WorkLife - June 2022

JUNE 2022

Too Tired To Perform

Tips to Overcome Crisis Fatigue

Beyond Trigger Warnings

Get this guide to make your mental health training safe & effective

The Pitfalls of Helping

Understanding and Avoiding Vicarious Trauma

From Sick to Well Again

Exploring the Art & Science of Recovery

The HOPE That Drives Recovery

from

We are now well into the year and very few people on Earth would contradict the notion that the world and it’s people need HOPE. After all, ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’, said the poet Alexander Pope way back in 1732. Pope knew something about human nature.

Interestingly, Alexander Pope placed hope in the same organ that loves also springs forth. Could there be a connection between hope and love? Is our capacity to hope and love intrinsically intertwined? I believe it is. Often, it is impossible to love without hope and it is impossible to hope without deep love - for someone or something.

That’s why we found it fitting and timely to publish a magazine on Hope. A study that will get us one step closer to what we so intensely need today across the world, love.

What could we be hopeful for? What do you think? I’ll get the ball rolling for us.

How about…

• • • • •

Health for ourselves and our loved ones Economic stability for all Peace in the Ukraine and all other countries affected by war Respect for human rights everywhere (You can add yours here, if you like)

But, you may ask ‘Where’s the hope then and what use it is it?’. Glad you ask. Our Magazine this month shows you Snyder’s Theory on Hope and how it is beneficial at a psychological level. We also see how to activate hope within ourselves so that we can continue to expand our love across the world. Great, right?

‘Be the change that you want to see in the world’, said Ghandi. That’s our starting point.

In a sense, it’s like a revolution from the inside out. What do you say? Will you join us?

Have a mentally healthy, and hopeful, day “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.” An Irish Blessing

Peter Diaz

VICARIOUS TRAUMA TRAINING (VTT)

WHO SHOULD ATTEND VTT? Healthcare professionals Community Services staff Youth, Aged Care, and Disability workers Legal Professionals Advocacy staff First Responders Anyone working with sensitive or distressing information Anyone working with people who have experienced trauma

WHAT DO WE COVER IN VTT? Understand how the brain and body operate when responding to trauma, distress and emotion.

Recognise the complex impacts of vicarious trauma on behaviour, cognition and emotions.

Distinguish between Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Compassion Fatigue, and Burnout.

Identify early warning signs of Vicarious Trauma Respond in a timely and effective manner to the signs of vicarious trauma Understand the power and pitfalls of empathy, and know how to utilise empathy effectively for ourselves and the person who has experienced trauma.

Know how to effectively manage the limits of your role, identify signs of overstepping, and ensure appropriate actions within professional boundaries.

Prevent Vicarious Trauma by applying a range of strategies and tools to build and maintain personal emotional fitness, including: Trauma Informed Self Care, Compassion Satisfaction, and the Professional Beliefs Audit.

Identify a range of helpful and unhelpful coping strategies Understand the science of exposure, desensitisation, avoidance.

Use the SPICE model to Debrief effectively, and avoid patterns of unhelpful debriefing Apply an Advanced Self Reflection tool to identify and respond to personal triggers or ´hotspots´.

VTT provides participants with the knowledge, skills and tools to avoid compassion fatigue and look after their own personal mental health and wellbeing, when dealing with people who have experienced trauma, or when working with difficult, emotional, sensitive or potentially traumatic material and information.

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The Power of Hope Why You Benefit from Practicing Hope Hope. A powerful and popular word, the truth is that few people outside of the realm of human psychology genuinely know what the word “hope” means. Many say things like “I hope it doesn’t rain on my vacation” or “I hope you feel better soon” but, aside from those invocations, they have no real clue about the true power of hope and its value as a human survival tool.

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What is the Definition of Hope?

Benefits of Hope

The word `Hope´ is used in an attempt to capture a pattern of thoughts that we have. A hopeful pattern of thoughts is not just a desire for something to occur, but it is also `having confidence and trust that a particular event or outcome can and will occur´.

Especially when things are looking grim, Hope is critical to our wellbeing, and even our survival. In fact, if a person loses all hope that things can improve, they can find themselves in a very dangerous predicament indeed. That is why, we know hope can be a lifeline for people when times are tough. The good news is, only a small window of hope is needed. A glimmer of an opportunity, that things can change. And that´s the good thing about life – it always changes.

