With lots going on in our busy lives and the March quarter already complete, April is a good month to reflect on how we are all doing. April turns out to be Stress Awareness Month, and SafeWork SA has a new ‘April No-Falls’ safety campaign.
It is timely for us to reflect on managing our stress as business owners and employers. With daylight savings coming to an end, we have started with an extra hour for ourselves over the weekend, however managing day to day stress as a business owner/employer is not easy. But it is essential.
Six months ago, we spent October talking about how to help and support each other more as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. This intiative is an important conversation to have across the entire year. So how have you been going in your business managing your stress and that of your team?
Stress is often a precursor to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. While I’m not a medical professional, I am an employer with people who have relied on me during a global health pandemic to keep the business afloat. The oxygen mask analogy is critical when we’re talking about mental health and stress. It is also critical for the parents to put their masks on before they can help their children. In the workplace, managers and leaders are responsible for setting the standard for managing stress.
As part of the 2021 July lockdown here in South Australia, we surveyed business owners to get a sense of the true economic impact of this lockdown (which was significant). What was also telling was the 75% of business owners who said that they or their staff had suffered a mental health impact due to the lockdown.
So what can we do? During Mental Health Awareness Month, we talked about the 30-day challenge with various activities, including meditation, mindfulness, a healthy and active lifestyle, and plenty of sleep. Managing stress is somewhat similar. It should be a combination of daily activities that target your physical, mental and emotional self. These activities can include taking some time to stretch your body, then write yourself a ‘to do’ list to get a proactive start to the week. And finally, check-in with yourself to make sure you’re feeling ok and reach out to someone you trust if you are not.
In managing the physical stress of your work, it is timely to talk about SafeWork SA launching their ‘April No-Falls’ safety campaign. Across April, they are raising awareness of the dangers of working at height. Like all WHS responsibilities, managing the risk of falls is everyone’s responsibility. A fall from height injury can have a devastating physical, emotional, and financial impact on workers, businesses, families, and the wider community.
SafeWork SA would like to see how you’re making April a no falls month at your workplace. If you are hosting an event or toolbox meeting promoting working safely at heights, add it to your social channels and use the hashtag #AprilNoFalls. If your workplace promotes safety at heights and has great safe work systems, post some photos on your socials and include the hashtags #AprilNoFalls and #WHS. Also, do not forget to attend the South Australian Business Chamber’s Working at Heights webinar with WHS expert Deb Hegarty this Thursday. Details are available on our website www.business-sa.com
