We all know that health has both physical and mental aspects. During this pandemic our mental health has been challenged in ways we would have never imagined. You and your hospital teams have lived the trauma of COVID-19 on the job while still balancing your own home lives.

Although we focus on mental health every day, we make a special observation in May for Mental Health Awareness Month. Every person has dealt with the isolation and stress of the pandemic in their own way — sleeping too much or not enough; anxious; eating too much; feeling alone. The psychologist Adam Grant from The Wharton School wrote about “languishing,” which he called “a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” Whichever way you are feeling, there are people who can help. 

With the help of the Maryland Healthcare Education Institute, we have been facilitating in-person and virtual programs for small hospitals and larger systems. These programs teach Leading with Resilience; workshops on Resiliency Building Tools as well as Self-Care and Resilience Tools; and Making Work Meaningful — Empowering Yourself and Others.  MHEI can customize material depending on the needs. This fall, MHEI is partnering with the Healthcare Experience Foundation (HXF) to facilitate a Compassionate Leadership Certificate.  

During these last few days of May, make sure to recharge and restore balance. Take a walk, enjoy the sun, and talk to someone. Make a mental health checkup part of your routine. Most of all, take care of yourself. 

Bob Atlas
President & CEO