May is Mental Health
Awareness Month

There’s no better time to take a step back and prioritize self-care. Consider how your mental health affects not only everything you do, but also your family and friends.

Everyone needs support now and then to make life’s challenges easier, but you don’t need to be in a crisis to focus on your mental health. It’s just as important to keep track of it during life’s everyday moments!

Mental Health care is everyday care!

1 in 5 US adults lives with a mental illness¹
Nearly half of all US adults say stress has negatively affected their behavior²
52% of employees report feeling burned out because of the job, and 37% reported feeling so overwhelmed, it made it harder to do their job³

These are just a few data points that prove how common stress and mental exhaustion are among working adults. Focusing on how to manage our day-to-day mental health can make a world of difference!

Incorporating mindfulness into our daily routines

The constant demands of a busy life — balancing work, social obligations, parenting, caring for aging parents and more — can certainly feel overwhelming. However, taking just a few moments each day to check in with ourselves can have a profound positive impact on our daily mood.

According to mindfulness and meditation expert Mindful, here are five simple ways to incorporate mindfulness — and check in on your mental health — throughout your day:

When you wake up
Start your day with a brief moment of calm before you get distracted. Sit quietly, take deep breaths and set a clear intention—such as being kind or patient—for the day.

While you eat
Pause to breathe before eating, recognize your hunger cues and savor each bite. These steps will help you enjoy food more fully and respond to your body’s true needs.

As you work
Most of our actions run on autopilot. Find time to intentionally pause and consider your actions. Doing so will gradually shift your brain from faster, automatic responses to slower, deliberate decision-making, rewiring your behavior over time.

During physical activity
Whether you’re formally exercising or doing some yard work around your home, bring a mindful focus to your movement. Find a rhythm where you coordinate your breath with your physical activity. This makes exercise not only a way to improve fitness, but also a method to center your mind.

When you drive
If you’re in traffic, a mindful approach can transform your experience. Take deep breaths and extend compassion to yourself and fellow drivers. This helps reduce road rage and stress, turning a frustrating situation into an opportunity for calm reflection.

Here for your mental health

At Clorox, we have the resources to help you manage all aspects of your mental health ― whether you’re focused on stress, anxiety, depression, mental exhaustion, mood swings, substance abuse or something else.

Clorox’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Spring Health provides teammates and family members with no cost, easy-to-use services and tools that support all aspects of mental and work-life well-being, including:

Confidential therapy: Up to eight free sessions per person, per year for you and each household family member (age 6+)
Life and personal development coaching: Up to eight free sessions per person, per year for you and each household family member (age 18+)
Work-life services: Support for financial services, child and elder care, legal assistance and much more.

Get help winding down, dip your toe into mindfulness with meditation, movement or relaxing music or find soothing bedtime stories — for you and/or your children. Or, maybe you want sharper focus so you can unlock your own creativity.

The Calm app has something for everyone, is paid for by Clorox and allows you to add up to five dependents.

Download the Calm app, sign up using your name and company email and create a password.

Finding the right care for your children and elderly parents can certainly cause stress and impact our mental health.

Clorox has partnered with Helpr to provide you the caregiving resources you need, including:

Care support: Personalized help finding long-term and temporary care solutions
Backup care: 60 hours of subsidized backup care for times you need last-minute help. of $10/hour
Online developmental and academic support: One-on-one help for kids 6 months old through high school
Center-based care: Help finding the right childcare for your needs

May is also Women’s Health Month

View our Women’s Health Panel webinar below for a discussion about preventive care and how to keep your physical and mental health — and your future — in focus. Topics include:

The importance of routine screenings based on your age and lifestyle
Navigating menopause support, available through Carrot
Maintaining your heart health, especially controlling high blood pressure (hypertension)
Building a positive, productive relationship with your primary care provider (PCP)
Managing your mental health through times of change
Encouraging family members to prioritize their own preventive care

The session includes several expert panelists, including: