The prospect of coming out of lockdown is causing a new kind of anxiety

As various lockdown measures start to lift across the world, we’re seeing a new kind of anxiety emerge: 'post-lockdown anxiety’, the fear or worry of returning to normal life. 

As a generation, we have never been so anxious. Anxiety often manifests itself cognitively as a loss of concentration, behaviourally by the avoidance of certain situations (fear), and physiologically in disturbed sleep, rapid breathing and emotional agitation often leading to hypervigilance.

Then along came coronavirus, bringing with it increased loneliness and concern for the safety of loved ones. Forced into isolation CV19 has given us new fears and anxieties around social distancing, getting ill, possibly dying and a general unease about the future. Our anxieties can range from a worry of being in public spaces to a fear of leaving the house in general.

Initially, the lockdown was an opportunity to opt out of all the pressures of the outside world which came as a welcome relief for many. With more time to sleep, read, and reflect, some people with pre-existing mental health conditions even saw their moods improve - which is also why the idea of ending lockdown is so jarring as it means entering a new, uncertain future. 

How anxiety is impacting staff wellbeing

While workforce re-entry certainly includes logistical and operational planning, it is not just physical well-being that employers must take into account. Equally important is how organizations will respond to employees’ emotional and psychological health - a topic that, regrettably, is discussed far less frequently.

Various questions arise such as What will life after lockdown look like? How easy will it be to adjust to? How can we ensure that we will be safe?

All of these anxieties are totally normal and it is only when these start to interfere with our everyday life that it becomes a cause for concern. For instance, from issues with sleeping to fears over leaving the house, negative thoughts begin to prevail as we worry about the future. Other related issues include fatigue, concentration problems, increased use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and worsening of existing health conditions, all of which have the potential to negatively impact work performance.

We need to be mindful that it can feel very strange for most of us to live a normal life again after such a long period in isolation. This can affect our daily confidence and comfort with interactions. 

The one common factor though that we all share is the amount of change we have all gone through, in a noticeably short space of time.

Top signs of anxiety to look out for in people include:

• Recurring thoughts or worries about the future
• Constantly checking the news or social media about COVID-19 or lockdown rules
• In extreme cases, possible panic attacks
• Feeling unsettled or tense
• Issues with sleeping

Many people have tried to cope by ‘loving being in lockdown’, by creating a cocoon of safety, a haven, and to make the whole experience enjoyable. 

Ironically, that can create problems later because people can develop a dependence on isolation. Some people are describing the emotions they are feeling as symptomatic of agoraphobia, a fear of leaving the house, but this is not entirely accurate. Typically, people with agoraphobia will avoid certain situations because they are frightened of having a panic attack. These new cases (people anxious about life after lockdown) are not as frightened of having panic attacks, as they're frightened of infection!

With a little support the anxiety many people feel now will pass. But some people will have lingering psychological problems. Being told by governments that it’s safe to venture into the outside world and to get our ‘old life’ back doesn’t remove the fact that the danger of infection remains as so all the anxieties associated with the medical risks. 

This raises difficult questions about how we are going to live and work and re-engage with the world.

How to support staff’s mental health

It is well known that many employees do not feel comfortable speaking up about poor mental health and this is unlikely to change following the pandemic.

But for those looking for solutions, one to one conversations are a great way to assess the situation around peoples’ mental health and fears around their physical health. A personal heart to heart makes staff feel valued and can provide a safe space for people to share their deepest emotions and fears. When having conversations about mental health, questions should be simple, open and non-judgemental to give the employee ample opportunity to explain the situation in their own words.

Here are a few examples:

• How are you doing at the moment?
• What support do you think might help?
• You seem to be a bit frustrated/upset/angry/under pressure. Is everything okay?
• Have you spoken to your GP or looked for help anywhere else?
• What would you like to happen? How?
• Is there anything I can do to help?

Top initiatives you can implement to help ease staff’s anxiety and re-entry:

Make employee well-being your top priority

Your colleague’s experience of lockdown may vary from person to person. It may have been stressful for some as they worked to keep the business afloat, demanding for parents working and home schooling and for others it may have been isolating and lonely. Offering access to counselling and other health and wellbeing initiatives has never been more important. If you haven’t been carrying out regular welfare checks then now is a good time to start. Back to work interviews may also help identify which employees need a helping hand.

