Managing our mental health has become an area of concern in recent times. Overnight, countries went into lockdown with many finding themselves having to either work from home; on furlough or losing their job. This turned everyone’s life upside down.
Environmental changes included: home schooling; sharing communal areas; living alone; spaces doubling up as workspace, exercise and relaxation zones. As our home and work life collided everyone was talking about the “new norm” although no one knew how long this way of life was going to continue.
In the past we looked at opportunities to work from home, to allow time with families and avoiding long commutes, however due to the pandemic we suddenly found ourselves being stuck at home which was a shock to the system.
Nine weeks into the crisis coincided with Mental Health Awareness week (18 May 2020) and the “new norm” was starting to cause anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, fear of finances and a lack of work/life balance.
When Women in Tax (WiT) decided to host an event with Menzies LLP during Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2020, the committee never anticipated the relevance and importance this event would have on so many people.
The WiT event - Looking After Your Mental Health & Wellbeing during Covid-19 and beyond - took place on 19 May 2020. In light of the circumstances, the committee changed the format from being a face to face event of 50 attendees to a live webinar for a panel discussion, with over 200 attendees. The event was attended by people from all backgrounds of work with a mix in genders, stages in career and not restricted to women working within finance or tax.
WiT were fortunate to have a panel that gave personal stories, practical tips and helped attendees to relate to mental health illnesses in a safe and welcoming space. The panel included Martin Atkins (partner at Menzies) who heads up the firm’s “Better Place” team, Sarah Allen (EMEA indirect tax compliance manager at RS Components) who shared her journey through her mental health conditions, Emma Carrington (manager, Rethink Mental Illness) who offered advice on how to deal with mental health issues from her work at the charity Rethink Mental Illness.
The amazing panel made this event a huge success. The content was very relatable to all attendees, who were able to share in the experiences that they had felt personally or that colleagues or friends and family were feeling. It was clear that the transition to lockdown had presented challenges in home and work lifestyles for everyone, but in some cases the new way of working was making existing mental health issues more acute.
Everyone has their own battles and the experiences shared by the panel encouraged the attendees to engage in the live “chat” function on the webinar. Many felt comfortable sharing what worked for them.
Feedback from attendees showed that they were not alone in this strange new journey and were comforted that others were in similar situations. Suggestions from the panel included:
• Going for a walk in the morning and evenings during what would normally be the commute to and from work.
• The act of shutting your laptop off and putting it away at the end of the day.
• Changing your clothes to feel like there was a clear divide between the end of your workday and home time. Switch off from your working day and make time for what you enjoy.
• Being mindful of those around us. Not to judge others as we do not know their circumstances or fears or personal situation.
• Taking care of yourself: eat well, sleep well, exercise and do what makes you happy. Have a routine.
• Learn to help yourselves before helping others. Remember when you go on a flight you are always told to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others and this applies to our everyday life too.
• Be open and remember that you are not alone in this journey – it is good to talk.
• Taking a break/holiday for a change of scenery and to switch off completely to avoid burn out.
• Find reasons to be grateful and find happiness in even the smallest of things. Have at least an hour a day to yourself where you do something to make YOU happy.
Six months on from the event WiT hosted and many of us are still working in a different environment. We may be more used to it but it is no less intense. World Mental Health Day is tomorrow on 10 October 2020 and with further restrictions a reality or a possibility; the fear of a second national lockdown; the change in the clocks and weather; the fear of not being able to see family or friends in the coming months or even during Christmas; and the fear of the economy having a further downturn may all exacerbate mental strains.
In these times, it is important to remind ourselves of the little things we can do to help ourselves and others. Remember that “checking in” on people even for a couple of minutes can make a world of difference.
WiT strongly support awareness around Mental Health and are planning to host annual events in this area. We also host regular events including informal networking breakfasts (last Wednesday of the month) that are a great space to share how you are coping in this new way of working and make new connections. If you would like to be a part of WiT or attend future events, please contact me.
Please remember: As much as our physical health is important, we need to appreciate that our mental health is of greater importance and not forget support is available.