Category: Mental Health

As a result of the pandemic, many of us may have felt lonely or isolated in a way that was never experienced before. Meaningful life moments were put on hold or cancelled while work and school shifted to largely virtual platforms. The disruption has impacted us all in different ways and has even led to loneliness being classified as a public health concern. Reflecting on this time and utilizing resources for dealing with loneliness, rebuilding community and social reconnection offers a hopeful way forward.

In understanding loneliness, there are several dimensions to the feeling that individuals experience to varying degrees dependent on their life stage as well as other factors. Loneliness often presents itself when there is a gap that forms between an individuals current relationships and the connections they desire or need. It can also exist from a lack of regular social contact or a lack of close, personal relationships with others.

The impacts of loneliness on an individual’s overall health are significant. Those experiencing loneliness may disconnect from family, friends and colleagues. And while, it might seem overwhelming to think about how to find ways to be social or make more meaningful connections. taking small steps can make a big difference.

If you or a colleague, friend or family member are exhibiting signs of loneliness and isolation, try one of these ideas to stay connected with others. Additionally, these tips can be used to help in reconnecting with others or making interactions more meaningful, while reducing the feeling of loneliness.

For additional support, you and your household members can give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential counseling and referrals 24/7.

When feeling stressed, anxious, disconnected, or unable to cope, it’s common to turn to distractions like snacking, endless scrolling or mindless TV watching. A better alternative is to create a “self-care toolbox” made up of healthy strategies and resources that you can easily access whenever you need to relax, spark your energy, or boost your mood, as well as support your overall well-being. Try some of the toolkit items mentioned here that help in the following key ways:

Calms your mind, eases worries. Use meditation apps or create a soothing music playlist. Keep a journal of your daily thoughts, including issues that worry you (and any possible solutions)—jot them down before bed so they don’t keep you awake! Write down three things you are grateful for each day–expressing gratitude can help reduce depression and increase happiness.

Moves your body, boosts your energy. Whether you take a half-hour walk on your lunch hour or dance to lively music, you’ll be stoking up the feel-good brain hormones, and helping your heart, muscles, digestion and more. Post the motto “Sit less, move more” by your desk. Set a timer to help you get up and move every 30 to 60 minutes—stretch, walk around during calls, etc.

Increases connection. Opt for in-person experiences as much as possible. One idea is to try prepping and cooking a new healthy recipe with family or friends. Or, pick a buddy for a weekly walk. Even if you just go alone, just being in nature is restorative and connects you to the outside world and yourself in immeasurable ways.

Stimulates your mind, sparks imagination. Keep a list of things you’d like to explore or experience—whether new farmer’s markets, unique sites nearby, intriguing podcasts, upcoming events, or classes/courses to attend (browse the free courses offered through Coursera, your community college, or high school).

Keeps your thinking focused and positive. Post sayings or reminders on your mirror, computer monitor, or dashboard that can help you switch to a positive mindset, such as: I CAN do this, this WILL get better, I CAN work through this, etc.     

Lifts your spirits. Look for ways to do good for others. Volunteering for a cause, visiting an elderly or sick loved one, or helping a neighbor with chores can help boost your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. 

Still feeling stressed, depressed and unable to cope? Talk to your doctor about a referral to a qualified counselor, or contact a counselor through the GW EAP. 

The power of positive thinking can be tapped by developing positive attitudes. You can develop positive attitudes about situations and yourself by creating positive affirmations. Affirmations are statements about yourself, a situation and/or your behavior. Change your negative self-talk to positive affirmations, and with time you will notice a positive change in your perceptions. Following are several strategies for harnessing the power of positive attitudes:

• Use positive statements. Avoid the words “not” and “don’t”. Studies show that the mind cannot register the concept of what you are not. It only registers what you are. In other words, if you say, “I am not stupid,” the brain registers “I am stupid.” Be positive and say what you are: “I am okay,” “I am smart.”
• Use the present tense. State your self-talk in the present tense – here and now statements. Say: “Right now, I am satisfied or have ever thing I need,” instead of “Soon I’ll have everything I need,” “I’ll be better tomorrow,” or “I’m not as bad as I used to be.”
• Identify the outcome and state it as if it is fact. The mind operates in absolutes and the present tense. Rephrase your statements to see a goal as a reality. Instead of, “I hope to be a good manager,” say “I am becoming a good manager.” Say this with feeling!
• Focus on behaviors you can control. Use “I” statements. Create positive self-talk that deals with you and your goals. Realize that you cannot control the behavior or actions of others.

Remember, you have more control over how you think and perceive yourself and the world around you more than any other person on earth. Take advantage of that power by thinking and speaking in a positive way. 

To learn more about positive thinking and its path to improved well-being, check out resources through your employee assistance program, Headspace, and health advocate.

Reflecting on gratitude for the people, opportunities and other gifts in your life doesn’t just trigger joy, but can actually change your brain, promoting better health and well-being. Whether you express your appreciation through journal writing, a letter, or a smile, integrating gratitude into your everyday life can offer the following benefits:

Boosts the feel-good hormones. In turn, the hormones prompted by gratitude activate positive feelings and are also linked to better sleep, as well as lower anxiety, depression, and everyday stress. 

Resets a bad mood. The positive emotions sparked from writing a letter of appreciation to someone, for example, can shift you away from negative emotions like resentment and envy that can make you feel sad and alone. (UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center)

Rearranges your priorities, boosting energy. Constantly focusing on pursuing what you don’t have can leave you feeling empty and diminished. Focusing on what you do have, however, can be invigorating!

Prompts you to discover sources of gratitude you’ve taken for granted. Feeling gratitude can expand to include anything that brings you joy and a sense of “feeling right in the world.” This could include the trees outside your window, the aroma of coffee in the morning, or the smile from a passing stranger!

Boosts your resilience. Reminding yourself of what you are grateful for helps you bounce back more readily from any unpleasant experiences in your everyday life.

Tips to cultivate gratitude

• Keep a daily gratitude journal. Write down three things that you are grateful for that day.
• Make a list of your skills, talents, values, or beliefs you use daily for which you feel grateful. Maybe it’s your creative abilities, allowing you to make art, music, or a cozy living space; your belief in the importance of helping those in need, improving the world in small or big ways; or your curiosity to explore, leading you to new opportunities and relationships.
• Write letters/emails/texts to express appreciation
• Increase your everyday “thank yous” and smiles

To learn more about gratitude and its path to optimism, check out resources through your employee assistance program, Headspace, and health advocate.

At the end of the day, do you feel frazzled, quick to anger, and/or anxious? If so, you’re not alone. With all of our day-to-day obligations, the pressures of home and work life, and other issues you and your loved ones may be facing, it is easy to get caught in a whirlwind of stress, frustration and anxiety. The culmination of these feelings can be detrimental to your physical and mental health if you don’t have an outlet(s) to release these feelings and calm down. These tips can help you wind down and regain a sense of balance at the end of your day.

Take time to unplug. Spend time free from technology and screens by simply savoring a quiet moment with your eyes closed. Take it even further by creating tech-free zones in your house. Pick a drawer or other out-of-sight place to stash your devices, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Lose yourself in something you love. Did you previously have a hobby that you just couldn’t get enough of? Well, what are you waiting for—get back to it! Hobbies are a great way to wind down and get some “me time.”

Go outside. Breathe in the fresh air, listen to the sounds of the environment, and take a good look at the sights. It will help you feel more connected and refreshed after a stressful day.

Tense your tension. At the end of the day, do you feel a lot of tension in your body? If so, tense it to relax it! Select the area of your body where you hold stress. Inhale and tense this area (for example, if it’s your forehead, wrinkle your forehead and furrow your brows) and inhale to the count of three. Next, release the tension while slowly exhaling to the count of four. Repeat as needed, or try this technique on other areas of your body in which you may hold stress.

Exercise. Take a walk around the neighborhood, practice yoga in your living room, or dust off that gym membership card and go break a sweat.  Exercise is a tried and true method of stress relief as it gets your heart pumping and releases feel-good hormones that can help give you a sense of well-being.

Just take a break. Sit on your couch and look out the window, spend a few minutes enjoying your outdoor space, or lie on your bed and practice deep breathing—there are countless options.  Try dedicating 10 minutes at the end of your day to taking a break to see if you notice a difference in your mood.

Practice mindfulness. Just taking even five minutes to sit quietly and follow your breath can help you feel less fragmented and more connected and balanced.

Find a bedtime routine. By doing the same activities each night before bed, you can train your body to wind down in preparation for sleep, which is crucial for sleep quality and quantity. Choose a relaxing activity such as reading a book, listening to music, meditating, having a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea or glass of warm milk to help signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.

Taking time each day to do simple activities that calm your body and mind is a powerful way to short-circuit stress, restore a sense of well-being and protect your health! Find activities that work for you and make them part of your routine—you’ll be glad you did!

