World Mental Health Day

October 10^th is a time to celebrate World Mental Health Day, which serves to recognize the importance of mental health, both as individuals and as a community. This year, the focus is on mental health being a human right, in order to remind us that our well-being is worth protecting and to arm us with the means of protecting it.

As straightforward as the phrase “mental health” may seem, it actually encompasses a wide range of individual, social, and structural determinants that result in the state of our overall well-being. Among these are physical health, the ability to connect with others, and wellness in the workplace. Productivity, interest in one’s work, and communication with co-workers are all impacted by mental health.

As an individual, here are some actionable steps you can take to improve your mental health:

1. Learn to understand, manage, and communicate your feelings
   • Here’s an article that can help
2. Seek support from someone you trust
   • The best way to start a conversation is to find a time when your trusted person can give you their full attention. You’ll also want to feel comfortable, so choose somewhere that feels right for you.
3. Manage stress through mindfulness, breathing exercises, and meditation
   • Here is a short 10 minute stress-relieving video that can be done at your desk
4. Get closer to nature
   • Grow flowers, plants, or vegetables, get a bird feeder, and take in the sights and sounds around you. If planting isn’t your thing, you can also connect to nature through nature walks, stories, art, and sound recordings.
5. Stay physically active
   • Spread bursts of activity throughout your day by making activity part of your daily routine.
6. Eat healthy food
   • Here’s an article with 75 easy and healthy dinner recipes
7. Get the most out of your sleep
   • Check out these 6 steps to better sleep
8. Know when to seek professional help
   • See below for details on what mental health benefits Reynolds offers

Of course, mental health is not an endeavor to be pursued only by the individual. As this year’s theme reminds us, everyone has the right to work in a safe and healthy environment that is inclusive of people affected by mental health conditions. To create such a space requires collaboration between employees and employers to foster a culture of health. This includes solutions such as distributing informative resources, providing self-assessment tools, hosting workshops for stress management and improved motivation and giving employees opportunities to participate in decisions that affect job stress.

As a Reynolds associate, you have access to a number of mental health benefits and resources through your medical/prescription plan, as well as through your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). More information can be found through the links below.

1. Medical/Prescription Summary Plan: https://home.reyrey.com/article/57019
   1. You can find a network provider on www.mycigna.com or by calling Cigna at 1-800-244-6224. There is also information on there about setting up virtual care through MDLive.
   1. Info about the EAP: https://home.reyrey.com/article/56684
      1. This is available to all associates, regardless of enrollment in our medical/prescription plan. Counseling and other resources are some of the services included in the program.

Additional resources:

1. World Mental Health Day 2023: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2023
   1. Mental Health Tips: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/our-best-mental-health-tips
   1. Mental Health in the Workplace: https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/workplace-health/mental-health/index.html