May 9th is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. To commemorate this important holiday, we’ve gathered 7 tips on how to start a conversation about mental health with your child – including language you can borrow and analogies you can use.

Focus on emotions

It can be helpful to open these conversations by talking about emotions. Even if your child doesn’t yet understand mental health, they do understand emotions. Their emotional vocabulary will typically depend on their developmental level. As they grow, children can understand more and more complex emotions; what they understood simply as “sadness” when they were younger can expand into “grief,” “disappointment,” “brokenheartedness,” and more.

You can describe common mental health problems using emotions that your child understands. For example, you could explain, “Depression is when someone feels very sad and lonely, and that feeling doesn’t go away for a long time.” or, “People with anxiety feel scared and nervous, even when there’s nothing truly dangerous to be afraid of.”

Make analogies to physical health

Even when children have never heard of mental health, they tend to understand the concept of physical health; they’ve seen their pediatrician, gotten their vaccines, and probably experienced at least minor physical illnesses like the common cold. You can use this in an analogy to help younger children understand more about mental health.

Try saying something like,

“Do you remember when we went to see your pediatrician when you were throwing up and had a fever? Sometimes, we might go to another type of doctor because our brains and feelings are sick. We might feel really sad or really scared. Sometimes, these feelings don’t go away on their own and we need to see a doctor. These feelings doctors are called therapists or psychologists. They help people feel better in their mind, just like when your pediatrician gave you the medicine.”

Respect their boundaries

For some children, talking about mental health may be triggering or overwhelming. For example, if you or another family member lives with a mental illness, or if your child’s own mental health has been suffering, talking about these topics may bring up a lot of painful feelings. You might find that your child, especially if they’re a teenager, is reluctant to talk or share.

It’s important to respect your child’s boundaries; trying to force them to talk about it will likely only make them shut down further. Make sure you communicate your desire to understand, and let them know that you’re there to listen whenever they’re ready to.

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health and they’re refusing to talk to you about it, there are ways to express that concern. You might say something like, “I think something might be going on, and I want you to know that I’m here to listen. I know that this is hard to talk about. Only you know how you feel, but I am here to support you. I’ll never judge you for anything you tell me.”

Share your own emotional experiences

Talking about your own emotions can help normalize these conversations. This doesn’t mean that you should break boundaries and lean on your child for support while you’re going through a mental health crisis. But regularly naming your emotions can help your child understand that mental health is on a spectrum. No one is always “happy” or always “sad.”

For example, perhaps your family pet has died. If your child has been acting out or showing some signs of irritability, it could be that they don’t know how else to express their grief. You could say something like, “I miss our pet a lot. I feel really sad about it. It’s called grief, and it’s normal to feel like this when someone you love dies or goes away. How are you feeling about our pet?”

Validate their feelings

If your child does come to you with an emotion or mental health symptoms, take it seriously and provide validation. It’s easy for adults to minimize children’s concerns; they often feel trivial to us. Sometimes, we also unintentionally judge children for having strong feelings.

It’s often well-intentioned; for example, if your teenager says that they’re depressed because of something that happened with their crush, it may be tempting to want to tell them, “You won’t even care about this person in a few years. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.” Or if they tell you they’re hurting themselves because they’re depressed, you might have the urge to say: “Why would you do this to yourself?”

But remember that, even if it doesn’t make sense to you at first, these concerns are real for them, and it’s important to help your child feel validated and supported – especially when they’ve expressed that they have been feeling bad.

You can use phrases like:

• That sounds so painful.
• This must be really hard.
• I can see that this is really important to you.
• I can see that you’re hurting.

Let them know it’s not their fault

Whether it’s your child who’s facing a mental health issue or someone else in your family, your child needs to know that it’s not their fault. Children, especially younger children, may blame themselves for a crisis, especially if they don’t understand it. Make it clear that whatever’s happening is not their fault.

If your child is experiencing mental health concerns, you can try to normalize it for them. You can say something like, “Just like people get the flu sometimes, we also get sick in other ways. You have a sickness that makes you feel really scared and nervous at school, but you’re going to get better. It’s not your fault, and we’ll get through it together. Lots of kids feel the same way.”

If someone else in your family is experiencing mental illness, you (and other important adults in your child’s life) can decide how much detail is appropriate to reveal to them. But keep in mind that hiding it altogether will likely be ineffective – your child may pick up on the fact that something is wrong. The important thing is to communicate to them that whatever is happening is not their fault.

For example, to a younger child, you might say: “Dad is going through a hard time. He has a sickness that makes him feel a lot of things, and you might notice that he looks sad sometimes. He just needs to rest, and his doctor is helping him feel better. None of this is your fault – you didn’t do anything wrong. This is just a sickness that happens to people sometimes, just like when you caught the flu.”

