We wanted to start the conversation this week by addressing the question that is probably sitting somewhere in the minds of a lot of people – is this the start of the dreaded 'Second Wave'? Just as we were enjoying the reprieve offered from the restrictions of physical distancing, the Victorian government's response has been the reintroduction of Stage 3 restrictions for Melbourne. I'm sure our thoughts are with those who have been impacted directly or had friends and loved ones affected.

Last week we talked about the importance of language, and I must admit it is disheartening to be bombarded by media messages about the 'Ring of Steel' surrounding Melbourne. Already government messages are preparing other states such as NSW for the inevitability of heightened restrictions. It's hard in times like these to avoid feeling that we're under siege, and a constant defensive mentality is not a great way to achieve mental health and wellbeing.

This week we're putting the spotlight on supporting one another and the importance of getting the language right. As a result, we've also adopted a different approach to your support tools this week. We wanted to take the opportunity to have one of our senior clinical team members, Kate McPhee (Psychologist & Clinical Associate Coordinator) from our Melbourne office create the Personal Tool. We wanted to acknowledge the experience of those in Victoria and use their lived experience to help us better understand how to support others. Kate described some of the impacts of well-intentioned messages from friends and loved ones over the past few days as:

“We’ve had well-meaning interstate friends, family and colleagues say ‘you poor people in Melbourne having to increase physical distancing restrictions AGAIN’. Try to imagine how this makes us feel? For those of us in Melbourne remember they are intending to be supportive and its hard for them to understand, don’t take it personally and reach out to your family and friends in Victoria who do understand. In Melbourne there is a sense we understand why it has to happen, we’ve done it before and we are just trying to get on with doing our part.”

Access via our Employer Login Area - COVID-19 Supporting your people:

• Personal Tool - Coping with new physical restrictions and uncertainty

We are here to support you through these changes. Wherever you are located, we're in this together. As always, as your EAP we are here to support your people whatever the nature of their concerns, please contact AccessEAP on 1800 818 728.

Published in Education Today 30th June 2020

This past week the new normal lived up to its reputation that the only constant is change. It's important to recognise and call out the level of complexity the new normal demands of us. We are expected to safely navigate our people and organisations through an ever-changing and unclear environment where strategies can be turned on their head overnight.

The experience of those in 'lockdown' suburbs in Victoria, with more restrictions announced along with the border closure, highlights this. Our thoughts go out to those impacted with the return to or imposition of new restrictions. We'd also like to help reframe this language as use of the term lockdown is compelling, but not necessarily the most helpful. While it helps the government manage the risk of minimising or eliminating the chance of a second wave, what is the impact on people right now? We need to think about this, as there is a probability that this may happen in other cities or states and directly impact our people or their loved ones.

Media coverage of police conducting roadside testing on the borders of impacted suburbs is a very confronting situation. There is heightened fear and anxiety for those affected, more broadly in Victoria and for many of us. A few weeks ago, we spoke about the emotional wave. How can you prepare your leaders to manage the emotional waves and navigate your people, teams and organisation and help build confidence and equilibrium?

This week has highlighted the nature and challenge of ongoing risks facing our organisations and our people in the new normal. When we look back at these times once we have safely navigated through COVID-19, as we inevitably will, what will we see? What will be the standouts? How will we have grown our people and our organisations? How will we have grown as leaders?

This week we turn our spotlight on how to create some practical, sensible ways we can lead our people in the new normal.

We encourage our children to be kind. We’re kind to those we love and our colleagues. So why is it hard to turn that lens of kindness back onto ourselves? Doesn’t it mean that we are being selfish, wasting time with self-care? Who will do All of Those Tasks if we don’t? This month I’ve been thinking about how hard it can be, especially during a pandemic, to be nice to ourselves. If we drive ourselves on relentlessly, something will give.

At AccessEAP, we are talking to a lot of people about their ‘stress signature’. How do you know if you’re stressed? Stress shows up in our bodies (headaches, racing heart, insomnia), in our thoughts (excessive worry and catastrophising), behaviours (drinking to relax, not sleeping well) and relationships (being snappy with people, reactive to situations that normally slide right past us). 

So stress is pretty awful. But it has reasons for putting us on edge. That surge of adrenaline when we are in danger tells our heart to pump blood to our limbs. Non-essential systems like digestion shut down (hence that sinking feeling in our gut when we are scared). This allows us to fight our way out of danger, or flee. All well and good when confronted with a dangerous beast but not so useful in our day to day lives. If we are constantly on edge, our fight or flight status leaves us exhausted. The stress hormone, cortisol, is key to this defence system but long-term it plays havoc with our bodies – blood sugar and blood pressure skyrocket, memory is affected, higher levels at night create insomnia.

Working from home has been a mix of pleasure (no commute!) and challenge (cabin fever!), and just as we adapt to this, it’s time to get our heads around the idea of a “new normal”. Making sense of the new normal and ongoing uncertainty is enough to keep those stress hormones rumbling along.

By identifying our personal stress signatures, we can try and intervene to minimise the short and long term impacts on our lives. This can be as simple as taking a lunch break (not working while you eat), or making sure you have a real weekend with people you care with (not always checking emails). For me, taking the time out to join in on our Yoga Wellbeing Initiative really helped to keep me balanced.

Friday 24^th July 2020 is Stress Down Day, a fun and easy initiative designed to reduce stress and raise vital funds for Lifeline Australia. Stress Down Day promotes happiness, encourages help seeking and raises awareness of suicide prevention through raising funds for Lifeline's crisis support services. For more information, check out the Lifeline Website.

Self-care and managing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Heightened anxiety and/or fear
• Increased irritability and outbursts of anger and arguments
• Difficulty in sleeping and relaxing
• Worrying excessively
• Increase in use of alcohol or drugs
• Having difficulty in communicating or listening
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach pains
• Feeling depressed or guilty
• Denying feelings or saying you don’t care
• Confused, difficulty making decisions.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, focus on looking after yourself with these self-care strategies:

1. Focus on personal hygiene habits
2. Keep things in perspective
3. Identify what you can control
4. Focus on the people around you
5. Take breaks to enjoy activities
6. Eat healthily
7. Make time to do things that help you relax
8. Talk about your feelings
9. Talk about other topics with friends
10. Find ways to help others.

For more information or to arrange an appointment, please contact us on 1800 818 728.

Whether you're working from home or back in the office, here are some activities that you can do to develop your mindfulness practice.

1. Do one thing well. Multi-tasking might sound high-powered but studies show that it's ineffective. Switching gears repeatedly from one task to another trip up the brain and inhibits focus on any one of them. Focussing on one task at a time generally improves your productivity and accuracy.

2. Make time during the workday to be "present". Chances are, you already do this and don't even realise it. Remember all those times you have been concentrating hard on a work-related task and not heard your mobile ring? That was you being mindful and present in your moment - with purpose and without judgment.

3. Choose to start your day purposefully rather than letting the day start you. Once you have sat down at your desk, spend a few minutes noticing your breath and concentrating on its flow - with your eyes closed.

4. Be present when interacting with a colleague in a meeting. This may mean allowing yourself to focus fully on the message of your colleague and not getting distracted by other sounds in the room or at home.

Published in Safety Solutions 26th June 2020

Published in MyBusiness 8th June 2020

It’s been a sobering week, with news of rising cases in Victoria and discussion of restrictions on travel between states. It seems that our growing sense of positivity and a sense that we were getting through this has had a reality check. On top of this, there have been some high-level media coverage surrounding jobs losses, redundancies and ongoing stand down impacting many Australians. In a recent AFR article, the IMF stated the global pandemic recession is deeper than feared, and that Australia will be impacted with a likely 4.5% contraction. The good news? Australia is the only advanced economy to have its outlook upgraded, and expected to contract less than the April forecast, which predicted a 6.7% contraction.

With this in mind, we turn our spotlight on how your EAP can help assist you to manage risk and support your people and organisation through challenging times.