Hope is Not Just Wishful Thinking So it’s important to realize that hope isn’t the same as wishful thinking. Wishful thinking suggests that a person would like or prefer a certain outcome, but doesn´t really expect it to be possible. Hope, on the other hand is more active. Not only is it about being able to imagine a preferred future situation, it includes a certain degree of belief or expectation of that possibility coming to fruition.

Hope is not Passive From this definition, we also see that Hope is not a passive thought pattern. When we dig a little deeper, we find that Hopeful thinking actually sets the groundwork for creating the particular outcome we desire. Specifically, when a person practices Hope, the probability of achieving a particular goal (or goals) becomes much more likely. Because the first step in achieving or creating a particular event or situation, is envisioning what that would look like. A person who actively practices hope can more easily imagine and envision a future event, life, or situation that is better than the present moment.

Hope Doesn’t have to be Blind Hope doesn’t deny that, on occasion, life can be difficult or even painful, and we don´t always get what we hope for. In fact, the mere existence of hope presumes that the alternate outcome could still happen. For example, when you say `I hope I am successful in that job interview´, it means you realise that you might not be. Hope acknowledges that there is a desire to move from Point A (which may indeed be painful, miserable, fearful, boring, or less than ideal) to Point B (less or no pain, misery, fear, boredom, etc).

The Man Who Defined Hope One man who had a better idea of what hope is and, having studied it extensively, was Charles Richard Snyder, an American psychologist. When well understood and used correctly, Snyder realized that hope could be a powerful force for human change.

Indeed, a generation of “high-hopers” was born based on his work, individuals who put hope to work in their lives to affect positive changes and attain their particular goals.

Below we’ll take a closer look at the three components of Snyder’s Hope Theory, as well as benefits everyone, young and old, rich and poor, black and white, can receive from practicing hope in their life. Plus, we’ll give you 5 Strategies to bring hope back into your life and reach your goals.

In mental health, studies conducted with people who have recovered from severe mental health problems, reveal that one of the major factors, often a turning point in their recovery journey, was when they discovered and began to build hope for a better future. Because from hope, we become motivated to take positive actions, that can make all the difference.

The same if true for everyone – we must have some degree of hope in order to take actions towards our goals and dreams. And in doing so we discover that there is more within our own power and control than we ever thought previously.

And there are other benefits to Hope too. For example, Hope: • Improves your immune system to help you stay healthier.

• Can increase your self-worth and, with it, your confidence.

• Reduces sadness, anxiety, stress, and many other negative emotions.

• Creates new opportunities in life that may not have been there previously.

• Improves both your physical and mental wellbeing.

• Encourages you to get up off your behind and take positive action rather than wallowing in selfpity.

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The Three Components of Snyder’s Hope Theory Snyder’s Hope Theory has three major components, all of which must be realized in order for hope to be achieved. Those three components include: 1. Goal thoughts: A person must be focused in their way of thinking. They must have some goal or target to be hopeful for.

2. Pathway thoughts: Strategies need to be developed and put in place to achieve that specific goal or goals.

3. Agency thoughts: People have to have motivation, hope, or confidence in their own personal capacity to follow the pathway identified to achieve the goal.

Component #1 - Focusing on the Goal It makes sense doesn’t it? In order to have Hope, you have to have something to be hopeful for. WHAT is the target of your hope? What do you want to have happen?

Getting clarity on the preferred outcome is a critical first step in building Hope.

Sometimes when we are not in a very hopeful place, we can resist thinking about the preferred outcome.

You might have heard people say `I don’t even want to think about it – I don’t want to get my hopes up!´.

In reality, they do know what they are hopeful for, they just want to avoid potential disappointment of not getting it, so they try to distract themselves. But the key to achieving any outcome is to get really clear on what is the outcome that you want.

For example, if you are hopeful for a successful career, it makes sense that at some point, you are going to have to focus in on the goal – what particular career would I like to have? What profession would I like to pursue?

The same goes for a successful relationship, health goal, or in any other area of life. To have hope that it can be created, you are really going to have to focus in on what that successful relationship would look like for you, or what that health goal is.

Component #2 – Pathway Thoughts This is where the ´rubber hits the road´, as they say. In order to have Hope for a certain outcome, you need to have some idea of the pathway, or the steps involved in to get there. It´s no use just knowing WHAT you want, you probably won´t be very hopeful about it if you have no clue as to HOW to get it.

