If you’re a working dad, you probably recognise this feeling: you want to be more involved at home, but something’s holding you back. Maybe it’s the fear of how taking parental leave might affect your career. Perhaps it’s the subtle (or not-so-subtle) workplace culture that still sees fathers as secondary carers. Or it could be the financial pressure that makes extended time off feel impossible.

You’re not imagining it. Despite all the progress we’ve made, the odds are still stacked against dads in many ways.

Research shows only 17% of Australian fathers take long leave to care for their new child, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (2023-24 WGEA data). Yet, when dads do take on equal caring responsibilities, everyone wins – kids, partners, and yes, even employers benefit from more engaged, balanced employees.

The invisible barriers working dads face

Our research, conducted with DiMarzio Research during COVID-19, revealed some telling insights:

• 72% of working dads took on more household responsibilities during the pandemic
• 64% also agreed COVID-19 was “a blessing in disguise” for family time
• Working fathers’ values are shifting from being “the provider” to embracing contribution and support

But here’s the thing, while our values are changing, workplace cultures are lagging behind. Many working fathers don’t feel comfortable taking the leave they’re entitled to, even when employers offer it. The fear is real; being penalised at work, letting the team down, or facing financial stress from time away.

These pressures don’t just affect men’s careers, they impact their mental health, their relationships, and their ability to be the fathers they want to be.

Why your workplace should care (and many now do)

The good news? Progressive workplaces are starting to get it. They’re recognising that supporting working fathers isn’t just good in theory, it has a ripple effect helping to create mentally healthy, thriving teams.

When companies properly support their working dads, they see:

• Improved employee retention and satisfaction
• Enhanced workplace culture and psychological safety
• Better work-life integration across all employees
• Reduced stress-related absenteeism
• Stronger employer brand as a family-friendly workplace

What support actually looks like

Through our partnership with The Father Hood, we’re seeing workplaces successfully engage and inspire their working dads through workshops specifically designed for men. 

Workshop topics

It’s the Best Time in History to Be a Dad
This session explores the unprecedented opportunities available to modern fathers while acknowledging the pressures and expectations that can impact mental health. Because yes, it is the best time to be a dad, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

The Fastest Road to 50/50
Practical strategies for achieving genuine partnership at home and work. This tackles the guilt and stress many of us experience when trying to balance competing demands.

Fatherhood 2.0
Redefines what masculinity and fatherhood look like today. Addresses the mental health challenges that come with role transition and identity evolution, because figuring out how to be a different kind of dad than your own father can be challenging.

Comprehensive Support

Our partnership with The Father Hood complements our existing services:

• Parental Leave Transition Coaching – Supporting the practical and emotional aspects of leave
• The Parent Well – Addressing mental health and support in the transition to parenthood 
• Targeted Workshops – Specialised workshops addressing the unique needs of working parents.

Together, these create comprehensive support that recognises parenting as a workplace wellbeing issue requiring thoughtful, evidence-based intervention.

On International Father’s Mental Health Day (and beyond), we’re reminded that supporting working fathers isn’t just ticking a box, it’s essential for creating mentally healthy, thriving workplaces for all genders. The traditional model of fatherhood is evolving rapidly, and workplaces that don’t adapt risk losing talented employees and missing opportunities to create more inclusive, supportive cultures.

The data is clear. Working fathers want to contribute meaningfully at home and work. When organisations provide the tools, support, and culture for dads to thrive in both roles, everyone benefits.

Contact us today to discuss how The Father Hood can drive positive cultural change and open important conversations in your workplace. Reach out to us on info@transitioningwell.com.au or on 1300 824 808 to find out more.

The post Why working dads deserve more support, too appeared first on Transitioning Well.

2021 has been a ride, hasn’t it? We’ll spare you the tally of days spent in lockdown and a recap of the highs and lows of the last 12 months; it’s not one we’re ready to relive just yet!

What we do know is that in our practice and personal lives, we’ve noticed a blanket exhaustion settling in people across all industries, sectors, and genders. Many of us are feeling like we’re sliding towards Christmas, and counting down the days until we can say goodbye to 2021. You may remember feeling like this at the end of last year too, and so it is our concern that without proper rest and the right strategies to cope with the ongoing uncertainty, the few weeks off over December and January may not be enough.

To help, we asked our team of expert psychologists for their tips on making the most of the Christmas break. Please share these with anyone you think may also find these useful.

A quick ‘self-check-in’ is a great way to identify how we are coping and feeling at the start of the holiday season.  It enables us to make better decisions about the way we look after ourselves, and how best to plan for self-care activities during the holidays – as we find some down-time, moving away from the normal routine of work and daily living. Self-check-ins allow a gentle monitoring of how we are coping, and promotes greater self-awareness.  

Sarah Alwyn, a registered psychologist with experience in counselling, executive coaching, consulting with organisations, individuals, groups, couples and adolescents.

Give yourself permission to have a real break. At this time of year to have a real reset, it’s imperative to get out of automatic pilot and if you can, have a change of environment.

For those who have been primarily working from home where the boundaries between work and home have been blurred more than ever before, consciously getting out of your working space is needed to relax and reset. If you’re not going on a physical holiday make an effort to do day trips.

Justine Alter, Psychologist, work-life transition expert, and Co-Director of Transitioning Well.

Firstly, take some time to appreciate what you’ve achieved in the last two years. It’s been a heck of a ride, but we are here, still standing, so really appreciating family, friends, and the chance to be together for those that are able to get together – and embrace all the cheesy things (yes, a Christmas movie marathon is being planned in my house!)

Secondly, and connected to that, many people still aren’t able to connect with family and friends, so if you can, do something to reach outside your circle – whether that is inviting someone round whose family is overseas/interstate etc, or who has had a really challenging year, donating to a cause (Father Bob, Sikh volunteers, Asylum seekers – whatever floats your boat) – just doing something for someone else is something I find useful to counteract the consumerism of the season.

Elizabeth Clancy, Senior Psychologist specialising in organisational wellbeing and stress prevention. 

It takes a village to raise a child, and for many of us lockdowns robbed us of our village. No matter how much we love our kids and our family, we need a break from them. And if tensions are high and you’re wondering how much you really do love your family, then please know you’re not alone. Leave the kids with a friend or a babysitter and go on a ‘date’ with your partner, or spend some time by yourself.

Rachael Palmer, a registered and endorsed Organisational Psychologist who passionately believes that good work is good for us. 

Immerse yourself in the natural environment around you. Spend at least half an hour a day in nature. It might be in the garden, at the beach, walking in your neighbourhood – breathing the air, feeling the sun – or the rain. And if it’s raining – enjoy the puddles! 

Michelle Mitford, a psychologist specialising in enhancing organisational performance through people achieving measurable and sustained change in behaviour, attitudes and culture.

PLAN AHEAD FOR 2022

If you are looking for a creative way to connect your team and open up important wellbeing conversations, we recommend our Wellness Workshops delivered by our team. Having delivered over 400 webinars nationally and Internationally since the start of COVID we are well placed to support your people.

SUPPORT FOR TEAMS
As we transition to the ‘next normal’ we can support your people by opening up important wellbeing conversations including:

Re-Entry Anxiety: Normalising re-entry in a post lockdown world
Workforce Exhaustion: Combatting exhaustion and creating a fresh start moment
Hybrid Work Series Part 1: Transition to Hybrid: Navigating the early transition to hybrid work and return to office
Part 2: Making Hybrid Work: Navigating the long game of hybrid work and tools for transition

DOWNLOAD FLYER

SUPPORT FOR LEADERS
We know that leaders need to be well to lead well. In an exhausted workforce, there’s a particular need to equip leaders and, in turn, their teams with the right help to support their emotional wellbeing and energy including:

Mental Health Essentials for Leaders: Looking after yourself and your team
The Great Resignation: Reducing the impact of the pandemic upon your people 
Workforce Exhaustion: Practical strategies to reenergise an exhausted workforce 
Flexibility 2.0: Redefining flexible work in a post pandemic world

DOWNLOAD FLYER

The post 5 Psychologist-Approved Ways to Switch Off From Work appeared first on Transitioning Well.

MEDIA RELEASE

Business leaders across NSW will now have access to free business coaching funded by the NSW Government and delivered by Transitioning Well. 

Direct Practical Coaching provides leaders of any private business with less than 200 staff or not-for-profits of any size with one-one-one business coaching on any mental health topic that will help them promote, manage and support mental health in their workplace.

The NSW Government is providing each business with up to four hours of free coaching on topics including:

• Strategies to manage work-related issues including bullying, stress or change. 

• How to act early, communicate effectively and reduce mental health stigma.

• Flexibility, role clarity and setting expectations that can improve workplace culture.

• How to lead change and involve others.

Transitioning Well’s team of expert coaches will work with business leaders to help them with practical support tailored to the needs of their business. 

Coaching is available at a time that suits them, six days a week, 8am – 6pm, and can be delivered online or over the phone.

Transitioning Well’s Co-Director Dr. Sarah Cotton said some of the biggest risks facing small business owners are an exhausted workforce who may experience delayed mental health impacts.

“Coming out of lockdown, not only are business owners managing an exhausted team workforce, they’re often managing an exhausted customer base too,” says Dr Cotton.

“Adding to these pressures, is the future of work piece; flexibility, hybrid work, and holding onto their best talent as the Great Resignation trend comes to Australia. Business owners often shoulder these burdens alone, and this can lead to feelings of overwhelm, isolation and loneliness.” 

“Our coaching program helps to normalise their challenges,” says Dr. Cotton. “We help leaders realise they don’t have to do it all alone – that we’re in the trenches with them delivering support and working with them side by side to address their challenges with really practical solutions.”

To register, business leaders simply need to book their first appointment here. 

The post Transitioning Well to Deliver Coaching to NSW Businesses appeared first on Transitioning Well.

When was the last time you were so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time? Perhaps you’ve been embracing your creative side recently … or perhaps like many of us, it was so long ago you barely remember.   

Three years after the onset of the pandemic, many things have gone back to normal, but navigating the uncertainty and sustained disruption of the pandemic has depleted our surge capacity. The intensity of the pandemic may have passed, but we’re running on empty. 

Globally, many of us are experiencing disengagement, stagnation, fatigue and a sense of ‘meh’ in many aspects of our lives. The cost of living is rising, the workplace landscape feels like it’s in a constant state of flux, and we’re living in a time of global unrest. 

Collectively speaking, many of us are experiencing a type of emotion known as Languishing, first defined 20 years ago by sociologist Corey L. M. Keyes. What is languishing? It’s the sense that we’re existing in a holding pattern, muddling through our days and feeling ‘blah’ – not quite depressed but not quite happy either.  While it’s not a mental illness, languishing can be a precursor to a range of mental health issues. In fact, research has found the risk of major depression in languishing adults is six times more likely than flourishing (mentally healthy) adults. 

As the middle of the year approaches, it’s a good time for a reset.  

So how do we move away from languishing and into flourishing? One antidote is a concept called Flow. 

What is Flow?

When you’re in the state of Flow, you:

• lose track of time;
• are completely focused on the task at hand;
• become so absorbed you forget about the world around you;
• feel happy and fulfilled.

Flow was first identified and researched by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of the pioneers of the scientific study of happiness. According to Csikszentmihalyi, there are a few conditions that need to be met in order to achieve a flow state.

1. A clear set of goals
2. Immediate feedback on what you’re doing
3. Balance between the perceived challenge of the task and your abilities

“There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback,” Csikszentmihalyi said in his TED Talk (watch below).

People are their most creative, productive, and happy when they are in a state of flow. Achieving Flow state is different for everyone, for some it could be outdoor challenges such as hiking or learning a new dance, for others, it’s creative pursuits like baking or pottery. The key to finding flow is to do something you love and create a ritual to do it often.   

When it comes to Flow at work, it’s important to distinguish between productivity and flow. Productivity is ticking off 10 items on your to-do list and keeping busy answering emails and tending to other people’s priorities. Flow is the state of working on a project that fulfils you and brings you closer to your career and life goals. 

Ways to Find your Flow at work  

• Ensure a challenge-skill balance.  A task that is too easy and doesn’t require all of your brainpower won’t get you into an optimal state of flow. Conversely, you may disengage when a task is too hard. It may take some experimenting to find the type of work you love and feel passionate about. If this isn’t in your day job, you might want to consider finding work that fulfils you or a project within the scope of your current field which can have a positive impact on your career.

• Avoid distractions. Turn off distractions such as phone and email notifications, social media alerts and anything else that can pop up and distract you away from your thoughts. If you work best with music on, putting headphones on can help you get into the zone.
• Find your peak time. Discover when you do your best work. Is it early in the morning or late at night? Find a time when you have plenty of energy and limited distractions. If you have a family at home, getting up early or making time when the kids are in bed can be helpful for concentration levels.  

How Transitioning Well can help you and your workplace create the optimal conditions for experiencing a flow state

If you’d like your people to have access to strategies to reduce languishing and protect wellbeing, learn more about our ‘Finding flow’ workshop, part of our Focus @ Work Series, here or contact us at info@transitioningwell.com.au 

The post How to Achieve Flow at Work appeared first on Transitioning Well.

By Dr Sarah Cotton

For most, there has been a lot of life changes in a short space of time and feeling a sense of restlessness, unease or an overall lack of interest in life or the things that typically bring you joy is just one part of this. We now have a name for this particular emotion; languishing.  

Languishing dulls our motivation, disrupts our ability to focus, and stops us from functioning at full capacity. If left unaddressed, it can lead to more serious mental health conditions. For example, research shows healthcare workers in Italy, who were languishing, were three times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the wake of Covid-19. Research by Corey L. M. Keyes found that the risk of major depression in languishing adults is six times more likely than flourishing adults. 

Strategies to help with languishing 

1. Name it  

As Adam Grant wrote in the New York Times, wouldn’t it be refreshing if we didn’t automatically respond with “great” or “fine” when we’re asked “How are you?”. Imagine if we gave honest answers and opened up a dialogue for others to do the same. One of the best strategies for managing emotions is to name them. We need to recognise, label, give voice to our emotions before we can regulate and manage them. It helps us find clarity in a disorienting time, validates our experiences, and can help de-stigmatise mental health in the workplace.   

2. Encourage your people to develop their mental fitness  

Just like we exercise to improve our physical wellness, we need to focus on our mental fitness to protect ourselves from languishing. We can do this by getting the basics right—eating, sleeping, exercising. Along with practicing meditation and mindfulness, doing things that make us feel positive and fulfilled, and celebrating the small wins – this is essential for a sense of progress at home and work.  

3. Create a culture of checking-in  

Develop a culture of checking-in (not checking-up) regularly to assess how your people may be feeling at this time is critical. Take the time to deeply understand the circumstances of each of your employees, listen to their concerns and address as many as you can directly, honestly and with compassion. While we have all been in the same storm it is important to remember we have all been in different boats.  

4. Lead well   

Managers directly impact employees day-to-day work experience through the workload assigned to individuals, the expectations they set, and the support and resources provided. They also have the opportunity to set the tone for good mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. We know that to lead well, we have to be well. Leaders who model positive behaviours like staying active, talking openly about their own mental health, and promote an environment of psychological safety can create a positive trickle-down effect in the workplace.  

5. Make Time for Flow    

New research shows that a state of flow (that is being so completely absorbed in an activity we enjoy we lose track of time) may be a helpful tool to dealing with the negative impacts of COVID-19. The study of more than 5,000 people who were quarantined in China during the early months of the pandemic found that those who experienced flow felt less lonely and more positive during lockdown. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first coined the concept of mental “flow” to refer to stretches of time when we’re entirely focused on an activity for its own sake.  Flow isn’t only reserved for hobbies, it’s also achievable at work or anytime we feel like we’re “in the zone”.  

With stay-at-home orders in place, we’re finding it harder to achieve our flow. Constant interruptions and distractions from sharing our workspaces at home with partners and kids means we’re not able to tick off as much on our to-do lists. Creating space for flow can be challenging, but when we focus on our well-being we can help others more effectively. Some tips for prioritising flow include; blocking out time in your calendar around ‘flow time’ and encouraging others to do the same, making the boundaries visible (closed door/open door), and to do your activity mindfully – switch off external distractions as much as possible.  

6. Ensure people take breaks  

This may sound counterintuitive, but regular breaks help with monotony, fatigue and it also improves our focus when we are back ‘on’. Working within award frameworks, it may be beneficial to offer frequent smaller breaks given employees are dealing with extreme external stressors at this time. Outside of regular breaks, many people aren’t taking longer periods of annual leave, which is leading to increased levels of burnout and fatigue. 

7. Enlist support  

At this time you may not have all the answers, but being informed is crucial. Organisations have a number of legal responsibilities when it comes to creating a mentally healthy workplace. Learn about the factors that could contribute to unhealthy work practices and how to address them in your organisation. Leaders who recognise the signs of distress, anxiety and depression or family and domestic violence are more equipped to respond quickly with support. It’s also important to understand the resources available and actively encourage others to make use of them, including confidential EAP programs, access to psychological help, HR support, and other wellbeing programs.  

The statistics are unclear on how many of us may be experiencing languishing at present, though Adam Grant’s article identified Languishing as the dominant emotion of 2021. Given we spend a large portion of our lives at work, leaders have the opportunity to help languishing employees by establishing a supportive and mentally healthy workplace. Wouldn’t it be great to look back in ten years and know the support systems we put in place now not only protected our own mental health but allowed the people around us to flourish too?   

As leaders in work-life wellbeing support, our Languishing workshop delves into practical strategies to help your people reduce languishing and increase flourishing. This workshop can be delivered as a ‘one-off’ or packaged up to best fit your organisations’ needs and budget. To find out more contact us on 1300 824 808 or info@transitioningwell.com.au 

First published on Inside Retail.

