June 3, 2020: There’s a reason why we keep hearing so much about self-care – it can be a powerful buffer against the mental and physical health impacts of stress, which is in no short supply lately, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. In this episode of the COVID Series, we’re talking about the mental health of our staff with Joe Grasso, a clinical psychologist and the Director of Clinical Partnerships at Lyra Health. We discuss the increase in stress, fear, anxiety, and depression that Joe has witnessed and how dangerous that can be, as it is directly related to an increase in cases of self harm and thoughts of suicide. He offers some advice for individuals battling with additional stress during the pandemic, as well as some advice for employers who are concerned about the mental health of their workforce, particularly on observing the signs that may be indicators of emotional distress, and the ways in which managers can assist employees and point them in the direction of professional care. For more on protecting ours and our employee’s mental health during the pandemic, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Joe introduces Lyra Health.
• Joe describes the mental health issues people are struggling with during the pandemic.
• Some of the indicators that you might be struggling with a diagnosed condition.
• Advice for employers who are concerned the mental health of their workforce.
• Countering stress with perspective and hope – how following the CDC precautions can help.
• The human tendency to focus on worst case scenario and how we can control it.
• How managers can account for the spectrum of anxiety for their employees.
• The ways in which managers can assist employees who are under emotional distress.