The "New Normal" Returning to Work, School, and other - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The "New Normal"

Returning to Work, School, and other Facets of Life in 2020 How To Cope In A Pandemic

Katy Jessen, MS, LPCC Hollyann Saucedo, MS

Disclaimer

• During the presentation, the presenter(s) will be accepting questions. These can be

submitted in the Q & A feature in Teams.

• At Hiawatha Valley, we care about your mental wellness. If you are experiencing

discomfort throughout this presentation or require crisis intervention, please use

• ur crisis line to consult with a professional 1-844- CRISIS2

Overview/Objectives

• How has COVID-19 impacted us as mental health professionals?
• Pandemics can be stressful!
• What will returning to school look like?
• What will returning to work look like? What has it looked like?
• Similarities with returning to work/school
• Self-Care activities
• Questions
• Closing Activity

How has COVID-19 impacted us as mental health professionals?

• Shift to telemedicine (pros and cons)
• It's changed how we communicate/interact
• Katy and Hollyann's thoughts/perspectives

Pandemics are stressful

• Everyone reacts differently
• Impact on sleep/eating habits, worsening of chronic health or mental health

conditions, increased substance use

• Increase fear/anxiety
• Who is the most at-risk of a strong response to pandemic?
• It is okay to not be okay!
• Reference:
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-

anxiety.html#stressful

Returning to school during COVID-19

• We all have questions/concerns (including school staff and teachers!)
• Each school's plan will look different but will consider the best interest of

everybody

• Plans for schools, like the pandemic itself, are fluid, ever-changing!

Returning to school continued

• Article from UNICEF: 'Supporting your child's mental health as they return to

school during COVID-19'

• School is stressful to begin with
• Remind them of positives
• Watch for signs of stress and anxiety
• When in doubt, go with empathy and support

Keeping Schools Safe

Things to Keep in Mind on Returning to School

• Mental health!
• Watch for behavioral changes in kids
• Take breaks from the news; talk about COVID-19 with your kids in language they

can understand

• Connect with others
• Try to keep a routine
• Make fun traditions to lessen anxiety and build memories

Self-Care Activity

Every Day Every Week Every Month Every Year

Returning To Work

• If you are transitioning back to the work-place you may have experienced the

following:

• Increased anxiety, stress or fear about returning
• Feeling overwhelmed due to new safety protocols
• Have gotten used to increased family time at home
• Having the thought " Will I be safe?"
• Stress due to figuring out childcare and school for children when you transition

back

• These are all valid experiences! You are not alone!

Returning To Work Stress and Symptoms

Stress Causing Factors

• Concern of exposure
• Taking care of personal and family needs while

working

• Managing a different workload
• Feelings that you are not contributing enough to

work or guilt about not being on the frontline

• Uncertainty about the future of your workplace

and/or employment

• Learning new communication tools and dealing with

technical difficulties

• Adapting to a different workspace and/or work

schedule

Symptoms of Stress

• Feeling irritation, anger, or in denial
• Feeling uncertain, nervous, or anxious
• Lacking motivation
• Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or burned out
• Feeling sad or depressed
• Having trouble sleeping
• Having trouble concentrating

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html

Managing Job Stress and Building Resilience

• Connect with others at your work-place

– Communicate with co-worker, supervisors and employees to identify stress and work together to come up with a solution – Ask about resources for mental health

• Create a routine to increase control and predictability

– Make it similar to the one you had before the pandemic – Take breaks from work ( stretch, exercise or check in with others) – Add in outdoor time – Practice mindfulness – Do things you enjoy after work Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html

Managing Job Stress and Building Resilience cont.

• Remind yourself everyone is in this unusual situation.
• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social

media.

• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns, how you

are feeling, or how the pandemic is affecting you.

• Connect with others through phone calls, email, text messages, mailing letters or

cards, video chat, and social media.

• Check on others. Helping others improves your sense of control, belonging, and

self-esteem. Look for safe ways to offer social support to others.

• Focus on what you can control.

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html

Activity

• Take out a piece of paper- it can be any size
• Draw one big circle and a smaller circle
• Write what you can't control in the bigger circle
• In the inner circle write what you can control

Back to Work and School Similarities

• Both have individuals that may experience anxiety and fear
• Plans keep on changing – both students and workers must be flexible
• Keeping a consistent schedule/ routine is important
• Staying connected with people and asking for resources is important
• Taking breaks

Resource: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mental-health- non-healthcare.html

Questions

• We will now be reviewing questions through the chat feature
• If you have not done so, please ask any questions now

Ending on a Positive Note

• Take a moment to think of one

positive thing or one thing you have been grateful for through this pandemic

• Use the chat feature and share it with

us!

Thank You!

• Thank you for listening! We hope you enjoyed this presentation and found it to

be informative and helpful!