Many Australians are out of work, some for the first time in their lives. Other Australians are still working amidst a different kind of uncertainty and stress. Some worry that their position will disappear soon. Some are concerned that their role puts them and their families at risk of illness. Some are experiencing "survivor guilt" because they still have a job where others don't.

The stressors are broad and complex and in many ways incomparable. Who is more stressed? Who is worse off? These questions are irrelevant. What really matters is; how are we supporting each other? Not just now, but into the future. As a leader or a team member, do you know what to do to support others, and still look after yourself?

The long-term ramifications of the current coronavirus pandemic on mental health in our workplaces will be enormous. Prior to COVID-19, it was estimated that mental ill-health was costing the Australian economy $60 billion per year ( KPMG Investing to Save). What will happen in the aftermath? Uncertainty, financial struggle and social isolation will take their toll on the teams that remain intact, the teams that lose valued members, and the new teams that will have to form again later.

However, there is opportunity here. An opportunity, perhaps even an imperative, to approach mental health differently. In the past, our approach in Australia has been a reactive one - wait until a problem develops and then try to tackle it. We simply cannot afford to do that anymore, particularly not in the face of this global crisis. We must be proactive about our ability to cope, and we must develop the tools to support each other in doing so.

Enter the idea of mental fitness. This is a concept whereby we develop our psychological skillset to prevent as well as address mental ill-health. We can liken this to the concept of going to the gym to get fitter. We don't have to be unfit to exercise, and we don't have to be unwell to start building our mental fitness either. Wherever we are on the spectrum of health, it always benefits us to do a little fitness work. But where does one begin to work on their mental fitness?

If you have no background in psychology or counseling, but you want to support your team somehow, there is now another way to do so apart from simply referring them to your EAP. Mental Fitness Training Program 1 is a free online course which has been designed with work teams in mind, as a methodology for teaching the psychological skills necessary for coping with a variety of stressors. Not everybody needs the same kind of support, so this Program combines nine different skills into a broadly inclusive package that is informative, easy to digest and (best of all) practical.

Here are three tips for sharing the program and being a champion of mental fitness for your team:

1. Consider the communication you will use to share it. Your team may not resonate with certain words related to "wellbeing" or "psychology", so depending on their past experience and their mindset, be careful to use the right language to get buy-in with them. If you're not sure how to frame it for your people, call Bek at Smith & Wellness on 0412 111 957 for a quick chat on the best ideas.
2. Set a team start-date. The program works best when everyone is going through it at the same time, so they can share and discuss the concepts with each other. It might be worth promoting the program for a few days before you share the link with everyone, to build up a little bit of excitement and get people mentally prepared to step into it together.
3. Organise your touch points. Do you want your team to discuss everything with each other in the public "comments" section? Or would they benefit more from having a private WhatsApp group or an email thread to connect through? The course default is also set to "dripfeed" one Module per day over 10 days - but would it work better for your team to have three days or a week in between each Module to mull over the content and put it to use? Smith & Wellness can customise the settings to suit you and chat with you about your needs.

To make a difference for your people, take your first look at the content by visiting Mental Fitness Training Program 1 today. Forward the link (or this article) to your leader if you're not a decision-maker for your team, and if you want full preview access of all content immediately (without waiting for the daily dripfeeds) simply email bek@smithandwellness.com to activate this for you. This is being made free to all Australian businesses now, so seize the opportunity to champion positive change today.

In the face of this crisis, let us come together and be much more proactive about our own psychological wellbeing, as well as that of others. Our health, the health of our economy and the health of our nation will depend on it.

Published by

Rebekah Smith

Psychology educator | TEDx speaker | Wellbeing advisor | Fitness leader

"There is opportunity here. An opportunity, perhaps even an imperative, to approach mental health differently."

Will you be a champion of mental fitness for the people you work with and care about? This isn't just an article - it's an invitation to a free resource you can share; because NOW is the time to act in supporting each other.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthintheworkplace #wellbeing #corporatehealth #covid19 #covid19support #mentalhealthawareness #proactiveapproach