Managing mental wellness in the workplace and COVID-19: An Indigenous perspective – Part 1
By Laura Barrios
NIPISSING FIRST NATION TERRITORY— During these uncertain times, organizations and companies are turning to health professionals and experts to help navigate the growing anxiety, fears, and loneliness stemming from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Anishinabek Nation (formerly known as the Union of Ontario Indians) has taken a proactive approach in supporting the health and well-being of staff to strengthen the organization and better serve its 39 member First Nations, despite the challenging times.
Doctor Brenda Restoule, Chief Executive Officer of First Peoples Wellness Circle and Doctor Carol Hopkins, Executive Director of the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, led the Anishinabek Nation Staff Mental Wellness Session via Zoom on June 11. The event was hosted by the Anishinabek Nation Health Department.
Dr. Restoule delivered a presentation, Mental Wellness in the Workforce, where the biggest emphasis was on trust – in leadership and in self. She believes that good organizational wellness helps foster employee wellness and vice versa.
“Leadership trust is important to work and wellness,” she states. “Each and every one of you is a leader in helping communities connect and have access to resources and funds, and you provide information…There are many ways we can be leaders within an organization; not just senior staff.”
She went on to explain that there is a neuroscientific connection between trust and productivity; the higher the trust, the greater the productivity and results – naturally, lower trust yields reduction in productivity. According to Restoule, a registered clinical psychologist, four indicators can assess trust: sincerity, reliability, competence, and care. She also notes that there are various types of trust, including Self-Trust, Relationship Trust, Organizational Trust, Market Trust, and Societal Trust.
“Good organizational wellness helps foster employees’ wellness. What is it that you contribute as an individual to support the organization to support First Nations?” asks Restoule. “A key piece of [organizational trust] is making sure we align with the mission, vision and values of the Anishinabek Nation. Thinking about how your daily work activities align with the Anishinabek Nation and how you use those key components to think about how to [deliver] those programs and services remotely where the focus has turned to COVID-19. Are there things you can be doing for First Nations for program delivery remotely? Societal trust builds greater value by the people we work with and for. It’s important to build worker wellness at an individual level because it has a ripple effect that impacts the organization and [the First Nations].”
During the pandemic, Restoule believes that maintaining connections with colleagues is critical to navigating through challenging times.
“What we know is people need connections to feel valued, that they’re on the right track—it keeps teams working together, cohesively, particularly when they don’t have the opportunity to get together,” she says.
Throughout her presentation, she delivered a handful of helpful advice where work-life blends with personal-life in order to maintain mental wellness.
“It’s not always about what we’ve accomplished, it’s about how managing multiple roles from family expectations, parental expectations, and workplace expectations, then managing isolation and anxiety,” she explains. “Checking in with people personally is very important.”
Restoule offered valuable advice for those working from home with children or teens and balancing and meeting those needs and demands.
“Keep, as best as possible, the routines and structures in place prior to COVID-19,” she says. “Regular sleep, eating routines and trying to do it at the same time, every day…Helping them plan the free-time—talking to them, encouraging social engagements with those in the home or by virtual means with friends…They need some support in thinking out their days and planning their days.”
She also stresses that self-care is not a luxury, but rather a priority and necessity.
“When we can assess ourselves, it allows us to think about what we need to do to manage those signs of stress. We need to be our own temperature gauge about how we’re managing so we can think about promoting wellness within ourselves and the organization and the communities we’re servicing.”
Holistic Health Approach Self-Care Tips from Dr. Restoule:
- Identify activities that help you feel your best.
- Make time in your schedule to do those activities.
- Sneak in self-care where you can.
- Take care of all parts of yourself.
- Know when to say no.
- Check-in with yourself regularly.
- Surround yourself with great people.
- Consider the quality of your self-care.
- Remember, self-care is non-negotiable.
Ideas to Think About When Working From Home from Dr. Restoule:
- Start your morning off right: routines and good thinking.
- Personalize your workspace: find a good place to work and make it a workspace.
- Power down at the end of the workday.
- Recognize stress and take action.
- Set up breaks.
- Be sure to check in with others regularly.
- Set goals and make note of what you achieve.