Together we potentially face the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. We know from our conversations with many of you the issues that are dominating your thinking and current people strategies are around managing through the new normal, navigating through COVID-19 recession and being able to come out the other side. We are also positive that we will get through this together. The success of our economy is built upon the success of business and organisations. We’re here to help you successfully navigate the business and people challenges you currently face.

We’ve previously spoken about financial security, and this is an ongoing stress for many of us. We want to highlight how your EAP strategy and support can help you manage your business and people risks. We have created additional support tools. Our Manager Tool discusses some specific elements to help proactively identify and manage risks. Our Personal Tool offers your people some suggestions on how they can be in control of managing some of their personal risks.

Access via our Employer Login Area - COVID-19 Supporting your people:

• Leader Tool - Harnessing your EAP to help manage your people risk
• Personal Tool - Managing risk and uncertainty in the new normal

Through conversations with your dedicated Relationship Manager, we can help you plan and implement a combination of proactive strategies to proactively identify, manage and minimise your people risks and the interventions and support required for those with specific needs. Reach out to your Relationship Manager to start the conversation with our Clinical and Organisational Development teams. Our people are here to help you and your people.

Reflecting on the lessons learned in the last few months, our reflection inevitably turned to two things – clear communication and decision making as leaders. One of the things that stood out was how we had changed our communication style. Our language evolves in response to the physical and psychological needs of our people, and where we have been as a team on the various stages of the COVID-19 journey.

This week our spotlight is on evolving our communication to continue to meet the needs of our people as we grow increasingly accustomed to the new normal.

At AccessEAP, we’re already in a blended workplace and continue to shape the blended workspace as we get better at actually doing it. We’ve openly shared with our people that we expect this to continue for some time and are actively looking for ways to support our people so they can better support your people. 

The phrase “clear is kind, unclear is unkind” (Brene Brown) is one that we often find ourselves challenging each other with. Looking back at how we have evolved our communication and messages over the past few months, something stands out. We’ve always sought to make a clear distinction between providing clarity and providing certainty. With so many unknowns to grapple with over the past few months, and more yet to come, we openly share when there are things we are uncertain about. Our people have been included as we’ve gone on this journey together. We’ve also made sure to clearly state that there is a difference between being uncertain and not knowing.

The power in the difference between the phrase “We’re not certain but let’s find out” and “we don’t know” is one that can have a direct impact on your people’s mental health and wellbeing. Uncertainty implies that you have some ideas on what’s required and that more thinking is needed to make the right decision. This can instil confidence in your people that you are being open, transparent and honest but have several alternative options that require a decision. Everyone has a part to play, and this approach encourages individual responsibility and ownership as we engage in creating potential solutions.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. It's best practice for leading through crisis and change – both of which we've had plenty of over the past few months. It's time to take a moment; pause and reflect on what's happened and how we have led our people through COVID-19.

In the moment of reflection, it can become apparent just how much we have done and achieved over the past few months. It's also become apparent that information overload has taken on a whole new meaning throughout COVID-19. One of the contributors to exhaustion and stress is information overload. We've been bombarded by messaging across all platforms for some time. It's also important to recognise that communication through an extended period of crisis and change must evolve to continue to be meaningful, impactful and internalised.

This week we turn a spotlight on evolving communication for our people.

Knowing that our people may be feeling exhausted, experiencing information overload and sorting through information which has at times been unclear or uncertain, we can identify ways that we can adapt our communication approach to their needs. Now, more than ever, clear, concise and bite-sized chunks of messages are required. It's also helpful for consistency. It might help your people to think about how you can curate information or what's communicated to help this land better. There is a substantial amount of information that has been made available to your people from lots of different sources, including the state and federal governments.

Overall, trending presenting issues and requests for support confirm the effects of overload. 

As we prepare for a return to work or physical workspaces with physical distancing requirements being eased, the impacts on our mental health will continue for some time. It is vital to be aware that many employees, colleagues and peers may be struggling. One of the troubling impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on mental health is the increased risk of suicide. Raising mental health awareness is one of the tools we can each use and includes understanding the risks factors for poor mental health as well as knowing the signs.

We know the factors which protect our mental health are:

• social support and connection
• meaningful activity
• maintaining a healthy lifestyle
• rest and relaxation
• a reliable source of income
• and problem-solving skills.

