Hit the Reset Button On Your Mental Wellness

ARE YOU STRUGGLING with insomnia or wakefulness, anxiety, a change in eating habits or even self-isolation? If so, your body may be trying to tell you it’s time for a mental health break.

“I look at these things as our alarm systems. [They] just send us an alert that we need to pay attention,” says Betsy Jackson, a licensed mental health counselor with AdventHealth.

For generations, mental health was a taboo topic relegated to a therapist’s couch or a rehab center. Then came COVID, whose one positive takeaway was that psychological and emotional well-being are as important as physical health.

As a result, the stigma is finally fading, Jackson says. “In general, I see a shift to this acceptance that taking care of my mind and my emotions is a good thing, and it’s OK. It’s actually beneficial to everyone.”

Courtesy Visit Orlando

Wellness and the Workplace

That includes employers, according to Dyana Burke, senior vice president of human resources at CareerSource Central Florida. Addressing your mental health “doesn’t make you less valuable at work. In fact, the message back to employees is doing so really makes you more valuable. It allows you to contribute more,” Burke says. “They’re equating it to overall well-being and productivity. Businesses can link it to business outcomes.”

Though a 2023 American Psychological Association study shows only 15 percent of employers offer designated mental health days, Burke says many workplaces provide banks of paid time off that can be used at the employee’s discretion with approval. Managers are also being trained to recognize signs that an employee needs help.

Courtesy Visit Orlando

Reflecting and Resetting

According to Jackson, a mental health day can be a day off work, a weekend day or even an entire weekend. However you do it, it should be planned and “intentional to identify and observe our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs and then making adjustments” accordingly.

The ideal day varies by personality and need but should include a break from media, the counselor recommends. Consider a walk on the beach or a hike through a forest, a spa day, a jog, yoga, journaling, or listening to music. Or maybe do something as simple as writing your concern on a biodegradable lantern and then releasing it.

Be creative and be sure to mix in “some playfulness, something that brings joy or lightheartedness,” Jackson says. “Play is an important thing for kids but also for adults.” Sometimes helping others can be cathartic. CareerSource offers its employees paid volunteer time off to serve at approved charities.

“That’s something that gives people happiness,” Burke says. “We’re giving back to the community. It’s a win-win.”

Roberto Gonzalez

Habits for a Healthier You

As people experience “an ongoing grieving process” resulting from the multilayered losses suffered during the pandemic, it’s important to be proactive about mental health, says Jackson. She offers some pointers:

• Be intentional about establishing a support network.
• Plan positive events around known stressors, such as seasons of caregiving or the kickoff of a new school year.
• Be open about your struggles with someone you trust.
• Step back and identify what you need.
• Delegate work and personal responsibilities when necessary.

A healthy, supportive workplace is also important to people’s holistic approach to wellness, Burke adds. “I think legitimizing mental health is an important concern and a big step,” she says. “Employees want to work for organizations that really do respect boundaries between work and their time.

Planning Your Perfect Day

Orlando offers a host of venues where you can recharge. Jacklyne Schottmiller, director of public relations for Visit Orlando, offers her top picks:

Ride a clear kayak along Rock Springs Run. Watch fish swim beneath you, otters play around you and birds fly above you, as you decompress in one of Central Florida’s most lush and scenic landscapes. getupandgokayaking.com

Do yoga and meditate on a paddle board. Take in Lake Ivanhoe’s chill vibe among its ancient cypress trees and classic Florida wildlife, sans gators, while hitting the mental reset button. epicpaddleadventures.com

Take a leisurely garden stroll. With its 50 acres of cultivated gardens featuring 40 plant collections from around the world, Harry P. Leu Gardens is Florida’s largest rose garden. Be sure to visit the butterfly garden and the historic Leu House Museum. leugardens.org

Get some downtown downtime. Walk or jog around Orlando’s iconic Lake Eola, where you can rent a swan paddleboat to take in the skyline or observe the real swans around you. orlando.gov

Enjoy suds two ways. Enjoy a signature local brew while soaking in a hot tub filled with hops, malt and brewer’s yeast to relax your body while purifying and moisturizing your skin at Florida’s first beer