Everything that you do on a daily basis is linked to your health—both at work and at home where family members may also struggle and avoid communicating feelings of depression or hopelessness. That’s why it’s important to regularly monitor your health and wellness, and address mounting stresses and issues before problems arise. While your health and wellness is typically associated with nutrition, exercise, and disease prevention, one’s ability to manage stress, develop interpersonal relationships, and regulate emotions are inextricably tied together with your physical state.
From my own experience at work and at home, our ability to handle both physical and social health is fairly straightforward and commonly discussed out in the open. Mental health, on the other hand, is the one that many tend to forget. Is this a result of upbringing and peer pressure? Is it okay to simply live with mental stress and move on? What’s the true cost of this?
When you consider the mental health implications of the world’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in conjunction with political unrest, economic uncertainty, remote work, and homeschooling, it’s never been more important to monitor one’s mental health than it is right now. So much has been piled up on all of our plates. If we ignore the warning signs, more serious health problems will come to fruition. So, what can you do?
Here’s some great news—IBVI employees have excellent health care benefits that include resources specifically focused on mental health and wellness for you, your family, and those you work alongside every day. If you sense that someone close to you is struggling or not communicating at all, ask them if they need help or if they would just like to talk about it. Your thoughtful intervention may make all the difference; it might even save someone’s life.
As we look forward to celebrating the upcoming holidays, my hope is that you all safely surround yourselves with family and friends while monitoring your total health and wellness. We’re all in this together!
Sincerely,
CJ Lange