The post 7 Strategies to Help Your Team Move From Languishing to Flourishing appeared first on Transitioning Well.

First published on Inside Retail as ‘Languishing in the time of COVID’

By Dr Sarah Cotton

Imagine it’s the year 2031. Coronavirus is a distant memory. The vaccine has successfully been rolled out and life (for the most part) is back to ‘normal’. Looking back, how will you remember feeling at this time? Maybe exhausted? Somewhat grateful? Often Stressed? Or a bit well, ’Blah’?   

Chances are, like many of us, you’ll be experiencing a range of these emotions, often simultaneously. COVID-19 has upended our lives in unprecedented ways, and as the crisis is still unfolding, we’re yet to fully comprehend its impact on our mental health and wellbeing.  

Many workers have experienced a decline in mental health since the pandemic began, and for Australia’s 1.5 million retail workers it’s been an especially bumpy ride.  

The ongoing fear of COVID-19 transmission and increase in customer aggression and abuse has seen a dramatic rise in workplace safety issues and created mental health challenges for the country’s second-largest workforce.  

Last year retail workers reported a 400% rise in customer aggression and abuse, according to a report from the National Retail Association. With lockdown measures in place across most of the country, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has this week called for calm by publicly asking for kindness for staff working on the “front line” in stores or delivering groceries. 

A snapshot of mental health and wellbeing in the Australian retail workforce commissioned by SuperFriend, shows retail jobs have become increasingly stressful. It reported that 2 in 3 retail workers have experienced a mental health condition; the second-highest proportion of any industry. 

The environment is rapidly evolving with no clear end in sight. The bridge between our ‘old normal’ and ‘new normal’ is going to take an uncertain amount of time, and we’re not sure what’s on the other side.  

For most, there has been a lot of life changes in a short space of time and feeling a sense of restlessness, unease or an overall lack of interest in life or the things that typically bring you joy is just one part of this. We now have a name for this particular emotion; languishing.  

What is Languishing 

In a recent article for The New York Times, psychologist Adam Grant drew the connection between Languishing (first defined 20 years ago by sociologist Corey L. M. Keyes) and COVID-19. Grant describes languishing as “a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” When you’re languishing you’re neither mentally ill nor mentally healthy, you’re essentially existing in this in-between state.  

With the sustained threat of the pandemic over the last 18 months, we’ve been operating in a heightened state of anxiety with little reprieve. While Australia looked to be on top of the pandemic early, we’re now experiencing a resurgence of cases leading to feelings of anxiety and frustration. Currently millions of Australians, are currently under stay-at-home orders to limit the spread of the highly contagious Delta strain. Most states and territories have once again reintroduced border and travel restrictions, throwing long-awaited holiday plans into chaos and despair for those unable to spend time with loved ones interstate. It’s no wonder many of us are languishing.   

Languishing dulls our motivation, disrupts our ability to focus, and stops us from functioning at full capacity. If left unaddressed, it can lead to more serious mental health conditions. For example, research shows healthcare workers in Italy, who were languishing, were three times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the wake of Covid-19. Research by Corey L. M. Keyes found that the risk of major depression in languishing adults is six times more likely than flourishing adults. 

With 7 in 10 professionals already suffering from burnout in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we not only have an opportunity but an obligation to create a mentally healthy environment in the workplace.  

According to research by PwC, rates of depression, anxiety, suicide and self-harm in Australian workplaces continue to rise at an alarming pace. Their report on mental health in the workplace looked at the financial cost incurred when employers don’t take action to address and manage mental health conditions in their businesses. It estimates the cost to Australian business is approximately $11 billion per year. 

The case for helping your people thrive  

Organisations need to implement systems and policies that support employee entitlements around mental health and wellbeing and develop a culture where psychological safety is proactively encouraged. The case for investing in mental wealth is not only good for society, it’s good for business. Research by PWC shows that Australian companies can reap $2.30 for every $1 spent on workplace mental health strategies. 

COVID-19 has been instrumental in opening up important conversations about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, and employers are recognising that the demands on individual workers are ever-changing. It’s been encouraging to see the many changes that have come about from the challenges that businesses have faced (and continue to face) as a result of the pandemic.  

We have spoken with many leaders who are looking to utilise this opportunity to create change within their organisations. This group wants to place a greater focus on holistic employee wellbeing moving forward by developing strategies that include a better balance of work-life responsibilities, an increased focus on psychological safety in the workplace, and the creation and implementation of strategies to ensure they are taking a prevention-led approach. 

