7 TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING PERIODS OF CRISIS

While the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak seems to have been overcome in China, the crisis remains a global concern that is impacting the way people live and work. Additionally, social distancing measures have quickly become the new normal for both businesses and individuals, and many employees are still required to work from home for an extended period of time.  

Working remotely or in a climate of crisis for a long period of time has the potential to negatively impact people’s mental health. Rosemary Lemon, Group Head of Reward at Hays, offers seven pieces of advice that can help professionals maintain their wellbeing during times of crisis:

1.    Don’t be too hard on yourself
Long periods of crisis, isolation and detachment will affect people in different ways, with each person’s experience unique to them. Rosemary says; “It is important not to be too hard on ourselves when we have moments of feeling down. Acknowledge this but remind yourself that lockdown measures will eventually come to an end. Make sure you maintain connections and talk to someone – everyone around the world is in the same situation. You are not alone, and it helps to share experiences and worries.”

2.    Try as far as possible to separate home and work life
During lockdown or periods of crisis, maintaining a good work life balance can be difficult to achieve. Rosemary advises; “It is important to try and switch off work at the end of the day and transition to home life. Unless you have a separate space for work and can close the door on it at the end of the day, try to pack up the laptop and clear the table of papers so you are not looking at them all evening or are tempted to go and check emails when you should be having down time.”

3.    Make personal space
When people are cooped up together it can be hard to find personal space and take five minutes for yourself. Rosemary offers this advice; “Try to sit quietly in a separate room and tell people you just need a little time and space on your own, as everyone does now and then. Just having a few minutes for you, especially if you are looking after children, may bring a moment of calm and recharge your batteries.”

4.    Don’t lose contact
Rosemary recommends; “It is easy for the world to contract and narrow down to your home. This is the time when technology comes into its own. We are able to use a multitude of video conferencing apps, chat and text and connect with and see family and friends, whether they are overseas or down the road. For people living on their own, this is vital. It also helps to know that everyone is in the same situation, all around the world. We are in this together and chatting about it and ensuring we keep our friendships is really important.”

5.    Rest your eyes
Professionals are using technology more than ever before and while it is essential for working and keeping in contact with people, it’s equally important to have a rest from it. Rosemary says; “We are working from laptops and phones where the screens are small, so make sure you look up every now and then and rest your eyes by looking long distance at something. Try not to look at the phone late at night before sleeping. Stand outside for a moment or open the window and get fresh air.”

6.    Get up and exercise when you can
When professionals are working from home, there is less reason to move about. Rosemary comments; “Most people are also not sitting at a proper desk with an office chair, designed to help posture. Dining chairs are made to sit and eat a meal from for an hour, not to sit on all day. Make sure you get up and stretch and walk about regularly. Try exercises specifically designed for the home, it can change your frame of mind and help relax your muscles.”

7.    Take the best into the “new normal”
Rosemary gives this advice to people suffering from fatigue; “We long for our old lives but maybe there can be some positives that we can take away from our periods of isolation. We can take a greater appreciation in even the smaller things, such as being able to walk into a shop and buy food when we want, or the joy of meeting friends and travelling around our parks and towns, seeing new sights and bigger things such as experiencing other countries. Our freedom is precious and will be valued even more.”

People who are able to follow this advice will be better equipped at managing their own mental health and wellbeing. For any person who feels they are struggling beyond this advice, they should contact a professional support service or medical professional.

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About Hays China

Hays Specialist Recruitment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is one of China's leading recruitment companies in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. 
Hays has been in China for over a decade with operational offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. We boast a track record of success and growth, dealing in permanent positions across 14 different specialisms, including Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Digital Technology, Engineering, Finance Technology, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Office Professionals, Procurement, Supply Chain and Sales. Hays China was named Best Workplace™ and Best Workplaces™ for Women in Greater China 2019, and recently ranked one of the the Best Workplaces™ in Asia by Great Place to Work®.

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 31 December 2019 the Group employed 11,600 staff operating from 266 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2019:

– the Group reported net fees of £1,129.7 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £248.8 million;
– the Group placed around 81,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 254,000 people into temporary assignments;
– 18% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 27% in Germany, 23% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 32% in Rest of World (RoW);
– the temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees;
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA