Self-Care Part 1

I intended to write one post about health issues but I realized I was trying to squeeze too much information into one post. However, self-care is an important issue and desirous of two posts.  As human beings we don’t take care of ourselves the way we should.  Overall those of us that live in first-world countries have better health than those that live in third-world countries.  That being said those of us that live in first-world countries can take better care of ourselves than we currently do.

Are you healthy?  Whether it’s personal or professional your productivity or lack thereof is dependent upon your health.  As a Human Resources (HR) professional my concern is for you, the employee.  Every HR professional knows their organization can’t function at a high level if the well-being of their employees is neglected.  A healthy employee is a productive employee.

In the United States (U.S.) many times when people talk about overall health they don’t always include mental, spiritual, and emotional health.  In this post I’m going to address the mental and spiritual aspects of one’s health. In the next post I’ll address the emotional and physical aspects of one’s health.

Twenty to thirty years ago mental health was not as big of an issue in the U.S. as it is today. With the increase in mass shootings and other societal issues mental health has become the topic of many conversations.  These conversations have and are taking place in a broad range of places, from HR departments to state legislatures to Capitol Hill.

It is important for employers to pay attention to the mental health of their employees. As a general health concern you and I should also pay attention to our mental health.  The American Psychological Association says depression is the most common mental disorder.

In the workplace we shy away from conversations about religion or a person’s spiritual health.  When talking about spiritual health we don’t necessarily have to talk about organized religion. I’m aware that everyone doesn’t believe in organized religion and as an HR professional it’s not by responsibility to suggest or recommend that anyone believe in organized religion.  As an HR professional I’m suggesting that you be cognizant about the spiritual aspect of your being.  There are many ways to take care of the spiritual aspect of your being.  Choose which way best suites you.  We should pay as much attention to our spiritual health as we do our physical health.

Your mental and spiritual health is just as important as your physical health. Self-care is the most important care anyone can receive.  If you don’t take care of yourself who will?

If you have questions about this and more please contact me at corjoejen@yahoo.com and www.linkedin.com/pub/cornell-jenkins/11/476/897/