Open conversations, and keep them open

Finally, don’t wait to open these conversations with your child, especially if you have concerns for their mental health. Don’t wait for them to come to you. There are many reasons why people, both children and adults, find it challenging to come forward about mental health issues, including feelings of shame and a lack of understanding. You can make the process easier by opening the conversation in a safe and non-judgmental way.

In addition, keep in mind that talking about mental health one time is a good start – but it’s also important to keep these conversations open. Revisit the topic of mental health when it’s relevant. Keep checking in with your child. Answer their questions when they come up. It’s important for children to know that it’s always okay to talk about their mental health, and that you’re there to support them and help them understand.

Your employee assistance program can help

Our EAP offers 24/7 confidential counseling, as well as parent coaching, for our members. If you or your child are experiencing mental health issues, or if you simply need someone to talk to about these topics, get in touch with us or check out your digital services. We’re here to support you and your family.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post 7 Tips to Help Start a Conversation About Mental Health with Your Child appeared first on MINES and Associates.

March is National Nutrition Month, so we are going to talk about your brain. Trust me, it will make total sense. Over the last few years, I have been involved in and facilitated many conversations about mental health. It’s gratifying to be part of a movement where people are beginning to be comfortable speaking up about their own struggles and others are eager to learn how to recognize and support someone working through challenges.

As people gain awareness and build a mental health toolkit, it gets filled with practices to reduce and manage stress. Mindfulness, breathing, journaling, and therapy, all have a positive impact on mental health. Creativity and physical activity are both magical for our minds. Recognizing and regulating emotions is a valuable life skill and once developed will enhance mental wellbeing. Laughter and high-quality social interactions are easy ways to get a dopamine hit—and who doesn’t like that!?

Noticeably absent from the discussion, however, is the topic of food. I find this fascinating, as we like to talk about food all the time—what we should eat, what we shouldn’t eat, what we are going to eat, what we just ate, etc. Rarely are we talking about it in the context of mental health.

And yet, we have some kind of feeling about nearly every food (and beverage) choice we do or don’t make. Those feelings generate beliefs, which ultimately drive our actions. And throughout the entire cycle, there are multiple impacts on our mental health.

So let’s talk about it.

Food is:

• a friend who soothes and comforts you
• entertainment when you are bored
• a delicious distraction when you don’t want to deal with a situation in front of you
• an element that helps you relive fond experiences
• something that brings joy as you connect with culture or celebration
• a reward for doing something hard
• something you can’t live without

Food also:

• is an enemy who prevents you from being your best self
• can be an obstacle to reaching your goals
• alters decision-making capabilities
• brings on feelings of guilt and shame
• is an anxiety-inducing element of social engagements
• leads to punishing thoughts and behaviors
• is something you can’t stop thinking about

We each have a unique relationship with food, and it’s usually rather complex. Exploring, acknowledging, and adjusting yours will likely lead to enhanced mental health. What to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and how we feel about what we eat—all are important pieces of the dietary puzzle. Most of us have never been taught the basics, which makes the complicated pieces impossible to sort out.

So let’s go basic.  Eat real food.

If, in theory, you could go outside and find, it’s real food that a human body recognizes and understands how to process. These foods grow in the ground and hang off bushes and trees. You can find real food swimming in water and roaming in a pasture. Real food can take a little bit of effort to get into edible form, but it’s fairly simple to determine how it came to be what you are about to ingest.

What does real food have to do with your mental health?  Everything.

Whole foods (WF) offer the raw materials your body uses to create cells, organ tissue, muscles, bones, hormones, neurotransmitters, protective layers, micro-organisms—-and everything else an optimally functioning human needs. The alternative, what I call “food-like substances” (FLS), offer little to no quality resources and instead supply your body with a variety of components it doesn’t need and cause it harm. If overall consumption of FLS is greater than consumption of WF the result could lean toward a less than optimally functioning human, maybe even one with various health conditions.

For many years I have been pitching PFF is Your BFF® (Protein Fat Fiber is your Best Friend Forever), as well as guiding individuals toward an understanding of how to fuel a human body. It’s impossible in the scope of this article to outline all the details, so here are a few highlights.

1. Steady blood sugar. It’s the key to your health and happiness—and maybe the health and happiness of people around you. When blood sugar drops, you might get irritated, frustrated, or find it difficult to concentrate. None of which is great for mental wellbeing. There’s a good chance you’ll reach for some version of sugar—and then beat yourself up for eating that sugar. And then eat more sugar to feel better about feeling bad for eating sugar. You know how this goes!
2. Protein, or more specifically the amino acids we get from consuming foods that have protein, are used to create hormones and neurotransmitters. These are the chemical messengers responsible for operating your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
3. Fat is your friend! Despite what we’ve been fed for decades, fat is not the devil. In fact, it is a key contributor to health and happiness. I don’t know about you, but back in the day when I was afraid to eat fat, I was hungry and irritated all the time. Turns out that wasn’t just my experience as we now have plenty of research to indicate that low-fat diets can increase the likelihood of depression, irritability, and anger. Dietary fats directly affect brain processes via transmission of signals and when you recognize that 70% of brain matter is made up of fat, it’s no wonder that low intake can cause dysregulation. Of course, the type of dietary fats matter. Eat real food, with a variety of sources of fat to nourish your noggin with essential fatty acids. Avoid the ultra-processed ones that often include some type of brain and body-damaging trans fat.
4. Fiber is, among other things, food for your gut bacteria. Referred to as the “second brain” the microbiome in the gut consists of communication pathways with every system in the body. There are direct links to gut imbalances and mental health and mood disorders. Fiber comes from plants, so eat plenty of them and a wide variety to offer your gut critters options for their feasting.
5. Have you ever heard of BDNF? Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a chemical produced in the brain that supports overall cognitive function and mental wellbeing. It’s so powerful, that many consider it a natural anti-depressant and low levels may contribute to the onset of depression and anxiety. The raw materials for BDNF production need to be introduced to the body—via food. They include a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and polyphenol compounds found in real foods. In addition, insulin resistance, often the result of a habit of highly processed food consumption, prohibits the brain from producing BDNF. Another reason to minimize FLS choices!

The message seems pretty clear—eat real food. Yes, the puzzle can be complicated, but I believe if you take time to learn the basics and gain an appreciation for the powerful impact various types of fuel have on mental health, the harder stuff will be easier to digest. Food can either heal you or hurt you. It’s determining the appropriate balance of choices, and having a positive attitude about ALL the choices that leads to a healthy attitude, not only about your food, but life in general.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post Feed Your Mind: Exploring the Vital Link Between Nutrition and Mental Health appeared first on MINES and Associates.

What’s the difference? Mental wellness is more than just the absence of illness. Just because you don’t struggle with a mental health condition like depression or OCD doesn’t mean that you’re mentally well. Just like physical wellness, mental wellness comes on a spectrum from very ill to optimum health.

To be truly well, it’s important to integrate both physical and mental health. You might think of these two spheres of health as separate entities, but they’re a lot more related than you might think. Physical health deeply affects mental health, and vice versa.

In today’s blog, we’ll talk about the importance of integrating physical and mental health and how your employee assistance program may be able to help.

How is physical and mental health connected?

Physical and mental health have a bidirectional relationship, which means that each affects the other. Mental health problems can make physical health problems worse and vice versa, which can get you locked in a vicious cycle if you live with both.

For example, people with depression and other mental illnesses are much more likely to live with chronic health conditions like chronic pain and cardiovascular disease. This link is bi-fold: living with depression can increase stress, which heightens your risk of developing a chronic physical health condition. But living with things like chronic pain can also worsen depression because of its impact on quality of life.

This connection between physical and mental health can at least partly be explained by the intricate network of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other biochemical substances in your body (especially in your brain and nervous system). For example, neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are typically associated with mood regulation, also play a role in different physiological processes like gastrointestinal function and your immune system.

But these important neurotransmitters don’t only exist in the brain – many, including serotonin, have been found to primarily be created in the gut and intestines. This has led researchers to study what they call the “brain-gut axis” – how your digestive health affects your mental health.

We can also look at behaviors that are associated with certain mental illnesses. For example, people who live with mental health conditions like schizophrenia are more likely to be smokers. It may also be more difficult for people who live with mental illness to maintain healthy lifestyle habits like getting enough restful sleep, exercising, and staying connected to friends and family. All of these habits have been found to have a significant impact on both mental and physical health.

Every year, we learn more and more about the exact mechanisms that link mental and physical health. But we already have a large body of evidence showing that the two are deeply intertwined. To reach mental wellness, you need to look at your physical health, and vice versa.

How can I improve my physical and mental health?

Luckily, there are habits that you can implement – and stay away from – that will improve both your physical and mental health. This will take you further along on the spectrum of complete wellness.

Physical activity

Getting regular physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for both your physical and mental health.

As you move, your body releases endorphins – neurotransmitters that lift your mood, promote feelings of happiness, and reduce stress. On the physical front, exercise enhances cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and improves flexibility, which contributes to overall fitness. On top of that, the mental focus required during exercise serves as a form of mindfulness, which can help calm the mind and alleviate anxiety.

Best of all, studies show that it doesn’t take much – although the CDC recommends getting 2.5 hours of moderate exercise a week, one study found that people who got even half that amount were still less likely to be depressed.

Manage your stress

Chronic stress is one of the worst things for both your physical and mental health. Although short bursts of stress can help you focus and give you more energy, your body isn’t designed to be under an activated stress response for long periods. Extended stress can put you at higher risk of a wide range of physical and mental ailments, including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and more.

Find ways to intentionally relax your body and mind. One way you can do this is through progressive muscle relaxation, an evidence-based method. Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques can also help. Relaxation doesn’t have to mean taking a spa day – it’s just about finding ways to deactivate your body’s responses and live in a more peaceful state.

Social connection

Your friends and family make you emotionally happy – but did you know that they also improve your physical health, too? Research shows that being socially connected improves your longevity, and also makes you 50% more likely to survive serious illness. Less lonely people are also less likely to develop health conditions like depression, heart disease, dementia, and more.

Social connection is determined not only by the number of people around you but by the quality of those relationships. Look around at your closest relationships and consider: do you feel loved, valued, and cared for in these relationships? Do you have a place where you feel you belong? Do the social exchanges feel meaningful to you?

If not, make it a top priority this year to improve and strengthen your relationships. If you’re feeling lonely and unsure of where to start working on this area of your life, talking to a mental health counselor can help.

MINES’ employee assistance program (EAP) provides a wide range of services to help you improve both your physical and mental health. On top of 24/7 counseling services, we provide smoking cessation support, stress management counseling, peer-to-peer support, and more.

Happy New Year from all of us at MINES!

To your wellbeing (both physical and mental),

The MINES Team

The post How Can You Care for Both Your Physical and Mental Health? appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Although mental health awareness overall has come a long way, we tend to leave infants and young children out of the conversation. But research shows that our littlest humans can face mental health challenges too – and the earlier we intervene, the better chance they have at growing into happy and thriving adults.

In today’s blog, we’ll cover the basics of early childhood mental health and give you some tips on how you can promote positive mental health in your own little ones.

What is early childhood mental health?

Early childhood mental health typically refers to the mental health of children between 0 to 8 years of age.

Many people are confused when they hear the term “early childhood mental health.” You might be off-put by the idea of young children being diagnosed with or treated for mental health disorders. After all, they’re only kids – right?

Sadly, many more young children live with mental health conditions than you might believe. Reports show that up to 17% of children are diagnosed with a mental illness before they’re 6. Even very young children show clear symptoms of anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress, and more.

But the topic of early childhood mental health doesn’t just affect children with mental health challenges. Mental health should be a priority for all children, especially during the important early childhood years when the brain is developing at a rapid pace. It’s not just about treating childhood mental illness – it’s about promoting strong mental health in all young children.

What do mental health problems look like in early childhood?

Young children can show signs of a wide range of mental health problems, from mood disorders to neurodivergence and sensory processing issues. Let’s look at some of the most common categories of early childhood mental health symptoms.

Attachment disorders and trauma

One of the most important things that happens during a baby’s life is the attachment they build with their caregiver(s). When there is neglect or abuse present in these relationships, then reactive attachment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop.

Abuse and neglect can severely impact a child’s developing brain, stunt their growth, and lead to serious physical and mental health consequences further down the line.

In infants and young children, attachment and trauma-related disorders might look like:

• Severe separation anxiety
• Not being soothed when reunited with their caregiver(s)
• Being indiscriminately attached to any adult and showing no preference for their caregiver(s)
• Hypervigilance; being jumpy or easily startled
• Avoiding the caregiver(s)
• Themes of trauma in play

Feeding disorders

Feeding disorders Sometimes, difficulty with food and feeding is a physical health problem – but often, it’s related to the child’s mental health. Even so, leaving a feeding disorder untreated can lead to stunted growth and poor development in the muscles involved in swallowing.

An early childhood feeding disorder can look like:

• A lack of interest in food or eating
• Difficulty achieving a relaxed state while eating (for example, the infant may be overly agitated)
• Refusal of food
• Using mealtimes to interact with caregivers rather than to eat
• Avoidance of specific foods based on texture, taste, smell, or other features
• No age-appropriate interaction with caregivers (like eye contact) during mealtimes

Hyperactivity and ADHD

Over 250,000 U.S. children aged 3 to 5 are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This condition leads children to have difficulty regulating their focus and energy levels.

Some signs of ADHD in young children include:

• More tantrums and emotional outbursts than other children their age
• Constantly being in motion, even more than other young children
• Reckless behavior to the point of endangering themselves
• Aggression toward self or others
• Difficulty falling asleep or little need for sleep
• Extreme impatience with others
• Loses interest in activities after only a few moments, even activities of their choosing

Anxiety and depression

As unbelievable as it may seem to some, even infants can be depressed and anxious. Reports show that around 1 in 40 children aged 0 to 5 have depression. Depression in parents makes it more likely that the infant or child will also have depression.

Signs of depression and anxiety in infants and toddlers include:

• Regressing to a previous stage of development
• Being withdrawn or staring into space
• Not engaging socially with caregiver(s)
• Excessive whining
• No interest in developmentally appropriate toys and activities
• Clinginess
• Breath-holding in toddlers
• Sleep issues

What causes mental health problems in early childhood?

As is the case with teens and adults, there’s not one singular cause of early childhood mental health problems.

Experts say that many different factors come together to make some children more at risk for developing mental health issues, including:

• Genetics: Some children are genetically predisposed to developing mental health problems, but this doesn’t mean that every child with these genes will have issues 100% of the time. It simply means that they may be at higher risk.
• Toxic stress: Being exposed to traumatic and stressful events (like abuse and neglect) over and over again can lead to toxic stress. Toxic stress can severely damage a baby’s brain development and make it much more likely for children to develop mental health problems, either right away or later on down the road.
• Biological factors: Some early childhood mental health concerns, like ADHD or certain feeding disorders, are a direct result of biological differences in the brain.
• Family history and parental stress: Family history also comes into play. Babies whose parents have postpartum depression are more likely to have depression themselves.

What can we do to support early childhood mental health?

If you’re a parent, you’re probably asking yourself: What can I do to protect my baby’s mental health? How can I decrease the odds that my child will have mental health problems, either now or as an adult?

Although there are many factors outside of our control, there are many things that you can do as a parent to help promote your child’s brain and emotional development and protect their mental health.

• Build a secure attachment: Foster a secure attachment with your child by responding to their needs promptly and consistently. This helps them feel safe and loved.
• Create a safe home environment: Ensure that the home environment is safe, free from hazards, and provides a sense of security for your child. Consistency and predictability are key for building safety.
• Emotional regulation: Help your child learn to regulate their emotions by modeling appropriate emotional responses and providing comfort when they’re upset.
• Engage in play: Play isn’t just fun – it’s essential for a child’s development. Engage in age-appropriate play that encourages creativity, exploration, and social interaction.
• Create healthy routines: Establish consistent daily routines for feeding, sleeping, and playtime. Predictability can help children feel secure.
• Nutrition and sleep: Ensure that your child has a balanced diet and gets enough restful sleep. Both nutrition and rest are essential for mental health.
• Positive discipline: Use positive discipline strategies that focus on teaching and guiding rather than punishment. This helps your child learn boundaries without feeling shame or guilt.
• Read and communicate: Reading to your child and engaging in “baby talk” and conversations from an early age can enhance their language development and cognitive skills.
• Lean on your support system: Caring for an infant or toddler can be exhausting, and it’s important for you to take care of your own mental health and take breaks when you need them. Seek support from friends, family, or mental health professionals.
• Protect your own mental health: Your well-being is closely linked to your child’s well-being. Be aware of your own mental health and get counseling when you need it.
• Educate yourself: Learn as much as you can about child development and parenting techniques. Attend parenting classes or workshops if possible.
• Seek professional help: If you have concerns about your child’s behavior or development, don’t hesitate to consult a pediatrician or a child psychologist. Early intervention is critical in preventing these problems from getting worse.

At MINES, we want to help you and your child thrive and stay mentally healthy. We provide comprehensive Parental Coaching and Lactation Consultation services to help you be the best parent you can be for your precious little one.

Through our Parental Coaching program, you receive 4 phone coaching sessions per year to address the most challenging aspects of parenthood. Our experienced coaches are here to support you through any concerns that you may have about this journey.

If you need mental health support for yourself, you also have access to 24/7 free and confidential counseling with a licensed mental health provider.

Let’s all work together to protect the mental health of our youngest and most precious citizens.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post Early Childhood Mental Health: Why It’s Important appeared first on MINES and Associates.

The post Could Counseling Be the Missing Piece in Your Overall Well-Being? appeared first on MINES and Associates.