This doesn’t have to be an especially specific plan.

You don´t need to know all the minute details for every point in the journey. But in order to have hope, you do need to have a general idea of the direction to head in, and some of the things required.

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So at the very least, it can be a helpful question to ask yourself ´what is the very first, smallest little step towards that goal I am hopeful for?´. And if you don’t know, then finding out is usually the first step!

Once you´ve completed the first step, the next one often becomes apparent, and so the pathway unfolds in front of you. And keep in mind, the pathway may not be a direct journey, you may come across some obstacles dead ends, and need to reroute, or get back on track, but that´s all part of the process. Where there is momentum there is hope.

Component #3 – Belief in Your Own Agency The third essential component for Hope is thoughts about ´Agency´. Agency means the capacity to act, or exert power or influence. In this context, it means your own self belief or confidence in your ability to do the steps on the pathway to achieve the thing you are hopeful for.

You can have a goal or a desired outcome, you can know how to get there, but if you don´t believe that you can get there, or if you feel it is completely out of your hands, then it´s unlikely you will have much hope for it.

There are some things you can do to build agency, or belief in your capacity. One is to start small, get some small wins on the board. That´ll give you confidence to take bigger steps. Another is to find people who have been in your shoes, and who have overcome whatever obstacle was holding them back. Ìf they can do it, I can do it´. You can look to what you have accomplished previously. Even if you don’t think you´ve done much (and when we´re feeling down, we do tend to forget about or minimise what we’ve actually accomplished), sometimes the accomplishment is simply making it through a tough time.

And sometimes, we need a cheerleader or a coach.

Sometimes when we don’t believe in ourselves, when we can´t see the forest for the trees, we need someone else, someone we trust, who can hold that hope for us. If you´re in that space, go and find that person.

For those things that are truly outside our sphere of influence (perhaps things on a global scale, like international politics or the economy) then the trick is to focus on the elements that ARE within your control. For example, I may not be able to control the global economy, but I can make sure that I have done everything in my power to best manage my own personal finances, protect my individual economy, or prepare for the future. I may not be in a position to influence global politics, but I can register to vote, advocate for issues that are important to me, or get involved in charity, if I want.

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5 Strategies to Regain Hope and Reach Goals In addition to the strategies identified above, there are several other excellent methods you can use to help regain and build Hope. Some are easier than others, and you may need more assistance with some.

Still, all the strategies will allow you to regain hope, improve your life and reframe a negative situation that you may be dealing with to one more positive.

1. Learn a new skill, talent, or craft. When learning a new skill, your mind stays active and positive.

It’s hard to feel helpless or hopeless when learning something new that gives you joy or pleasure.

2. Create a daily routine and stick to it. It’s difficult to stay positive when you wake up in the morning with no plans or no meaningful way of spending your day.

3. Start exercising. You don’t need to go to a gym, although that’s not a bad idea. Instead, do active things like walking, swimming, or bicycling. Over time, you will see positive gains, reinforcing that change is possible.

4. Be careful with your diet. We really are what we eat. Poor quality food is a fast track to negativity, and it´s hard to be hopeful when you´re in a negative mood 5. Choose who you spend time with. As they say ´misery likes company´. If you want to feel more hopeful and positive, then hang around with people who are hopeful and positive, and limit time with those who drain your energy or have a victim mentality.

Final Thoughts In today’s world of ever-increasing tension, millions of people are over-stressed, unhappy, depressed, and feel helpless. It’s easy to feel hopeless when so many things seem to be stacked against you. Issues and challenges at work, home, and relationships can often seem overwhelming and unsolvable.

As you might imagine, these negative emotions are not conducive to a positive, happy, and fulfilling life.

There’s no denying that life can be tough. And that’s why it’s more important than ever to make practicing hope part of your everyday life.

We hope you will. 

You can have a goal or a desired outcome, you can know how to get there, but if you don´t believe that you can get there, or if you feel it is completely out of your hands, then it´s unlikely you will have much hope for it.

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Are You Experiencing

Crisis Fatigue?

How to know if you are, and more importantly, what to do if crisis fatigue affects you or a loved one.

M

ost people will quickly agree that the last two years have been less than stellar for humanity. Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic raged, and natural disasters like wildfires, floods, and storms raged as well.

Economic distress has been a constant global stressor, rampant racial unrest has put entire cities on the brink, and we have witnessed human rights abuses too numerous to name.

More recently, the war being waged on Ukraine has the world on edge as we witness innocent men, women, and children under attack. And the same occurs in other places around the world too.

All of these crises are causing a problem that, until recently, was relatively rare in medical and psychological circles; crisis fatigue.

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What is Crisis Fatigue?

When humans are exposed to a constant string of emergencies, atrocities, disasters, and tragedies, we go through a wide range of emotions. Exhaustion.

Rage. Anxiety. Despair. Grief. The list goes on and on and, unfortunately, doesn’t get any better.

Unfortunately, emotional stressors like these can accumulate, leaving many questioning their beliefs and grappling with the fact that, yes, the world is a dangerous, unforgiving, and terrifying place. Many ask themselves why these troubles happen and worry they will continue to happen and even spiral out of control. Some even begin to wonder if human existence itself is on its last legs.

This constant stress can be extremely draining on one’s psyche, leaving them mentally drained and

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bereft of hope. While not technically categorised (yet) as a mental disorder, this emotional state is known as crisis fatigue, the exhaustion one feels after being figuratively bombarded with constant, ongoing emergencies.

Interestingly, crisis fatigue bears many of the hallmarks of PTSD, but with some significant distinctions.

One thing to note is that crisis fatigue is caused by prolonged exposure to one or more crises, such as a pandemic, wars, political instability, racial injustice, and natural disasters. In fact, this is what sets crisis fatigue apart; constant stress that, over time, alters a person’s allostatic load. This alteration affects their body’s hormones and neurotransmitters, making it difficult to relax, sleep well and recuperate, thus leading to their fatigued state.

What are the Signs and Symptoms you’re Suffering from Crisis Fatigue?

There are several signs and symptoms a person will experience when suffering from crisis fatigue. Some people will experience one or two symptoms while others may suffer from all of them, including: • • • • • •

A feeling of helplessness Exhaustion both physically and mentally.

Difficulty concentrating on work or specific tasks.

A lack of appetite.

Unexplained aches and pains.

A noticeable lack of empathy for other people and animals.

• An increase in the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

• Significant sleep pattern changes and overall lack of sleep.

• Withdrawing from friends and family.

One thing to note is that these symptoms can last for weeks and even months. Also, when a person is inundated by one crisis after another, the symptoms can worsen as they don't have time to recuperate.

Those at a higher risk during an ongoing string of crises will typically suffer from the above symptoms more than others. Frontline healthcare workers, for example, emergency responders like police and even food delivery workers.

Also, people who are already vulnerable, or already coping with other stressors, such as homelessness, discrimination, or limited mobility, are more likely to experience crisis fatigue. People who have lost a loved one due to a crisis, or face financial uncertainty because of it, are also more prone to the condition.

How to Deal with Crisis Fatigue in a Positive, Empowering Way One of the difficulties when dealing with crisis fatigue is that the crisis causing the problem, in most cases, is out of an individual's control. There is hope, however, in the form of several strategies that can help an individual cope, including:

• Taking a break from media, including social media, television, newspapers, and radio.

Individuals can reset and reaffirm their beliefs by setting aside the constant barrage of media coverage that generally follows a crisis.

• Exercise has long been proven to be an excellent stress reducer. It also gives a person something to focus on besides the emergency at hand during a crisis.

• Sticking with a daily routine. One problem constant crises create is completely disrupting a person's typical schedule. Maintaining a routine is important, as it can help you regain a sense of normalcy. More importantly, a daily routine can often help you sleep better also.

• Give yourself a `day off´ from thinking about the crisis. Make a decision to put thoughts of the crisis situation aside for a period of time, and focus on the activities of the present moment (assuming they are not crisis related).

• Cultivating a new hobby is an excellent method to reduce crisis fatigue symptoms. Indeed, during the pandemic, sales of Lego building sets skyrocketed.

• Joining a self-help group is a fantastic method of dealing with the anxiety, stress, and mental exhaustion crisis fatigue can cause. Just make sure the group is positive and uplifting, not just another place to complain and dwell in the drama.

• Practice mental strategies that build your personal resilience and emotional fitness. For example, mindfulness activities are proven to develop your capacity to focus, and gain control over your own thoughts, for stress reduction.

• Discover what things give you meaning, and a sense of purpose. In times of ongoing crisis we can start to question the point of it all, so making sure your days include activities that are meaningful to you is vital.

All of these strategies above can be very helpful and return a person to a less stressed state of mind.

However, you should note that if you or a loved one is struggling mightily with Crisis Fatigue, seeking professional help might be warranted.

In Conclusion These are trying times indeed, no matter who you are, what you do, or where you live on this big, blue planet. When one crisis or emergency after another keeps happening, it can be difficult to stay positive and find meaning in everyday activities.

The good news is the stress-reduction techniques we've given today can be extremely helpful. If you’re suffering, we strongly suggest you try one, or all, of them.

The Workplace Mental Health Institute also offers a range of courses for individuals and teams, to help people develop the strategies to prevent Crisis Fatigue and Burnout, and know how to respond to the early signs if they show up. Together, we can get through these crises and back to a more positive, relaxed, and optimistic state of mind.  WWW.THEWMHI.COM | 9

Understanding the Art and Science of Mental Health Recovery

How to Feel Well Again

O

ne of the most important facts about mental health recovery that is often overlooked, is that the terms “recovery” and “cure” are not interchangeable. In other words, it’s possible to recover your mental health even if whatever caused the problem in the first place hasn’t been “cured,” at least in the traditional sense of the word.

Indeed, mental health recovery is more of a process that focuses on empowerment, emotional stability, and providing an individual with the tools they need to better cope with their particular situation.

Another way of stating it is that when it comes to mental health recovery, it’s not the destination that matters so much as the journey.

The Journey Back to You Individuals suffering from mental health issues often lose sight of who they are at their core. They either forget or choose to ignore their abilities and sink into a pit of despair and negativity. Many, unfortunately, also put the responsibility for their recovery in the hands of others when, in fact, they need to take an active role in it.

Studies of recovery journies have identified four key elements that are necessary; Hope, Meaning, Identity and Responsibility. Let’s take a quick look at all four: Hope Embracing hope means looking closely at present difficulties and realizing that they can be and will be overcome. Yes, it may take time, diligence, and effort, but holding on to hope is critical to mental health recovery. Without it, an individual will fall even lower into their pit of self-pity and despair.

Meaning Having a sense of meaning is another critical factor in mental health recovery. Having something in one’s life that provides them purpose and self-worth is crucial. It allows them to contribute and use their gifts for an objective bigger than themselves.

Identity A strong sense of self is essential on the journey of mental health recovery. Knowing who you are beyond a mental health problem, having goals and aspirations, and having a purpose, are all essential for a healthy mental outlook.

Responsibility This last aspect of mental health recovery is one of the most difficult in some respects, especially in today’s day and age. Taking responsibility for one’s actions is critical. Without it, most individuals fall into the trap of short-term relief that leads to longterm suffering.

The Basic Tenets of Mental Health Recovery Apply to Everyone What’s fascinating about the four key elements of mental health recovery is that they hold true even for those who aren’t suffering.

A consequential life must include embracing hope, as hope is the universal key to existence. One’s life must have meaning beyond simply survival, and a strong sense of identity is crucial for every person, no matter their situation. This is especially true today as individuals are constantly being pushed aside in favor of the group and so-called “group think.” Lastly, a strong sense of responsibility is imperative. Without it, recovery will be difficult, if not impossible.

In Conclusion Feeling well again and recovering from mental health illness is not a paint-by-numbers take a pill and you’re cured type of health problem; far from it. It takes effort, diligence, and perseverance, and guidance from people who have travelled that road before.

Recovery, in most cases, means allowing yourself to admit you can’t do it alone and asking for help. That goes for individuals at home and on the job. If you or a colleague are struggling, we strongly urge you to reach out today. Together, the journey to mental health recovery can be meaningful, joyful, and, most importantly, triumphant. 

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Vicarious Trauma When Helping Others Harms You Trauma is a disconcerting and distressing experience.

We all experience distressing experiences in life. But, when one or a series of painful experiences linger long after experiencing them and disrupts our life significantly, we say we are experiencing trauma.

Let's take a look at what is going on in the brain when we experience trauma: The Limbic System is the part of the brain that's most actively involved in emotional responses. It comprises a number of parts including the amygdala, the thalamus, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, the orbitofrontal cortex and the para-hippocampal gyrus, among others.

It´s a somewhat complicated process, but lets break it down to a simple overview: When we are exposed to some threat: 1. We get information about the threat from our senses.