Keep reading

The post How to Help Your People Thrive in Uncertain Times appeared first on Transitioning Well.

Guilty. Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Overworked. If you’re experiencing any of these emotions, it’s not surprising. Research conducted by the University of Melbourne has found that one quarter of the almost 1.5 million working parents with kids aged between five and 11 are experiencing high levels of mental distress. And these figures were based on research from last year, before many of us across Australia were plunged into lockdown. 

Even if you’re used to working at home, you may not be used to sharing your workspace with your partner and kids or managing the multiple interruptions that come with primary-aged kids learning remotely. Given the highly infectious Delta strain’s impact our on cities schools, we spoke to Dr Eleanor De Ath-Miller, a Senior Consultant and Clinical Neuropsychologist here at Transitioning Well for her tips to managing in lockdown. Eleanor is a parent to two primary-aged kids and living and working through Melbourne’s now six lockdowns – if anyone gets it, it’s Eleanor.  

Create (a loose) structure   

Most kids (even the younger ones) benefit from preparation and planning each day. This also helps with creating a vague structure, which we are all missing at the moment. 

Think about practical discussions with kids in terms of ‘consultations’. Do you like a manager telling you exactly what to do and when and how? Neither do (even the youngest) kids!

The more children feel they’ve been heard and are part of the solution, the more they tend to manage better. (Ros Greene’s Collaborative Proactive Solutions model is excellent for ways to work with our kids). 

At breakfast, try having a chat that guides kids to think about the day in terms of three ‘columns’. Essential kids activities (including school), essential adult activities (including work and household activities), then a third where you pop in extras (e.g., things the kids want to do and some physical activity so that everyone moves a bit during the day).

• This is what we all need to do today…
• What do you want to do today after school is done?
• This is what I need to do today after school is done.
• How can we make a plan so we all get some things we want, even though we can’t do everything we want?
• Write this down – even better, get the kids to write it or decorate it. 

Consider the traffic light system 

Try using the traffic light system to minimise disruptions during the day. My kids aged 7 and 9 have grasped this (most of the time!) when we are working at home. Note: most kids under 7 can’t manage this easily.

• The kids coloured in three sets of traffic lights, we laminated them (you don’t have to) and hung them on the hall side of the door. 
• We then agreed with the kids on what the lights meant and ensured they had clear examples.
• We had Red = ‘this is no interruptions unless there is a real problem or someone is ‘hurt’ (in kid language, this meant ‘only for broken legs or vomiting!’), Orange = ‘this meeting can be interrupted but try and solve your issue first’ to Green = come and go as you please.

Build-in ‘yes days’ 

Have ‘yes days’ or ‘yes afternoons’ where the kids get to choose activities for the family within whatever restrictions you’re living in. They LOVE this and it helps them have a sense of control, even just for a while.

Prioritise one-on-one time 

Juggling work responsibilities and parenting is hard, and you can feel torn in different directions and that you’re not succeeding in either. Though time is short, make space in your schedule (or weekend) for special time with kids 1:1 even if it’s just 10 minutes every couple of days. They choose an activity and you do that fully with no phone, no email, no interruptions.

Keep a close eye on kids’ sleep  

It’s harder to keep routines in lockdown, and kids still need lots of sleep. Switch off screens at least an hour before bed to help the sleep hormones kick in naturally. Ensure kids are exercising every day to help them use pent-up energy, which will help them sleep better too. 

COVID SUPPORT FOR YOUR TEAM

If you are looking for a creative way to connect your working parents and open up important wellbeing conversations, we recommend our 1-hour COVID-19 Wellness series delivered by our team of registered psychologists. Having delivered over 300 webinars since the start of COVID we are well placed to support your team. Click here to contact us and for more on our COVID-Wellness support. 

The post How to Work From Home with Primary School-Aged Kids appeared first on Transitioning Well.

Amy Zadow, University of South Australia

What could be so bad about answering a few emails in the evening? Perhaps something urgent pops up, we are tidying up an issue from the day, or trying to get ahead for tomorrow. Always being online and available is one of the ways we demonstrate our work ethic and professionalism.

But the creep of digital communications into our entire lives is not as harmless as we think.

Our new research shows how prevalent out-of-hours communication is in the Australian university sector. And how damaging it is to our mental and physical health.

Our research

Colleagues and I are studying how digital communication impacts work stress, work-life balance, health and sleep in the university sector.

We surveyed more than 2,200 academic and professional employees across 40 universities from June to November 2020. We specifically looked at universities given the advancing technological changes in the sector and importance of universities to our economic, social and cultural prosperity.

Our results

We found high levels of stress along, with a significant amount of out-of-hours communication. This includes:

• 21% of respondents had supervisors who expected them to respond to work-related texts, calls and emails after work
• 55% sent digital communication about work in the evenings to colleagues
• 30% sent work-related digital communication to colleagues on the weekends, while expecting a same-day response.

Employees who had supervisors expecting them to respond to work messages after work, compared to groups who did not, reported higher levels of psychological distress (70.4% compared to 45.2%) and emotional exhaustion (63.5% compared to 35.2%). They also reported physical health symptoms, such as headaches and back pain (22.1% compared to 11.5%).

It’s not just horrible bosses

We also found the same pattern when it came to contact between colleagues.

Groups of employees who felt that they had to respond to work messages from colleagues outside of work hours, compared to groups who did not, also reported higher levels of psychological distress (75.9% compared to 39.3%). They also reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion (65.9% compared to 35.7%) and physical health symptoms (22.1% compared to 12.5%).

Although the project team surveyed university employees, this is likely to reflect a society-wide problem of digital communication out-of-work hours. An Australia Institute survey last year showed Australians were working 5.3 hours of unpaid overtime on average per week, up from 4.6 hours the year before.

Notably, 31% of employees in our sample reported a moderate or severe psychological disorder, and 62% said they thought the “psychosocial safety climate” – of their workplace — the degree to which it protected their psychological health — was “poor”.

By comparison, an estimated 20% of Australian adults have experienced a common mental disorder in the previous 12 months. A 2014 beyondblue survey, suggested 52% of employees find their workplace mentally healthy.

What does this mean?

The personal and social implications of blurred boundaries between home and work are serious. When employees are answering calls or responding to emails at home, this affects their recovery from work – both mentally and physically.

Being in a constant state of hyper-vigilance awaiting work notifications at home can affect metabolism and immunity, creating susceptibility to serious health problems such as infection, high blood pressure and depression. In fact, recent research by the World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation suggest that long work hours may even increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Another problem is that when we get work calls or emails out of hours, this also reduces the time for recovery activities such as social interaction, physical exercise and spending time in natural settings.

These are critical activities to maintain physical and particularly psychological health. The personal and social ramifications of work intrusion into home life also have the potential to hurt family relationships, and community supports, like volunteering.

Next steps

So what needs to happen now?

We can focus on the immediate problem and reduce the extent of digital connectivity out of work hours. Negotiating work conditions to address the problem like the Victoria Police has recently done is a good start. Amending the National Employment Standards to enforce the “right to disconnect” will also protect vulnerable low paid, non-unionised workers who do not have the capacity to negotiate their own work conditions.

Read more: Why We’re Shifting to a Four-Day Week

But while these industrial regulations prevent managers from getting in touch, it won’t change the behaviour of colleagues hassling each other. Or the inward pressure many of us feel to work out of hours.

Workplace expert professor Maureen Dollard argues the problem of digital connectivity outside of standard work hours reflects a broader issue around the workplace culture and psychological health. When an organisation values productivity over psychological health, then employees will feel more pressure to manage unrealistic deadlines.

Ultimately, our problem with out-of-hours emails and messaging reflects broader societal issues relating to the pressures of productivity, job insecurity and diminishing work resources.

Amy Zadow, Research Fellow in Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read more: 5 Psychologists on setting boundaries in lockdown

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By Justine Alter

Naomi Osaka. Masterchef’s Brent Draper. St Kilda football club’s Seb Ross and Tim Membrey. 

These four high-profile people have one thing in common; their decision to publicly withdraw from their respective work-related activities for mental health and family reasons. 

Naomi Osaka recently withdrew from the French Open, Brent Draper exited Masterchef to return home to his wife and baby, and St Kilda Football Club’s Seb Ross and Tim Membrey both missed the Saints’ match against Adelaide in Cairns to be with their families. 

For Osaka, she reports that she has long suffered a battle with depression and the decision not to participate in post-match interviews was to protect her mental health and wellbeing. After receiving a $15,000 fine and the threat of disqualification from the tournament, she decided to withdraw. As the No. 2 player in the world, it was no doubt a difficult decision. Stating that she has always been a shy person and that speaking after her match is really hard for her, she is plagued by mental health and self-doubt. 

Brent Draper, a likeable tradie with exceptional cooking skills made the harrowing decision when he broke down on national television saying, “I can’t cook anymore”. Reporting a difficult few months in the lead up to filming Masterchef with his mum being really sick, his own health issues, and having to quarantine twice – all whilst being a new dad- he says he just needed to go home and focus on his mental health and be with his family. 

St Kilda’s Seb Ross is a dad to newborn twins and a toddler, citing family reasons for leaving the club’s Sydney base to fly home. The challenge of being a parent to twins and a toddler is very real. The need to support his wife in the post-natal period and to be present are well documented in terms of protecting one’s mental health. With 1 in 7 new mothers and 1 in 10 new fathers reporting postnatal depression, it’s a difficult time for new parents. Ross’ teammate Tim Membrey also put family first ahead of football to fly home to be with his wife who is due to give birth to their first child. 

St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis has today spoken out in support of the pair.  

“I think our players know – and we have got a pretty consistent record of this at the footy club – that we will always put family first and they will be supported in those decisions,” says Finnis. 

“As a CEO I’d love to have our best players on the park, I do that every week, but as a father I also understand that we’ve got to prioritise what we know is important within our own families, and no one can know that except for the families themselves.”

“I think our players know – and we have got a pretty consistent record of this at the footy club – that we will always put family first and they will be supported in those decisions.” – St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis

— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) June 16, 2021

At a time when footballers make the news for other reasons, the backlash against these sporting professionals is disappointing. Seb Ross’ decision has been labelled as not ‘sufficiently compelling to warrant an early return’ — and Osaka was accused of acting like an ‘arrogant spoiled brat’ . 

Amid a global pandemic when mental health issues are surfacing in more ways than our health system can cope with, the fact that we are even reading about people judging other’s decisions that impact their lives, their families, and ultimately their mental health and wellbeing is disgraceful. 

Is it not time to acknowledge that the tsunami of mental ill-health requires a change in narrative? It needs one of compassion, kindness and understanding. 

The lack of empathy in the judgmental comments particularly relating to Seb Ross is unhelpful, selfish and harmful. In contrast, we need to see more media comments around de-stigmatising mental health issues, the acknowledgement of the importance of being with one’s family, seeking professional help, and removing oneself from the public eye if needed. 

Without acceptance, we are unlikely to see more people feeling comfortable enough to share their story – and we know that it is through the sharing of these stories, through the normalising of emotions, that we can mitigate mental ill-health. I truly hope that these stories become more common without the judgement. These four examples demonstrate the need to show kindness; we can never truly know what people are going through — especially if we’re the ones sitting on the sidelines.

The post The Media and Mental Health appeared first on Transitioning Well.

The monotony of multiple lockdowns, the stress of home learning, and the rise in work-life conflict have all led us to feel less than chipper about the state of our lives. 

In a recent article for The New York Times, best-selling author and psychologist Adam Grant has popularised ‘languishing’ as the emotion to describe our COVID-19 world in 2021. 

“Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health.” writes Adam. “You don’t have symptoms of mental illness, but you’re not the picture of mental health either.”

First coined by sociologist Corey L. M. Keyes in 2002, languishing is described as the midway point between flourishing and depression.

“Imagine feeling really hungry—but psychologically and emotionally like there’s this void, this emptiness in there that you cannot fill.”

Languishing is not a mental illness, but it can be a precursor to a range of mental health issues. Pandemic health workers in Italy who were languishing in the spring of 2020 were three times more likely than their peers to be diagnosed with PTSD. 

The statistics are unclear on how many of us may be experiencing languishing at present, however Adam Grant’s article identified Languishing as the dominant emotion of 2021. Globally, many of us are experiencing disengagement, stagnation, fatigue and a sense of ‘meh’ in all aspects of our lives. 

One of the best strategies for managing emotions is to name them as it reduces our sense of isolation and helps us validate our experiences. We can further support flourishing by looking after our mental health and wellbeing by doing all those things we know are good for us but fall away when life gets busy or stressful – eating well, exercising and putting ourselves at the top of our ‘To Do’ list.

In the workplace, leaders can encourage staff to take regular breaks, create boundaries, and block out times — where possible — to achieve a state of flow at work and a sense of achievement. 

As leaders in work-life wellbeing support, we’ve added a new Languishing workshop to our COVID-19 Wellness series. Our workshop delves into five practical strategies to help your people reduce languishing and increase flourishing. This workshop can be delivered as a ‘one-off’ or packaged up to best fit your organisations’ needs and budget. To find out more contact us on 1300 824 808 or info@transitioningwell.com.au

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