more a matter of being able to step up even as a team member and check in with your colleagues, to let them know that it's ok, that they are not alone in this. A Zoom meeting can be a temporary replacement for that morning coffee with friends but also for remote teams it's a great opportunity to see their colleagues. They can take some time to talk, share experiences but also communicate about work and then be able to get on with their tasks.

This is a great empathy exercise for employers, as they are going through this crisis along with their employees, and they are all feeling the effects almost at the same time.

Donal says employers should "do their best to stay in touch, to communicate with people as transparently as possible without overwhelming them because you can do that, too. You can sit and say too much and it can be overwhelming. So to measure that communication, but to do it in a way that keeps people engaged, keeps them informed". 

How to handle anxiety: take time for yourself but keep your connections alive

It's hard to disconnect when we are constantly being surrounded by noise from the media when it's so easy to simply spend time scrolling on social media. But taking moments in your day to engage in your own well-being is very important. We are not only dealing with anxiety in this situation, but we are also dealing with fear and uncertainty. This is not a disorder but a state of being for almost everybody in the world who is aware of this virus. The situation itself is not normal, but our response to it is, so acknowledging that is a great wellness tip for a start. 

This is the best time to try things you've been postponing like that online fitness class, like writing a letter, like calling someone just to hear their voice. "Reach out to people and connect to them in ways that you can. Even if it is from across the street or even if it is from a phone call or an email or a letter or a postcard or whatever it may be."

Self-isolation is hard because we all want to feel like we're part of a community; we're not designed to be alone. Finding new ways to keep our connections is something we need to be creative about: "I've said to people regularly, you can connect with somebody and empathise with someone with a smile, with a look of your face, you know? [...] I’m not avoiding you because I don't like you. I’m avoiding you because it’s the right thing to do at the moment".

The prospect of going back to work: how will employees and employers cope

Going back to work after a long time might feel like something totally new all over again. The good news is that everyone will be in the same situation, working at a different pace, trying to adapt. Employers, as well as employees, need to remember that there will be a fallout from this, an impact on people's mental health. This change in pace is not something that happened naturally, and returning to a normal work environment will not be easy.

Donal predicts that "There will be an increased level of anxiety and fear, fear going forward. And again understanding, keeping this conversation going, realizing that mental health is something that we all experience and we'll all have ups and downs and that it needs to be supported. It's an integral part of our well-being. And it should be an integral part of our well-being strategies from a workplace perspective as well.".

It's important for employers to encourage their staff constantly, to be open in talking to them about how they are feeling, and to allow them to feel hurt. 

Mental Health First Aid teaches people to reach out safely to each other, to be able to recognise when someone is having difficulty, knowing how to start the conversation, how to keep it going, how to listen, how to do so with empathy, understanding and how we should spend more time listening to somebody than we do wanting to respond or wanting to fix them. "This is not rocket science. This isn't a new school of thought. Really, it's just about reminding people that they have it in them" - Donal Scanlan.

Want to learn more about Donal Scanlan's work? Go to  www.mhfaireland.ie

Or just start a conversation about mental health on their Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.

Listen in to our conversation here. Watch the full video of our conversation here.