By Maridith Yahl
NKyTribune reporter
Second of Two parts
Mental health is genetically linked, like any other illness, says Mike Glen, vice president, Lindner Center of Hope. Know your family history to put your family in the best position to be proactive. Glen urges you to be the role model.
Lindner Center
Open discussions about mental health need to be commonplace, he says, and anyone can lead. During the Your Mind, Your Business webinar presented by Metropolitan Club, panelists gave suggestions for talking to others about mental health, the costs on small businesses, and resetting techniques to become the best you mentally.
“We are not mental health experts,” says Todd Wilkowski, partner, Frost Brown Todd. With passion, he explains their expertise by saying, “We are just real people, from different walks, with different stories, different paths, united by a passion of being transparent about mental health.
“We have struggled or are struggling.”
Mike Glen
Stories change people, stories change relationships. If you feel being called to reach out to someone, step out, and do it. Use your intuition. He says personal touch and vulnerability go a long way. They have hope in that your story didn’t end with struggle but overcoming and healing, like a physical illness.
Talking with someone you’re close to, or anyone about mental health seems daunting, if not terrifying to some.
Tarita Preston of The Curated Coach says, “You don’t have to be a coach to be a leader.” Preston says, “Give people the space to experience their own power.” Support and empower; help them see their inner resourcefulness and possibilities. She says, “Not to fix or resolve the problem” but be a support in their endeavor. They’re the expert on their life and have to facilitate the action.
Kendra Ramirez
“In general people are stronger than what they think,” says Glen, echoing Preston’s sentiment, that a leader is a guide. “You want the person to figure out the problem for themselves, which gives confidence in their ability to solve future problems.”
When reaching out to someone you may not have a strong relationship with, Wilkowski says to be as real and transparent as possible. Being vulnerable, letting them know you don’t have it all together, breaks down barriers. Wilkowski says to tell them, “I’ve gone through it, you can get through it too. There is hope for healing.” In all sincerity, Wilkowski says, “Be a beacon of hope for others. If you have traveled through it, pay it forward.”
Todd Wilkowski
As a small business owner reaching out about mental health, Kendra Ramirez of Kendra Ramirez Digital Agency and Reset suggests beginning one on one. Begin by letting them know you’re struggling and ask open-ended questions. All of her team members know mental health is an open topic. They let each other know when they need space or ask for help.
The lack of mental health prevention or maintenance can cause small businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, says Glen. His research, in conjunction with Horan, shows a tremendous amount of workdays are lost a year. This can be due to absences or presentism (being at work but focused elsewhere). The work culture can be affected by poor morale, poor performance, and tension. Replacing employees can be costly.
Tarita Preston
The average person with a mental health claim has claims totaling over $10 thousand annually, including physical health claims. Those without a mental health claim average about $4 thousand annually. One difference is that those with mental health issues take 8-10 years to seek treatment. The illness becomes worse, physical health declines, leading to larger claims.
The cost of claims makes quite an impact on the bottom line. Glen says that it, “makes sense to invest in mental health because it will more than pay for itself.”
Leaders can’t be good to their people if burned out, says Wilkowski. Ask yourself, “What are you busy doing? Everyone needs to recharge and rest,” he says.
Each panelist has different techniques, but all lean on their faith.
Everyone needs a safe place for guidance. Ramirez is part of a group that meets every other Monday to check in with each other. She calls it her small tribe. Reach out to others, Ramirez says, “Find your tribe and put it together.”
Mike Sipple
‘Capture the Thought,’ is a mind-mapping concept Ramirez uses. She mindfully listens to herself. If she is not thinking positively she will not let them spiral out of control. She captures her thoughts and asks if it’s true. When it is not, she rewrites it. “It helps process what I’m feeling and what is true,” Ramirez says. The mapping technique captures thoughts, which lead to feelings, which leads to action. She believes you have to get outside of yourself and talk to other people.
Mike Sipple Jr., president Centennial Inc., uses journaling for keeping his thoughts in balance.
Contemplate your mindset and how you view life and issues.
Now is a great time to come into more awareness about yourself.
Take inventory of the community around you and find your circle where you can be safe and your true self.
Be the catalyst for change.
Make mental health a part of your daily conversation.
The Metropolitan Club’s next webinar is May 20.
