The simple way to set up a trauma informed workplace
Post-Pandemic Stress
After more than two years of trying to figure out how things are going to operate at your business or other workplace — with the world rocked by the pandemic — you may now realize that trying to return to normal is stressful.
Perhaps some of your co-workers are able to transition back to their old routines — despite the stressful disruptions and loss.
For other workers, though, it may take some time and unique support to help them be as productive and connected to the job as they once were. And for some — things at work will never be the same.
So now you’re challenged with how to manage the post pandemic trauma, or any other trauma that someone at your job has experienced.
Whether you’re a business owner, boss or employee, workplace trauma can cause you physical, emotional and psychological stress. And the stress is contagious — it can affect everyone and drag down a workplace quickly.
The stress can impact your mind — like your critical thinking and problem solving skills. Maybe it’s your attitude that takes a hit during stressful times. Perhaps you have trouble focusing or are constantly trying to fight through brain fog — missing simple details and forgetting simple things.
“It seemed to happen around the same time each day — in the early afternoon — right after lunch — when my mind starts feeling so tired,” sighs Michelle J., a programmer in Philadelphia. “It’s like my body is there, but my mind has gone someplace to hide and the more I try to focus — the foggier it gets.”
The stress can impact your body, too. Because of your stress, your physical health may suffer from changes to your eating, sleeping and exercise routines. The exhaustion sets in when your body works overtime to release anti-stress hormones to help calm you down.
Derek M. of Patterson, NJ says stress knocked him out of his workout routine. “I used to always look forward to getting to the gym right after work to get rid of the stress, but then some days I started leaving work early and skipped the gym…”
The highest cause of sickness within the workplace comes from trauma and stress. In fact, according to recent research — workplace trauma and stress account for up to 90% of cases of absenteeism.
Despite these alarming stats, most workplaces have not officially addressed what this means and how it affects their employees.
Was the pandemic really traumatizing?
Trauma is not caused by the event itself — but each person’s perception of the event. Trauma is defined by an individual’s perception of what’s happening to them and their ability to handle the overwhelming emotional flooding.
Now an international pandemic may cause some degree of trauma for many people, but the overall impact is individualized.
The loss of safety, trust, power, control, intimacy, or self esteem can all potentially be traumatizing. Each person’s ability to handle the unpredictable emotional rush based on these losses is based on their temperament, level of resilience and healthy social support.
Each person perceives what’s happening to them differently. Not all drama is trauma. The same experience can have completely different effects on different people.
Sometimes you may go through dramatic situations with highly emotional reactions to things — like anger, anxiety, sadness, shame — but over time you’re able to handle the stress and eventually begin to recover — which lessens the emotional impact (storage of emotional memories that can be triggered to cause flashbacks).
Other times those intense emotional responses overwhelm your ability to handle them. That’s when it becomes traumatizing — when you don’t have enough healthy coping strategies to calm your mind and body and the constant or intermittent rush of emotion impacts your eating, sleeping, work or social habits. Perhaps you’re triggered in new ways and you have constant flashbacks.
Combined Trauma
There was already a lot of trauma in the world — and probably right in your neighborhood — and the impact of the trauma and stress of the recent pandemic only added to the struggles for you and your co-workers.
Everyone is different in how they handle stress. Stress is not necessarily bad. Predictable and moderate stress can build strength and resilience.
But unpredictable and extreme stress can traumatize. Each person has a different pattern of stress response — some easily triggered by current challenges.
It’s how you think of your stress that determines if it will be energizing and strengthening or traumatizing and debilitating.
And your current stress connects with stored memories of your previous trauma. The unconscious connection can trigger you and cause you to feel agitated, hyper-aroused, or even shut down and disengage.
For instance, if you have stored memories and core beliefs around issues of power and control — that have been formed by your previous traumatic or stressful experiences and relationships — then losing power and/or control during the pandemic will cause you a special kind of stress.
So each person’s history of trauma and stress impact — including positive impact like building resilience — affects how they handle current stressful situations, including losses during the pandemic.
Workplace Trauma Challenges
Depending on how each of your co-workers is handling the post pandemic stress, negative energy and attitudes can affect everyone at work — even remote workers.
And combine that with the allostatic load — the weight and wear-and-tear of stress — that each of your co-workers may be struggling with from their own personal trauma, you now begin to realize the complexity of your challenges to provide a safe and productive workspace.
Emotions are contagious. The entire mood, tone and culture of interaction with your co-workers may be impacted by the disruptions of your work schedule during the pandemic. Just the change and unpredictability of work scheduling, procedures, expectations and more works on everyone’s patience and tolerance.
“I got workers who want to stay remote,” says Roberta P. of Dallas. “I have a supply line that went to three shifts from two, and half of my guys desperately want more hours. Some days I never know what’s gonna happen next.”
With emotions running high and your co-workers all feeling different levels of safety returning to work, you have to be very intentional about how you handle your own stress — then be able to create novel ways to meet the needs of your stressed co-workers.
Set-up a Trauma-Informed Workplace
There are many things you can do to be more intentional and purposeful in getting your co-workers and employees to feel safe and connected to get back to normal or achieve even higher production levels.
The simple ways that many companies and businesses are using to set-up a trauma-informed workplace begin with novel strategies to acknowledge and honor each of your co-workers’ and employees’ experiences — especially during the pandemic.
It will be extremely effective to offer everyone at your work different ways to tell their stories and for others to hear (or read) them.
Emotional energy can get trapped in your mind and body during stressful times and telling your story and holding space for others to tell theirs will help release trapped energy and bring everyone closer.
Some will want to share verbally in groups — or even one-on-one — and others may prefer the safety of journaling or online forums.
Feeling stress is a sensory experience first — you feel it in your body before even understanding why or what to do about it.
Making your workplace more trauma-informed also includes changing simple sensory things to make people feel more comfortable.
Again — keep it simple — and use your five external senses to help you make needed changes.
At first, it may seem trivial and not worth your time or attention to be concerned about sensory details around you — but your brain and the brains of your co-workers are constantly subconsciously “reading the room” with sensory input that you may not even think matters.
What does your workplace look like? Disorganization (even chaos) in work environments is stressful! Find simple ways to make your work environment more eye-pleasing and relaxing. This may mean cleaning up, rearranging furniture, new or less wall art, different lighting, or changing other visual aspects of your workplace.
What does it smell like at work? Smells and odors have a strong subconscious impact on the brain. You may not have considered it important before, but you may want to find ways to change the odoriferous impact of how your office smells. Light some candles. Cook some food in the break room.
When you close your eyes in your workplace, what do you hear? The function and process of your job may require different audio expectations and restrictions — but music, for instance, can be very calming and sets the tone for many offices and work spaces. Even perhaps simple changes to procedures — like allowing co-workers and employees to wear earbuds while working — can help with focus and productivity.
What does your body touch when you’re at work? Are you sitting in a comfortable chair? Do you walk on hard floors or carpet? Even the pen you use or the coffee mug you drink from is sending sensory signals to your brain. Find ways to soften up the edges.
Can you find ways to create more tasty appeal to your workplace? Get creative — add flavored coffee or a popcorn popper to the break room, maybe some sugar-free candy in surprising places. Your co-workers will come alive with more food, beverage and snack options.
Other simple ways to integrate trauma-informed tools into your workplace is to provide “fidgets” for each employee or boss to provide quick ways for energy release while sitting at a desk or talking on the phone.
Brain research indicates that fidgeting sends calming signals to the brain. You’ve probably already seen others fidgeting — clicking pens, twirling hair, playing with clothing — and now you can level up and provide more options.
Whether it’s a stress ball or a fidget spinner, these items are not really toys — but rather valuable desk or briefcase tools to help you and others relax. Placing a bowl or other container of various “fidgets” in a common area at your workplace will have a surprising impact and may even provide a little fun.
You can also offer “brain breaks” throughout your workday.
Brain research suggests that your brain gets tired — feeling overworked — which diminishes focus and information retention. By doing something different with your brain for just a few minutes — your brain will return refreshed and be able to refocus and operate at a higher level of efficiency.
These brief brain refreshers can vary and range from high movement brain breaks to more calming intentional breathing brain breaks.
At her job as marketing director, Stephanie T. says she is the designated one to lead the brain breaks at her job. “They recruited me early since I used to be a teacher. I love getting everyone up and moving. It helps everyone’s brain!”
Everyone at work — both at the job and remote workers as well — can put everything down at certain designated times and join in a workplace brain break. Research says at least once an hour is ideal — but do however many works and make sense for you.
The list of simple strategies goes on and on. Making your workplace more trauma-informed will help you and your co-workers feel safer and more connected. It will value your co-workers’ experience and provide opportunities for them to resolve their trauma, whether pandemic related or not.
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Originally published at https://www.mybrain.tools.
