Mental health and Covid-19: Lessons from the crisis

LISTEN The coronavirus pandemic has been a sudden, unparalleled test of companies’ mental health and wellbeing strategies. Having risen up the corporate agenda in recent years, initiatives designed with the traditional workplace in mind have nonetheless been tested by a workforce in isolation during the government’s lockdown, at a time when many employees face concerns and anxieties the likes of which they may not have experienced before. But companies have responded quickly, working to ensure that their focus on mental wellbeing is not only stable, but strengthened during this crisis. Next, the challenge is for companies to bring the lessons of the past months back to the workplace as businesses consider when and how to return to a  more traditional way of working – and, as mental health awareness advocates are emphasising, to do so in as considerate a way as possible. For Ben Channon, head of wellbeing at Assael Architecture, the hope is that when people return to their workplaces, they do so with “a renewed sense of empathy and compassion” born from society’s experiences during the pandemic. That can seem simpler than the wide-ranging wellbeing initiatives many companies already have in place, he says, but is no less important. “We’ve seen some of the best of humanity during lockdown,” says Channon, who is also a member of the WELL Mind Advisory initiative, which explores ways in which the International WELL Building Institute’s work across the built environment can support mental wellbeing. “It’s quite easy to underestimate the impact this can have on people’s mental health, particularly in a corporate environment,” Channon adds. “It’s not always about expensive intervention strategies, although obviously they have their place and they can have big impacts. But creating that culture of kindness and support within a company can be one of the most important aspects to having such a strong sense of mental health for your staff.” A need to connect Channon spoke on one of a series of podcasts held by EG to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. He was joined by Andrew Heath-Richardson, former development director at Canary Wharf Group, now co-head of development for Europe at Hudson Advisors and a mental health first aider, as well as Henrietta Frater, head of HSE and wellbeing for The Crown Estate. “I think there’s so much opportunity that’s going to come from the last few months,” Frater says. “It has changed things completely and it’s accelerated how people thought about mental health and wellbeing.” Overseeing a corporate wellbeing programme during the coronavirus lockdown has been a challenge, says Frater, not least the speed with which organisations such as The Crown Estate have had to react to the crisis. “We were incredibly lucky because our senior leaders were so supportive of the wellbeing programme to start with,” she adds. “Through the crisis, at the front and centre was to put people first and really understand what people’s needs were.”  It’s not difficult to reach out to people, just to ask them how they are doing? We do lose track of that in this busy world – Andrew Heath-Richardson Much of the focus was then on ensuring that initiatives once provided in the estate’s offices could be delivered during lockdown. “Lots of the way that we’re used to operating is based on face-to-face contact and being able to go up to people and talk to people to hold meetings or hold events,” Frater says. “We looked at the existing programmes that we had and what we could increase, what we could do remotely.” The company has introduced a buddy system, introducing employees from across the business and encouraging them to connect remotely and provide support during lockdown. Talks once held in the head office’s library have been shifted online, as have a weekly meditation session for staff and fitness sessions. Trained mental health first aiders have been given fresh support to help them offer guidance to colleagues who may be miles away. “There are things that we’ve definitely dialed up as a response, recognising the fact that now more than ever, people need to feel connected to each other,” Frater says. Easy to ask Those connections have been reshaped as a result of the lockdown. But as a long-time advocate of mental wellbeing initiatives in the workplace, Heath-Richardson is hopeful that a silver lining of the current crisis will be that the issue is put even more firmly in the spotlight – companies shouldn’t underestimate how significantly employees will have been affected by the challenges in maintaining personal connections during recent weeks. “Everyone has their own individual needs,” says Heath-Richardson. “Some people need nurturing. Some people like to be left alone. But I think that interaction of saying, ‘are you all right?’ – does it mean more when you’re doing it remotely? I think it does, because it means you’re making a conscious effort to remember someone, to reach out to them.” As compassionate colleagues we should remember to make the effort to connect, Heath-Richardson adds – both now, when we are isolated from one another physically, and in the future, when we are closer again. “It’s not difficult to reach out to people, just to ask them how they are doing?” he says. “We do lose track of that in this busy world.” And, as well as being kind to our colleagues and clients as the Covid-19 crisis passes, Channon says, we should remember also to be kind to ourselves. “We’ve all been on quite an emotional rollercoaster over the last two months,” he says. “It’s important to listen to yourself, listen to what your brain and your body is telling you. It’s great to set yourself targets, like ‘I’m going to go out for a run every day’ or ‘I’m going to learn a new language’, whatever it is. But actually, some days you are just not going to feel up to it. And it’s okay to just be kind to yourself and listen to your body.” The panel Henrietta Frater, head of HSE and wellbeing, The Crown Estate Ben Channon, head of wellbeing, Assael Architecture Andrew Heath-Richardson, co-head of development for Europe at Hudson Advisors   To send feedback, e-mail tim.burke@egi.co.uk or tweet @_tim_burke or @estatesgazette