Who doesn’t need a little extra positivity and appreciation in their lives?

We have been working to support and encourage the overall health and wellbeing of those around us.  As we continue to look for ways to help people stay positive, healthy and connected to one another, we’d like to invite you to join us in a local Daymaker Movement.  Don’t stop at making someone’s day– share the movement with your employees, coworkers, friends, family, and community!

Learn more and get ideas on the Daymaker site.

Additional Resources

Mental Health Resources:

1. Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
2. For Like Minds 
3. The Stability Network
4. Workplace Mental Health
5. One Mind at Work 
6. NAMI
   1. NAMI Resource Guide (National Alliance on Mental Illness): The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.  Their COVID-19 resource guide provides a wealth of resources.
7. NIMH
8. SAMHSA
9. MentalHealth.gov
10. Mental Health America
11. Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance
12. Mental Health First Aid
    1. Mental Health First Aid Blog: While Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues, their blog is providing some very helpful content.
13. The Kennedy Forum
14. National Council for Behavioral Health
15. MentalHealthChannel.tv
16. Wellable 
17. Alera Insights 
18. Child Mind Institute – Provides a beautiful collection of resources for parents such as supporting kids and teens through COVID-19, managing anxiety, resources for families of children on the spectrum, discipline issues, etc.  There are articles, Facebook Live video chats and phone consultations available.
19. Yale’s Massively Popular ‘Happiness’ Course (choose the free version) – This course has been something of a phenomenon and you can access it for free right now.  Over 1.5 million people have signed up in the wake of COVID-19.
20. Modern Health Webinars – Modern Health, a behavioral health platform, has been sharing weekly webinars by their practitioners on topics like Managing Isolation and Loneliness, Coping During Stressful Situations, and Work-from-home Wellbeing.  Their recorded webinars can be found here, on their YouTube channel.

Below are a variety of things we see employers considering right now:

1. Enhanced Support Via Mental Health Platform – This would be in addition to the EAP.  These platforms include things like text-based check ins, in person or virtual visits with therapists, on-demand evidence based digital programs, etc.  Platforms to consider would be Ginger.io, Modern Health, Lyra, Talkspace.
2. Education – possibility to leverage EAP.  We also have a number of excellent speakers we could recommend.
   1. Management Training – How leaders can support employees, what to look for if employees are struggling, how to support/refer them, etc.
   2. Employee Education – recognizing and honoring helpful emotions, managing and reducing unhelpful emotions.
3. Promotion of Existing Tools and Resources – continued promotion of EAP and virtual behavioral health offerings from the medical carrier.
4. Communication Campaigns (Eliminating Stigma) –
   1. ICU Program by the Center for Workplace Mental Health (developed and used by Dupont):
   2. NAMI Stigma free workplace materials
   3. Right Direction – Right Direction is a creative educational initiative designed to reduce stigma, motivate employees and their families to seek help when needed, and provide employers with appropriate support tools and resources. The initiative offers employers a wealth of free, turnkey resources ranging from content for intranet sites to template PowerPoint presentations.
   4. Stamp Out Stigma: initiative by the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness to reduce stigma related to mental illness.

2. Overall Senior Leader Communication – per NAMI, mention your commitment to leading a behaviorally healthy workplace every time you mention the company’s commitment to its overall culture of health, attracting and retaining the best talent, being an employer of choice, and valuing its employees and their family members as human beings. Having this ingrained in our senior leadership strategy can further enhance these efforts.
3. Other – there are a wide variety of other things employers put in place like ERG (employee resource groups), mindfulness programs, etc.  One example is the Befrienders Ministry.

Other Resources:

Free Digital Apps (no credit card required):

• Insight Timer
• Smiling Mind App
• Stop, Breath, & Think
• UCLA Mindful App
• Headspace for NY’ers (and anyone else)

Podcasts:

• Feeling Good – This podcast features David D. Burns MD, author of “Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy,” describing powerful new techniques to overcome depression and anxiety and develop greater joy and self-esteem. For therapists and the general public alike!
• Ten Percent Happier – This popular podcast addresses a wide range of topics such as family relationships, trauma, improving everyday life, etc.
• Happier – In this award-winning podcast, host Gretchen Rubin discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.  This podcast consistently appears at the top of the charts in Apple.
• The Happiness Lab – In “The Happiness Lab” podcast, Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will forever alter the way you think about happiness.
• Anxiety Slayer – The award-winning Anxiety Slayer™ podcast is a leading resource for anyone who suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, stress, and PTSD.
• 4-7-8 Breathing – Watch this quick video to learn this simple stress antidote.
• Meditation for Anxiety: Yoga By Adrienne is an exceptional YouTube Channel to practice meditation and yoga to help people feel calm, empowered & in control.
• Mental Health in the Workplace Videos – Google Search Results