Understanding Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

March is Self-Harm Awareness Month.  When people experience depression and anxiety, they may engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).  NSSI is intentionally inflicting harm to the body but without intention of dying.  NSSI is not a mental illness, it is a sign someone is going through serious psychological distress

How to Deal With Self-Harm

Emotions can be really painful sometimes. It’s totally normal to need ways to cope with and process the hard things in your life. If you are using self-harm to manage your emotions, here are some ways to push through, process, and cope with your emotions.

• Text to cool down:  If you’re dealing with painful emotions, you can reach out to a crisis text line to connect with a real human and strategize healthy coping mechanisms to manage your emotions. Text HOME to 741741.
• Get creative:  Studies show that making art can help people process emotions.  Next time you feel like self-harming, grab a marker and doodle your worries away. A bonus: you reap the same rewards even if you’re no good at it!
• Find your Zen:  Keeping yourself safe from self-harming is all about finding healthy alternatives to work through the hard stuff. Taking time to re-center through meditation to be a powerful way to find your cool and calm. Try using an app like Headspace.
• Talk to a professional: Self-harm is serious.  Talking to someone who can help you find alternatives is incredibly important.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

7 Tips For Thoughtfully Dealing With Grief In The Workplace

You may have had a loss and are having a hard time communicating your bereavement needs.  Maybe you feel uneasy about how to navigate a co-worker’s grief.  Death is a topic that should be handled delicately, but not ignored.

If You Have A Co-Worker That Is Navigating Grief:

1. Ask Them What They Need: Grief is unpredictable and affects different people in different ways.  Someone can seem physically present and responsive, but emotionally can be a world away.  It’s best to have an open, candid conversation where you can ask how you can best support them.

2. Understand Work Isn’t A Priority Right Now:  When grief is at the forefront of our minds, it shifts our priority and focus away.   Grief demands honesty, attention, and a re-evaluation of values, all of which distract from the professional goal.  Give your co-worker grace. 

3. Be Human:  This means letting the employee know you’re there for them.  Support is key when a person is grieving, and comfort is often the thing they will search for the most.

If You Are Experiencing Grief And Continuing To Work:

1. Be Upfront with Your Employer:  As quickly as you feel comfortable, let your boss know what you’re experiencing.  They can’t support you if they don’t know what’s going on.

2. Be Patient with Yourself—And Ask Others To Be, Too: Rather than pressuring yourself to perform at your top level, it’s vital to be patient with your feelings.  If you feel overwhelmed by the sadness, you should allow yourself to feel it.  If there are days where you feel energized and motivated at work, don’t guilt yourself about that either.

3. Take More Breaks:  When you return to work, add breaks in your calendar to do anything that is comforting.   There is an experience called ‘Grief Brain.’ Loss makes it hard to concentrate. Our usual ability to multitask and to be productive may be hindered, so you should allow extra time for familiar tasks

4. Build Your Professional And Personal Support Network:  Don’t be afraid to lean on your people, from close friends to family members.  Find professional support via a mental health counselor or grief groups.  It is never good to internalize or bottle up your feelings and emotions.  

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

Mind Your Steps- A Walking Meditation

“The art of walking meditation is to learn to be aware as you walk, to use the natural movement of walking to cultivate mindfulness and wakeful presence”- which lowers stress and induces relaxation!

1. Find 10-15 feet of space. This can be inside, outside, or anywhere you feel comfortable.
2. Stand still for a moment, close the eyes if comfortable. Feel the body’s posture, the feet on the ground, and any other sensation you experience.
3. Open the eyes. Choose which leg will be stepping first. As you lift the foot, feel the bottom of the foot lose contact with the ground. Moving it forward, observe the sensation of the foot coming back into contact with the ground.
4. Lift the other foot and attend to the experience with the same awareness. Remember that this is both a mindfulness practice AND a practice in cultivating concentration. When the mind wanders, come back to feeling in the feet.
5. Walk 10-15 feet, and mindfully turn around. As you turn, notice how the hips, legs, and torso adjust to turn the body. Walk slowly, taking a step every 3-4 seconds.
6. Try incorporating a simple verbal practice, similar to a mantra. As you lift the foot, think or say “Lift.” As you move the foot forward, think, “Move.” As you place the food down, think, “Place.”
7. When you are done with the practice, stand still for a few moments. Set an intention to retain some of this mindfulness of the body as you return to your day.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

How to Leave Your Worries Behind

Approximately 2 in 5 people say they worry every day.  The average adult spends about 1 hour and 50 minutes worrying about something.  Worry can negatively influence your memory, relationships, and physical health, yet 85% of what we worry about actually has a positive or neutral outcome! Here are 14 ways to leave your worry behind:

1. Ditch the night owl: Keeping regular sleep hours lessens negative thinking/worry.
2. Do yoga: People with anxiety benefit from regular yoga practice.
3. Be mindful: Mindfulness and meditation practices help reduce worry.
4. Higher power: Fostering a belief that a higher power has your best interest at heart helps.
5. Exercise: People who exercise are able to improve their mood and reduce worry.
6. Declutter: Taking 15 minutes to tidy your space can reduce anxiety.
7. Gratitude: Express gratitude at least once per da.
8. Drop the cookies: Sugar and processed foods increase anxiety.
9. Quiet time: Even 5 minutes of quiet time per day can reduce anxiety.
10. Problem-Solve: Grab a pen and spend time brainstorming solutions to the worries in your control.
11. Worry time: Set a specific time each day dedicated to worrying. When worries pop up at other times, jot them down and know you can think about them later
12. Reframe: Ask yourself if the worry is true, if it’s not, consider how unhelpful it is to think about it.
13. Middle Road: There are worst case and best case scenarios, make sure you identify the middle of the road option, it’s always the most likely outcome.
14. Talk it out: Often when we say our worries out loud, it changes the way we see the situation. Talk to yourself, a loved one, a co-worker, or call Well In Mind.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

How to Eat for Optimal Mental Health

Research shows that in people who experience depression, those who ate less junk food and more fruit, vegetables, fish, and legumes experienced a 33% improvement in their symptoms.  Hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, and commercial baked goods have been shown to be linked with depression. People who ate these showed a 51% increase in risk for depression.

• What to eat: Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, black beans, chickpeas, soybeans, oranges, apples, grapes, kale, bok choy, and spinach. These foods have been shown to reduce the risk of depression
• Nourish your brain: Omega 3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, B12, folate, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, iron (all found in a Mediterranean diet).
• Top 10 raw foods related to better mental health: Carrots, bananas, apples, grapefruit, lettuce, citrus fruits, cucumbers, dark leafy greens (like spinach), kiwi, and fresh berries.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.