	Communicate with Kindness!
“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” – Jackie Chan Welcome to the December 2020 edition of TotalWellbeing, your guide to the 8 dimensions of wellbeing. We’re going to end this crazy year with a look at kindness and communicating respectfully with others. Sometimes communication with others is hard, even more so to do with kindness and respect. However, effective communication, especially when respectful/kind, can lead to more effective conversations, less misunderstandings, and better relationships. This is why it is important to understand the way you communicate as well as the communication styles of others. Check out the tips and articles below for advice on both of these important factors. Also, we want to remind everyone that we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season which can be anything but peaceful and relaxing. In fact, it is one of the most stressful times of the year. If you or any of your household members are feeling the holiday strain this year, please give us a call and we can help with work/life balance needs, financial concerns, and stress management We are here to help! As a quick reminder, your online portal, PersonalAdvantage, also has helpful articles, tips, and resources on being kind, dealing with those that are not so kind, and communicating effectively. Please log on today for articles, self-help tools, health assessments, and more. To your total wellbeing (and Happy Holidays!) The MINES Team Keys to Effective Communication In order to connect with people and help them understand where you’re coming from, you have to do more than just state your point. Communication is complex, and often learning how to communicate effectively requires practice and skill. Fortunately, there are specific things you can do to build your communication toolbox. Follow the suggestions below to learn some of the key techniques and become a more thoughtful and effective communicator. Create an Atmosphere of Trust When speaking in a group, show others that you are a good communicator. Listen openly to each person; this will show people that you won’t embarrass them or twist their words. Try to avoid judgment or unnecessary criticism. If you do have to provide criticism, make it constructive. Give praise and positive feedback. Get Your Thoughts Together Do research beforehand. Create notes, know the pros and cons of what you are presenting, and do your homework on the subject. If necessary, use visual tools or documents that can help your audience understand. Be specific, accurate, and honest about the subject. Adjust to Your Audience Consider what the other person already knows. If you reach a point where communicating becomes difficult, try to keep communication lines open so everyone can come to a level of understanding. Try not to use jargon or terms that are too technical; only use language that your listeners can understand. Pick an appropriate place to talk. If the subject is personal, pick a private place. Invite Feedback Ask your listener what he thinks of a subject, how he just interpreted what was said, and how he feels about the issue. Invite feedback, constructive criticism, and ask about the pros and the cons of the idea at stake. Use Appropriate Tone of Voice and Body Language Adjust tone and body language as needed, as these two things can actually influence what the listener hears. Note if you sound urgent, hesitant, angry, pleased, calm, or belligerent. Only use tones that are appropriate. Check your body language. If you are avoiding eye contact, crossing your arms, fidgeting, or leaning in too close to the listener, you may not be sending an effective message. Remember, your Employee Assistance Program is here to help if you with any stress around difficult conversations or confrontations. This includes counseling, self-help tools, wellness coaching, and more. If you need additional information, or to access services, please call MINES and Associates at 1-800-873-7138 today. Also, PersonalAdvantage has a ton of great resources and FREE webinars.
Styles of Communication There’s a lot more to communicating than just knowing how to string words together and provide straight-forward answers to questions. It’s important to recognize that there are many different ways to communicate and that each way is dependent upon the individual. Whether you’re a manager working with a team or a team member working with your coworkers to reach a goal, here are the different communication styles you might encounter: The Director Looks for direct lines of communication and stays focused on tasks. Makes decisions quickly, confidently, and practically. Can be dominant in discussions, which may lead to being impatient and insensitive. Doesn’t like being questioned, especially if he or she is the one providing directions. Doesn’t waste time and sets goals to get things done quickly. The Team-Player Supports others. Has an enthusiasm that makes the individual approachable. Speaks with animated gestures. Is willing to make changes and be creative to reach goals. Thinks out loud and involves others in decisions. Desires to support others and is sensitive to their needs, making the person vulnerable to criticism. Decisions are based on personal wishes, needs, and desires and often lack details and follow-through. The Contributor Tends to support the decisions of others rather than provide his or her own direction. Is dependable, relaxed, and supportive. Listens carefully to what others have to say and provides genuine responses. Can be seen as being too passive or indecisive, because of his or her support of others. Doesn’t always share true feelings to keep from creating confrontation with others. The Thinker Is always prepared, ready to analyze, and searching for the details. Likes to make lists so that he or she can keep all of the facts out in the open. Strives for accuracy when trying to get his or her point across. May be too cautious or inflexible when it comes to making decisions. Adheres to high standards that others might find critical or insensitive to the needs of the group. Likes to ask questions and look for solutions to problems that others have overlooked.
Question of the Month Did you recognize what style of communicator you are from the styles above? Did you determine the styles of your coworkers or managers? Once you recognize the differences between how you and others pass along and interpret information, you can begin to see where there are positive and negative relationships between those styles and how to build solutions to any problems that stem from differences in communication styles.
If you or a member of your household needs assistance or guidance on any of these wellbeing topics, please call MINES & Associates, your EAP, today for free, confidential, 24/7 assistance at 800.873.7138.
This Month’s Focus Free Webinar: How to Have Difficult and Sensitive Conversations MINESblog: New to TW? Check out our past Blogs! National Alzheimer’s Awareness Update Back to School During the Pandemic Important Links COVID19 Resource Page Visit our BLOG MINES and Associates Current Training Catalog Balanced Living Magazine LinkedIn MINES Archives Contact Us Email MINES
		MINES does not warrant the materials (Audio, Video, Text, Applications, or any other form of media or links) included in this communication have any connection to MINES & Associates, nor does MINES seek to endorse any entity by including these materials in this communication.  MINES accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided herein, nor any additional content that may be made available through any third-party site. We found them helpful, and hope you do too!

The post TotalWellbeing: December 2020 appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Are you finding yourself stressed or worried about the U.S. political landscape? If so, you are not alone. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 77% of Americans report the “future of our nation” as a significant source of stress. However, we can better protect ourselves from the emotional impact of our current political environment by strengthening our awareness, preparation, and self-care. 

Why are politics so stressful?

