May 4, 2022

 

Are you feeling healthy? Not just physically healthy, but mentally healthy too?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s a good time to shine a light on a topic that isn’t always front and center. Even though an estimated one in four Americans suffer from a mental condition worth diagnosing, there is still considerable stigma surrounding mental illness.

And that means we don’t talk mental health as much as we should.

Conversations about maintaining our physical health are everywhere. You don’t have to go far to find tips about diet, exercise, and healthy habits. It is a lot harder to find the same kind of advice about maintaining mental wellness.

The stigma surrounding mental health creates a silence that can contribute to a delay in asking for help or reluctance to step in to offer support. One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the mental health issue is the escalating rate of suicide.

Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S..  In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide and there were an estimated 1.2 million suicide attempts.

As a business owner, it’s essential for you to pay as much attention to your mental health as you do to your physical well-being. The same goes for your team. It’s just good business sense.

Here are five things you can do (and urge your team to do) to help maintain your mental wellness.

• Stay connected – Good relationships are important to mental and emotional wellness. Relationships create the opportunity to give and receive emotional support and overcome the isolation that can contribute to depression
• Stay mindful – Paying attention to your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you can keep you grounded in the present, rather than regretting the past or worrying about the future.
• Stay active – In addition to supporting your physical health, being active can improve your mental well-being. Physical activity can trigger chemical changes in your brain, releasing neurotransmitters that contribute to creating and maintaining a positive mood.
• Stay curious – Keeping your mind actively engaged, particularly if it focuses on learning new skills can boost your self-confidence and renew your sense of purpose. It can also keep you connected to other people who are also engaged in the learning activity.
• Stay grateful – Engaging in a daily practice of gratitude provides a host of benefits – physical, emotional, and social. Physical health benefits include boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure and better sleep. Among the emotional benefits are increased optimism, greater experience of joy and happiness, and deeper compassion for others.

Making these five things as important a part of your daily routine as exercise, proper diet and drinking enough water will help you to stay as mentally healthy as you can be.

If you find yourself struggling to maintain these mental health habits, consider reaching out for help. Don’t let stigma keep you silent. And if you see someone else who may be having difficulty, reach out to offer support.

Let’s keep the conversation about mental health going year-round, not just during the month of May. It could save lives.

Blessings,

Chris

P.S. Because we care about you, we are offering a special FREE webinar next week called “Talk Saves Lives.” Click here to reserve your spot.