Isolation, loneliness, loss of self-confidence … The Covid-19 causes an upheaval in our relationship to the world – and to work – with an increase in psychosocial risks, according to various studies, including an Ifop survey for Malakoff Humanis carried out from June 19 to July 15. 12% of those questioned think that their state of health has deteriorated, and 28% make the same observation with regard to the quality of life at work. Another revealing figure in this particular context: 40% of respondents believe that their pace of work has accelerated. “Many people have changed their pace of life, going to bed later to work, skipping meals, smoking or drinking more alcohol“, notes Emmanuelle Grall, psychologist in Chatou.
Still, after the summer, you could expect the batteries to be recharged. But the second wave of coronavirus, an unavoidable subject – in the media, with his relatives – and mentioned long before the summer, is here, and with it the return of anxiety. Linked to this unprecedented pandemic. “People are worse off than during confinement “, sums up the psychologist. The new restrictive measures, announced every week, prevent them from practicing their sporting or cultural activities, or from planning, for example by organizing upcoming vacations. Other sources of worry, which everyone experiences to varying degrees: the fear of being ill, of infecting those close to them, and the fear of dying for some.
The 100% remote work pointed out
Psychologist in Paris, Anouck Boulet de Bohan, for his part, does not notice an increase in the number of consultations but always “an undeniable impact on the daily lives of patients. If some have experienced it in a positive way, by refocusing on essential things, others have become aware of the importance of their work, others discover themselves in psychological suffering because of the abstinence from spontaneous exchanges and relational impoverishment induced by telework“. Set up for some since March, this one is singled out.
The advantages are undeniable, such as the reduction in transport time and therefore the fatigue that is supposed to result from it, but it accentuates the collusion between personal and professional life, and makes the borders less harsh. tench. Months of confinement, confinement in small spaces, especially in large cities, the presence of children and spouses … so many sudden factors that have activated or reactivated compensation phenomena, that is to say those passages from a stable state to a rupture of the equilibrium.
Find an interlocutor and a neutral place
How to react? The first thought should be to talk about it: to an outside and neutral person preferably, in an equally neutral place if possible. Psychologists are the first people that come to mind. “The practice is a place of security and support allowing you to take time for yourself and talk about your difficulties“, sums up Emmanuelle Grall. But it’s not always easy.
“You have to be ready to work on yourself, and you also need a certain confidence to dare”, adds Solène Brost, neuropsychologist. To facilitate the search for a therapist, she created a year ago SharZen, a platform for direct contact between 200 liberal psychologists throughout France and employees in companies. It offers a psychological support service for employees who can choose their psychologist themselves. SharZen thus allows the patient to choose the form, present or remotely, which suits him, the sessions being the responsibility of the employer. Among the other privileged interlocutors, the general practitioner, taking advantage for example of the telephone consultation, and of course the occupational medicine.
Schedule, punctuate your daily days
According to many health professionals, the first tips are simple to apply: get back to a healthy lifestyle, eat meals at a fixed time, do not neglect your sleep. For Solène Brost, “you have to keep a rhythm“: force himself to do certain activities, such as reading, writing, watching a movie or series, and schedule them in his schedule.”I suggest to my patient to take more advantage of the present moment since this period of uncertainty no longer allows us to project ourselves“, adds Emmanuelle Grall.
Another track, to be applied on a daily basis. “People on the job can position an object, such as a chair, or set up rituals or prohibitions, to mark their anchorage in work or in personal life“, advises Anouck Boulet de Bohan. Stretching, break time to” go in “and” out “moments of work, breathing exercises … here too, it is a question of giving rhythm to one’s daily life.
Initiatives to be taken on the side of employers
At a more collective level, the company obviously has a role to play, by establishing a partial return to the office for volunteers, but also by implementing a real disconnection policy to avoid exhaustion and the risk of burnout. It is also up to the employer to encourage convivial and ritualized actions to maintain a team spirit, to set up an “idea box” to collect positive thoughts, to display them , in order to “re-heat in places sanitized by sanitary rules and the wearing of masks“, adds Anouck Boulet de Bohan.
And why not take advantage of your doubts and questions to make a point with yourself, by trying to to define the place that work should take in our life? Should it be essential, secondary? Do we like the work itself or what is attached to it, such as a place or people? Therapists can again help put words to our questions.
Also read:
- Remote work: how to choose an office chair?
- The new health protocol in the workplace
- When working from home, actions to avoid to preserve mental and physical health
- Why working with a Swiss ball is good for your back
- Why walking is (really) good for your health
