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Mental Health

May is mental health awareness month

According to a recent survey from Lyra Health, more than a third of employees feel that their mental health declined over the past year.

As employee expectations around mental health support rose over the past year, employers have responded proactively. 92% said providing mental health support became a higher priority for their company over the past year, with 93% predicting it will remain a high priority in the three years ahead.

The need to bring attention to and support our collective mental health has never been greater. As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month this May, let’s strive to take better care of ourselves and each other.

If you’re not familiar, there are several great organizations committed to promoting mental health, providing education and resources to individuals and communities. 

See more on these organizations below:

This year, the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI) will amplify the message of “Together for Mental Health” with the goal of bringing our voices together to advocate for mental health and access to quality care.
Learn more at www.nami.org.
Mental Health America’s mission is to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all, early identification, and intervention for those at risk, integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it, with recovery as the goal.
You can download MHA’s Back to Basics toolkit to stay informed and spread the word.

Additionally, here are some tips that will help us all improve our mental health:

Talk About It

The best way to erode the stigma and negative perceptions that exist is through normalizing the discussion around personal mental and emotional health. We have all experienced challenges that have affected our mental health or have loved ones who have suffered. There is no shame or negativity in this common human experience.

Express Your Creativity

According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy can be used to "explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, … reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem." Allowing your mind to create from within helps give your brain a break from stress and live more in the moment.

Take Care of Yourself

Choosing nutritious foods, avoiding excessive caffeine, and incorporating regular exercise benefit both your physical health and mental state. It’s also important to build quiet space into your life to create calm and ease anxiety, stress, and exhaustion. Some ideas include taking a relaxing bath, gliding on a bench or swing under the stars, or lounging on a pile of pillows with a good book.

Learn how award-winning organizations are supporting employee mental health at the Annual WWCMA Conference happening May 5 at the Sheraton, Needham, MA. Hear best-selling author, behavioral science expert, psychotherapist and comedian, Dr. Kristen Lee deliver a fascinating keynote presentation addressing mental health issues that many of us have been facing such as anxiety, stress and burnout as a result of the pandemic.
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