besaCare’s Post

This month, we're dedicating an entire series of webinars and workshops to supporting mental health. 💚 💡 Why Should I Be an Imperfect #Parent?   😴 #Sleep Smart, Work Better  🧘 #Mindfulness: Deepening Sensitivity  🌱 Teams and Leadership: Seeds of Mental Health & #Wellbeing  🏳️🌈 Why Do #LGBTQIA+ People Face Higher Mental Health Challenges?  💬 Navigating Delicate Conversations  🧘♂️ Office #Yoga: Resting a Distracted Mind We also aim to log over 3,000 hours of exercise through the Critical Fit programme, allowing us to donate to a mental health-focused charity. 💪 Our teams’ wellbeing deserves more than just a moment — it deserves a movement. 🌿 #CriticalSoftware #TheFutureIsOurs #SoftwareSolutions #DigitalTransformation #Technology #StrongerTogether #LifeAtCritical #MentalHealth #WorldMentalHealthDay #WorklifeBalance

Honored to be included... When asked about the issues they’ve experienced since starting their businesses, 38% of founders admitted they’ve dealt with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse. How can entrepreneurs take better care of themselves so they can care for their teams and businesses? https://bit.ly/3th5mhX by Corina Leslie for Thrive Global . #thrive #healthandwellness #wellnesstips #lifelessons #healthylife #founders #entrepreneurtips

Let’s open up conversations about mental health. Will Craig and his inspiring team at Modern Health are leading the way. #mentalhealth #healthmatters #wellbeing www.growwithstrengths.com

From Counsellor to Co-Founder: What led me to start a Mental Wellness app? “ I am a student, I really need help, I can't afford beyond Rs.500/session. Would you be willing to take me in as a client Ma’am?” “I just had a baby. I can’t take regular counselling sessions, I don’t have the time, but I am so sad and confused and guilty that I really need to talk to someone. Are you okay if I chat with you on whatsapp? Please help me.” “I am unemployed and depressed. I want your help but I can’t afford to pay you your actual fee. I am not disrespecting your experience, I just can’t help it.“ These are a few of the real messages that I have got on my email or my phone over the last many many years. Each of them sincere, each of them struggling. I have tried all these years to accommodate every request that has come my way. Sometimes for a heavily discounted session, sometimes for pro bono help. I could afford to do so because I wasn’t the primary breadwinner (although Rajeev used to tease me about this all the time! “Don’t call yourself a private practitioner, just open a non-profit now already!”, he would say).  Well, little did I know that while this was playful banter, he understood perfectly well why I did what I did and he was not just assimilating it, he was also secretly devising a plan. A plan to one day make mental health support non-exclusive, widely available; something that doesn’t break your bank. And that's how it started… Our business with a purpose! 🙂 Money is the biggest deterrent to seeking help, in my opinion even stigma around mental health comes second. The move from Counsellor to Cofounder of a chat-based (even new moms with super sensitive infants can now reach out without worry and without a sound), super affordable, easily accessible, multilingual app that connects everyone to a mental health professional happened because I have a partner who listens and observes, wants to find a sense of purpose and does what is right and not what is easy (the journey of entrepreneurship is so..oo.. not easy!!). The Able Mind is our baby, quite literally. Rajeev and I are proud that today our tech-enabled digital mental health app connects users with qualified counsellors for just Rs.16/day providing unlimited conversations of catharsis and coping. Money should never come in the way of seeking help... Alone, I could support but a handful of people thus far, but now I have a team of mental health warriors, with my partner at the helm and together we try to reach those hiding behind the dark corners of despair and depression, as well as those who simply need a voice of reason or a non-judgemental ear… and we are here to help them… they just need ask! Here is the link to The Able Mind App https://lnkd.in/g2QredHU https://lnkd.in/g7Si2f6D Download Now.  Don’t wait to feel great! The Able Mind Rajeev Vijayan

Women Entrepreneurs A decade of safeguarding mental health ******************************************* In 2015, YourDOST was among the first platforms in India dedicated to mental health and well-being. Nearly a decade later, its consistent and 360-degree approach to emotional wellness has impacted over 30 lakh people and saved 12,000 lives, according to Co-founder and CEO, Richa Singh.   From starting with a model offering free counselling sessions by experts to present day, with a comprehensive range of mental health and emotional well-being programmes, Singh dives deep into YourDOST’s journey and what it takes to be a pioneer in the mental health startup space.    Mental wellbeing support: YourDOST’s inception began in 2014, when Singh quit her job and began to look at building a startup that would work at the intersection of technology and psychology. Along with her friend, Puneet Manuja, she put together YourDOST in 2015 that initially offered free counselling by experts. The platform later pivoted to a B2B model, working with educational institutions like IITs and IIMs. YourDOST works with over 500 organisations, including corporates and colleges. It supports companies through retrenchment and reorganisation, offers sensitisation and training programmes for managers, and more. Besides these, it also offers regular mental health support and a specialised programme for startup founders to support them in their journeys.

