Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health. Here are some key ways to take care of your mental health so you have the resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs, adapt to change and maintain healthy relationships.

Accept yourself. Every person is different, and no one is perfect. Accept yourself for who you are, and take pride in your unique strengths and quirks. When you find yourself being self-critical, pause and reflect on what’s good about you – why those in your life love and appreciate you and all of the things you do well.

Strengthen social connections. Social connections are a key element in your mental health. Make time for the people you care about, especially the people with whom you’re able to discuss your emotions. Pay attention to who in your social network lifts your mood when you’re feeling down and who is open and honest with you when you’re seeing things in an unrealistic way.

Calm yourself. When you’re dealing with a stressful situation or feel your body growing tense, take time out to calm yourself. Learn stress-reducing techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness, and use the ones that work for you to relax your body and your mind. Physical activity, healthy sleep habits and time with friends can all help to reduce your stress.

Practice healthy thinking. Build your emotional resilience by adopting positive habits of thought. Practicing gratitude is one way to do this. Take time every day to think about what you are grateful for, and write it down.

Talk about how you feel. When you’re sad, worried or upset, talk about what you’re going through with someone you trust. When you hold those feelings inside yourself, they can build, becoming more intense and uncomfortable. When you talk about them, you begin to process your emotions, understand what lies behind them and find ways to solve the problems you’re facing.

Find purpose and meaning in life. It can be through spirituality or religious practice, caring relationships with others or helping people in. If you don’t find purpose and meaning in your job or your daily life, look for other ways to find this satisfaction. Consider volunteering, paying more attention to the relationships in your life, exploring your spirituality or simply looking for new ways to be kind.

When you’re suffering emotionally and nothing seems to help, reach out for support. Your employee assistance program (EAP) can direct you to a professional counselor who can help you cope with the challenges you’re facing. Contact your BHS Care Coordinator at 800-245-1150.

It can be a struggle to balance work with other areas of your life, often described as work-life balance. Learning new ways to handle things will help you achieve that important balance. Below are ideas to help you bring your work and life into balance.

Manage Your Time. Avoid procrastination. For many people, most of the stress they feel comes from simply being disorganized and procrastinating. Learn to set more realistic goals and deadlines, then stick to them. You’ll find that not only are you less stressed, but your work will be better.

Set Realistic Expectations with Yourself. Set realistic expectations with yourself that allows for quality work. If you think it will take 1.5 hours to do something, give yourself two hours. Try the following:

• Step 1—Give yourself increased time frames to get things done.
• Step 2—Increase the amount of gentleness and compassion you have for yourself and your limits.
• Step 3—Slowly increase your expectations of yourself so you have room to grow and succeed.

Talk to Your Supervisor/Chair. If you are feeling overwhelmed. Find out if there is a way of modifying your hours, shifts or job duties to temporary adjust for your current situation.

Slow Down. Life is simply too short, so don’t let things pass by you in a blur. Take steps to stop and enjoy the things and people around you. Don’t make plans for every evening or weekend, and find some ways to distance yourself or take breaks from the things that are causing you the most stress.

Share the Load. Even though you may feel you are the only one capable of doing something, it is usually not the case. Get your partner, family or friends to help you with personal and family responsibilities. Taking care of the household, children or parents should not be the responsibility of just one person.

Take Charge. Sometimes it is easier to allow yourself to feel overwhelmed rather than to take charge and develop a prioritized list of things that need to get done. Develop a list, set priorities and then enjoy the satisfaction of crossing things off the list.

In the end, the key word is balance. You need to find the right balance that works for you. Celebrate your successes and don’t dwell on your failures. Life is a process, and so is striving for balance in your life.

If you need help with balancing, don’t hesitate to seek advice. Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free and confidential assessment and counseling services. BHS is available by calling 800-245-1150 or visiting behavioralhealthsystems.com.

Back-to-school time is around the corner. It’s an exciting time, full of hope and anticipation. Who’s my teacher? Are all my friends returning this year? Those questions and others can have many students dreading the start of the school year, leading to much anxiety and even depression. How can you help get ready from a mental health standpoint for the start of a new school year? Here are a few tips:

• Start your routine before the first day of school. Don’t wait until the first day of school/class to get in a schedule. The best thing you can do is begin a routine before the year starts.
• Remind your student of what they learned the previous year. While school “veterans” are familiar with their school, they may have anxiety from thinking they haven’t retained what they learned the previous year. Do a short review from the previous year with math questions, spelling words or science lessons.
• Familiarize your student with where they are going to school. Ease some anxiety by taking your child to see the school building and facilities before the first day, especially for first timers. If the school has an open house or orientation, take advantage of that. At least walk around the outside of the building, and show your student that school is fun and more than sitting in a classroom.
• Stay engaged with your student beyond the first day. After the first day, keep asking about their time at school and open the lines of communication. You need to be excited about your child’s school day. Be intentional and create time to talk.

With these tips, you can help your child or teenager be both mentally and emotionally prepared to start the year off right!

Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free and confidential assessment and counseling services. BHS is available by calling 800-245-1150 or visiting behavioralhealthsystems.com.

4 Servings • 15 Minutes Prep Time

Ingredients • 2 pounds tomatoes • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • flaky sea salt • 1 cup arugula leaves, torn • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced • 1 cup basil leaves, torn • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • coarsely ground black pepper • toasted ciabatta bread for serving

Instructions • Cut tomatoes and shallot • Pour red wine and sprinkle sea salt on top in a bowl • Toss and let marinate 5 minutes • Scatter arugula leaves on platter • Add shallots and tomatoes on top • Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste