Vital to protect mental health of small-business owners, managers during Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 is being characterised as both a public health and an economic crisis.

The Government has stepped in with massive financial support.

While financial support can relieve some strain on businesses and households, it cannot provide relief for the emotional and mental strains on employers and workers who face uncertainty and anxiety.

There is no stimulus for the heart. The largest and perhaps least visible damage from Covid-19 would be psychological and emotional.

Large businesses will be able to carry on somewhat, but many owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as gig workers will endure mental and emotional strain as they struggle to fight for their businesses and livelihoods, and take care of their families.

Mental health, rather than just financial health, will become increasingly crucial and urgent as we confront the pandemic.

Take time to decompress and focus on the things that matter.

Covid-19 is bigger than any of us, but it is not bigger than all of us. Yes, there will still be economic and physical casualties. But if we do our part, we will pull through. We must emerge on the other side with our mental well-being intact.

While employers and managers are caring for their teams, who is caring for them? The answer is that they have to look to themselves and their families to care for their own mental health and emotional well-being. 

That is not being selfish; it is being sensible. 

It is not weak to need help; strong people get help to do better and stay the course of this trial. 

Do not wait for a mental breakdown so as to prove one’s will. Instead, show how avoiding it is proof of one’s wisdom.

First, recognise that the mental strain is natural and not a sign of weakness.

Second, confide in a trusted friend or family member about your feelings. Even if there is no solution, giving voice to inner anxiety is a form of relief in itself.

Third, seek professional counselling for yourself or your family to manage the struggle together. Trying to manage all burdens alone is a recipe for mental implosion.

Fourth, be honest with your direct reports that their help is needed as much as management is there for them.

Fifth, be forgiving of yourself. We are not superhuman. 

And if despite our best efforts things go awry, what matters is not the business result, but the humanity of the effort.

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