A look back on the first month of 2023

How is your new year going so far, one month into it? Has the newness worn off, and you’re focused on getting through each day rather than a new goal and the promises of a new year?

This month’s reflection:

• Notice the moments that matter, which come in all forms. There are magical moments, such as getting a hug from a grandchild, which I did this week, and enjoying a personal milestone like graduating from college. There also can be challenging moments that matter, like a loss that can tax our mental health.

• Our daily joy of living influences our overall mental health, ultimately impacting how we experience the world. This month’s reflection is nothing more than encouraging you to pause and reflect on what moments your organization is helping employees celebrate and cope with.

• Caring about and supporting employees is how employers demonstrate they are interested in protecting and promoting employees’ mental health. Workplace mental health and psychological safety are growing topics of interest. One key learning for employers is understanding they can play a critical role in shaping psychologically safe cultures that can help leaders and employees prevent mental harm and promote mental health.

• Noticing moments that matter requires understanding through employees’ lenses what charges them and what they celebrate. Employers can further support employees by mitigating challenges and stressful moments.

Recent Stats on Mental Health

• 1 in 2 Canadians will have or have had a mental illness by the time they reach 40.
• A recent statement made by the Canadian Minister of Health said that “Today, 1 in 2 people who need help for mental health challenges are not getting the help they need”.
• An astounding 75% of children with mental disorders to not have access to specialized treatment services.

Recent Publications

Your Leadership Identity Matters

Understanding your leadership identity begins with how you view yourself and how you show up to work each day regarding your attitude, mindset and mental and physical energy.

Financial Well-Being, a Must for Mental Well-Being

Financial well-being is a worker’s capacity to manage their current financial obligations. At an emotional level, financial well-being is how confident and secure a worker feels about their financial situation now and in the future regarding their ability to make financial decisions beyond basic needs to activities like travel that bring joy to their life.

Define success goals, recognize wins to set yourself up to flourish in mental health

What does a good life look like for you? A challenge for some is never stopping and writing out what a successful life looks like. Too many focus on doing without pausing and being clear about what is being done is meaningful.

Five Signs That It’s Time to Quit Your Job

A December 2022 survey from employment agency Robert Half found that 50 per cent of employees planned to look for a new job within the first six months of 2023.

Need free fuel for mental energy? Find meaning

Not many free things can positively impact our mental health and outlook more than discovering meaning. A universal quest in our short time on Earth is to find meaning that defines our sense of value and worth.

Dr. Bill’s Memos

Practicing mental fitness daily creates positive thoughts and emotions to live your best life. Many are distracted by unpleasant feelings and thoughts that prevent them from having the mental and emotional energy to live their best lives. We all must define what living our best life means. However, physical and mental health allows us to thrive and live life to its fullest.

Each chapter represents one year of personal reflections and observations supporting my mental fitness journey. I hope you will recognize there are no shortcuts to mental fitness. We each have choices over what we do to create habits that promote health.

Jumpstart to Mental Fitness

Jump Start is focused on engaging workers in the benefit of daily mental fitness. MENTAL FITNESS is the behaviours that facilitate mental health. This approach is also designed to minimize the forgetting curve by supporting workers with extra learning materials and follow-up sessions.