Even though the month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States since 1949, the topic of mental health awareness has gained enormous momentum as side effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have emerged. What is Mental Health? Mental Health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively, and contributes to their community. Mental Health defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act.
Emotional Safety can be contributed to how one feels based on relationships. It revolves around how an individual expresses emotions based on those experiences. Construction has one of the highest suicide rates. Out of the realization that we need to be better as an industry and make mental health and suicide prevention a priority, campaigns such as the promotion of the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline were born. A heartfelt story was shared at the conference about how the recently rolled out 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline poker chips saved the life of the presenter’s twelve-year-old granddaughter. Western Allied is committed to getting out the awareness about these poker chips and into the hands of our Western Allied family, because it might just save the life of a WAMer or even save the life of someone in their social circle.
Psychological safety is important to create a safer workplace where employees can bring up concerns and problems without fear of reprisal and proactively before they lead to a more serious issue. At Western Allied, everyone is encouraged and has the authority and responsibility to stop work and get a second opinion whenever any of our employees see something they believe to be unsafe.
Social Well-Being is the ability to be free from want of basic needs and to coexist peacefully in communities with opportunities for advancement. If Western Allied’s reputation is known for anything, it’s known for valuing diversity and building and maintaining healthy relationships and having meaningful interactions with those around us. When a client works with us, they are treated as if they are part of the WAMily as well. We have one of the best safety cultures around because we believe everyone has something to contribute.
At the end of the day, we want all of our WAMers, clients and work partners to go home in the same, if not better condition, as when they arrived to work. Mental Health has a big part in achieving a “better condition” mentality to return home with. Mental Health in regards to safety is one key element in Engineering Better Environments.
Tips that may improve your Mental Health:
- Meditate, self-reflect and value yourself
- Connect with others, see and show value in your relationships
- Spend time in nature
- Exercise
- Seek out healthy ways to deal with stress
- Eat healthy
- Learn, practice and refine new skills
- Give to others
- Don’t skimp on sleep
- Set realistic goals
- Become a Mental Health First Aider! HeaHdhHhH
So remember to take time for yourself, get out and enjoy the activities that make you happy and please ask for help. You don’t have to do it alone!