Elmo the Muppet received unexpected national attention on mental health when his social media handler made a seemingly innocuous post that read, “Elmo is just checking in. How's everyone doing?” It caused a stir.
The tweet, posted on X, quickly went viral, garnering more than 137,000 views. Although Elmo is a Muppet, many people respond to this inquiry by saying things like, “Elmo, I have to be on your level, baby, we're fighting for our lives,” or “Elmo, we're fighting for our lives.” The abyss I'm gazing into becomes something more unique every day,” he responded with heartfelt posts. Horror…”
I take everything I see on social media with a grain of salt, but experts take this sentiment seriously. Americans are under extraordinary pressure, and the cost of basic necessities is beyond what many can manage. Although some say inflation is leveling off, home prices are at a 39-year low, food prices rose 11.8% in December compared to the same month last year, and medical costs are soaring. Needless to say, many people are still recovering from the isolation and loneliness caused by the pandemic. The combination of challenges such as deadlines, family stress, and an intense political campaign season is difficult for many to endure.
If there's one benefit of the pandemic, it's that talking about mental health has finally lost its stigma and people are starting to realize that mental health is just as important, if not more important, than physical health. That's what happened. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 90% of Americans believe there is a mental health crisis, and nearly 50 million Americans experience mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. I understand.
I strongly believe that employers like Markham have a role to play in supporting the people who work for us. If someone on our team is struggling mentally, we have invested many resources to help them.
It starts with prevention. Considering how much time most of us have to spend on our devices today, we're giving our teams access to the Wise@Work app. The app includes hundreds of mindfulness practices designed to improve focus, increase productivity, improve self-awareness, and deepen connections within your team. . The app also offers daily sessions that you can customize to suit your mood. We also offer 15-minute virtual chair yoga and meditation classes on the first and third Monday of each month, with calendar invites sent to all employees through Outlook.
In May, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. Employees receive a weekly 'Mental Health Monday' newsletter with links to ways to improve their mental health and helpful resources. In May, we're also launching the Wise@Work Mental Fitness Challenge, where employees are encouraged to practice daily mindfulness through the app.
But in some cases, you may need more help. To that end, all Marcum LLP employees are enrolled in ComPsych's Employee Assistance Program. You can attend up to six free sessions per year per year, and if you want to continue treatment with a particular provider, you can claim it through your health insurance.
Markham also covers the cost of AbleTo, a self-paced digital wellbeing program available free to UMR Medical members. This allows team members to work with a caring coach focused on understanding their unique needs and goals. AbleTo offers a self-paced, structured program based on cognitive behavioral therapy, delivered through her eight modules with tools and techniques built on the previous week.
At the end of the day, we are all connected, so when one member of our team feels hurt or isolated, we all hurt. We don't want anyone working in Markham to deal with mental health issues alone. We want all of our employees to make the most of our company's resources and take the time to let their colleagues know we care about them all, not just during difficult times. Day. A few kind words and focused listening can go a long way. Elmo is probably already tweeting.