Promoting mental health in children is of utmost importance, particularly in our current world. Here are nine simple ways to foster and sustain your child’s mental health and well-being. #theprimaryyears #parenting #school #education #primaryschool #parentingtips #mentalhealth

Have you ever heard of the 5-3-1 rule to maintaining social health? Me either, until I read this Inc. article and I really think they are getting it right. Here's the simple gist: 5: Spent time with 5 different people a week. 3: Nurture 3 close relationships. 1: Aim for 1 hour of social interaction a day. Harvard-trained social scientist Kasley Killam encourages talking about social health just as much as we talk about physical and mental health. In fact, I think they go hand in hand. 5-3-1 is one of the reasons I love going into the office everyday. Does 5-3-1 resonate with you? #diversityequityandinclusion #cardinalhealth #workfromoffice #officeworker #socialhealth #mentalhealth #physicalhealth #inclusionmatters #selfawareness #kindness #selfkindness #colleagues #humaninteraction #trust #respect #connectedness #socialawareness

October 10 is #worldmentalhealthday, a day set for global mental health awareness. A day where we should educate ourselves and each other about this cancer of the mind that can be a silent killer and advocate to be open about the issues and causes and the effect that mental health can have upon us without fear of stigma or social acceptability. More often than not mental health is not often regarded as or is not taken as seriously as poor physical health. People are more likely to go visit a physician when they have a cold or a broken bone than when they feel emotionally broken or their spirits are under the weather. What people fail to realize is that their emotional wellness greatly impacts practically every area of their life including their physical health, it can lead to social isolation affecting relationships at work, at home and amongst the friend circles that are invested in your wellbeing. Therefore, facing up to your mental health as soon as you notice symptoms is essential for your well-being. People will often hide their mental health concerns for many reasons including for denial, pride, social stigma or just the fear of appearing weak, the misunderstanding that these issues can be buried, ignored, dealt with alone. Reaching out to someone or asking for help is a sign of weakness. If that is where you are then you must resist that impulse. It is far braver to ask for help, and if you have people to turn to that is a sign of the strength of your relationships and friendships. So, If you do feel you are being affected reach out to family and trusted friends and don’t be scared to speak to a doctor or a therapist. By talking about what is affecting you, you are able to take control, rather than cede control to the thoughts that seek to destroy your inner peace. You are better placed to use objective thinking to problem solve and identify triggers and develop a wellness recovery plan. And if the thought of having the people you know and must live with knowing what you are going through and how it may affect your relationships moving forward, then there is no shortage of online resources where you can rely on the support of professionals or groups dealing with similar trauma or issues and can remain anonymous. Apps like #Pacifica or #7cups can allow you to do that from your own smartphone. If anyone out there is suffering, please know that they don’t need to. And if anyone is ever looking to take a first step and is scared then reach out to me. I promise I will listen, I promise I will support, I promise I will help seek acceptable solutions/treatment and above all I promise I will take to my grave anything said in confidence.

🌱🌿🌲What’s in your resilience toolkit? Many of my conversations focus on resilience, emotional wellbeing and mental fitness. Dr Iona Boniwell cites these 6 signs of resilience in her work: 1. Reframing and taking a different perspective 2. Positive emotions and the ability to draw on affirmations or past achievements in times of adversity to boost our positive self talk. 3. Physical activity can support our immune system, calm our nervous system and help regulate our emotions. 4. Social networks can help us stay connected with our home team and the people who energise and champion us when the chips are down. 5. Identifying and harnessing our strengths not only help our wellbeing but increase staff retention, productivity and productivity in organisations (Gallop). 6. Optimism about the future and the belief that tomorrow is another day. 🌱🌿🌲To this I would add cultivating self compassion, self soothing, self expression, time in nature, a call from my son, a hug from my husband, a run with the dog, sea swimming, chocolate, a beer and a pasty at the Square and Compass with friends. #resilience #adhd #adhdcoaching #cancercoaching #appreciativeinquiry #conversationsworthhaving #emotionalwellbeing

What did the Global Mind Project 2024 find? 🟢 Mental wellbeing (globally and at country level) remained at its post-pandemic low with no sign of movement towards pre-pandemic levels 🟣 Younger generations, particularly those under age 35, saw the steepest declines in mental wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic and it still remains low 🟡 Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka are at the top of the rankings for levels of mental wellbeing 🔴 United Kingdom and Uzbekistan (Russian Speaking) are at the bottom of the rankings for levels of mental wellbeing They also looked at ⓺ trends across mental wellbeing 👉 Mood & Outlook 👉 Drive & Motivation 👉 Cognition 👉 Social self 👉 Mind body connection 👉 Adaptability & Resilience The UK isn't looking great for these scores either. ❓What else? ➡ for today’s 18-24 year olds, who are the first generation to be born into a world of smartphones and social media, the younger they were when they got their first smartphone the worse their mental health outcomes in adulthood ➡ more frequent consumption of ultra-processed food results in substantially poorer mental wellbeing at all ages ➡ 10% of 18-24 year olds did not get along with any of their family and preferred not to see them compared to only 3% of the oldest generation. At the same time, the risk of mental health challenges in adulthood are four times lower if you have close family relationships. What do you think? Are you surprised by any of this? #worldmentalhealthstate #mentalwellbeing #internationalresearch