Dealing with stressed team members after the lockdown
A COVID-19-related curfew was in place in Germany for more than 10 weeks. Schools and childcare centers were closed, those who could worked from home and leisure activities were almost completely canceled. Although the lockdown is now slowly being lifted, many employees are at the end of their tether after the hardships of recent weeks.
The following guidelines help managers to recognize mental stress in their employees and to act correctly.
The lockdown is over, but the psyche remains burdened
Weeks of lockdown are behind us, but the crisis is not over yet. Even though the first easing of restrictions is bringing normality back into everyday life, employees feel exhausted by the multiple stresses of recent weeks. For many, mental health has been severely strained by constant stress.
The duration of stress is crucial for mental health
The coronavirus pandemic has changed our everyday lives, forcing us to adapt quickly and abruptly to new situations. Many people are now struggling to find their way in the new normal and feel threatened by the current uncertainty. "The longer stress lasts, the more the employee's cognitive performance decreases. This is due to the hormone cortisol, which is released in large quantities during stress. If there are no breaks to recover, it can attack the brain cells and, as a result, states of exhaustion, depression and memory disorders increase," says Dr. Udo Wortelboer, a specialist in psychiatry and psychology. He has been working intensively on the topic of mental health in the workplace since 2015 and advises managers and team leaders in companies on behalf of pme Familienservice .
Look and don't look away!
To ensure successful collaboration with your employees even after the lockdown phase, you should look at the personalities and experiences of your team members and scrutinize their needs and interests. This is the only way to keep an eye on the balance between overworking and underworking individual employees.
The H-I-L-F-E concept provides step-by-step guidelines
The H-I-L-F-E concept provides recommendations for action to ensure that you as a manager can lead your team in a healthy manner in times of crisis. The concept was developed jointly by the BKK umbrella organization and Familien-Selbsthilfe Psychiatrie.
H-I-L-F-E stands for:
H - Look: Look at changes and stressful situations.
I - Take initiative: Approach team members promptly, offer support and collect possible solutions.
L - Take on a leadership role: Agree specific work objectives.
F - Exercise leadership responsibility: Encourage and challenge as well as written agreements.
E - Involve experts: Get support from therapists, doctors or social workers at an early stage.
You can find out more about the individual steps of the H-I-L-F-E concept in the BKK umbrella organization's digital brochure.
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