Spring Into Action for Your Mental Health!
Are you among the 50 million Americans who grapple with mental health issues? About 1 in every 5 adults copes with a serious mental health condition over the course of a lifetime. Some conditions that are among the most common include anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Other common mental health issues include prolonged grief, eating disorders, substance misuse, and dementia.
May is Mental Health Month, a good time to heighten your awareness of mental health issues, along with familiarizing yourself with resources for help. It’s also a good time to do a self-inventory. There’s no shortage of focus on self-help resources to improve our physical health, but there’s much less attention about challenging ourselves to tone up our mental health. May is a good time for this focus because it’s also National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. While these issues might seem different, the mind-body nexus can’t be overemphasized. There’s a definite link between physical and mental health. Exercise releases “feel good” endorphins and has many benefits for your overall wellbeing. Physical activity can help increase your energy, improve your sleep, boost your memory, and help create an overall feeling of positivity. Pick activities you enjoy and will keep up: dancing, running, hiking, swimming, aerobics, biking, tennis, pickle ball, golf, gardening, and more. Get more ideas for physical activities at Move Your Way.
When working to increase physical activity, be sure to tap into the healing power of Mother Nature. A 2019 study by the European Centre for Environment & Human Health found that “people who spent two hours a week in green spaces — local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits — were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t.” For both your physical and mental health, get outdoors in nature. Hike in a forest, spend time in parks or on beaches, plant a garden, or bike to work. Incidentally, May is also National Bike Month, including Bike to Work Week May 15th-21st.
Get Mental Health Help!
Only about half of those who experience mental health issues seek help. Your employer makes it easy for you and your family to get quality mental health care through your Employee Assistance Program (EAP):
- Telephonic in-the-moment support from clinical professionals 24/7/365 for anxiety, depression, mental health issues, and more. Call our toll-free number day or night – 800.252.4555.
- One-to-one professional coaching for stress management, resilience, and wellness issues. Call 800.252.4555 to talk about Coaching options.
- Online self-help resources, assessments, and video courses for mental health issues. Log in to www.theEAP.com and click on Emotional Wellbeing.
- If you or someone you love is in danger of self-harm or harming others, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
Training: Focus on Mental Health
Among the thousands of E-Learning courses available to you, we’ve selected a few that focus on mental health. Click “Member Login” at www.theEAP.com, and when you are signed in, click on the comprehensive training library in the “Training Center.” Here are a few suggestions:
- Workplace Mental Health: Coping Strategies | Course ID: SVL_1021880
In this 7-minute video, learn what coping skills are. There are both positive and negative coping skills, but only positive ones should be leveraged. Learn about everyday coping skills and coping skills that can be applied in moments of difficulty. - Managing Your Anxiety Disorder at Work | Course ID: SVL_1021559
This 7-minute video is a tool to help those with anxiety disorders thrive in the workplace. This lesson explains what anxiety disorders are and how to take certain measures to promote mental health. - Be Assertive, Not Aggressive | Course ID: SVL_1020139
Learn the differences in assertive vs. aggressive communication in body language, nonverbal communication, volume and more. This 25-minute video covers gender factors, assertiveness at work, and the benefits of being assertive.
Learn More!
How to Scan a QR Code
1. Open the camera app.
2. Select the rear-facing camera in Photo mode.
3. Center the QR code you want to scan on the screen
and hold your phone steady for a couple of seconds.
4. Tap the notification that pops up to open the link.
(You will need to be connected to the internet to do this.)
Don’t Forget!
EAP services are available to you and your household members as well as dependent children living away from home, up to age 26.
ESI EAP’s Featured May Webinar
The Science of Happiness – Every month, a webinar
and related resources are featured at the top of the member site. Simply log in to www.theEAP.com during May
to explore resources or take the webinar at your convenience.
Salute to Moms on Mother’s Day, May 14th, which kicks off Women’s Health Week. It’s a good time to encourage the women in your life to schedule important health screenings.
More May Events:
Accessing Your EAP Training Center
1. Go to www.theEAP.com and
click Member Login.
2. If you’ve already created an
account, log in with your User
Name/Password.
3. If it’s your first time, click
REGISTER to create your User
Name and Password. You only
need to register once.
4. Click the ‘Training Center’ and
then choose ‘Comprehensive
Training library.’
5. In the Search bar at the top of the
screen, type the course code or
search for a topic.
6. Click the course icon, and click the
‘Play’ or ‘Start’ button to begin.
To get a certificate: View the course and take the quiz. Not all courses require a quiz, but if so, you must score at least 80% for a certificate. To get your certificate, click on the ribbon icon below the right corner of the video. The certificate will download to your computer.
www.theEAP.com | 800.252.4555