WORKHORSE HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH EXAMPLES
ANXIOUS
"SIERRA"
SLEEP ISSUES
"EDUARDO"
DEPRESSED
"JOHN"
DEPRESSED
"LIN"
An inevitable return-to-office has caused her a great deal of distress due to fear she may contract COVID-19 from a colleague. After 18 months working from home, she finally felt it was a safe, familiar place. Still, she longed for a dedicated desk near her colleagues to collaborate and to focus on her files.
Over the past 2 months, she has experienced shortness of breath, sweating, and often feels her heart beating rapidly. She described the sensation of a heavy weight on her chest nearly every morning.
He never slept well, for as long as he could remember. But during the past two months, he had been waking up in the middle of the night worried about deadlines at work.
He has been tired all day, every day. A sleep study had already taken place, he tried the recommended deep breathing exercises and even discussed the option of sleep medications with his doctor.
He was still waiting for an appointment from another sleep specialist and hoped that the second opinion could drive treatment to provide him relief. In the meantime, he was feeling even worse.
He has been home for one month due to changes in his hybrid work arrangement influenced by the Omicron variant. He found that the brief return to the office before the Holidays had been helpful; he had engaged with colleagues, and his productivity had increased.
But a lingering, low, sad mood remained. He thought he could distract himself with work, and the feeling would resolve. Instead, he was asking questions about the genuine value of his work for humanity. Some days, it felt genuinely meaningless.
He wondered if he should move to another firm or go in-house. Family members were concerned about his mental health.
Nearly two years into the COVID-19 Pandemic, they have been drinking every day. In mid-2020, they were consuming between 1-3 beers per night.
One year later, it was 5-7, and by the spring, it was up to 10 every night.
Family members had encouraged them to return to the gym and adjust their diet, but they were not interested. They would rather stay comfortably at home.