by admin | Jan 15, 2024 | Hot Topics
As we begin to settle into 2024, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. The start of a New Year signals a time for change, reflection and a sense of ‘starting afresh’. This year, you can seize the new year’s spirit of renewal and make mental health your top priority!
A healthy mind will increase your self-esteem, attract positivity, and help you break those persistent bad habits. Don’t make the mistake of only writing ‘improve mental health’ on your New Year’s resolution list. To ensure success, you need to have a plan.
6 Tips to Improve Your Mental Health
Make a clear plan
Rather than attempting to overhaul several areas of your life, focus on one area at a time to maximize your chances of success. Checklists and timelines can help you track everything.
Set achievable health goals by making small, practical changes, like swapping out a meal or ingredient for a healthier option, rather than trying to quit all unhealthy foods at once.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is often the first thing to go. Poor sleep, especially over a period of a few weeks, leads to poor functioning: it impacts your immune system, ability to concentrate and your mood – all things that make you even more stressed out. It’s a vicious circle.
Prioritize “Me Time”
Taking some much needed “me time” isn’t selfish; taking care of yourself is one of the best mental wellness gifts you can receive. Do some yoga, take a walk, relax in the bathtub, or simply take some time to catch up on some reading. Your mental health will thank you for it.
Get Some Exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to destress. Focus on simply moving your body. Take the stairs or park your car further away from your destination to get some more steps in!
Enjoy Time with Friends and Family
Nurturing relationships with friends and family is crucial for a fulfilling life. Research shows that interacting with people we’re close to boosts our mood and makes us feel more connected. A strong support systems transforms challenges into manageable tasks and reassures you that you’re not alone.
Start a Gratitude Journal
Write down at least five things you’re grateful for and then reflect on why those things are important to you. It might be difficult at first, but the more you do it the easier it will become. You’ll find yourself feeling happier and more optimistic about life.
In a recent Forbes health survey, 50% of the respondents between the ages of 18 and 25 and 49% of those between 26 and 41 cited mental health as a top priority. Among respondents overall, 45% said improving their mental health was one of their top priorities.
Mental health is centered around the social and psychological aspects of our lives. Human beings are filled with complex thoughts and emotions — we are not preprogrammed to simply perform daily tasks. Our ability to think, feel, and navigate various experiences is tied to our mental state.
Good mental health gives us the resilience to process life’s challenges and helps us make wise decisions about the future. As you step into the new year, it’s essential to give your mental health the attention it deserves to ensure a balanced approach to your well-being.
by admin | Nov 20, 2023 | Health & Wellness
You may have heard the saying attitude of gratitude. It’s a great little rhyme to remind us to live a life of gratitude – and practice it! When we practice being thankful on a regular basis, it not only impacts our mental and physical health, but those around you as well.
The Definition of Gratitude
The emotion of gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” We are familiar with the act of “thank you” to represent gratitude, but it also includes thinking on positive things that have happened during the day or your life, meditating on positive thoughts, and feeling grateful.
The Health of Gratitude
Beyond making someone feel appreciated, gratitude also has other benefits. In fact, there are physical health benefits associated with the act of gratitude. The Greater Good Science Center produced a list of benefits to gratitude.
For the individual:
- increased happiness and optimism for the future
- improved mental wellbeing
- greater satisfaction with life
- increased self-esteem
- better physical health
- better sleep
- less fatigue
- lower levels of cellular inflammation
- encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. These effects disappeared within 3-6 months, which reminds us to practice gratitude over and over.
In addition to these above benefits, psychologically, the act of gratitude has been shown to reduce toxic emotions like envy, frustration, resentment, and regret. Those who focus on gratitude have even been reported to visit the doctor less!
The Act of Gratitude
So, how do you practice gratitude in your everyday life? Here are some easy-to-do exercises to strengthen your gratitude muscles:
- Say thank you
- Keep a gratitude journal or gratitude jar
- Write handwritten thank-you notes
- Think/meditate on positive thoughts
- Create gratitude rituals
- Put sticky notes around your home and workspace to remind you to be grateful
Our daily lives are fill of distractions and stress, and we often let our small achievements go unnoticed, even internally. Think about the past few days – what have you accomplished that went unnoticed? Did you cook a delicious meal, start a new book or chat with a loved one? Take a moment to celebrate that, to express gratitude for life’s everyday joys. Perhaps you might even write it down in a journal. This simple act that we’ve all been taught since we were born (Moms always remind you to say “thank you!”), has far-reaching benefits so start flexing your muscles of gratitude today.
by admin | May 9, 2023 | Johnson & Dugan News
Volunteers make an immeasurable difference in people’s lives and often serve with the intention of helping others. But, did you know that volunteering can benefit your mental health as well?
While it’s true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Donating your time in even simple ways can help those in need and improve your health and happiness.
Here are a few of the mental health benefits that result from volunteering:
- Improves Mental and Physical Health – Volunteer activities keep people moving and thinking at the same time. Additionally, volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. By spending time in service to others, volunteers report feeling a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received, which can have a stress-reducing effect. Reduced stress further decreases risk of many physical and mental health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, depression, anxiety and general illness.
- Provides a Sense of Purpose – Volunteering connects you with a cause bigger than yourself. Many individuals feel that where they volunteer says something about who they are. Dedicating time to a cause can give you new direction and allow you to find meaning in something unexpected. It can also take your mind off your own troubles while keeping you mentally stimulated.
- Nurtures New and Existing Relationships – Loneliness has been described as an epidemic in the U.S. and making friends as an adult can be difficult. Volunteering is a remedy to this problem because it increases social interactions and builds a support system based on shared interests. Like-minded, like-hearted people come together over common values. Whether it is campaigning for specific political goals, volunteering time to help sick children in the hospital or working in a soup kitchen, a volunteer activity can help break the ice with potential new friends all while giving back to your community.
- Increases Confidence – Some volunteering activities require learning new skills. Being in an unfamiliar environment while gaining a new skill provides mental stimulation. Additionally, while growing your skill set to make a difference for others, you gain a sense of pride which can lead to having a more positive view of yourself.
- Ignites Passion – Volunteering is a fun way to explore different interests and learn from others. It can be an energizing escape from your daily routine – especially if you work in front of a computer all day in an office and long to be more active outdoors. You can look for opportunities to help with walking dogs at your local animal shelter or help with building homes for those in need.
- Makes You Happy – Research shows that brain activity spikes during volunteer activities. We are social animals and are designed to be part of a wider community. Volunteering helps you make the world a better place and helping others provides great pleasure.
What are you passionate about?
Do you want to feel good while doing good?
How would you like to see the world be a better place?
There’s a volunteer activity perfect for your skill set and time availability. Churches, schools, or libraries can always use your support. Whether it’s tutoring a student, visiting the elderly, caring for abandoned animals, or being a baby cuddler (yes – that’s holding babies in the neonatal intensive care unit in the hospitals!), the possibilities are endless. There are even ways to volunteer remotely via phone or computer. Getting involved will boost your well-being while you are making a difference in the community.
by admin | Jan 10, 2023 | Financial Planning
It’s often thought that having money leads to happiness. While that’s not necessarily true, being financially secure does create a sense of well-being which impacts your mental and physical health. To address our whole health in 2023, we need to understand the relationship between financial and physical wellness.
Inflation, at 7.1%, has made financial stress worse and the rise in prices has had a major impact on people’s finances and their ability to afford everyday purchases. In February 2022, the American Psychological Association(APA) reported the highest number of people experiencing money-related stress since 2015 – 65% of respondents said money is a significant source of stress. Younger people are more stressed about money, with 82% of Gen Z (ages 18-25) and 81% of millennials (ages 26-43) reporting that money is a stressor.
When you are experiencing financial troubles or have unforeseen expenses to cover, your health may be impacted.
