Mental Health Resources for YMCA Employees

Your Mental Health is Important

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness each year. The YMCA is committed to raising awareness about mental health. We are here to fight negative stigmas, provide support to our employees, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. 

Mental health is an important part of our overall health and is a growing concern for both employees and employers. 20% of adults experience mental illness each year. However, only 46% seek help.  

Activity Can Boost Mental Health

We all know that physical activity is good for our bodies since it helps to prevent excess weight gain, builds muscle, keeps our hearts healthy, and adds years to our life. But did you know exercise is a scientifically-proven mood booster? Physical activity can help with combating common mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, depression, and even isolation as it can provide a social bond with others. Physical activity helps to relax muscles, relieve tension in the body and increase blood flow to our brain. As a result, our brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, and releases those feel-good hormones called endorphins.

You may have heard the term “runner’s high,” which is a deeply relaxing state of euphoria we feel when we exercise and break a sweat. As you hit your stride, your endorphin levels increase. This can have a profound impact on our mental state and keeps us feeling good for many hours. But you don’t need to run a marathon to experience this. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can also boost your energy, improve memory and mood, and help you sleep better. Physical activity can also lead to a drop in our stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, as well as improve how you respond emotionally to the ups and downs of life. Plus, regular aerobic exercise has been found to be an effective antidepressant intervention for adults diagnosed with depression.

No matter your age, it’s important to stay physically active so that you can keep your brain and body healthy and happy and prevent cognitive decline. If possible, try to get 30 minutes or more of moderate to intense exercise 3-5 days a week. However, even smaller amounts of activity can make a difference

Tips & Techniques to Aid Stress and Anxiety Relief

What’s the vagus nerve? Good question! Our bodies have certain systems that kick in when faced with triggers like stress and anxiety. The vagus nerve is an important one. It’s a cranial nerve and the longest and most complex nerve in the body. Acting as the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve helps us “rest and digest” which can help our mental health and overall physical health.

Here's how it works: When we’re feeling anxious or stressed, our heart rate and breathing can ramp up — causing a fight or flight response. To counter this, the vagus nerve system steps in to trigger a relaxation response, for a calming effect on our body.

And although our bodies engage the vagus nerve without us thinking about it, you can also learn to activate the calming effects through various methods. Our Independent Health Wellness experts have shared a few simple techniques you can use whenever and wherever you need to recenter yourself.

Breathing Method    Breathing & Stretching     Breathing & Meditation