Risk factors that can contribute to poor mental health:

• an increase in drug and alcohol use
• family history of mental illness
• history of trauma
• chronic or ongoing stress
• loss of long-term relationship or person
• social isolation not just physical isolation
• financial stress
• and poor physical health.

Signs that someone may be struggling:

• dramatic changes in behaviour, mood or attitude
• increased feelings of anxiety or depression
• expressing thoughts of helplessness, hopelessness or worthlessness.

Many people find it difficult to talk about mental health with someone they are concerned about – and this is normal. It is natural for people to fear saying the wrong thing or making things worse. However, ignoring mental health issues won't make them go away. Having a conversation and expressing concern is vital.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has had a wide-ranging impact on all of us. It is perfectly normal to worry about our financial situation, even in the best of times, as we try and provide a good life for ourselves and our loved ones. With so much uncertainty across several industries and employers, financially related stress may become overwhelming.

Financial worry is normal. Financial security, job security and a steady income are important basic things we require to provide for our loved ones, to feel safe and secure. Financial security supports our wellbeing, such as leisure time and activities. The loss of that security creates uncertainty and anxiety. If we are not careful to manage our thoughts and emotions, financial stress can dominate our thoughts 24/7 and impact on our health and wellbeing. The way we view our financial situation can shape our thoughts and feelings and harm relationships.

Some signs that financial stress is affecting your health and relationships include:

• arguing with your partner or family about money
• difficulty sleeping or relaxing
• feeling angry or fearful
• mood swings
• tiredness
• muscle pain
• loss of appetite
• withdrawing from interaction with others.

Financial stress can affect your health in many ways:

• poor physical health
• delaying accessing healthcare
• poor mental health 
• unhealthy coping behaviours.

Seeking help to fully understand your financial position and the options available to you is the first step in getting back in control of your finances and improving your mental and physical health. AccessEAP offers specialist Financial Coaching in addition to EAP counselling. For more information, Manager and Personal Tools can be accessed here or call 1800 818 728 to book an appointment.

It is a promising sign when many of our conversations turned to “what’s next” this week. Recent media coverage has spoken about the return to work and the transition to the ‘new normal’. This language doesn’t recognise that many of us continued to work either in our workplaces or from our homes.

What we do know is that we are all caught up in planning the process of the return to the ‘new normal’. It’s time to talk about the impacts on your people, the workplace and the effect of the easing of physical distancing restrictions. While we recognise and have been talking about managing thoughts and emotions through COVID-19, our thinking is now shifting from crisis management in-the-moment to forward planning. The biggest lesson we’d like to talk about from these conversations is the unexpected outcomes people and teams who have already returned to the workplace have shared with us.

As we start a new phase of the COVID-19 journey, are we looking at a more hopeful stage as we can begin to move around more? Are we looking forward to the opportunity to interact with more people and physically connect in person? What will this look and feel like? How will our people react?

What we know is that there is no one size fits all solution. That’s why we have released a Transition Planning Guide, designed to help you think, plan and be able to implement a range of solutions to help your people, teams and organisation move through the transition to the ‘new normal’ as smoothly as possible. Find it in our Employer Login COVID-19 Toolkit. 

During this unprecedented time, it is important to check-in on those around you. But what does that actually mean and what does it look like when we do “check-in?” Here are some strategies to help you to have these all-important conversations:

A quick message - A simple approach to this is if someone has crossed your mind and there has not been any interaction in some way recently, send them a text (or ring) and say I am thinking about you and I hope you are going well. Also, take an hour out of your week (on a designated evening every week) and check that you have contacted friends and go through all personal communication platforms ensure that you haven’t forgotten to get back to people who have taken the time to reach out to you. Phone calls tend to take more time but some people who dislike texts are better on the phone.

Listening - when ringing someone or meeting for coffee, sometimes they need to vent or just talk through what is going on. Sometimes we really just need to name and verbalize how we are feeling or what we are experiencing. They might not be asking for anything but for you to listen. They may not want advice. If you feel time-pressured, just be honest that you have a little time and you can listen if that is helpful. It’s also ok to say upfront “I have to get back to work soon/pick up the kids/errands to do but I have ten minutes free if you just need me to listen and want to get it off your chest.” Sometimes acknowledging something positive or saying thank you for something they have done, can have an impact on their wellbeing. 

Giving advice - it’s best to ask directly them if they want advice, and then to be clear about why you feel qualified or not qualified to give it and what your limits are. Almost no one wants unsolicited advice, and almost no one wants someone else to act like they can “fix” or “solve” us easily. Don’t give advice without ) knowing if they want it, ii) knowing the limits of your ability to advise, and iii) being prepared and accepting for them to say they’ve already tried that, it isn’t appropriate/relevant to their need, or there are reasons they just aren’t going to do what you are suggesting. Don’t argue. Trust them that they know what is useful for them.

Practical support - if you know they have limited access to things they need or they are unable to do tasks (and you are both willing and able to do those things) offer it. Something like “Hey, I’m going to go and walk/ride/run and just sit by the lake later and wondered if you’d like to come? It’s ok if you do or don’t want to talk, bring a book if you prefer” might take more effort, so only offer them anything that you reasonably can.

Checking in and having important conversations with those around you.

Check-in and stay connected. We hear this so often in social media posts, news reports and written articles around keeping up our connections. But what does that actually mean and what does it look like when we do “check-in?”

This is incredibly personal and in fact, reflecting on what you have done in the past will be useful in building your approach to this. This doesn’t mean that you run down your entire contact list weekly and check-in with everyone with a stock standard message. It also doesn’t mean you are without boundaries around how much you can give and what you are able to offer.

My own approach to this is if someone crosses my mind and we haven’t interacted recently, I contact them and enquire about their wellbeing. I also take an hour out of my week and check that I go through my personal emails/messenger and texts to ensure that I haven’t forgotten to get back to people who have taken the time to reach out to me.

For most of us (if we are very lucky) we have a small group of people whom we trust and know we can contact. Being able to ask for help is probably the most vulnerable thing that we can do and although it feels counterintuitive – it helps to build our connections.

At AccessEAP, we hear that people feel disconnected and would like to have more human interactions, especially during this time of working remotely where there are fewer incidental interactions. There are those of us who feel that we give all of our energy away and there is not a lot given back. Perhaps we don’t give because we fear rejection or that we may be judged or we don’t think it’s worth reaching out to the people we work with, live with and love. Our challenge to you is to show up for these people – because in a pandemic we need you (and everyone else) more than ever.

It's Men's Health Week from the 15th-21st of June. The focus is on Men and Families - Working Together for Men's Health, find out more on the official website.

At AccessEAP, we often hear from men that they feel pressure to be seen as invulnerable, stoic, and fearless. This can lead to unrealistic expectations that as a man you should be able to cope no matter what, and "get on with it". Emotions become synonymous with weakness and powerlessness. Men may also dismiss their feelings as unimportant and worry about burdening other people with their concerns.

Men experience emotions just as much as women do, however, the pressure not to show emotion or vulnerability means that emotions will build-up and result in what appear to be random and unexpected behaviour. Reluctance to talk about or acknowledge emotion can manifest in all sorts of unhelpful ways including:

• Excessive alcohol use
• Addiction to gambling or betting
• Ending relationships prematurely
• Resigning suddenly from their job
• Stopping activities of interest e.g. sports
• Neglecting friends and family
• Working longer hours
• Communication only via emails or text messages
• Aggression or violence
• Excessive time watching fantasy films, or gaming

What can AccessEAP do to help?

Friday, June 26th is this year's Take Your Dog to Work Day. With many people still working from home, this June we encourage you to bring your dog and any other pets to your online meetings! At AccessEAP, we have set up a few wellbeing sessions throughout June so that everyone can connect with each other but most importantly, introduce their pets. If you would like to get involved in this initiative, make sure to set up an approved online session and make sure to take some happy snaps of your furry friends.

If you are still able to bring your dogs into your office on the day, make sure you check out the RSPCA Website for tips to make the experience run smoothly.