Managing mental wellness in the workplace and COVID-19: An Indigenous perspective – Part 2

By Laura Barrios

NIPISSING FIRST NATION TERRITORY— As people worldwide work towards navigating through the changes brought about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly socially and professionally, many are trying to manage the rollercoaster of emotions the pandemic has brought about.

With this in mind, the Anishinabek Nation (formerly known as the Union of Ontario Indians) has taken a proactive approach by turning to health professionals and experts to support the health and well-being of staff who are all currently working-from-home until September.

Doctor Brenda Restoule, Chief Executive Officer of First Peoples Wellness Circle and Doctor Carol Hopkins, Executive Director of the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, were invited by the Anishinabek Nation Health Department to lead the Anishinabek Nation Staff Mental Wellness Session via Zoom on June 11.

Dr. Hopkins, who holds a Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Toronto and a degree in sacred Indigenous Knowledge (equivalent to a PhD in the western-based education systems), delivered a presentation, Mental Wellness & COVID-19, where she provided a unique combination of cultural and clinical perspectives balanced with the experience of supporting First Nation workforces.

As fear, anxiety, and loneliness stemming from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continue to grow, Dr. Hopkins believes that accepting and identifying emotions are necessary to help move ahead.

“There are going to be mixed emotions when we get back. Emotions are going to naturally be a part of what we experience, so it’s important to remember that emotions are necessary,” Dr. Hopkins emphasizes. “The natural response to everything that we encounter in life through our emotions is natural; it’s not something that we automatically choose. We can get better at how we choose to respond.”

Dr. Hopkins, much like Dr. Restoule in her presentation, touched on how leadership is not simply at the upper management level but starts at the individual level— the ‘self’— and how it plays a pivotal role in managing the emotions brought on by pandemic.

“Leadership doesn’t mean your certain position; leaders are also defined by characteristics,” she explains. “…The initiative you take, how you show up in the discussions is a part of defining your leadership…If we are people that have not dealt with change very easily, then COVID-19 is going to have a harder impact on us. If we’ve learned some tools and skills to navigate through changes so it doesn’t become daunting or causes us to freeze up, then all of that defines the legacy that we leave as a leader in our own roles and in our responsibilities in the situation of COVID-19.”

Emotions are a natural chemical response to the environment in which you find yourself in and if you look internally and listen, according to Dr. Hopkins, it will help manage them. She believes that asking yourself or others the simple question, “What else are you feeling?”, can be a valuable tool in emotion management.

“This begins to transform the conversation and the emotions at play that may not be expressed. It’s to validate what you hear first. Your next response is validating what you hear. Validating emotions doesn’t mean you’re judging or agreeing or disagreeing, all it does is communicate to the other person that you’re listening to. Listening is a powerful tool for building trust.”

Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Restoule coincide in that routines play a vital role throughout this pandemic in more ways than one.

“Routines are important in helping us decrease stress and creating normalcy—if there is a sense of normalcy during COVID-19—and helps us depend on things when we can map them out,” Dr. Hopkins explains.

Dr. Hopkins also explained that having a sense of purpose as an individual can play a significant role in managing emotions.

“When we think about the future, what we do in life is grounded by meaning. This could be spirit names, clans, spiritual beliefs (no matter what they are). When we understand our purpose in life, it helps us value our thoughts and emotions. Every experience in life helps to define what that purpose is.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic on a day-to-day basis, it is difficult to be able to plan ahead or envision what the future will look like; however, Dr. Hopkins believes that this is where First Nations people will thrive.

“Resiliency is what is allowing First Nations to handle COVID-19 better,” she expresses. “One of our natural values as First Nation people is community and family. Mental health is easier for us to comprehend and plan for. Once we go back to work, a lot of things will have changed again. We need to think ahead and start planning for those kinds of things. Things that have changed that we’re bringing with us and where the gaps have gotten worse. We can think about a lot of services that were halted or offered in a different way; but just the same, a lot of innovation was happening. People were working really fast about how our programs and services could be offered in a different way so we were still responding to First Nations. We can’t just leave it up to our organizations to say where we’re going to be next year at this time, it’s going to take everybody’s efforts to get there.”

Dr. Hopkins believes that when it comes to managing emotions, remaining connected will play a meaningful part.

“How do we sustain connectedness as organizations with our staff and stakeholders post-COVID-19? To do well, we all have to be well. And to be well, we have to be connected to each other as people but also to the lands that we come from. Another factor that influences or supports/sustains that connectedness is the flow of information; sharing of ideas.”

The connections extend beyond the physical and into the spiritual being.

“We have to remember to be kind to ourselves and challenge our way of thinking about that. Remember your ancestors went through many more challenges,” reminds Dr. Hopkins. “And what did they do to get through that? What can you learn from that? What can we teach others?… It’s a critical part of who we are as First Nations— we can’t afford to be different than who we are. If we acknowledge our relationship with our spirits, ancestors, then we’re drawing on our own evidence that comes from our own stories of creation. Our spirit lives forever. If we believe that, then we know the spirit of our ancestors is ever-present and available for us.”