... continued from Cover
better mental health, too. A lot of times, we don’t talk about mental health due to embarrassment, finances, or stigma.
In the past few years in my county alone, the rates of suicide among children skyrocketed in 2021. In fact, according to Cook Children’s Hospital here in Tarrant County, there were 40 children admitted for suicide attempts in January, double compared to 2020. There were 43 attempts by children in March, which was a record high. This is only for one hospital and doesn’t count the numbers you don’t know about amongst children and adults. People have been less engaged, have less interaction with others, and are spending more time online. Teachers aren’t as aware of issues their students may be going through at home, emotional or otherwise, because of virtual school or children not even attending school. Adults are also dealing with increased mental health concerns, and loved ones simply don’t know what to do to help. Domestic violence rates have increased. How does this happen? How can we be more mindful or help before an issue becomes a crisis within our own household, workplaces, and circles? I think we can start by educating, encouraging, and intentional listening (not being in a rush). Most of the time, mental health issues creep up; they don’t just happen suddenly, although things do happen throughout the day that can lead to unhealthy actions. By educating, we can learn more about what to look for and what to do rather than simply believe it is just going to “go away.” By encouraging, we can be there for others, check in, assist in locating resources, and be supportive rather than enabling. By listening, we can listen empathetically and not assume someone else is going to help. In our office, we address mental health and often times refer clients to counseling and/or provide additional resources. We want our clients to reach out to us. If you need anything at all, reach out because we will do what we can to help guide you to the right place. We will support you and listen. Our phones are on 24 hours a day. For our staff, we promote a healthy, supportive work environment. We encourage staff to take time off, take care of their health, and support each other. We work after hours, but one thing we do consistently is have a gratitude moment every morning before we start the day. We share one thing we are grateful for each morning as a team and get the day started off with positive vibes even if we have other stressors. We also like to incorporate fun and laughter in the office, promote self-care, engage in time outside the office bonding, and support one another during and after working hours. Cook Children’s Hospital initiated a program earlier this year called JOY: Just Breathe, Open Up, You Matter. We believe in JOY and want you to know that YOU MATTER. The information provided on the cover has resources you can post on your refrigerator. Don’t hesitate to utilize it. And again, if you need anything at all, call us. We have big hearts here and want you to know that you have support.
Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. Less Stress and Better Sleep When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off. More Comfort With Uncertainty Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. Greater Happiness Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open! SELF-HELP BOOKS CAN’T DO IT ALL How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You
–Matt Aulsbrook
2
WWW.LEGALINSURANCEAGENCY.COM
817.618.6381
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease