Managing Stress in the Age of Covid-19

The International Stress Management Association (ISMA UK) recognises International Stress Awareness Week each year in November. This year’s theme is Managing Stress and Mental Health Issues in the Age of Covid-19.

Here at Ashtons Legal, we are offering support to our staff concentrating on managing the separation between work and home life. We have given staff the opportunity to attend a series of three bite-sized workshops. The workshops are designed to support three different types of situations and staff can attend one, two or all of them as they wish.

Series 1: Being productive and maintaining a work-life balance. This workshop will look at general issues including maintaining a work-life balance, dealing with interruptions to both work and home life, being productive and flexible, having good boundaries and dealing with boundary issues.

Series 2: Juggling caring and working responsibilities. This is specifically for people who have caring/shielding responsibilities (children, partners and/or elders). The session will include having to deal with practical and logistical problems, prioritising responsibilities, managing conflicting priorities and complex emotions.

Series 3: Feeling stressed and anxious and staying okay. This is relevant for people who are experiencing (or supporting others with) heightened stress and/or anxiety. The workshop will include fear associated with Covid-19, shielding and re-emerging, workload, work-life balance, overload and mental wellbeing.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is very important to us at Ashtons Legal. We currently have 14 staff who are trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs), and a further programme of training and support is planned for 2021. The MHFA’s will attend the workshops – they will be on hand to take questions and offer advice but are always available – confidentially – for staff to talk to.