In this Coronavirus pandemic, it’s vital for employees with access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to reach out and use these services, says UK EAPA chair Eugene Farrell
In this Coronavirus pandemic, it’s vital for employees with access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to reach out and use these services, says UK EAPA chair Eugene Farrell
Coronavirus has broken out over us all in a fast and unnerving way. Things are changing rapidly as the situation evolves. For everyone, there is huge uncertainty about the future. Understandably, this is creating angst among the population, affecting every aspect of our lives. For some, this is leading to greater feelings of anxiety, to which, of course, some people are already prone. For them, the coronavirus scare is exacerbating those feelings and emotions.
Losing a sense of safety
It’s natural that when our world becomes severely disrupted, it undermines our sense of safety. We lose control over things that we normally try to control. How we see ourselves in the context of our own world becomes less clear. Change happening too fast does not allow an individual time to change and adapt. This, too, can leave them feeling out of control, anxious and nervous. They may feel a sense of loss for the past, a feeling which, if left unresolved, can deepen and cause more complex mental health issues later.
Add to this already anxious mix the worry and concern for our own health and that of our family, particularly those at higher risk, and there is almost a perfect storm brewing that can be disastrous for our mental health, for our relationships, our work and our family.
Anxiety leading to problems at work
While we are having these concerns, it distracts us from our work, resulting in presenteeism, with more errors, less creativity and the potential for sickness absence.
If this pressure continues for a long time, it may undermine our normal resilience and allow doubt, negativity and maladaptive coping strategies to enter. The gradual chipping away of our resilience can be almost hidden and invisible until we go beyond a tipping point that is hard to come back from.
We also know that for some people, when they survey the fast-changing world, they see their own issues as being less important. In this scenario, they may also focus less on their issues while looking outwardly at the potential disaster before them. But this is only short-term: these issues will remain and can be unresolved. This can lead to a bounce back when things are worse and more complex to resolve.
Where the EAP can help
Talking over our worries and concerns can help to put them into some perspective and manage the feelings and emotions, to create strategies and approaches that will help us to regain a sense of control and thus remove the uncertainty.
EAPs can help employees by providing a place to talk over issues, fears, emotions and concerns. Fast access to specialist counsellors is available 24/7 and further support can be arranged in the form of counselling sessions. In the current climate of coronavirus, remote counselling will become the norm as social distancing means traditional face-to-face meetings will reduce. The format of telephone or digital counselling works just as well in
helping to tackle emotional issues.
EAPs can also provide legal and financial information from specialists and partners. They can help with debt, legislation changes and new benefit rules, providing information that may alleviate some of the fear and stress that this pandemic is bringing.