Mental Health Awareness Month: 6 Steps for Pandemic Relief

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A report produced by the CDC shows the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on adults in the U.S. Between August 2020 and February 2021, those reporting recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive order increased from 36.4% to 41.5%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals reporting unmet mental health care needs increased from 9.2%-11.7%.

USANA’s Kevin Guest

Ironically, as the pandemic is improving and workers are looking at returning to office settings, anxiety is spiking, not dropping.

Therefore, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Kevin Guest is offering six practices to help workers ease back into an onsite work pattern. Guest is chairman and CEO of USANA Health Sciences. He authored the bestseller “All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony.”

Scroll through our slideshow above to see what he recommends.

Editor’s Note: Suggestions are great, of course, but if you are in crisis, there are resources for immediate help:

• Call 911
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
• Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4AChild (1-800-422-4453) or text 1-800-422-4453
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or Online Chat external icon
• Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Chat or text: 8388255
• Disaster Distress Helpline: CALL or TEXT 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish).
• The Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 – TTY Instructions