Resources
Coronavirus and your wellbeing
This short guide from Mind explores some of the worries and difficulties you might experience due to the coronavirus pandemic, and some ways to ensure your mental health is protected.
Toolkit
Coronavirus: Coping with the challenges of working from home
When we originally published this toolkit, the first paragraph mentioned being past the peak of infection and looking ahead to coming out of lockdown in the near future. It’s fair to say there have been a lot of twists and turns since then, and a lot of emotional pressures. What we do know now is that we were wrong to imagine the way ahead was predictable.
Homeworking is definitely on the cards for many of us, for quite some time more – and you might be finding that the time away from the office hasn’t got any easier. Even if you worked from home before, you might not have spent such a long time away from your colleagues. And as and when restrictions are eased, it will be a long time before everything returns to normal, if they ever do – and you may still be required to work from home more often.
In one sense, we’re all in it together. But in another sense, it’s different for everyone. Having additional responsibilities, such as childcare, or losing out on chances to socialise might be starting to affect you, even if you were coping fine before.
If you’re the manager of a team, you might be worried about how your staff are getting along, especially if you know they live alone or are a carer. It’s important that you keep checking in with your staff while you’re apart – just because they were okay a few weeks ago, their circumstances might have changed, and they might need different support now.
So, as life at home continues for some and starts back up again for others, we’ve updated this collection of resources to help you and those around you. It includes tips on staying focused, keeping your anxiety levels low, and supporting colleagues who might be having a harder time due to social isolation.
Whatever your situation – take care.
Resources in this toolkit:
You might be feeling anxious, lonely or even depressed as a result of the lockdown. This website offers ways to help you cope with these feelings in a variety of healthy, calming ways.
Quick
Resources
Focus
You might find yourself experiencing new distractions when working from home that you don't normally deal with in the office. This short PDF guide offers some tips on staying focused on your important tasks.
For some people, working outside of the home can be a short-term escape from an abusive situation. Working from home means they won't have that opportunity. This toolkit explores what employers should look out for if they are worried their staff may be experiencing a domestic abuse situation, and how to help.
While some people have been able to return to their usual workplaces, some people are still working from home. This guide can help you you to maintain a healthy routine, stay productive at work and feel connected to your colleagues even if you're not able to go into work in person.
Carers may be under additional pressures due to the social distancing rules. Business in the Community have created this guide to help employers to provide the right support for their working carers and ensure their wellbeing.
Resources
Samaritans helpline
Loneliness, anxiety or other feelings caused by the lockdown can be difficult to deal with. The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day to listen to anyone experiencing distress.
A wellness action plan (WAP) is a useful tool to help us identify what keeps us well and what impacts our mental health. This revised WAP has been modified to support you when you’re working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Resources
Balancing home schooling and working
While most schools have reopened, it's possible some will need to close to control the spread of the coronavirus over the coming months. If this affects you, this guide can help you to manage working from home while ensuring your children stay healthy, entertained, and up-to-date with schoolwork.
Sadly, we've all had to make changes to the way we spend time with our friends and family. It's possible we won't be able to return to normal for several months. It's normal to feel anxious or stressed out because of this, and this guide can help you find ways to cope.
