Mental Health and Wellbeing Tips
As individuals we handle stress and life’s challenges in our own unique way. WellSpan Health and WellSpan EAP have created weekly Mental Health and Wellbeing Tips you can utilize as part of your organization’s employee newsletter, on your employee intranet, or even include as part of your email signature. Our hope is for these tips to help your team members navigate their own journey of self-care and resilience.
Time to get outside
Whether we are working remotely or onsite it generally requires us to be indoors for consecutive hours, so we must take a step outside when possible.
According to Science Reports (via American Psychological Association), a study that included 20,000 adults found that people who spend at least two recreational hours in nature during the previous week reported significantly greater health and well-being. That pattern held true across subgroups including older adults and people with chronic health problems, and the effects were the same whether they got their dose of nature in a single two-hour session or spread out over the course of the week.
There is no better time to do that than now as spring weather is finally upon us. We encourage you to bring outdoor activities back into your self-care journey. And as with all things, don’t wait until the weather is perfect – enjoy it in the here and now!
Savoring the return of green leaves, birds chirping, and warm sun can not only get us away from our desks, but begin to give our mind, body, and spirit a sense of renewal.
This can come in the form of a 10-minute walk outside during a lunch break, a morning jog to start the day, or any activity that takes place outdoors.
Experiencing what nature has to offer is a simple and convenient way to recharge and give yourself a refreshed feeling.
Pandemic or not, keep focusing on the basics
Just because the COVID-19 pandemic has waned doesn’t mean we need to stop practicing self-care.
Our bodies and minds do not care whether there is a pandemic or not, so it is important that we continue to maintain our physical and emotional health.
As many of us were deliberate over the past two years about drinking enough water, eating regularly, and exercising, we must keep these foundational tips in our daily routines to support us through the future. Maintaining our self-care allows us to be resilient if and when times get tough again.
Do one thing you’ve hoped for
As the pandemic has repeatedly shown, there may still be difficult times ahead which won’t allow us to participate in the things we love.
The pandemic is not over. We cannot stress that enough. But this current moment is an opportunity to do one thing you may have been putting off since the pandemic began. “Hope” can’t just be something in the future. We need to live a little hope today.
This may include anything from eating in a restaurant – at first on a slow night based on your comfort level – or shopping at a local farmers’ market, or even attending a sporting event. Once you’ve established your comfort level, let the good judgment you’ve built up over two years of the pandemic be your guide in taking that next step.
We can’t let our guard down, but we still owe it to ourselves to feel good about something. A pre-pandemic favorite can bring us renewed energy, resilience, and hope for the continued journey ahead.
Let’s be social
The pandemic has resulted in so much social isolation and disconnect for routine human interactions that it’s become habit for many of us. Click here to learn a few simple ways we can engage with others to re-establish more social interactions.
Have you been social?
For the mental health and wellbeing tip “Let’s be social” it is highlighted how a simple five-minute social interaction can become a building block to breaking out of social isolation habits that stem from the ongoing pandemic. Have you engaged with someone socially whether it be for a meal, conversation, or walk in the last few days? Click here for further self-reflection.
Finding relief in the face of stress, anxiety
Stress and anxiety are often triggered by internal thoughts and events around you. Click here to learn beneficial self-care tips to consider when coping with stress and anxiety.
Less can be more when following world conflict
This Mental Health Tip provides ways to deal with the emotional stress associated with outside influences like world conflict. Click here to learn more.
Taking an active role in how we act
This Mental Health Tip addresses how our behavior is key to how we connect and interact with the rest of the world. Click here to learn more.
Freeing your thoughts from stress, trauma
Chronic stress and trauma trigger emotional and physical changes, but it can affect our thoughts as well. Click here to learn more.
Have a role in your own healing from stress and trauma
As we share ways to cope with emotional, mental and physical changes triggered by chronic stress and trauma, it’s important to point out that those changes may last longer for others. Click here to learn more.
Lean on your strengths and relationships
This Mental Health Tip addresses how to build on your strengths and return joy to your life at work. Click here to learn more.
Reflecting on your day can build resilience
While applying our energies to be most helpful and leaning on our colleagues for help are two keys to self-care, reflecting on your entire workday before you go home is also a form of self-compassion. Click here to learn more.
“Ending Your Workday Checklist” - post at your organization and share with your teams.
Savor the Small Wins
Celebrating small wins can give you a welcome break from stress and negativity, and it also builds resilience to encourage you to keep going. Click here to learn more.
The Power of Connection
Connecting with friends, family and co-workers when you’re going through tough times can help ease stress, boost your mood, and make sense of all the change and disruption. Click here to learn more.
Change the way you think about stress
As many of us continue to encounter stress throughout the pandemic, how we think about stress can determine whether we have a healthy response to the challenges we face. Stress does not always need to be thought of as negative. Click here to learn more.
We encourage you to watch this TED talk for more on how you can make stress your friend.
Be Kind - It's Good for You
Research shows that people who are focused on doing good instead of dealing with bad have documented benefits to their health and well-being. Click here to learn more.
Read the article "Why Doing Good Boosts Health And Well-Being" available here to learn more about the health benefits of being kind in these difficult times.
The Power of Kindness
“Kindness is an instant culture changer and we all get a chance to play a role in how powerful the smallest gestures of kindness, compassion and care can be in the life of someone else.” Click here to learn more.
Please take a look at the full article on the power of kindness.
Some beverages can be key to healthy longevity
Certain beverages have been shown by research to have a positive impact on our health, happiness and wellbeing as well. Click here for more information or you can click learn more to read about these beverages and their effect on your health.
Exercise from myStrength: Gratitude and the good things in life
This Mental Health Tips area of focus is an exercise designed to help us not dwell on the negative. Click here for more information or Participate in the activity here.
Not enrolled in myStrength yet? myStrength offers custom resources to improve your mood and help you overcome the challenges you face, through convenient web and mobile tools. Learn more and enroll here.
Overcoming ‘Languishing’ Coming Out of the Pandemic
Adam Grant, organizational psychologist at Wharton, uses “languishing” to describe this middle ground of mental health. And there are things you can do about it. Click here to learn more or Read more of Adam Grant’s article on overcoming this sense of “Languishing” as published in the New York Times here.
Addressing Anxiety from the Unknown
We now have light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is getting a little brighter every day. So why do so many of us continue to feel so anxious?
Anxiety is driven by uncertainty. After all, no one among us has experience emerging from a once-in-a-century global pandemic. So the bottom line is that it's ok to feel anxious about getting back to "normal." The following article from the American Psychological Association offers some tips on how to deal with this anxiety.
Read the article
Watch the Video: TED Talk – Gratitude by Louie Schwartzberg
Building Resiliency Over Time
When you are generally healthier and faced with a challenge to your physical health, you can get past it more easily. And, that’s what resiliency is for your emotional health. Here are five strategies we like to help build resiliency over time.
