There were massive layoffs; the job market is currently in limbo with no companies looking to hire. But big-ticket expenses like EMIs, education fees, house rents and medical expenses remained fixed adding to a working professional’s anxiety.

Those who still have jobs are working under house arrest hoping that their productivity logs do not become a reason to be ‘let go’. They are working under constant strain to appear ‘online’. How does anyone detach from work when the fear of job loss, pay cuts and increasing debt paint a bleak picture of their future?
 
The other pandemic: The science is clear – working under a stressful atmosphere not only creates panic but can also lead to insomnia, hypertension, weakened immune system, anxiety and depression. Researchers at Indiana University, USA have an even more dire warning – workplace stress can lead to death.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has noted that depression and anxiety can have an estimated cost of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. And as the pandemic (and therefore, the necessity for WFH) shows no signs of retreating we are in an urgent need of a new WFH paradigm that is less disruptive and addresses the internal and external tensions that people are facing. The World Federation of Mental Health has already appealed to governments across the world to ensure that they have a national mental health plan that includes management of mental health as a result of the pandemic.
 
The mental health new normal: corporates and other working entities need to ensure that their employees are provided with adequate support to battle mental health issues. Official social media handles and mainstream media should be used to drive awareness. Therapy, certainly, needs to be made a more attractive and democratic option.

Employers need to approach interactions with empathy and compassion rather than with the pressure of a job being on the line. They should strive to be transparent in conversations about life altering decisions like pay cuts and layoffs. Be non-judgemental and unbiased and encourage their employees to set boundaries and provide feedback. HR and line managers need to be cognizant if employees display symptoms of anxiety and stress like low morale, difficulty in remembering tasks or decision-making restlessness and/or irritability as well as panic attacks. On recognising any of these symptoms, they should be enabled to help the employee.

The Corona virus pandemic isn’t going away any time soon. And building emotional immunity is just as important as having physical immunity. That is the only way to halt this mental health pandemic before it too gets out of control.