Your March mspWellness Newsletter

March 2022

Building resilience in the workplace

Mental health challenges affect millions of people each year. The unexpected stress and adversity brought on by COVID-19* has only increased these numbers. Building resilience - the ability to recover quickly from difficulties - can help.

Resilience can protect us from various mental health symptoms. It can also help those who already have mental health conditions better cope. Resilience helps us work through and overcome adversity. It can even help us grow emotionally from traumatic experiences.

“On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.”

-Gregory S. Williams

Resilience comes more easily for some, which is why we all respond to stress and hardships differently. Resilience is built over time as the experiences we have interact with our genetics. It is a learned skill that we can all improve upon with practice.

Developing resilience in the workplace is also critical for navigating change, something most workplaces are dealing with now more than ever. Resiliency skills directly benefit employees’ mental wellbeing by helping them reframe their perception of stress. These are just a few of the reasons we must pay attention to the impact of resilience and make it part of workplace culture.

Learn more about the traits of resilient people, from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI has a wealth of resources (including local resources) to help you raise awareness of mental illness and assess and build a more mentally healthy workplace culture.

Start your next meeting — or take a mid-meeting break — with a simple grounding or breathing exercise, both of which can be great tools for building resilience.
Try implementing a gratitude initiative at your workplace. Practicing gratitude is one way to enhance resilience because it helps us focus on helpful emotions like satisfaction, happiness, and pleasure. HealthSource Solutions now offers a FREE Gratitude Board Program that can be used onsite or online.

Help your employees take intentional action to focus on the positive to help build resilience. Attend our online Paths to Positivity campaign coordinator training on Thursday, March 17 from 9-10:30 a.m.

You will get everything you need to launch this campaign in your workplace whenever it’s convenient for you. REGISTER HERE. This campaign helps employees boost mental wellbeing through one of three paths: connection, mindfulness, or purpose. The training cost is $25 per person.

Share the Small steps to build resilience handout to help your employees learn three simple, evidence-based strategies to help boost resilience and mental wellbeing.

* For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information, visit Hennepin County, Minnesota Department of Health, or Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC).

Resources & Information

March is National Nutrition Month®

Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month® is a time when everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. For the latest guidance on healthy eating, check out the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025

Click here for additional resources

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Mental Health Resources

The Behavioral Health Division works with partners and providers to ensure that programs and services are available throughout Minnesota. People may need assistance in a variety of areas, such as employment, housing, social connections, family relations and other co-occurring conditions. While DHS sets policy and standards for care, and provides funding for services of mental health treatment, our partners and providers are the key to delivering mental health services within Minnesota.

Click here for list of resources

Become a mspWellness Champion!

Workplace wellness programs contribute to a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. The public health departments from Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis Public Health, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, the Minneapolis Department of Health and their partners have created this designation to recognize and celebrate organizations who work to positively affect the health and well-being of their employees and communities.

Organizations that create, implement, and promote wellness programs as part of their organizational culture will be recognized through this program as mspWellness Champions. Submissions are accepted at any time throughout the year. Organizations that qualify for designation prior to April 15 of each year will be featured the annual event. Qualifying worksites have a physical location in the state of Minnesota and have a minimum of 10 employees located in the state.

Click here to sign up today!

About mspWellness

mspWellness is a program of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber designed to provide businesses with resources to create and sustain healthy work environments through wellness programs.

The Minneapolis Health Department and the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health

Department are partners of the chamber in this effort with support from the Minnesota Department

of Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Community Wellness Grant, which provides funding as a catalyst for creating healthier communities.

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