Wellness and self-care are not matters of selfishness or ego. Taking care of our own needs on a consistent basis leads to better mental health, greater productivity and richer relationships with family, friends and professional colleagues.
The wellness program at the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center (SFVCMHC) makes the well-being and overall health of its employees and community a priority. Led by the Total Wellness Committee, the center holds wellness events and activities throughout the year to promote work/life balance.
The programs at the center can guide its clients on the path toward wellness. One such program is the Victory Wellness Center. The program’s staff supports clients in their process toward healing, change and transformation.
They provide opportunities to learn new skills for self-reliance, develop natural supports and access local resources that will help clients grow in their well-being and achieve their full potential through staff member partnerships and member-driven services.
We are all living through an incredibly difficult time. For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought change, loss and grief. It has also caused a lot of stress.
While this stress may feel overwhelming, there are things we can do to calm our bodies and brains:
• Pay attention to how stress affects you to help you identify it early, decide if it is helping you and work to manage it.
• Be kind to yourselves.
• Make time to do at least one thing that brings you joy every day.
• Reach out to get support and learn more about managing stress.
We all have ways that can help us deal with challenges and stress. Think about developing a plan just for you to help you manage stress.
If you need more information on self-care as you deal with the impact of the pandemic, you can check out the video titled “Combatting the Mental Health Pandemic with Trauma-Informed Approaches and Self-Care.”
It can be found at https://vimeo.com/459439731.
For more information about SFVCMHC, go to https://www.movinglivesforward.org/.