Boost Your Immunity, Beat Stress and Support Your Team!

Everything's a whirlwind right now.

My email and social media inboxes have never been so busy. I am getting request after request to support clients, families, support groups and entire teams. 

Everyone is just doing their best to find some BALANCE — or a quick way to regain it if they find themselves wobbling. 

I want to encourage you to continue to express and move through your emotions in as many HEALTHY ways as possible. 

This will help you RELEASE and INTEGRATE and RESET to a new peace in your body, and new energy to begin again. 

If you are also looking for practical DAILY steps to BOOST your IMMUNITY and TACKLE STRESS from the time you wake up to bedtime, please download the following guide from our "Hero of the Week" Dr Adeeti Gupta! 

Dr. Gupta, an OBGYN in the NY area, founded the First-Ever Walk IN GYN center after witnessing the deficiencies in Women’s health care. Education, caring for all women with compassion and women’s empowerment through preventative holistic health care are some of the core values that she promulgates. 

And WHY is Dr Gupta Counseling Space's hero of the week? 

This past week, Dr Gupta contacted Counseling Space to request that we offer our Virtual Wellness Services to her team during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As she encourages at the close of the IMMUNITY BOOSTER AND STRESS BUSTER Checklist, she wants her team to be SAFE, STRONG, and READY in ALL WAYS. 

We admire that she recognizes mental preparation as a major component for coping during this current crisis. 

If you are a small business owner who is seeking similar support for your team  or needing support yourself, you can email us at info@counselingpc.com or BOOK BELOW. 

At Counseling Space, we are here to support teams like yours and Dr Gupta's so YOU can continue supporting others during this time. 

Let's help each other help others. 

And, in the meantime, please, take care of yourself.

With Wellness, 

Leslie M. Garcia 

5 Mental Health Questions for Your Job Interview

The three top factors we often use to rank the quality of a job are financial compensation, job security, and the prestige of the company. 

But how about the mental health culture of the employer? 

According to the Institute of Stress, work stress is ranked the third cause of stress in our population! And according to a series of on-the-job happiness surveys consulted in this Forbes article, the following are the top ten factors for job satisfaction: 

1. Appreciation for your work

2. Good relationships with colleagues

3. Good work-life balance

4. Good relationships with superiors

5. Company's financial stability

6. Learning and career development

7. Job security

8. Attractive fixed salary

9. Interesting job content

10. Company values

ONLY THREE out of the ten reference finances and security and SEVEN are focused on relationships and the quality of the emotional-mental environment and company social culture! 

Therefore, mental health CULTURE should be more important than financial CURRENCY when evaluating the quality of a job!

Below, are FIVE questions to help you explore a potential employer's views on mental health: 

1. Name three things that the company has done to promote the well-being of employees.

2. Can you describe the work culture?

3. What recent changes took place or will take place to improve the work culture?

4. What is the leadership style of the direct supervisor?

5. Does the company participate in any social responsibility activities?

BONUS QUESTION: How does the employer support an employee who has experienced a sudden life transition? (You can add your own life transition experiences, such as illness, loss, or accidents.)

These questions are to encourage employers to no longer ignore how work impacts mental health. 

Mental health conditions are rising at a rapid rate and it’s imperative that we carefully assess the environments in which we offer a huge portion of our time and expertise to determine if it’s a good “mental fit” for us.  

Mental Health Preparation and the Coronavirus

With the alarming news about the upcoming elections, fluctuating stock market, and the coronavirus, you may find yourself asking, "What’s next?"

We are ONLY in the third month of the year. Basically, it's still the beginning of the year and the first quarter, but it feels like so much time has passed as it's difficult to keep up with all the events. 

In the news, we are seeing so many deaths including those we have followed in the media for years. 

There's political unrest.

And the latest is the newest pandemic scare.

All of the above can affect our mental health as we are constantly reminded that there is only so much we can control. 

Now, the latest coronavirus is causing panic due to the unknown effects, the sudden deaths, and the economic impact.

Here are 10 things to do to help your mental health: 

1. Ask your providers about the option of virtual visits 

2. Consider mail-in prescriptions for you and your loved one's medicine 

3. Ask your employer about work-from-home options 

4. Contact your local elected official's office to know about updates in your community

5. Contact your or your child’s school about future planning procedures 

6. Ask your medical providers if scheduled procedures should be changed

7. Boost your immune system with healthy food and necessary rest

8. Remember where the important health documents are placed

9. Stock your home with nutritional necessities

10. Check on loved ones who are in health and correctional facilities and seek information about updates on future planning for their healthcare

The list above is to help transform panic into preparation. 

Lastly, be mindful of where and how much information you consume in the news as it can trigger and re-trigger your anxiety.  

