Dr Sarah Cotton
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr Sarah Cotton for the past three years. Our partnership has focused on helping new parents and parents navigate the challenges of modern parenting and workplace demands. As an organisational psychologist and a guru in helping organisations with transitioning plans, I took the opportunity to learn more from Sarah as to how we can continue to adapt to living and working with COVID-19.
Tell me a bit about yourself, Transitioning Well and what an Organisational Psychologist is?
I’ve always had a strong interest in psychology and completed my PhD in the area of work stress, with a specialisation in work-life wellbeing. Organisational psychology is about understanding the science of people at work. Recognising the impact that the work-life interface can have on our mental health and wellbeing, I was motivated to co-found Transitioning Well in 2011. As two psychologists and working parents ourselves, Justine and I identified a need to proactively support work-life wellbeing - those moments of truth when we’re challenged both personally and professionally to find our ‘new normal’.
Since the start of the global pandemic what has changed for you and Transitioning Well?
As with all businesses, Transitioning Well has had to pivot to meet the changing needs of organisations and their people at this time. COVID-19 has been instrumental in opening up important conversations about wellbeing in the workplace, and employers are recognising that the demands on the business and individual workers are ever changing. Businesses have had to react in real time and provide additional vital support to their people.
Transitioning Well has been inundated with requests for support, with our most popular webinars focusing on the topics of “Combatting the Loneliness of Lockdown”, “Couple Navigation” and “Working from Home with Children and Others”. Employers are keen to provide this additional support to their teams, and open up important wellbeing conversations around the challenges and opportunities that so many of us are facing at this time.
We have also been providing support to HR practitioners, to help them facilitate conversations with their teams, and implement policies and procedures to accommodate the changes. Building consistent leadership capability to navigate this time has also been a part of the important work that we have been doing.
What defines us in our role as Organisational Psychologists is that we work primarily with organisations and their people (working in tandem with the two), and not with individual clients who are seeking assistance and support independently of their employer.
With most of us now “living at work” what tips and interventions have you been recommending to employers and individuals to make for an effective work/life integration?
While the move to remote working environments has enabled many individuals to practice flexible working arrangements, and better manage their work and personal commitments, there is a significant risk that work-life boundaries become blurred, leading to increased work engagement and difficulties switching off from work commitments. This can lead to an increase in work-family conflict, and higher levels of stress, particularly where a worker may be managing other non-work related responsibilities such as carer responsibilities and child care. Many of our clients also report feelings of loneliness at this time, and can really struggle to adjust to the changes in their work and personal life, and impact on their work and personal roles and responsibilities.
Some of the recommendations that we have been discussing include:
The importance of creating boundaries between work and life; allowing us to switch off from work and focus on non-work-related activities and relationships.
Practicing compassion and kindness to ourselves and others. Recognise that all of us are experiencing change, and that adjusting to a ‘new normal’ takes time.
Getting back to the basics of our wellbeing including eating well, prioritising sleep and being intentional about staying active.
A common conversation in my circle is that one partner is out at work (essential worker) and apart from limited social engagements their life really hasn’t changed, while the other is at home juggling home schooling and working with minimal adult interaction. Any advice on how we can explain how we are feeling to others who have a different reality?
This scenario can be difficult to navigate, and we recommend that you keep the lines of communication open. Consider the practical and emotional pressures that you and your partner may be experiencing at this time, remembering that while we are all living through this pandemic, our experience is likely to differ to that of our partner, depending on our values, our experiences, and existing and new pressures.
All of us bring different histories and are triggered in different ways by different stressors.
Be clear about what you need from each other .
Label your feelings, and help your partner to do the same.
Tap into your resources and support, and encourage your partner to do the same.
Focus on what is within your control, focus on the short term, and develop plans together.
Redefine roles and responsibilities within the household if required.
Remind each other how you are valued, especially if one/both of you are not working.
I think the following quote sums it up ‘We are all weathering the same storm but in different boats!”.
A transition that I don’t feel has been spoken about a lot is redundancies. Coping with this pandemic is enough and then the shock of a redundancy can be devastating. What can you recommend for employers and individuals who are faced with redundancies?
Unfortunately, redundancies have increased in some industries due to the ongoing impact that COVID-19 has had on consumer behaviour and demand.
The loss of paid employment at this time has left many with not only financial challenges, but also psychological ones as they navigate the many feelings that can accompany job loss. Losing a job can be difficult at any time, but doing so in the face of COVID-19 can add additional stressors, and it can be difficult for those around them to know how to offer support. It may be helpful to remind people that they are going through a loss and that they need to be compassionate and allow themselves to feel what they feel. What may also help is encouraging people to prioritise their overall health (eating well, keeping active), and stay connected with family and friends.
Employers can help by providing support to this group of workers by providing practical support where possible (i.e. provision of government/employer payments that may be available), EAP programs (if available in this scenario), and outplacement support services.
Beyond Blue has a great resource about Taking Care of Yourself after Losing your Job that may also be useful to share.
Running a small business and leading a team can be hard at the best of times. What rituals have you put in place at Transitioning Well to maintain a sense of connection?
We believe that it is incredibly important to have regular team catch ups. This has given us the opportunity to stay connected and share our common experiences. Many of our consultants are working parents, and, like our clients, are navigating a number of changes in their professional and personal lives.
Debriefing and supervision opportunities have always been important to our team, and we have increased the frequency of these sessions, focusing on topics relevant to our clients (and ourselves), including “The difference between stress, depression, burnout and COVID-19 fatigue”.
As psychologists we understand why it is important to stay connected, and rituals can help to create a sense of stability and predictability during a time when there is an enormous amount of uncertainty.
As psychologists I imagine you and your team would deal with some heavy conversations during this pandemic. What interventions are in place to check in on your own and others’ mental health?
Recognising how important it is that we keep tabs on our mental health, and that of others, we recommend:
Regularly checking in with ourselves and others.
Creating boundaries, and being clear on our non-negotiables.
Having realistic expectations of what we can achieve every day.
Ensuring that our compassion does not just include others but also ourselves (the good old fit your oxygen mask first metaphor!).
Regulating our media consumption.
Prioritise our emotional and physical wellbeing.
Seeking out support when needed (professional, family and friends).
Given the increase in business that we have experienced, we have also restructured some parts of the business, modifying roles and responsibilities so that we have the appropriate resources in place to match the demands.
What do you think the future of work will look like and what role do you see Organisational Psychologists playing in this?
As an Organisational Psychologist, it has been encouraging to see the many changes come about from the challenges that businesses have faced over the last six months as a result of COVID-19. We have spoken with many leaders who are looking to utilise this opportunity to create change within their organisation. This group want to place a greater focus on holistic employee wellbeing moving forward, and strategies in development include:
A better balance of work-life responsibilities (made possible by changes to leave policies, and the promotion of flexible working initiatives).
An increased focus on psychological safety in the workplace, and the creation and implementation of strategies to promote this from a prevention led approach.
Endorsement by employers of general health maintenance (physical and mental).
The provision of additional training to those responsible for implementing the above initiatives.
Now a little about you:
What is one thing you have enjoyed about COVID-19?
It’s been a wonderful opportunity to spend more quality time with my family and re-think the things that are most important to me (my non negotiables). It has really helped me to get clearer on my light house!
Have you learnt anything new during COVID-19?
To be more compassionate with myself.
Have you kicked any habits ?
This experience hasn’t so much helped me kick any habits, but has helped me to intentionally create new rhythms and routines. The Transitioning Well team is participating in Steptember and it’s been a great opportunity to establish a more regular exercise routine and focus on my physical wellbeing.
When we return to normal what is one thing you are going to change in your workplace?
We intend to maintain the increased levels of communication within the team, and continue with the virtual coaching and facilitation models that we have been so well received by clients over the last six months, as a flexible option to provide effective, practical support to their people.
The COVID-19 experience has been incredibly personal for all of us. As psychologists, we are accustomed to being objective when supporting our clients, however this has impacted us all and made it personal. It has highlighted the importance of self-care, and how we can support others and remain authentic to ourselves.