Opinion: Crisis can't stop moments of joy

There’s a laundry list of negatives that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. But let’s put those aside.

One positive impact of this virus is a renewed focus on mental health in workplaces. This is not just the right thing to do, but it’s a savvy business move.

The support from employers is needed. A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association compared April 2020 to April 2018 and found a more than three-fold increase of American adults reporting symptoms of serious psychological distress. It points to anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic as a root issue. And locally, Burrell Behavioral Health has said its client load increased by 1,500 in May 2020 compared with May 2019.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness finds nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental illness. And it reports depression alone is linked to an average worker absenteeism rate of 2.5 days a year, with related annual costs of $3,540-$4,600 per employee.

That’s a massive impact on an employer’s bottom line – but even more so during this crisis when, for some, every dollar counts.

Those with a mental illness should be celebrated when they seek professional support.

While not all of us have a mental illness, we all should practice regular mental health maintenance. We’re trained from a young age how to take care of our physical health, but mental health care can seem like a mystery.

In these uncertain times, for me, practicing mental health maintenance has meant finding moments of joy in the every day. Not surprisingly, many of those moments have come from local businesspeople. We live in a great community. And because we all could use a reason to smile, I’ll leave you with five recent examples.

• In April, my friend Chase Marable began 101 Days of Kindness, an initiative through his employer, Connell Insurance Inc. He spotlighted a different nonprofit each day and Connell made a $20 donation to each organization. He completed the endeavor last month and tagged some employees from Springfield Business Journal, encouraging us to make a donation to a local nonprofit. Challenge accepted, Chase.

• At a recent CEO Roundtable interview with restaurant owners (read the conversation in the Aug. 31 edition), some powerful connections were made between the various entrepreneurs who have all been significantly impacted by mandatory shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. The restaurant owners were swapping best practices and providing advice on securing financial help. At the end, they said how great it was to just connect with fellow business owners and that they want to remain in touch. It was a great moment highlighting the strength of business-to-business connections.

• Last month, Askinosie Chocolate founder Shawn Askinosie shared a one-minute clip of a profit share meeting with his farming partners in Tanzania. He said in the post it was the first time he’s ever hosted such a meeting over Zoom. In the video, he shares his daughter, Lawren, will soon have a baby. As the translator shares the message, you see smiles fill the faces of the farmers and they begin to sing a beautiful song. The post ends with: “These relationships are not just how we make great chocolate, they’re why we make great chocolate. … Coronavirus can’t stop moments of true connection.”

• Back in April, we reported on Phoenix Home Care and Hospice President Phil Melugin’s tragic accident while on his horse ranch. He suffered a significant break and trauma to his pelvis and was wheelchair bound for several weeks. As he wrote in the introduction column for last week’s Men of the Year edition, he’s now pain free and walking without an aid. He talks about the impact so many people made on him, including his own employees. It was a great reminder of the impact of service.

• Finally, in what will surely be on our most-read stories list this week, Kevin Howard and Liz Delany announced their return to the airwaves. It’s through Columbia-based Zimmer Communication’s purchase of Meyer Communications. Dynamic duo Kevin and Liz will revive their morning show on the new 98.7 The Dove. After decades on the air, they were sorely missed in their six-month hiatus following steep layoffs by iHeartMedia Inc. in January. Welcome back.

These things bolstered my mental state recently. Mental health maintenance looks different for everyone, but I encourage you to try to find moments to make you smile each day. It won’t be hard once you start looking.

Springfield Business Journal Features Editor 
Christine Temple can be reached at ctemple@sbj.net.