Last week was Mental Health Awareness week and we wanted to take some time to reflect on this important time.
Mental Health, even in 2021 during a national pandemic, it is still somewhat of a taboo subject. However, talking about mental wellness has never been more important than it is today.
Did you know that 4 in 10 adults in the United States have reported symptoms of anxiety since the start of the pandemic, prior to the pandemic 1 in 10 adults reported these same symptoms, that’s a huge and unfortunate increase since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many of us have been personally affected by COVID-19 and the havoc it has wreaked throughout the world. Many have watched loved ones become physically or mentally ill and some have had to watch a loved one pass away from this horrible virus. The mental anguish surrounding the pandemic is very real.
Talking about Mental Wellness in our industry is extremely vital to the success and overall wellbeing of our people. Total Landscape Care stated in an article “The landscaping industry’s close ties with construction became apparent in their shared statistics concerning mental health.” Additionally, a study of construction workers revealed that 75.1% of workers had assisted someone else with a mental health crisis but had not reached out to anyone for help to manage their own mental health issues. Talk about draining a well that is already running dry with no help refilling in sight. We cannot effectively help others if we are not taking care of ourselves, mentally, physically, and emotionally and the only way to do this is to start talking about mental health and sharing our struggles sooner rather than later.
At Lucia Landscaping, we recognize that the health of our team members is all encompassing, that mental health is just as important as physical health is. To combat the stigma and encourage open discussions regarding mental health, we took time to discuss this important topic with our team members at our monthly meeting last week. We are also making arrangements to further encourage those that are struggling to speak up, and if they are not comfortable, they can at least pick up readily available information to get help on their own.
Mental illness does not discriminate, it affects the young, old, wealthy, and poor. The only way to combat the stigma is to talk and get help if you or someone you know are struggling.
Need to talk immediately? The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
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