2. The thalamus receives the information and sends a small part to the amygdala 3. The amygdala activates the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) for what is commonly known as the flight or fight response.

4. Next, the amygdala lets the hippocampus remember the event as a memory.

That ability for the brain to more easily remember information about potential threats obviously has an adaptive purpose. It is useful for us as humans if we have good memory for things that might be dangerous to us, and especially useful if our body can react quickly, without us even having to think about it.

The problem is of course, when that turns into something like PTSD, when it is no longer serving our survival, but is instead interrupting our quality of life.

People who experience PTSD will typically have an overly responsive startle response, while at the same time also experiencing a sense of disconnection from others or emotional numbness, and could find themselves re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive unwanted memories, flashbacks, or nightmares.

The interesting thing about trauma is, we now know that people do not have to experience the trauma first hand, to have these same reactions.

This article is taken from one of our courses: “Vicarious Trauma Training: Path to Resilience”. This course is a journey exploring vicarious trauma, and is filled with various tools and activities, guiding you on the path of recovery and resilience.

You can learn more about the course here 12 | JUNE 2022

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Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Trauma and Compassion Fatigue The American Heritage Dictionary defines Vicarious as 'experienced or felt by empathy with or imaginary participation in the life of another person´. It means that we have the capacity to empathize with other people and take on their experiences.

The ability to empathize is a valuable survival mechanism for learning where we do not have to experience things directly to know if we like something or not. For example, if you see me bite into a lemon, how does that make you feel? Most people would squirm at the thought or salivate.

That's because we can experience vicariously. And most of us will decide not to bite into a lemon based on this vicarious experience.

When a person experiences trauma symptoms without the firsthand experience of the traumatic event, it is referred to as Secondary or Vicarious Trauma.

(Secondary Trauma and Vicarious Trauma are often used interchangeably.)

For example, John experiences a traumatic event of a car crash, and he tells Olivia about it in vivid detail. Now Olivia experiences anxiety whenever she gets into a car. Olivia here is experiencing Vicarious Trauma.

Another common aspect of Vicarious Trauma is the way in which our beliefs about the world can shift over time, as a result of indirect, but ongoing exposure to trauma. This commonly happens for those working in helping professions. For example, a legal professional who deals with one horrific case after another, could come to believe that most people are evil or selfish, and that the world is a hostile place. Or someone working in the field of domestic violence could come to believe that no relationship can be healthy.

And then, we have another related term known as Compassion Fatigue Compassion Fatigue is exhaustion to the point of no longer feeling empathy. It is often confused with Burnout, but Compassion Fatigue and Burnout are not the same thing. Burnout is exhaustion due to stress and overwork, while compassion fatigue is exhaustion specifically due to the emotional component of helping others. And because of this, Compassion Fatigue is often referred to as the "Cost of Caring".

When someone is experiencing Compassion Fatigue, they typically begin to feel less empathy towards others, as a means of self preservation.

For those working in helping professions, whether it is in the field of health or human services, emergency responders, legal or advocacy roles, or others, Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue are all very real concerns.

After hearing about Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue, you may wonder, "If helping others comes at the cost of all this, why help?" Good question.

Is Helping Others Bad for You? The answer is NOT AT ALL. Helping is fundamental to our nature.

From an evolutionary perspective, we do better with healthy and joyful people around us; and, to surround ourselves with healthy and joyful people, helping is crucial.

Helping others can give us a host of benefits: 1. Compassion Satisfaction: Positive Feelings are associated with helping others. Neuroscience has demonstrated that helping is a great way to feel better about yourself. When we help others, our brain gets stimulated to release oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. All these have effects that make us feel well and improve our overall health.

2. Learning: We learn from others' experiences.

Listening to other people's problems and discovering ways to solve them allows us to analyze ourselves and our own life. It also avoids behaviors and actions in our personal lives that could lead to problems.

3. Sense of Belonging: When we help others, it helps us realize our value. Helping makes us feel connected to others. It gives us a sense of our contribution to other people's lives, which satisfies one of our most important human needs.

4. Life Satisfaction: A sense of purpose and meaning contributes to the quality of our life. Some people value accomplishment over relationships. Some people prefer money over health, etc. But, what we know from the studies, is that one thing that results in high life satisfaction for everyone is helping.

In short, helping is good for us.

So, how do we get the benefit of helping, without the potential risks?

