MENTAL HEALTH + COVID-19

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Posted April 8, 2020

The continued conversation about Corona Virus and Covid-19 has been ongoing now in it’s more extreme forms for about a month. Coupled with business uncertainty, self-isolation and the stress of managing your team, we know many salon owners are struggling with their mental health during this time. We hear you and acknowledge your feelings, and we want to help.

 

It’s completely natural to feel a range of emotions during this period, from stress and worry to anxiety and depression. Many people feel stressed and overwhelmed by the constantly changing situation, the constant news updates and the sheer volume of information that need to be consumed during this period.

 

There are some really simple things that salon owners can do that can significantly improve your mental health during this period, but if you’re really worried or concerned for your health or any one in your community’s health, then we do encourage you to get in touch with BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or speak to a professional to get specific advice and further strategies to help you cope during this period.

 

Get informed with the RIGHT information.

There’s a huge amount of noise going on right now as every media channel, every business and everybody talks Corona Virus. Being informed is helpful, but not all the information we are hearing is helpful, nor is all of it correct.

Humans are hard-wired to react to possible threats to ourselves, our families and our communities, and while these reactions are designed to keep us safe, they can be excessive and unhelpful and can cause significant stress and worry. Mainstream media and social media, in particular, are really sensationalizing this situation and this can absolutely increase stress and anxiety.

 

Now is the time to turn to trusted advisors and only receive influence from people you can trust. If you’re a member of HABA, we are doing a lot to make sure that our members are informed of the FACTS as they happen, without the opinion pieces. HABA Members can also call our employment lawyers at any time to receive specific, tailored advice that is unique to their business so you know exactly what YOU need to do moving forward, rather than simply relying on generic information you then have to process.

 

Consider only checking trusted sources of information, like the Australian Government Department of Health website, to receive your news. That way you know it’s right and it’s not sensationalized and it’s easier to handle than the complete onslaught that is social media right now.

 

Shut down the noise when you need to.

Right alongside only getting the right information is knowing when to turn off the noise. Other people’s stress is very infectious and often unhelpful. Give yourself permission to switch off from social media, the news, the radio or the TV for most of the day if it makes you feel better. Check your reliable news source once or twice a day, but otherwise, give yourself and your brain a break.

 

Keep healthy and keep your routines.

At the moment with working from home and social isolation practices, it can feel like our routines have gone out the window – and that creates it’s own stress and decision fatigue as we are constantly scrambling to keep everything together. Instead, create a new routine. Maybe its walking for a take-away coffee every day, or taking the dog for a walk when you get home of an evening. If you have a strong work-out routine that you cant get to right now because your gym is closed, workout at the same time of day from home. Try to wake up at similar times as you would normally (even if your salon is closed) and “work” at being a great at-home teacher for your kids. Find the routines that are important to you and pick 2 or 3 of them each week that you can incorporate into your day to give you a strong sense of normalcy.

 

Do the things you enjoy.

When we are stressed, we tend to let all the things we normally do to make ourselves feel taken care of slip. You stop taking that walk or having that bath or having downtime, and all of a sudden you feel more stressed as you have removed those carefully carved out moments from your day. Even if we can’t do all the things we like to do in exactly the same way due to quarantine or isolation, it’s absolutely key that we make time to do the things that we find valuable, meaningful and fun. Pick one nice thing to do for yourself each week that you really love – whether its cooking or a bath or a walk – and make sure you tune out and really get involved in that activity. It gives you something to look forward to and helps keep you feeling mentally healthy.

Look forward.

Remember the saying “this too shall pass”. Right now, in the depths of things, it may not feel like the world will ever go back to normal or that this phase will pass – but everything changes, all the time. It’s the only true constant in life, and soon we will return to normal. In the meantime, it’s important to remember and have the confidence that the situation will improve, that people and businesses will recover and things will go back to normal.

 

While we know many of our members have the intention to rehire their employees after the bans have been lifted, for those who have had to stand down staff, it may be a good time to check-in and make sure they are doing ok with their mental health in these uncertain times.
HABA has created and released a PDF poster you can send to staff members at home or even use for yourselves at this time.

Download here.

 

HABA wants to continue to be your trusted advisor during this crisis and want to help you in managing your business during this period. HABA Members can rest assured knowing that HABA will continue to update our members so they are aware of all changes and developments as they happen. Follow our Facebook page for more updates as we will be posting content to this platform regularly.

For more information or assistance, please contact the HABA Advice Line on 02 9221 9911, 8:30am – 5:30pm AEST Monday to Friday.

Please remember that any question specific to the needs of your business can be answered by one of our Industrial relations lawyers on our advice line. Please call (02) 9221 9911 and press option 1.