Despite technology (or perhaps because of it), our lives seem to be busier than ever, and we are less connected. Many of us feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. Deborah Shand, Psychological Services Manager Rehab Management, a leading occupational health provider, says burnout and compassion fatigue are occurring more frequently across a wide range of people.

“Burnout is the complete exhaustion that results from having a workload that is too heavy, or too stressful, or both. Compassion fatigue is the emotional and physical fatigue that helpers experience when they feel compassion for those they help, but don’t have adequate time away from their caring responsibilities to refuel and care for themselves,” says Ms Shand.

“Both experiences can happen to anyone, and often people don’t realise they’re an issue for them until they are completely overwhelmed by exhaustion. The past few years have really taken a toll on people, especially in typically caring or giving professions. However, burnout or compassion fatigue can happen to anyone, and it is important to recognise the signs. There are ways to deal with both,” explains Ms Shand.

Ms Shand will be exploring some of these concepts as part of a free mental health webinar series during Mental Health Month in October. The series is presented by Arriba Group, a group of companies that are reshaping the future of thousands of Australians through return to work, disability employment and NDIS allied health services.

Important mental health topics for job seekers and employers

Aimed at job seekers, employers, supervisors, personal injury insurance personnel and allied health professionals, the free webinars will cover important topics such as:

• Bouncing Back & Building Resilience Through Uncertainty to Find Fulfilment: explore the impact stress and uncertainty can have on us feeling overwhelmed and performing at our best. This workshop will provide a toolkit of practical daily disciplines and strategies to keep you focused and cultivate a positive/growth mindset to reach your full potential – in your relationships, in life and at work.

• Looking After Yourself, Psychological Health & Wellbeing: this session will cover early identification of negative mental health cycles and negative thought patterns, how to check in with yourself to assess your current mental wellbeing, positive ways to manage stress and psychological distress, and finally, how to know when you should ask for assistance.

• Burnout & Compassion Fatigue: burnout and compassion fatigue can happen to anyone, and often people don’t realise the effect they are having until they are overwhelmed. This session will look at ways to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue and what to do if you experience either.

• Don’t get emotional - How to turn Frustration into Fuel: the way we feel impacts everything we do - or don’t do. Our emotional and mental health has a ripple effect on everything - because whatever happens in our brains, happens in our bodies, happens in our business, happens in our relationships and the list goes on. This workshop will reveal the most effective strategies to help you regain control of your emotions, access your inner wisdom and thrive in purposeful ways.

Arriba Group works with some of Australia’s largest organisations, including insurers and government departments and agencies. The webinars will be offered through two of their companies, Rehab Management and AimBig Employment. Rehab Management provides return-to-work services, injury management and safety and wellbeing solutions to private and public sector clients. AimBig Employment is Australia’s leading disability employment provider, placing people with disability into suitable, meaningful, sustainable employment, while also supporting businesses recruit a diverse workforce.

Renee Thornton, General Manager of Rehab Management, says “While it is great to see some encouraging improvements in mental health generally, Australia has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels of wellbeing and mental health. The work in ongoing and hopefully we are in somewhat of a recovery phase. We are proud to bring experts together to offer free webinars to help employers to support their staff.”

Tracy McClenaghan, CEO of AimBig Employment, says “While it is fantastic to focus on mental health this October, we support people with mental health challenges year-round through our disability employment services, helping them find to find suitable and rewarding employment. We are delighted to further support our AimBig participants through running these free events.”

 

The webinars are open for anyone to attend. Each one runs for a total of 60 minutes, consisting of a 45-minute presentation and then 15 minutes for questions afterwards. To register, participants can go https://www.arribagroup.com.au/mental-health-month/