It’s okay to be stressed about the many unknowns that we have in our lives today that may or may not have existed in 2019. It’s okay to take a mental health day and do nothing. It’s okay to tell others that we are having a hard time. As human resources professionals, we are expected to set an example for the organization as a whole. How can we do that on days when we feel that we are losing it?
It’s interesting how this 2020 world has affected us – these times have shown the best in humanity and the worst. We see the social media posts of craziness in Costco and Walmart or in the streets and businesses. Mental health is like that. One minute everything is fine and the next minute someone is having a breakdown.
We don’t always know what is happening with a person who is breaking down. Have they lost a loved one? Do they have financial stresses? Are they worried about their job? Are they having relationship issues? We could go on and on. And that one seemingly little thing pushes them over the edge.
From the start of COVID, I have been saying we need an abundance of grace. Now as we enter November and the holiday season (which is stressful under even normal circumstances) we need that grace more than ever, not only for others, but also for ourselves. We don’t have to be the stoic, strong carriers of everyone else’s stress all the time. Give yourself a dose of grace! That is the type of role model that companies need for leaders in HR.
