Supporting Your Team After Lockdown

The last few months have been stressful and challenging in many, many ways. Collectively we've experienced an existential trauma, having all been confronted with our mortality, the mortality of our loved ones and the fact that ultimately, we are not in control.

As the scientists begin to get a better handle on the physical risks of the coronavirus and the country slowly reopens, the psychological impact of the pandemic remains to be seen. As with any traumatic experience, the emotional fallout only truly hits once the crisis itself has passed, and so, whether we’re conscious of it right now or not, it’s more than likely that we’ll all encounter some kind of emotional aftershock.

As employers it’s important that we be both conscious of and prepared for this. It is highly probable that our teams will require extra support over the coming months and so putting measures in place now could go a long way in promoting good mental health in the long term.

Openly acknowledging the challenges that we’ve faced and the ways in which the pandemic could impact emotional wellbeing is a good starting point. This will go a long way in creating a culture of understanding and compassion, so anyone who is struggling feels able to reach out for support straight away.

The key emotional difficulties to be aware of post-lockdown are grief, low mood, anxiety and irritability. Alongside the strong possibility that at least some of your workforce will have lost loved ones in the pandemic, some may also be struggling with the loss of the way life was before. Whilst the country is slowly opening up again, life is by no means returning to normal and, right now, no one knows if it ever will. Social distancing and the omnipresence of PPE make being out in the world feel pretty strange. Much has changed and many imperceptible freedoms that we used to take for granted, like being able to walk down the street without having to be alert, have been lost. Some of your team may need help to process this more subtle, unspoken grief for the world before COVID. Grief can manifest in many ways. Sadness and low mood are the most obvious signs, but symptoms of anxiety are also common. Similarly, many of your employees may be experiencing anxiety about the return to work and the busyness that went before. These anxieties may take many forms, from the fear of exposure to the coronavirus, to worries about their ability to cope with their workload, or the broader uncertainty that we’re now faced with as a country. For many, the pandemic has pulled the rug out from underneath their feet, throwing their plans up in the air and this uncertainty about the future can be a major stressor.

Remember not all employees will feel able to let you know that they’re struggling so watch out for changes in behaviour such as withdrawal, compulsive tidying and irritability and check in with them to see how they’re doing. Whilst many will find their own way through these challenges, others may require professional support to get back on track.

Our team at The Clearing are here to help. Talking things through with a counsellor can make a huge difference. It allows us space to make sense of how we’re feeling so we can process and release the difficult emotions. In doing so we begin to feel lighter, then we develop greater self-awareness and then we become more resilient.