Your One Step This Month:

Use These Tools to Reduce Daily Stress

1. Breathe Deeply: Take a moment to focus on your breath. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds and then exhale slowly. Repeat this a few times to calm your nervous system. You can do this and other breathing exercises anywhere, which makes them especially handy.
2. Stretch: Stand up and stretch your arms, legs and back. Stretching helps release tension and improves blood circulation, which can reduce stress. Stretching is easy to do at your desk — or stretch with your crew in your morning huddle!
3. Prioritize Tasks: Make a list of your tasks and prioritize them. Focus on one task at a time to prevent the stress of feeling overwhelmed by everything. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable ones.
4. Take a Short Break: Step away from work for a few minutes when you can. Take a short walk, find a quiet spot to recharge or enjoy a quick snack. Giving yourself a break can help you energize and refocus.
5. Communicate: Sometimes stress relief on the job comes from having someone to talk to. Keeping open lines of communication and checking in with yourself and co-workers around you regularly can help. You can also find someone to talk to through Perspectives, our Employee Assistance Program! Visit their website to get started.
6. Positive Self-Talk: Challenge negative thoughts. Replace them with positive affirmations. Remind yourself of your capabilities and achievements. Self-compassion goes a long way in reducing stress.

Putting these ideas into practice consistently can lead to a healthier work environment!

Understanding Anxiety — for Yourself and Others

Anxiety is a natural response to stress or perceived threats, but when it becomes excessive or uncontrollable, it can develop into a mental health condition. Anxiety involves a range of emotions, worries and physical sensations that can vary in intensity, frequency and duration.

The upcoming AllOne Health Webinar “Understanding Anxiety: A Comprehensive Overview” will explore how stress management techniques, healthy lifestyle choices and early intervention can reduce symptoms before they escalate. Understanding and destigmatizing anxiety are key in fostering supportive environments and encouraging individuals to seek help when needed.

What: Webinar

When: Thursday, April 25, from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Breaking the Stigma:

Prioritizing Mental Health in the Workplace

For The Heritage Group, a significant portion of our businesses operate in the construction and materials industry. The Center for Disease Control’s 2016 finding that suicide rates in the construction industry were higher than in any other profession was an alarm bell. Investing in mental health and stress reduction is important for each and every one of us.

The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) was formed in response to these findings and exists to combat that dire statistic by raising awareness, breaking the stigma around mental health care and providing resources that support the community and foster well-being.

These resources include brief, anonymous online screenings that can help anyone — whether they're in the construction industry or not — find resources to help cope with negative thoughts or behaviors. If you or someone you know could benefit from this support, please click the button below to get started.