During these times of uncertainty, we recognise that many colleagues may be affected by the situation in different ways, so wanted to share some tips to help deal with uncertainty and feelings of anxiety.
Manage ‘headline anxiety’
With breaking news constantly flooding in, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Manage your consumption of news and social media carefully
It’s healthy to have an interest in news and current events, however obsessive habits of consuming information can be dangerous for your mental health. Manage the time you spend on social media carefully.
Follow trusted accounts
There’s lots of “Fake News” at the moment and it can be hard to tell what’s real. Look for verified accounts and stories from independent news channels within your country.
Switch to good news
Don’t feel guilty for binging on a boxset set or listening to a happy podcast. It’s important that we’re aware of other people’s experiences, but it’s equally important that we give ourselves the opportunity to switch off and recharge our own batteries.
Talk to your children
War is difficult enough for most adults to understand, but for children it can be really confusing and scary. This article guides you through how to have conversations with children.
Communicate
Whether you communicate in person, through email, via chat or on the phone, talking to people you trust will always help. Let your colleagues, line manager, family and friends know how you’re feeling because other people will most likely be feeling the same way. Also check-in with colleagues and ask them how they are feeling.
Control the controllables
By identifying the things you can control, you’ll feel less stressed about the uncertain things you can’t control. For example, you can’t control what’s in the news, but you can control how much time you spend consuming it.
Set a routine
This helps control your day; what time you get up in the morning, when you take a break from work, when to exercise, when to go to bed etc. Stress can cause changes to your sleep and eating patterns and a routine helps to deal with this.
Practice mindfulness
This technique involves noticing what’s happening in the present moment and can help you feel calmer, less stressed, and more able to choose how to respond to difficult or unhelpful thoughts and feelings. It’s easy to learn and studies show that practising mindfulness can help to manage common mental health problems like depression, anxiety and feelings of stress. Sign up for a Mindfulness Power Hour on The Cove here.
Write your worries down
Getting your worries out of your head is proven to help reduce anxiety and stress. Make a habit of it by doing it every day in a journal or the notes app of your phone. You can even throw the page away/delete the note once you’re done!
Make use of Carnival resources
- Take a look at the Learning Guide and sign up for a Power Hour or Leaders Exchange. Topics for March and April include compassion and mindfulness. Book here.
- On The Cove, enrol on the ‘Time for Wellbeing’ learning path. Find it in your Library.
- You’ll also find lots of self-learning resources on Good Practice– use the menu to find topics or ‘Search for Something’ to look for keywords.
- Listen tothese podcasts that talk about dealing with the anxiety of uncertainty and staying resilient in challenging times.
- Read this Mental Health Foundation pocket guideon how to overcome fear and anxiety
Additional Support
Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA)
Reach out to one of our mental health first aiders, they are:
- Charlotte Green
- Eva Lee
- Becca Harvey
If you prefer to speak to an MHFA outside of Corporate Shipbuilding then a full list can be found here.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
If you feel you need additional support from a third party, then please make use of our Employee Assistance Programme
For UK employees
- Call 0800 3 58 48 58 from within the UK or +44 141 271 7179 if outside the UK.
- Online support via their vClub at validium.com. Username: Carnival and Password: Harbour
For all other locations
- Call your operator for a no call charge and state number: +44.2033183154