The summer holidays are ideally a time to rest and recharge, so we face a new working year fully refreshed. But psychologists with Mind’s Employee Assistance Program often hear otherwise from employees, who often find themselves frazzled before the working year has barely started.
Jo Hions is a psychologist and the Senior Allied Health Clinician with Mind’s Employee Assistance Program. She knows from her work that the summer holidays are actually a very stressful time for a lot of employees.
“The people who aren’t stressed over Christmas are often the exception,” she said. “It’s helpful for a lot of people to know that they aren’t the only ones feeling stressed and exhausted.”
She said there are a number of reasons for this.
“The end of the working year is such a busy and stressful time for many businesses - and then Christmas and New Year are often hectic in their own way,” she said.
“Financial pressures after Christmas and holidays is a big one and a lot of people return to work also looking after children still on their school holidays.”
“It means a lot of people haven’t had a chance for a re-set and a fresh mindset before the beginning of the working year – and that prevents them from feeling and performing at their best.”
Depression is also a common reason employees call the Employee Assistance Program for support, with some people really struggling to get their head back into the working world. Sadly for people in certain areas these stressors include the short and long-term impacts of bushfires and floods.
While the Mind EAP team are trained psychologists, Jo said the first and most important thing they do is listen.
“You’d be surprised how much it can help people to talk through these stressors and develop some clarity and focus to move forward.”
And while family and friends have a tendency to try and come up with solutions, Jo said its important to let people vocalise what they are experiencing and to ensure they feel heard.
“It doesn’t take a lot to reduce someone’s stress but, left unheard, it can have a lot of consequences – with sleep the first thing to suffer.”
Jo said the Employee Assistance Program can often pick up the signs if something you’re going through has the potential for long term impact and provide some support and strategies.
“I really encourage anyone whose employer has an Employee Assistance Program to give the service a try if they are struggling. We can be a bit of a safe person – you don’t always want to talk to your boss or colleagues about issues like this.”
Employee Assistance Programs support employers too. New workplace health and safety regulations mean all employers have a legal responsibility to identify and manage workplace risks that can impact staff mental health. Risks can include stress, bullying, workplace conflict and lack of engagement, all of which Mind’s experienced Employee Assistance Program psychologists can help with.
If you’d like to learn more about how Mind’s Employee Assistance Program can support your business, call 1300 286 463, email [email protected] or visit Mind’s EAP webpage.