Mental Health Awareness Month at Two Barrels

May 20, 2024 7:26 pm

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and that gives us at Two Barrels the opportunity to strengthen (and brag a little about) our commitment to creating a supportive and mentally healthy community. This month, we are emphasizing the power of taking care of ourselves and others, and we’re sharing resources and strategies you can use to address your own mental health struggles. Our hope is to destigmatize talking about mental well-being by making it a priority within our company in the hopes that other employers will follow our lead.

The Importance of Taking Care of Your Mental Health

No matter who you are, you’ve probably dealt with—or known someone who has dealt with mental health issues. But, while we all grew up learning about how to take care of our physical health, mental health wasn’t always highlighted as something we need to actively protect and maintain. Here are the key reasons that we need to prioritize taking care of mind and self-awareness.

1. Improved physical health
We are learning more every day about the connections between our physical and mental health. Neglecting your mental well-being can contribute to or create physical health problems. This can look like anything from problems sleeping, to lack of appetite, to a weakened immune system.

2. Social connection and support
Humans are social creatures. When you reach out to connect with others about what you are struggling with, or when you reach out to offer support to someone else who is struggling, you are strengthening relationships that can, in turn, help you maintain good mental health. If you don’t have a social support group, we include a link on how to find one below!

3. Increased focus and resilience
When you learn helpful coping mechanisms for facing tough issues, you’re practicing focusing your attention and thoughts, which can improve all aspects of your life. Strengthening this ability will help you adapt to any future setbacks or challenging experiences.

4. Better quality of life
Increasing your self-awareness and knowing how to address distressing thoughts is one way to protect your mental health. When you aren’t bogged down with anxious thoughts or patterns, you free up more space for what matters. Any small increase in self-esteem, social connection, or willpower can create a ripple effect across your whole life.

How we keep our mind healthy at Two Barrels

We normalize talking about mental health
Physical health is a regular topic of discussion from the time we’re kiddos, but mental health has only recently been destigmatized as something we can openly discuss and connect through. This month at Two Barrels, we’re hosting webinars and sharing strategies for creating life-long mental hygiene strategies.

We offer in-house therapy
Therapy can provide you with useful tools for processing difficult feelings or learning new approaches to successful communication. But it isn’t always easy to find available therapists or counselors that don’t have months-long waitlists. For our Idaho and Washington employees, we have our own in-house therapist available for appointments.

Mental health is built into our insurance benefits
We know that good health insurance in itself can lead to better peace of mind for our employees and their families. Our employee benefits package and Employee Assistance Program includes access to confidential counseling and 24/7 crisis help, and our amazing benefits team can help you find the assistance or resources that work best for you.

We focus on benefits that impact your whole life
Stress and burnout are some of the biggest mental health bummers, so we do what we can to make sure you never get to that point. We provide generous paid time off, parental leave, and flexible schedules so you can pick up your kid from school or take time off for a therapy appointment. We have options for short- and long-term disability leave and tons of financial assistance and programs to help employees meet their long-term goals.

We’re big on healthy work-life balance
We really emphasize the need for good work-life balance for all of our employees, whether they work on-site or from home. We provide you with a separate laptop so that you aren’t blurring the boundaries between your work time and your leisure time, and we don’t ask you to respond to emails or calls when you’re done with work for the day.

Five Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health Right Now

We know that everyone is different, but we’ve been around the block a few times and want to share five things that you can do right now to keep your mind grooving or to jolt you out of a funk.

Get Active or Creative
At Two Barrels we spend a lot of time staring at our computer screens, but it’s good to take regular breaks away from your screen to activate other parts of your brain. Depending on your physical fitness level, a short walk or bike ride can be a good way to get endorphins pumping. Or, get your creative juices flowing with your art form of choice—write a haiku by hand or doodle your to-do list instead of just writing it out.

Learn the symptoms of mental health issues
When we recognize what mental health struggles look like and how they present themselves, we’re better equipped to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. The Mayo Clinic has outlines a list of signs that indicate someone could benefit from a mental health tune up. If you notice these symptoms, it’s a good time to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Schedule Something to Look Forward To
We all need a break sometimes. And scheduling some self-care or time for a hobby can give you something to look forward to. Book a vacation, make a manicure appointment, invite a friend to a movie, or order the book you’ve been eyeing to read over the weekend. Scheduling these small breaks and treats can increase self-esteem and well-being by reinforcing the fact that you are important and deserve things that make you happy.

Take Some Deep Breaths
Anytime you notice that you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, it never hurts to close your eyes and focus on taking a few deep, slow breaths. This is also a great practice to do before heading in to anything that tends to give you anxiety, like an important interview or meeting. You can find additional guided breathing techniques and videos online if you find that this is something that helps.

Make Sure You’ve Had Enough Water and Nutrients
Ever notice that you get kind of cranky when your hungry or dehydrated? Your entire physical system, including your mind, will work better when it’s getting proper hydration and food. Don’t eat too much or little, make sure you’re eating enough fruits and veggies, and include a daily multivitamin to fill in any gaps. We recommend talking to your doctor to make sure you’re on the right track for health.

Mental Health Resources for Everyone

If everyone knew how to take care of their mental health properly, there wouldn’t currently be a mental health crisis in our country. Here are some tools and resources for anyone looking for support or information. We encourage everyone to bookmark these pages and share them with their social network.

Emergency Help

If these resources aren’t enough when things are tough, you can contact crisis hotlines that will talk to you and get you the help you need. These are confidential, free, and available 24/7 to anyone in need. In the case of potential harm or injury, we urge you to call 911.

Conclusion

If you’re dealing with mental health issues, no matter how big or small, we at Two Barrels want you to know that you aren’t alone and there are people and resources available to help you heal. And if you aren’t dealing with issues now, it’s never too late to have routines and strategies in place to protect your health or to support your loved ones when they need help. Remember that you and what you have to offer are awesome, and that you can achieve success without risking your mental health.

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