Just as it’s important to care for your patients, it’s important to take time to care about your own well-being too.
Clint Thurgood, behavioral health crisis service director, recently joined an Intermountain Facebook Live to discuss tips for Mental Health Awareness Month.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define health as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being,” Clint says. “They each impact one another.”
If you’ve been feeling mentally or physically burnt out, or just plain exhausted, you’re not alone. After over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health professionals are seeing a multitude of symptoms in the general population.
Most people get an annual health physical as preventive care for their bodies. This year, it’s more important than ever to take a preventive care approach to your mental health. Regular check-ins with yourself can provide insight into your own mental and emotional well-being. Clint’s advice for caregivers:
- Talk with your primary care physician about mental health during your regular check-ups.
- Check in with yourself daily: “Am I finding joy during my day?” or “Am I feeling less fulfilled?”
- If you're feeling stressed, know you’re not alone. “It’s OK to not be OK right now,” says Clint. “And you’re not alone.”
- Reach out and talk with someone. Intermountain’s Behavioral Health Navigation Service at 833-442-2211 can be a guide to find services.
- Educate yourself about mental and emotional well-being.
Watch for signs that colleagues may be struggling. “You don’t need to present a solution,” says Clint. “You just need to be present, be there for that person. Connecting with one another is extremely important.”