Leading Emotional Intelligence expert, Australian psychologist Dr Ben Palmer (CEO of Genos International), feels the “voice of fear” surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is “too loud”, and people are panicked by constant negative news stories. He believes much effort has been put into advising us as to how to manage our physical health, but nothing, more critically, is being done to help citizens manage their psychological wellbeing.
Dr Palmer says the Australian Government (as well as the majority of world leaders for that matter), needs to bring perspective to the situation by better supporting the emotional welfare of its people. He says emphatically, that it’s time to “be alert, not alarmed” adding “much has been done in the way of offering advice and support to people in respect of their physical wellbeing, but nothing is being done to support their emotional and mental health at a time when society as we know it, is literally being shut down.”
Layoffs, business closures and mortgage and loan defaults will only rise in number as the pandemic escalates. He thinks banks should be very empathetic to the Australian public and demonstrate the same kind of support they did to victims of the recent bushfires. They have, he says, a very real opportunity to become the country’s main “voice of hope” by deferring or suspending loan repayments, lowering interest rates, providing financial and administrative support and generally, championing the Australian spirit of mateship and being there for one another and should take the lead from their Italian counterparts.
Aside from CEOs and managers stepping up by ensuring their employees become more conscious of washing their hands, and the introduction of sanitiser in the workplace, he says it’s very important to help manage the emotions of staff by discussing the situation openly and seeking input as to what measures can be put in place such as; job sharing, garden leave, reduced hours/pay for example – in order to avoid laying people off. “And this applies from ASX-listed companies to SMEs because we are only just seeing the first stages of economic downturn” he said. Dr Palmer believes that even when the virus is officially “contained” there will be a three month (or greater) lag for companies revenues to recover, and he draws the analogy of an individual going without pay for three months; “The bills continue to accrue during this time, and when the worker starts earning again, they are economically disadvantaged and playing catch-up, possibly without any real chance of restoring their original position unless banks and utilities for example, are prepared to offer relief.”
“Now is the time for businesses to support their people by upskilling them in areas such as self-awareness, empathy, perspective, resilience and self-management. This is where the government should be offering financial support, so companies can afford to prepare their staff for the difficult times ahead which may include being laid off.”
Dr Palmer’s company is offering a free online webinar series to help people manage the psychological effects Covid-19 is having on the community at large and to mitigate the incidents of selfishness, racism, violence etc which are the by-product of the pandemic. The series starts Monday 23 March and comprises two sessions for individuals:
Psychological well-being – teaching; Thinking, Physical, Relationship and Environmental tools and techniques which people can readily engage in to help boost their psychological well-being. They will learn practical tools and techniques for bringing balance to the way they think and feel during the COVID-19 environment, particularly when isolated from work colleagues, friends and members and the community at large.
Remote Control – you’ll learn practical tools and techniques for being productive whilst working from home. You’ll leave readily equipped to overcome the common challenges that you can experience if you are new to working remotely.
And for bosses and managers there is Leading Remotely – the module where they learn practical tools and techniques for leading a remote team and positively influencing their well-being and productivity during the COVID-19 environment.
With so many social aspects of our everyday lifestyle now closed off and the probability of being stood down temporarily or working from home a reality for many Australians, Dr Palmer is offering the webinars because he believes the effects of isolation can be very disruptive and challenging for people used to being active members of communities.
“In a pandemic such as the COVID-19, the human cost is not only measured in lives lost, but also more broadly, in the far reaching emotional and socio-economic implications that accompany this dreadful virus. If ever there was a need to be aware of and empathetically handle, emotions and relationships, that time is surely now!” he asserts.