Do your best to be proactive versus reactive.

Your Mental Health Needs Perspective

No, we are not late, instead, we decided to wait.

We decided not to go on social media immediately after the tragic loss of a highly respected sports icon. Although many used social media platforms as a tool to express their grief and shock we are aware that there are individuals who were triggered due to their personal experiences. Perhaps, for some, seeing tragedy dominate their social media feed shifted their mood and led them to avoid social media altogether. We also can’t help to think about those who are the loved ones of the victims who learned about the loss on social media and are now constantly reminded by quotes, clips, and other images.

Many of our clients have been sharing their feelings about the loss and how it has triggered unexpected feelings. This is not surprising.

It’s important to realize that moments of loss require spaces for grief, shock, and other mixed emotions. However, during this phase, perspective on life is often disregarded.

Unfortunately, we are often ONLY reminded of the superficial cliches of "life is short" and "live it to the fullest." LIVING WELL isn't just about checking items off a bucket list or living in the moment, but living with self-awareness, self-compassion, and openness.

We want to remind you of the HEALING POWER of having a healthy perspective on life.

Here are THREE (3) ways to nurture a healthy perspective on life:

1. Seek progress and not perfection. This applies to you and your loved ones. Be honest when you look for perfection, and understand that you are risking comparison and that will lead to a host of unhealthy feelings of inadequacy for your mental health. Instead ask, "Am I making progress in life and are my relationships evolving to deeper mutual connection and understanding?"

2. Be aware that forgiveness has a different meaning for everyone. Are you still waiting for forgiveness from someone who, possibly, does not share the same meaning or value of forgiveness as you do? Are you giving someone the power to force you to carry emotional weight? Forgive yourself for not knowing, for being scared to move forward, for holding on to emotions that caused stagnation in your life. We have a right to ask that forgiveness is received or accepted but it should be done willingly and not forced. “I’m sorry” is a powerful and healing statement when said to ourselves and others.

3. Live in acceptance. We have to accept that we do not leave this earth without suffering battles, some of which we will win and others we will lose and learn from. Also, remember that battles are not conquered alone. If you are facing a battle, you don’t have to do it alone. There is always someone out there who has walked or is walking the same path and understands.

Be aware, compassionate, and patient with yourself when struggling with your mental health. Healing is a journey that starts with you. Why not choose this VERY moment to have a NEW perspective on life — and not wait for another tragedy to do so.

Overwhelmed to Organized - 3 Time Management Techniques

Today, I want to talk about Time Management.

I know time management is a huge challenge for many of us, especially, for business owners. And I want to share three (3) unique Time Management techniques.

So, the three time management techniques I'll discuss are:

1. Block Your Time

2. Wellness Time 

3. Energy Alignment Time 

Okay, so what is Block Your Time?

Review your calendar and block any dates that you know you do not work. That can be your birthday, anniversary, any type of holidays that you take off every single year. So, go ahead, make your life easier and block all those dates for those times you do not work. 

It can even be a graduation. If you know someone close to you is graduating this year, you can call and ask them, “Please let me know when the graduation date is confirmed.” This way, you can go ahead and block that on your calendar.

The second one is Wellness Time. 

Wellness Time is a time that often is reoccurring. It's any time that you use to recharge yourself. Make sure that you set that time on a daily basis to recharge, to refuel, and you stick to it! 

There is no room for negotiation.

Also, Wellness Time can include doctor visits. Let's say, every year you get your physical exam or you go to the dentist. Maybe you want to dedicate a month out of the year for those appointments. It can be May medical month and that's your month to go see your doctor for your physical exam, go see the dentist and get an eye exam. 

Make sure that the days are included in your calendar on a reoccurring basis, or dedicate a particular month to make sure all those visits are out the way. 

The third one and the last one. 

Energy Alignment Time. What does that mean?

Some people are very energetic in the morning. Some people are night owls. 

How do you align your task with your energy?

If you know that different tasks require your full energy, don't fool yourself and try to do all of it at a time that is not at your peak. At least, dedicate one task before noon. 

If you know that in the morning you have full 100% energy, make sure that you dedicate those tasks that require your full attention in the morning.

Be very truthful with yourself. And make sure that those tasks are in alignment with your energy level and, this way, you don't feel obligated or you don't feel lack of motivation. 

Energy Alignment Time, I don’t think, is even thought of or discussed, but everyone is different. Everyone has a different level of peak throughout the day — and we should be mindful of this in planning our schedules. 

I'm hopeful that you will take the time and review your calendar and apply these three techniques, which include Block Time, Wellness Time, and Energy Alignment Time.

With Wellness,

Leslie M. Garcia