There are several reasons politics can feel so stressful. Elections introduce uncertainty about political outcomes, with or without a new administration. Many people worry about the impacts to their lives or communities as new political agendas are put in motion.  Politics create interpersonal conflict. We are social creatures who depend upon each other, and conflict within our social groups – friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers – can threaten our sense of belonging.  Given the divisiveness of our political climate and the prevalence of uncivil dialogue on social media, it is no surprise that recent elections and political events have generated acute stress for many people.

Five steps to cope with political stress

1. Limit your news consumption. The 24-hour news coverage is designed to keep you on high alert, waiting for the next “big story” to be revealed. Don’t take the bait. Instead, find one or two news sources you trust to stay informed – but limit your time with them!  It is OK to find out about news after it breaks. Pay attention to your mood and physical reactions while consuming the news; if you feel anxious, agitated or angry, these are cues to turn it off.
2. Take a social media break. Like the 24-hour news cycle, social media is designed to stimulate strong (mostly negative) emotional reactions.  Studies have shown that social media use is linked to increased feelings of stress, loneliness, and depression. Limit your use of social media to once a day at most, or take a break from it altogether.  
3. Focus on what you can control. Most of what is happening in national and global politics is out of our personal control. Turning our attention to ourselves, our friends, families and local communities can help us be empowered and productive. Focus on your personal wellbeing by engaging in things you enjoy such as hobbies, exercise and time with friends. If you enjoy being politically active, find one or two meaningful causes to which you can donate your time or money.
4. Live your values. One way to impact politics and decrease stress is to make sure our daily lives are closely aligned with our values. Values are fundamental beliefs that guide behaviors. With a clear sense of our own values, it is easier to maintain focus on what we find important and what we can control.

Seek community. Find people you trust to share your thoughts, feelings and concerns. Make sure they are people who will listen without judgment. Rely on friends, family or community groups who can help you laugh or find distractions during stressful times.

If you are experiencing stress related to our evolving political environment, please know that you are not alone. If MINES and Associates is your Employee Assistance Program, we are available 24/7 with free and confidential assistance from an experienced team of counselors, wellness coaches, online tools, and more. We offer counseling with licensed mental health professionals via telephone, video, and online text/message-based platforms.
Your EAP is available 24/7 at 800-873-7138 or visit www.minesandassociates.com

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post Politics Stressing You Out? 5 Tips to Feel Better appeared first on MINES and Associates.

	Tax Smarts and Financial Wellbeing
Welcome to the February 2019 edition of TotalWellbeing, your guide to the 8 dimensions of wellbeing. Tax season is fast approaching so we hope this month’s communication can help your financial wellbeing through the resources this month, like our free webinar and articles. If you missed us last month, last year, or you are new to TotalWellbeing, you can catch up on our newsletters page. Remember, this newsletter is aimed at providing helpful information about various aspects of your wellbeing and then connecting it all back to important and relevant parts of everyday life. Just like last year, we will focus on looking at each facet of wellbeing from a small, personal, level and then look at how it connects to the bigger community level as we explore how our wellbeing is tied to the world around us in often surprising ways that you may not have thought about before. To your total wellbeing, The MINES Team
The Art of Financial Wellbeing Tax time is a time of year where our financial wellbeing is put to the test and can often have negative effects on our other areas of wellbeing. On one side, if it turns out you owe money after you file this can create an urgent situation around paying your taxes. This is why it is important to plan for this time of year and talk to your employer as well as financial professionals to make sure your tax set up is ideal for your living situation and income. On the flip side, if you are getting money back it can be very tempting to spend this money and treat it as “extra” money even though it isn’t. Either way some financial planning and smart money choices can go a long way. To help with this don’t forget you can use your EAP sessions to access financial counseling as well as you have access to tons of articles and resources on our website though PersonalAdvantage. If you would like to talk to a counselor or wellness coach about these topics, please call us at 1-800-873-7138 to get connected right away. Also, PersonalAdvantage has some great Tax tips and health resources, and FREE webinars this month to help you focus on your wellbeing while also being productive at work and home.
Question of the Month What would be most helpful for you to know, and who do you know that can give you the information you need, to help you improve how you look at finances?
Quote of the Month “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin
Community and Global Perspective Financial issues are definitely a personal topic for most people, and while this is true, it is also true that many aspects of our financial wellbeing are tied to the larger financial systems out there. None more so than the state, national, and global economies. This is important to recognize because, as individuals, there is very little we can do to sway the overall economy one way or the other. What we can control, however, is how we prepare ourselves for things like recessions, tax changes, stock market plunges and even natural disasters. This puts even more emphasis on why personal financial planning is important, especially when the economy is doing good and you have extra money to invest and save, to not just make decisions around your personal finances but to protect yourself from unforeseen and uncontrollable events. Again, contact MINES today if you would like to talk about resources available to you and your household member for financial planning and wellbeing.
If you or a member of your household needs assistance or guidance on any of these wellbeing topics, please call MINES & Associates, your EAP, today for free, confidential, 24/7 assistance at 800.873.7138.
This Month’s Focus Check out this month’s webinar: Tax Savings Strategies MINESblog: What Police Officers Wish You Knew New to TW? Check out our past Blogs! Important Links Visit our BLOG MINES and Associates 2019 Training Catalog Balanced Living Magazine LinkedIn MINEs Archives Contact Us Email MINES
		MINES does not warrant the materials (Audio, Video, Text, Applications, or any other form of media or links) included in this communication have any connection to MINES & Associates, nor does MINES seek to endorse any entity by including these materials in this communication.  MINES accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided herein, nor any additional content that may be made available through any third-party site. We found them helpful, and hope you do too!

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Thank you John Oliver and your staff for a significant public service on your show this week! Your commentary and excellent coverage of a major problem in substance use disorder and alcohol treatment will have an impact far beyond what the insurance and professional communities have been able to do.

MINES has patients who have gone out of network, received poor care, the payors have received outrageous bills, the patients are stuck with bills that can only result in medical bankruptcy and as you noted, people die in these disreputable facilities.  A major component that you pointed out is patient brokering. When people Google substance abuse/use treatment, the top 20-30 are facilities, mostly in Florida and California, or are patient brokers. Reputable facilities in the person’s community do not even make the list. Then the facilities sometimes even pay the airfare to fly the patient to their facility and if the patient does not meet medical necessity for that level of care, the facility turns them out on the street to find their own way back to the state/community they live in.

You mentioned addictionologists as a resource for finding reputable care. In addition, Employee Assistance Programs as well as managed behavioral health services (insurance) are knowledgeable and informed about substance use and alcohol treatment. They know which facilities and programs are in network with the insurance and which ones do a good job.

Evidence-based treatment supports the use of a continuum of care from outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential and detox (medical and social detox). There are medications that also contribute to sobriety and health.

These are chronic illnesses/conditions that require the patients to cope with all their lives. Learning relapse prevention and adherence skills are essential.

If you decide to delve into this national problem further in a future episode, I would be happy to consult with you and your team.

The following clip may be not suitable for some work environments:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQiXv0sn9Y]

Resource:

This is a link to a pdf of an article published by the Self Insurance Institute of America on predatory treatment facilities and managed behavioral healthcare strategies for helping the patients and the payors. http://www.minesandassociates.com/documents/Predatory_Facility_Article.pdf

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World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is observed on the 10th of October every year with the goal of raising awareness and boosting efforts to provide care and resources to those in need. Here at MINES every day is mental health day as we are constantly striving to raise awareness and provide helpful, often life-saving, resources to not just our clients but also our community.

Impact

Whether you suffer from a mental health condition or not the impact on our workplaces and communities is undeniable. In the workplace alone, increased absenteeism and lowered productivity due to mental health condition and substance abuse cost US organizations nearly 100 billion dollars per year according to the World Health Organization. The WHO also reports that mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide, accounting for 37% of lost healthy years from non-communicable diseases. With this information in mind, it is no question that we need to continue the fight to provide access to resources and care around the mental health crisis, especially in a society where the importance and funding of mental health services are being undermined. So what can we do?

Helping

Try as we might we are not able to reach everyone with our messages and resources, which is why it is so important that as we all do our part to help those around us. If yourself or someone you know is struggling with mental health conditions, please seek help. Aside from traditional counseling that may be covered under your health insurance, there are many community-based and employer-supported resources that may be available to you such as an Employee Assistance Program. If your employer does not have an Employee Assistance Program in place, there are numerous resources that you can that can point you in the right direction and help find solutions for long-term goals or just help you deal with a crisis you may be going through here and now. Below is a selection of resources including national helplines, information sources, support groups, and organizations dedicated to helping.

Resources

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America – adaa.org
• Colorado Mental Wellness Network – coloradomentalwellnessnetwork.org
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance – dbsalliance.org
• Mental Health America – mentalhealthamerica.net
• Mental Health America of Colorado – mhacolorado.org/gethelp
• National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention – actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – suicidepreventionlifeline.org
  • 1-800-273-8255
• National Institute for Mental Health – nimh.nih.gov
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – nami.org
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline –
  • 1-800-662-HELP
• United Way- unitedway.org/local/united-states/
• Veterans Crisis Line – veteranscrisisline.net
  • 1-800-273-8255

If you want to take an even more active approach and receive training on mental health first aid head over to mentalhealthfirstaid.org to find courses near you where you can learn how to better identify, understand, and respond to those that may be suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues.

Going Forward

Remember that the need for access to quality mental health resources is not just an issue on World Mental Health Day. Today is a great conversation starter, but it is action by people like you and me and action and support by organizations like yours and mine (MINES) that will provide real results that may just save the lives of people in need. So, let’s talk to each other, lets act together, and as a society let’s take the next step towards less stigma, more support, and better care for everyone.

To your wellbeing,

The MINES Team

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