September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and we at Workzones want to touch on the importance of mental health. First, if you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please feel free to visit the website above or call 800-273-TALK (8255).
With COVID-19 changing all of our lives drastically, working from home, and now being a tutor on top of being a parent can increase a lot of stress in your life. A new survey indicates that 38% of adults have now felt symptoms of depression and anxiety disorder since 2019. Gretchen Goldman is a scientist that was recently featured on CNN and she said, “It’s entirely unsustainable. It’s just laughably infeasible for parents to be working like this”. She believes the best thing for parents right now is flexibility. Besides that, here are some tips to help you succeed in these unprecedented times.
First, as an employer, you should begin to establish ways to assist your employees with infrastructure for mental health. You can implement a mental health break into daily, weekly, or monthly schedules to allow your employees a time to recuperate from the stresses of working from home. Another idea is to find mental health professionals that you can bring in for webinars, and help them find connections if they are struggling. Setting up avenues, ending stigmas, and truly caring about your employees will help us all thrive during these times.
Second, as employees, remember the importance of mental health. If you are having a hard time taking care of yourself, how can you take care of your kids and produce high quality work? It’s really hard! One thing you can do is bring up your mental health with your employer. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), if you tell your employer that your mental health is affecting your day-to-day life, your employer is responsible for providing you with accommodations! Nonetheless, it’s crucial to exercise, eat well, and establish a good work-life balance.
Work-life balance can be difficult, and finding your own space to do work is tricky. Some have no issues sending emails while helping their kids with virtual learning, but I am sure it is dreadful for others. If you can’t find a good space to work from home, you might want to consider a place like Workzones! We have coworking areas that give you access to a quiet work environment, with free coffee, high-speed internet, printers… you name it! Additionally, we have private offices and conference rooms that you can rent by the hour, day, or month!
