Next Monday is World Mental Health Day, a day to reflect upon how we all can do our part to support our own mental health. And, here at Intellimize, we’re doing just that! Our Neurodivergence Employee Resource Group (ERG) has put together a full week of activities in recognition of World Mental Health Day.
Our Neurodivergence ERG is using World Mental Health Day as a springboard to bring attention to the importance of looking after your own mental health and how Intellimize supports employees’ mental health through a myriad of programs.
Keep reading to learn how Intellimize is observing World Mental Health Day this year!
Going Purple on Standup Calls
Here at Intellimize we have two all-company standup calls a week—yup you read that right! While we usually spend these 15 minute meetings sharing kudos, updates, and promoting cross-departmental collaboration, this week we’re doing things a bit differently! In honor of World Mental Health Day, we’ll be asking employees to “go purple” at our weekly standup calls by wearing purple clothes and changing their Zoom backgrounds to the color purple.
Additionally, we’ll be using the calls to showcase the following mental health-related solutions:
- What we can do individually to support our own mental health as well as the mental health of those around us
- Why anxiety is one of the most prevalent health disorders in the U.S. and what we can do to address it
- The importance of checking in on your own mental wellbeing and checking in on others
- Activities that employees find helpful in reducing stress and anxiety
- Intellimize’s benefits offerings related to mental health, and how to take advantage of the following programs:
- Calm - Intellimize employees enrolled in healthcare through Kaiser also get free access to Calm, the leading app for sleep, meditation and relaxation.
- Ginger - Intellimize employees enrolled in healthcare through Cigna have access to Ginger which facilitates text-based and video therapy and psychiatry.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Intellimize’s EAP through MetLife gives employees up to five sessions per year, per situation in regards to mental health topics like job performance and emotional wellbeing.
- Recharge days - Intellimize offers one mandatory recharge day during months where there is not a pre-scheduled three-day weekend due to a federal holiday. This time off is intended to give employees the time they need to relax and avoid burnout. Appropriately, this month's recharge day coincides with World Mental Health Day.
Fidget Cubes for All
Anxiety is universal. It’s the most common type of mental health disorder in the US. According to the World Health Organization 1 in 13 people in the world report that they suffer from an anxiety disorder. About 8% of children and teenagers also suffer from an anxiety disorder.
In high stress situations, people who suffer from anxiety can feel restless, impatient, nervous, and can internalize these stressors in the form of panic attacks. A fidget toy can provide an outlet for these movements which can provide a calming effect. In honor of World Mental Health Day we will be offering each of our employees a fidget cube (pictured below), it’s a great tool for any remote employee who spends the work day in Zoom meetings or a lively home with many distractions.
5-Day, 5-Minute Meditation Challenge
The final ingredient in our observance of World Mental Health Day is our meditation challenge! Our Neurodivergence ERG is hosting a quick 10 minute meditation class for all employees. From there, they’re challenging all employees to take the reins into their own hands and practice meditation 5 minutes a day for 5 days the following week! Dedicating 5 minutes of stillness to the work day is a great way for folks to get centered and put their mental wellbeing at the forefront of their daily schedule.
While World Mental Health Day comes but one day a year, here at Intellimize we believe that mental health is a critical part of any great place to work year round. If you’re interested in becoming a part of our amazing team be sure to check out our open roles here and of course have a wonderful World Mental Health Day!