Providing mental health awareness-raising activities – work towards a culture where is acceptable to talk about and seek support for poor mental health. Also, communicate regularly on wellbeing and mental health support, wherever possible supported by activities that encourage physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing.

Share accurate, timely, and transparent information

It is likely your workplace is going to look and feel very different when your employees return, with changes needed to keep everyone safe and to meet the Government’s new guidelines. Keeping your workforce informed of these changes is incredibly important. You need to be clear about what is expected of them in terms of social distancing and hygiene maintenance. Tell them how your everyday business practices will change. Ideally you need to communicate this to them now, so that there won’t be any surprises when they do return.

A pattern of open two-way communication is especially critical as employers take actions to deal with the pandemic’s economic impact. Organizations that have kept employees abreast of business performance and engaged in ongoing dialogue with their people will be better prepared for difficult conversations.

Train leaders, managers, and colleagues on how to support employees

Leaders and managers will shoulder much of the responsibility for ensuring a smooth return to the workplace. People managers will need to take greater responsibility for employees’ well-being. This includes familiarizing themselves with the warning signs of emotional distress, factoring more time into their days for checking in with staff, helping team members understand what is and isn’t within their control, and learning how to triage real-time issues while other resources are called upon to help. 

Take swift action to implement recommended public health measures

Employees need to know how these measures are being implemented, what the timeline is, and how the measures will be monitored and enforced. They also need assurance that steps are being taken to update protocols and processes as the situation evolves.

If employees are needed in the workplace, those who started work for the organisation in the time prior to (or even during) lockdown may need a re-induction into the workplace to help them feel connected and engaged (this could also help cover any health and safety changes in line with the government’s COVID-secure workplace guidelines).

Offer employee flexibility

Pre-coronavirus you may had strict shift schedules in place but lockdown has shown that not everyone delivers their best work on a nine-to-five schedule. You may have given your colleagues more flexibility to manage their lockdown schedule, especially if they had children or other dependants to care for. Some people may have been more productive in the morning and others at night-time or by splitting their shift. If you feel you feel you have got more out of your employees by offering flexible working hours, then why not continue to do so post-COVID?

Work on your team spirit

You may find that with staff working in isolation or maybe not at all while on furlough, team spirit and morale is low. Or you may actually have a workforce who have met the challenges posed by the lockdown by working together in the face of adversity. Either way, it has been a stressful time for everyone and now is a good time to help your colleagues to get back on track and harness the entrepreneurial spirit! Building a team spirit may be a challenge while social distancing is still in place, but that shouldn’t stop you looking at ways of bringing everyone together remotely.

Be understanding

You need to remember that returning to the office after lockdown might be just as challenging for some employees as when they initially swapped the office for home. Spending time at home has become the new normal for many people and despite the nation feeling desperate for life to get back to normal, it doesn’t mean returning to work is easy. You need to understand that employees may be fearful of the risks, they may still have caring responsibilities or be shielding themselves due to their own heal conditions.

We are aware that for many organisations coronavirus is creating a lot of uncertainty and this may be having an impact on your business and employees in a number of ways. We are here to support you.

Want to find out how we can help?

Why not get in contact with Aliya directly on [email protected] to schedule in a call to find out more or ask for our company profile for more information.

About Aliya Jasrai

Former GlaxoSmithKline Marketing Executive, is a Wellbeing Workplace Director for Self Love Today helping busy and stressed employees find their way back to calm in order to thrive in their work and family life.

Aliya knows first hand about anxiety, burnout and mental health issues as she overcame these challenges herself and is now empowered to support those facing the same problems.

She is passionate to raise awareness and educate people on better self-care through holistic techniques for the mind and body by utilising her certified tools and proven techniques from CBT, Life Coaching and Nutrition Therapy to help provide simple, quick and effective relief during times of chaos.  

About Self Care Today

Do you want to leave stress behind so you can be more motivated, productive, and focused in everything you do?

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If your employees are struggling with self-limiting beliefs/self-doubt/imposter syndrome, confidence and self-esteem issues, time management or overwhelm – all of which can lead to stress and eventually burn out – then we are here to help.

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