The good news is, that Vicarious Trauma is not directly a result of our helping others. Vicarious Trauma is actually a consequence of not managing some aspects of helping with care.

But to avoid the harm that can come from helping, in the form of Vicarious Trauma, we need to manage how we help. There are valuable techniques that help protect us from VT. For example: • Being in a power mindset • Making sure you have self-care strategies and use them • Ensuring your workload is manageable and reasonable, with appropriate breaks.

• Knowing how to identify early warning signs of Vicarious Trauma, before they escalate • Having a range of strategies to respond to signs of Vicarious Trauma, as well as prevent it in the first place.

• Fostering a culture of empowerment, not victimhood WWW.THEWMHI.COM | 13

Is your Organization’s

Mental Health Training Safe?

Recent Research Says that Trigger Warnings are Not Nearly Enough, and could even be Counter-Productive

O

ver the last decade or so, the subject of mental health in the workplace has gained international attention. From Olympic athletes dropping out of events to workplace shootings that seem to get worse every time they occur, keeping employees safe on the job has never been more significant.

Unfortunately, the magnifying lens of the COVID-19 pandemic has shone an even larger spotlight on the need for better mental health training on the job.

As any HR professional will attest, absenteeism and turnover rates are skyrocketing. And then there is presenteeism. That's when an employee is at work physically but, due to one or several underlying health reasons, isn't 100% functioning while there. Indeed, research points to presenteeism being an even more significant problem for employers than absenteeism.

The fact that it's not always apparent that an employee is suffering is the problem. Yes, they may look fine outwardly, but detecting internal or hidden health problems is extremely challenging.

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It's now an established fact that mental health training is essential at all workplaces.

Not only are there the business costs and risks of ignoring employee wellbeing, but there are legal requirements to demonstrate a company´s activities to ensure psychological safety. On top of that, employees are increasingly demanding that their workplaces take staff wellbeing seriously, and that their managers know what to do when it comes to supporting mental health at work.

The concern is that, even if your organization is 100% on board with mental health training, is that training the best it can be? Not just in terms of content, delivery and its ability to achieve the desired results, but also in terms of the participant experience. And specifically, the big question that is being asked more and more when it comes to mental health training is: Is this training course safe for participants? How are they supported so that potentially sensitive topics can be discussed in meaningful yet safe way?

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In today's article, we'll take a closer look at how to run safe, secure, inclusive, and mentally healthy training sessions at your place of work. Training that empowers your employees at every level to have a positive, and productive learning experience.

How To Make Your Mental Health Training Safer

For example, they should know when to dive deeper or persist on a certain key learning point, and when (and how) to redirect as needed. They need to be able to `read the room´ even if it is virtual training, and pick up on the verbal and non verbal cues which reveal the needs of the learners at any particular point in time.

For the uninitiated, it can be easy to assume that all mental health training is basically the same. Afterall, the information to be shared is standard, right?

They need to be able to build a genuine rapport with learners, quickly, and be able to hold a space for learners to share, while also maintaining appropriate boundaries for the group so as to avoid over-sharing.

It is training, not group therapy after all!

The truth is that when it comes to discussing topics of mental health and wellbeing, statistically speaking, the majority of people in a training room will have had some kind of personal experience with mental ill health - whether for themselves directly, or with a family member, friend or colleague, and so the topic in general, or specific aspects may be sensitive for some people.

And they need to be able to lead the mood of the room. They have to know how to give the appropriate weight and respect to a serious topic like suicide, while also raising the mood so that training is a pleasant and enjoyable experience, where people can learn best. This includes knowing how to use humor appropriately even within the context of mental health training.

There are several things an organization can do to ensure their mental health training is safe and supportive for participants. All of them have value and should be considered when planning and producing mental health training in any workplace, regardless of the industry.

1. Find an Experienced Mental Health Training Facilitator Don´t try to D-I-Y! Mental Health is a complex, nuanced, and sensitive subject area. Even amongst the professionals, there are many different perspectives on mental health. It´s not just a list of signs and symptoms. If your workforce is diverse (and they usually are!), you are going to have people with very different views and experiences of mental health and ill health.

To manage the many different perspectives and degrees of understanding that may exist in a group, while also allowing for open discussion and learning, it takes a high level of skill by the facilitator.

Therefore, your facilitator needs to be someone with the deeper knowledge required, so they can guide these conversations in a way that respects diverse perspectives, and teaches people what they need to know based on the current research and best practice, not just the latest trend in pop psychology or ideology.

