Dr Perry Zeus established BCI (the world's first professional coach training school) in 1994.

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Pandemics affect individuals and society on many levels, causing disruptions. Panic and stress have been linked to outbreaks. As concerns over the perceived threat grow, people start to collect (and hoard) masks and other supplies. This is often followed by anxiety-related behaviors, sleep disturbances, and overall lower perceived state of health. Individuals who are already under strain from other causes of anxiety or stress in the workplace or learning institutions may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of panic and threat.

Some common signs of distress include:

• Feelings of anxiety, stress, fear.
• Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Anger or short-temper.
• Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes.
• Worsening of chronic health problems.
• Difficulty sleeping or nightmares and upsetting thoughts and images.
• Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
   

Organizations now need to ensure employees stay healthy -not just physically but also mentally.
In the wake of the global pandemic there is an urgent need for businesses to hire or train professionals to oversee their management and workers behavioral health and performance.

While many larger companies already have someone like a Chief Medical Officer on call to manage physical ailments, all companies now have to consider adding the position of a specialist, trained behavioral health and performance professional to their teams. Employers need to maximize productivity. It’s a highly competitive world at the moment and many companies will not survive.

If your workforce have psychological issues, they’re not at their best and you’re losing productivity.

The outbreak of coronavirus means many smaller businesses now also have to look at strategies to protect their employees’ health.

The move has been likened to many companies recruiting chief information officers more than 20 years ago to manage their IT strategies.

The need to improve mental health offerings into the workplace or classroom.
Studies show depression rates usually soar during pandemics. People become frustrated and frightened, putting pressure on their workplace or their educational institution to offer assistance in dealing with the emotional and psychological fallout of feeling trapped and somewhat helpless.

The responsibility for overseeing behavioral health and performance for most smaller businesses is typically outsourced to a certified behavioral practitioner (external accredited behavioral coach) rather than an extra member of staff.

Signs of a global recovery are encouraging, but we all now live in a new world. Many companies will struggle to change and survive.

Today’s clear message is that businesses need to get much better at their risk and continuity planning, and this is very much a part of it.

Managing employees' mental health is now increasingly high on companies’ priorities.

In addition to the stress of the pandemic, working from home has created significant stress in the life of many employees, and now many are getting stressed at the thought of going back to work or for those already back learning how to readjust to a new work environment and manage the new stressful situations they find themselves in.

People at work are genuinely worried as they seek advice and reassurances. Companies need to have answers or know where to direct them to get reassuring specialist advice.

Students are feeling anxious about interrupted studies, many of whom feel "powerless."

Most people are concerned about more immediate consequences of the outbreak and its effect on their day-to-day lives.

Given that a serious viral epidemic can be unpredictable, life-threatening and difficult to control, many people fall into a state of stress.

Many people are scared, their lives are being interrupted, they need a a voice that helps to reassure them, calm them and guide them through a difficult, challenging time.

The fear of the unknown, especially in the initial stages of an outbreak when little is known, leads to generalized anxiety.

During the COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) outbreak, a range of psychiatric morbidities have been noted, including persistent depression, anxiety, panic attacks, psychomotor excitement, psychotic symptoms, delirium, and even suicidal tendencies.

Mandatory contact tracing and 14 days quarantine, which form part of the public health responses to the 2019-nCoV pneumonia outbreak, can increase a persons' anxiety and guilt about the effects of contagion, quarantine, and stigma on their families and friends.

Many health professionals are also reporting higher levels of depression, anxiety, fear, and frustration.

Timely mental health care needs to be developed urgently.

In any biological disaster, themes of fear, uncertainty, and stigmatisation are common and may act as barriers to appropriate medical and mental health interventions. Based on experience from past serious novel pneumonia outbreaks globally and the psychosocial impact of viral epidemics, the development and implementation of mental health assessment, support, treatment, and services are crucial and pressing goals for the health response to the pandemic.

It is normal to feel vulnerable and overwhelmed as we read news about the outbreak, especially if you have experienced trauma or a mental health problem in the past, or if you have a long-term physical health condition that makes you more vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus.

It’s important to acknowledge these feelings and remind each other to look after our physical and mental health. We should also be aware of and avoid increasing habits that may not be helpful in the long term, like smoking and drinking.

We all need to try and reassure people we know who may be worried and check in with people who you know are living alone.

Conclusions
The current pandemic is spurring fear on a societal level. On an individual level, it may differentially exacerbate anxiety and psychosis-like symptoms as well as lead to non-specific mental issues (eg, mood problems, sleep issues, phobia-like behaviors, panic-like symptoms).

Organizational Holistic Approach to providing Total Personal Care and Support.
Yesterdays dated definition of organizational health was focused on physical health and safety and aligning people behind a clear vision, strategy, and culture. The missing key for success was ensuring people were provided the brain-mind-body care and support they required to be their healthy (mentally / emotionally and physically) best.

Modern Behavioral Health Coaching teaches employees and students alike skills that prepare them to weather challenging stressful days and environment changes. It stress-proofs them. Skills learned via a user-friendly, coaching model protect people from anxiety, stress, fatigue, emotional unbalance and other attacks to their health status. It also helps those who are affected and down to quickly and effectively recover. The cost savings to sponsoring organizations are huge plus it builds incredible trust and loyalty.

The growing message to employees and students today is; “We know that dangers to our health can be anywhere, so we will help protect you and  if you need support, we will also assist you by providing the latest, scientific coaching as a prevention, diagnostic and self-management tool.”
 

Frontline Performance Behavioral Coaches provide; a critical first point of contact, information, care and prevention management. Importantly, they also maintain a professional peer network and refer clients who require medical or psychological care.

Performance Behavioral Coaching is preventive care.
We go to the gym and/or eat well to keep our body healthy. We see our Doctor to get our annual physical check up. So it makes sense to take a holistic approach and offer care and support for fitness and development of the brain-mind-body connection.

Performance Behavioral Coaching is not about working with a workplace or health coach who isn't trained in the use of modern, intervention tools that have a basis in the neuro-behavioral sciences. Today’s organizational coaching specialist is both a social scientist and specialist organizational change and prevention agent employing advance, scientifically proven methodology for healthy change.

Performance Behavioral Coaching
There is a “new alliance” between neuro-behavioral sciences and coaching that is now taking place.

The Behavioral Coaching Institute's invitational Performance Behavioral Coach program (Self-Study format) is a global leader in the Behavior Health training in the workplace. We place our students at the forefront in the world’s behavioral health coaching marketplace by providing them with world-best-class, cutting-edge, evidence-based, intervention models and tools.

Bottom Line
To survive and thrive in today's ever-changing, challenging world it is imperative that Performance Behavioral Coaching be provided as: "brain-mind-body fitness programs" -an open resource available to all; regular check-ups each year to confirm all is ok; sessional boosts to help people rebalance their brain and mind during particularly stressful, sleepless times in their work, school or personal life and; individual case support and referral service for those whenever they require it.

Read more: Performance Behavioral Health Coaching - Behavoir Health Coach Course
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