Tips to support your beauty industry colleagues’ mental health during the latest lockdowns

With the latest COVID-19 strain outbreak putting many regions and states in Australia into lockdown, it’s more important than ever to support your colleagues in the beauty industry who are close to you and might be showing signs of struggling mental health.

There are signs to look out for and resources available to help you and your colleague tackle these challenges, in order to fully understand and support someone close to you who may be struggling with their mental health.

Glenn Baird, Head of Mental Health at TAL life insurer, shares some tips on how you can help a colleague or employee struggling with their mental health during lockdown.

Treat them with respect and dignity

“Treating people living with mental health conditions with respect and dignity can go a long way towards creating healthy and respectful relationships. Being non-judgmental can help break down any stigma or misunderstanding associated with mental health, which is crucial for long-term growth and happiness.

A good place to start is listening. The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to listening is that you shouldn’t be listening to respond, you should be listening to understand. You do this by listening to the content, but also the feeling, i.e, what do you pick up that is not being said. Once you begin to understand how your family member is feeling, you’ll be better placed to show empathy and offer support.”

Ask them if it’s okay to talk about how they are feeling

“Talking about how you feel is a positive step towards improving mental health, but it can take a lot of trust and courage. Despite the prevalence of mental health conditions in Australia, it’s not uncommon for those dealing with mental health conditions to be reluctant to talk about their challenges. 

Start by asking directly ‘Is it okay if we talk about how you are feeling?’ and then you might follow this with ‘If now is not a good time I can check in with you another time?’. If they are okay with talking, you might want to start with an open question, ‘Help me understand how this is impacting you day to day?’. Let your family member lead the discussion at their own pace, and don’t put pressure on them to talk about things they’re not ready to share. It’s also important to let them express themselves without you interrupting. Being sensitive and encouraging in your responses will help make them feel comfortable to open up further, and it may also be beneficial to avoid problem solving mode, which has the right intent but can often shut down the conversation rapidly.

Offer pathways of support

“Support from family, friends and professionals plays a significant role in the recovery process of someone experiencing mental health issues.

When you are in a place where you understand what your family member is experiencing, and they feel understood, it is worth having further discussion about what additional support may be useful to them. Encouraging someone to look after their physical health by eating right, sleeping well, and regularly exercising are always good places to start. Empowering them to seek professional help, if they aren’t already, is also a healthy step forward. This could be offering to make an appointment with a GP or mental health specialist and ask if they’d like you to go with them.” 

Follow through and follow up

“Providing ongoing emotional support and a continuity of care can increase the likelihood to recover from a mental health condition. Knowing you are always there for them is crucial in helping them recover.

Admitting that you need support can be one of the hardest steps for a person with a mental health condition, so if offers of support are made, it is important to follow through with whatever action you have stated you would do. Once this is done, ask them directly, ‘Do you mind if I check in with you again in a few days?’. This way you are not applying immediate pressure for them to take action, and you can keep the dialogue open so they understand they are not tackling their challenges alone.

Supporting someone who experiences a mental health condition isn’t easy and it can affect your own mental health and wellbeing. It’s important to also look after yourself during this process.”

Everymind has also created a small-business specific mental health hub, Ahead for Business, where you can find support for yourself or someone else. They say it’s a “Fit-for-purpose response to the mental health and wellbeing needs of small business owners. The project supports those working in small business to take action on their mental health and wellbeing through a new digital hub providing tailored resources, peer support, check-ups and personalised action plans. Ahead for Business is supported by a national communication strategy, research and capacity building activities to mobilise the small business community and those that support them.”

The NSW Small Business Commissioner also lists the following free resources if you or a colleague need mental health support during this pandemic.

beyondblue provides information on depression, anxiety and suicide. Resources are also available for the workplace and there is a help section for carers, concerned family and friends. Support is available through their helpline 1300 22 4636, via chat or email. beyondblue has also partnered with the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance to create Heads Up.

Heads Up encourages everyone in the workplace to play their part in creating a mentally healthy working environment, take care of their own mental health, and look out for their colleagues. Heads Up provides individuals and organisations with free, practical information and resources to create mentally healthy workplaces and respond to mental health issues in the workplace.

Lifeline Australia is a national organisation which provides 24-hour support and suicide prevention services. Information and resources are available for concerned family and friends. Call 13 11 14 or contact them on chat.”

Beyond Blue also has a dedicated COVID-19 support site and the Australian Government has produced a PDF booklet on called Mentally Healthy Workplaces During COVID-19: Small Businesses.

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