People with financial burdens often neglect important preventive care or medical regimens. Delaying routine exams and preventive screenings can make it difficult to catch medical issues early when they are easier and less costly to treat. Additionally, experts have found that stress from money problems tends to be chronic, or long-lasting.
Remember that it is important to continue making your physical health a priority as you work on your financial well-being. Although you may likely still face financial stress, there are ways to make it more manageable:
- Eat a healthy balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Practice stress reduction techniques (taking a walk, yoga, connecting with others)
- Utilize an employer financial wellness program, if available
- Talk to a financial advisor to develop a plan of action
Without the right relief strategies in place, a vicious cycle of financial and physical stressors affecting one another can form. Creating a plan to properly address your overall well-being can help you understand how this cycle works and how financial stress and physical unfitness are interconnected.
by admin | Nov 21, 2022 | Health & Wellness, Workplace
The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently released the Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Wellness to set a new standard for expectations of employers. In this new normal, Human Resources leaders must take some responsibility for the wellbeing of those who work in their organization.
The report is comprehensive and includes research and data supporting the need for wellness and describing the reality for many of the 160 million U.S. workers. More than 80% of people say workplace is a factor in one or more of their mental health challenges, according to Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work report, which is cited by the U.S. Surgeon General. Also, more than 75% of U.S. workers reported having at least one symptom of a mental health condition, according to that same report.
Why Focus on Wellness Now?
Not surprisingly, this data, along with the recent trauma of the pandemic, led Murthy to share this report.
“People have been going through a reckoning, asking themselves what they really want out of work but also what they’re willing to sacrifice for work,” said Murthy on CBS News.
In the latest HR Exchange Network State of HR report, HR leaders revealed that burnout was the greatest consequence of the pandemic, so there is urgency around this kind of guidance. Because few Human Resources professionals are trained in mental health, they are hungry for the kind of information found in this government report.
To begin, here are the 5 recommendations for moving forward:
Protect from Harm
The purpose of this suggestion is to emphasize the employer’s role in ensuring that workers and those connected with the business are psychologically and physically safe. Obviously, the bare minimum is having plans for fires, emergencies, and other events that could cause physical harm. Laws usually guarantee some sort of adherence. However, this tenet goes a step further by suggesting enabling people get plenty of rest and that the organization has a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility plan to help develop a sense of belonging and security.
Build Community
In the report, the U.S. Surgeon General directs employers to help people develop social connections. It is the obligation of employers to create an atmosphere ripe for collaboration and teamwork. Of course, most employers are already trying to help teams thrive because it is beneficial to the bottom line, too. But this report also recommends cultivating trust. That’s deep and requires business leaders to develop empathy and encourage socializing and bonding.
Opportunity for Growth in the Workplace
This suggestion is pointed and interesting because the health practitioners are clearly connecting a person’s ability to develop their minds and move forward in their jobs and careers to their wellness. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends offering quality training, mentorship, pathways to promotions and growth at work, and regular, reciprocal feedback.
“When people thrive at work, they are more likely to feel physically and mentally healthy overall, and to contribute positively to their workplace,” according to the U.S. Surgeon General report.
A Sense of Self-Worth
People need to feel needed. The Surgeon General suggests that employers express that they value their workers. They should show gratitude and help people recognize the meaning and purpose of their work no matter what it is. In this tenet, the report includes information about providing a living wage, letting employees weigh in on decisions, and connecting the work of employees with business objectives.
Work-Life Harmony
The idea behind this tenet is to provide better work-life balance and flexibility. Employers should give people the time and support they need to fulfill responsibilities outside of their work. Respecting boundaries is an obvious suggestion. Some companies are prohibiting emails and calls after a certain time of day, for example. But the U.S. Surgeon General goes a step further by recommending greater access to paid leave and allowing for more autonomy when it comes to how and when employees get work done.
“It’s not only about work,” says Murthy. “It has a broader benefit for society as a whole.”
By Francesca Di Meglio
Originally posted on HR Exchange Network
