World Mental Health Day 2020 is extremely important given all the emotional challenges we’ve confronted this year. Ahead of this national day we want to provide five key tips to help people cope with today’s challenges, both big and small.
Americans are up against a lot and our resilience – or our ability to quickly recover from challenges – is truly being put to the test. Between hybrid learning, remote work, fear of contracting COVID-19, and financial strain, kids and adults are grappling with uncertainty and disruption on a large scale. And that stress is compounded as we also experience a long overdue reckoning with systemic racism, increased divisiveness in our society and wildfires impacting many on the west coast.
At Cigna, we are deeply committed to increasing mental wellness overall, which is why we’ve spent the past three months examining the state of resilience in America – uncovering the factors that contribute to resilience levels and examining the challenges people are facing today. The Cigna Resilience Index shows that resilience is at risk in three in five Americans, with young adults at the highest risk. The study also found that more than half of our children feel distressed or anxious due to COVID-19, with nearly three-fourths of young adults suffering from pandemic-related anxiety. Additionally, three-fourths of parents are feeling stressed due to current economic uncertainty.
“Now more than ever, there is an urgent need to build healthier and more resilient communities,” said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Medical Director at Cigna. “Improving our mental health allows us to face daily challenges more confidently, and come out of difficult situations stronger. We know that resilience plays an important role in helping people bounce back, and that there are many simple ways to build up your resilience skillset. A few small changes in our daily routines can make a large impact.”
This World Mental Health Day, take the time to incorporate these five tips to become more resilient and cope with today’s challenges.
Check-in on Your Resilience
Visit CignaResilience.com and take our questionnaire to identify how resilient you are today and learn simple steps you can take to help improve your resilience skillset.
Reach Out to Friends and Family
Set up time to regularly connect with video chats, phone calls and emails – and make time for small talk. Check in on others to see how they’re doing.
Ask for Professional Help
Asking for help is a sign of strength. Recognize where you’re at, and talk to someone – medical professionals are there to help. Cigna offers many resources and tools, including a 24-hour toll-free help line (1-855-287-8400) to speak with qualified behavior health clinicians.
Exercise Regularly
Physical activity can improve your self-esteem, clear your mind, and give you a sense of control. In general, people who exercise regularly have less anxiety, depression, and stress, and research suggests that exercise may help specific mental health problems, including preventing addiction relapse and improving symptoms of mild depression.
Meditate
Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention to help you feel calm. Some studies show meditation can help people cope with some of the symptoms associated with mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Committed to helping our customers achieve whole-person health, Cigna is dedicated to providing resources and support to help improve mental well-being. We’ve taken the following recent actions to back up our commitment:
- Based on our resilience study findings, GROW FORTH: A Cigna Approach to Building Greater Resilience [PDF] offers a new framework to help you G.R.O.W. in the face of challenges through four simple steps.
- Cigna recently launched an industry-first partnership with The National Emergency Responder and Public Safety Center. Through the partnership, Cigna providers have access to the Emergency Responder and Public Safety Clinical Certification™ (ERPSCC™) training program to help behavioral health providers better understand and address the unique mental health needs of emergency responders.
- To address early risks that can lead to loneliness, stress and depression, Cigna Foundation recently committed $3 million to provide mental health resources in schools.
For more behavioral health resources from Cigna, click here.