Check out additional burnout resources from Health Advocate or through the EAP. Did You Know? All benefits eligible employees and members of their household may use Talkspace, a free text therapy app for five weeks per issue.  Visit the GW EAP page for details.

Are you the go-to person for your loved ones when they need help? If so, you are probably well aware that this can be stressful and take up a lot of your time and energy! Learning when—and how—to establish boundaries is an important pillar of self-care and overall well-being. Consider these benefits of boundary setting.

Helps you know your worth. When you become the go-to person for friends and family members—and maybe even coworkers—sometimes people may intentionally or unintentionally take advantage of your kindness and willingness to help. If you feel that you are repeatedly being asked in this manner, “no” is the best response to prevent this from continuing.

Allows you to focus on your well-being. Will helping cause you stress, emotional distress or negatively affect your well-being? If so, this might be a situation where you should say “no” to prioritize your well-being.

Keeps your priorities at the top of your list. Consider the impacts of saying “yes.” How will this affect things that are on your priority list? By setting boundaries, your priorities will in fact remain a priority, rather than being shifted by someone else’s needs.

Sets the other person up for success. Maybe the person needing your help is so accustomed to your support that they ask you before considering their other options. When you decline to help, be prepared to offer solutions so that they can still get the support they need and they can learn to problem-solve their own issues.

Helps you avoid burnout. This is especially important for work! Establishing boundaries between life and work can help you be more productive and feel better about your contributions in both places. 

Enables you to recharge your batteries. Making space for activities and people that boost, rather than drain, your spirits allows you to rest and restore the things you need to feel good.

Don’t feel ashamed of taking care of yourself first. After all, if you are not taking care of yourself, how can you be there for others? As a reminder, you and your household members can give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential support and referrals 24/7.

Since the start of the pandemic, more and more people are talking about mental health. An increasing number of folks are starting to see mental health for what it is: one important component of your overall health and well-being, just like your physical health. But mental health conditions, resources, and conversations can still feel complicated and out of reach.

Are there common warning signs for mental health conditions or crises? Are there specific factors that can lead to mental health conditions or even crises? What resources are out there – and how do I know if they’re right for me?

There’s often no one single cause for a mental health condition. Instead, there are many possible risk factors that can influence how likely a person is to experience a mental health condition or how serious the symptoms may be.

Some risk factors for mental health conditions include: trauma, which can be a one-time event or ongoing; your environment and how it impacts your health and quality of life (also known as social determinants of health like financial stability and health care access); genetics; brain chemistry; and your habits and lifestyle such as a lack of sleep.

Of course, understanding the risk factors for a mental health condition can be more difficult when it’s your own mental health. Take time to ask yourself about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to see if this is part of a pattern that may be caused by a mental health condition. Here are some questions to get you started:

• Have things that used to feel easy started feeling difficult?
• Does the idea of doing daily tasks like making your bed now feel really, really hard?
• Have you lost interest in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy?
• Do you feel irritated; possibly to the point of lashing out at people you care about?

Our society focuses much more on physical health than mental health, but both are equally important. If you are concerned about your mental health, there are several options available. You are not alone – help is out there, and recovery is possible. It may be hard to talk about your concerns, but simply acknowledging to yourself that you’re struggling is a really big step.

Taking a screen at mhascreening.org can help you to better understand what you are experiencing and get helpful resources. After that, consider talking to someone you trust about your results, and seek out a professional to find the support you need. While you may not need this information today, knowing the basics about mental health will mean you’re prepared if you ever need it. Go to https://mhanational.org/ to learn more.

Tip! Maintaining Good Mental Health: Whether you realize it or not, mental health plays a big role in your overall well-being. When you’re mentally healthy, you are able to enjoy your life and the people in it, feel good about yourself, keep up good relationships, and deal with stress. It’s normal for your mental health to shift over time – we all face difficult situations in our lives. Creating positive habits is a great way to support your mental health when you’re doing well. They also help you build skills to use if you do face symptoms of a mental health condition.

We summarize webinars and podcasts below to help you find strategies and inspiration during this time, along with “staycation” ideas. Being present with our loves ones can renew our outlook and reinvigorate our purpose.

• Health Advocate offers on demand webinars that cover signs to look out for, resources available and tips to manage fatigue.
• Resiliency: Moving Forward in Challenging Times webinar from Health Advocate
• In “The Happiness Lab” podcast, Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos takes you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will forever alter the way you think about happiness. Listen to Dr. Santos’ special episodes on how to maintain well-being in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Try these staycation ideas when taking time away from work