{Guest blog} Suicide awareness month – how to cope with social distancing, quarantine & isolation

Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the nation and the world has seen significant changes to daily living. While social distancing, quarantine and isolation help prevent the spread of infectious disease, these same practices may impact your mental health in a negative way. Common reactions Everybody reacts differently to stressful situations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may experience anxiety, worry or … Continue reading {Guest blog} Suicide awareness month – how to cope with social distancing, quarantine & isolation

{Guest blog} Positive self-talk

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas partners with New Directions to make sure our members and employees have access to the behavioral health resources they need. We all carry on a continuous internal dialogue with ourselves. This is known as “self-talk” and it impacts how we perceive situations. Sometimes, people use self-talk to say things to themselves they would never say out loud to … Continue reading {Guest blog} Positive self-talk

Mental health breaks to take at work

There’s no doubt that a work environment is a complex setting. It’s a group of individuals with different personalities and diverse work methods coming together to accomplish complex job tasks. It’s no surprise that combination can result in some stressful times. When you feel yourself starting to lose interest in a project or if you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider these strategies to help you refocus.

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{Guest blog} What helped me most with my depression

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas partners with New Directions to provide behavioral health screenings, resources and support to our members and employees. May is National Mental Health Month and to spread awareness, we invited New Directions to share a personal story of how one person overcame their bout with depression. Continue reading “{Guest blog} What helped me most with my depression”