No matter how much research or self study a well meaning manager has done, no matter what personal experiences an employee has had, it will never rival someone with a professional mental health qualification who has worked in mental health day in and day out for years.

In addition to the subject matter expertise, your facilitator needs to be someone who can managing group dynamics, specifically in relation to mental health topics.

2. Ask How they Support Participant Safety As you can see, there are a multitude of micro strategies that can be used to support participants in a mental health learning environment. Your provider should be able to articulate what these are, and not rely on just one strategy alone. For example, they should be able to describe: • The support and safety elements that are built into the training design (e.g., order of contents, timing of breaks, structure of activities, etc) • Use (or not) of Trigger Warnings – this is a tender topic in mental healthcare circles. Trigger warnings have been used for several years now, but their effects are still up for debate. Recent research published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry found that, rather than help reduce mental stress, trigger warnings might actually increase it. If your provider uses trigger warnings, how do they get the balance right to mitigate these risks?

• Use of Language – is it recovery oriented? Is it strengths based? The aim of training is to support positive mental health and wellbeing after all, so the last thing you want is participants walking away from training with a sense of doom and gloom.

• Their approach to mental health – is it strengths based, or do they view mental health problems as a disability? You want training that supports staff to be empowered and resourceful to take action, rather than create a sense of helplessness or victimhood.

• How they use Case Scenarios – you want examples to be relevant to the real situations that staff may face, yet not too personal they are confronting.

Using characters and videos is a great solution for this, and establishes a layer of distance as well as anonymity.

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• How they deal with disclosure or any potential distress – Are they available to participants after the course for questions or to debrief? How often is that actually needed? What other supports are provided post-course?

3. Communicate Training Effectively Next , it is important to make sure participants know what to expect prior to arriving at training. Your communication strategy should reassure participants as to the purposes of the training – that it is educational in nature (not counselling!), designed to help them support their team mates, and/or look after their own wellbeing. Training should be presented as one of the ways in which the organization cares for and looks after their staff, not a punishment nor a tokenistic exercise.

Pre-training communications should also make clear the topics that will be covered, and the benefits they will gain from the training (WIIFM principle: What´s In It For Me?) It should also provide details so participants can ask any questions prior to attending, should they have any concerns.

4. Give Employees Time and Space to Recharge after Mental Health Training has Ended One of the biggest mistakes employers make is sending their people directly back to work after mental health training has been completed. Keep in mind that psychological safety does not end after training has ended. While some employees may feel comfortable getting right back to their usual work, demanding that employees return directly to their inboxes, cubicles, or workspace could cause stress for others. Instead, allowing employees to take time, recharge, eat a meal, etc., is a much better and mentally healthier choice. It also allows participants the opportunity to reflect on and digest what they have just learned.

It is to be expected that with any training of this nature, there may be a small percentage of participants who still find that a particular topic raises something personal for them. Make sure there is a process for referring them to your EAP service if personal support is needed.

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5. Make Mental Health & Resilience Training SOP According to a 2021 report in Forbes magazine, while CEOs believe their employee mental health training is adequate, employees feel much differently.

For example, the report stated that 96% of CEOs believe their mental health efforts were sufficient.

However, only 69% of employees agreed with them, a difference of almost 30%. Also, the report stated that 48% of employees reported experiencing high to extreme stress on the job. The solution; make sure to provide both mental health and resilience training on a consistent basis. This allows participants to build upon what they have learned, new staff members to also upskill, and also demonstrates the organisation´s genuine commitment to a psychologically safe and mentally healthy workplace (as opposed to a once off tick-box exercise).

Reducing Stigma, Enhancing Culture As we've seen, there are many variables and methods that are involved in creating a successful mental health training program. We've also seen that now, more than ever before, mental health training on the job is an essential health and safety practice that all organizations should be providing their employees.

When done properly using the latest best practices, employee mental health training helps reduce the stigma that's long been attached to mental health difficulties. By bringing mental health out into the open and discussing it, employees are more apt to speak up rather than suffer in silence. Which in turn assists them to get the support they need to become healthier, happier, and more productive team members, and has the added benefit of significantly reducing on-the-job incidents.  If you would like to run safe and mentally healthy training in your workplace, visit our website at WMHI to take a closer look at our range of safe and mentally healthy courses, or contact us for further details.

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