Frontline Workers’ Mental Wellbeing During a Pandemic

It is very normal to be feeling stressed in the current situation. You may feel that you are not doing a good enough job or that there is a high demand for your skills.

Feeling stress does not mean that you cannot do your job or that you are weak.

Stress can be useful (‘eustress’ rather than ‘distress’) in the short term as feeling stress currently may be keeping you going at your job and providing a sense of purpose.

Chronic stress can affect your mental wellbeing and your work and can affect you even after the situation improves. If the stress becomes overwhelming, please approach your lead or the appropriate person to ensure you are provided with the right support.

Managing your stress and psychosocial wellbeing during this time is as important as managing your physical health.

Remember, if your stress worsens and you feel overwhelmed, you are not to blame. Everyone experiences stress and copes with it differently. Ongoing and old pressures from your personal life can affect your mental wellbeing in your day-to-day job.

You may notice:

• changes in how you are working
• your mood may change such as increased irritability, feeling low or more anxious
• you may feel chronically exhausted or it may feel harder to relax during respite periods
• or you may have unexplained physical complaints such as body pain or stomach aches.

• Different people find different things helpful but good general tips are to:
• Ensure rest and breaks during work and adequate sleep between shifts
• Eat sufficient and healthy food
• Exercise
• Stay in contact with family and friends
• Avoid using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs as a means of coping. In the long term, these can worsen your mental and physical wellbeing.

Some workers may unfortunately be excluded by their family or community due to stigma. This can make an already challenging situation far more difficult. If possible, staying connected with your loved ones through digital methods is one way to maintain contact. Turn to your colleagues, your manager or other trusted persons for social support and remember, your colleagues may be having similar experiences to you.

This is likely a unique and unprecedented scenario for many workers, particularly if you have not been involved in similar responses. Even so, using the strategies that you have used in the past to manage times of stress can benefit you now. The strategies to improve and lessen the feelings of stress are the same, even if the scenario is different.