October 10th, 1992 was the first time World Mental Health Day was observed. Each year, this day offers the opportunity to spark open conversations about mental health, while keeping in mind all that still needs to be done to ensure people have access to treatment and care.
At Chain.io we recognize how hard it is to juggle all aspects of life while still growing professionally and achieving success. That’s why earlier this year we thought we could do our part to remove the stigma around mental health by letting all of our employees know that “It’s okay not to be okay”.
Admitting when times are getting tough or that you cannot balance your personal and professional life are not signs of weakness. Instead, being honest about these things are signs that you understand your boundaries and are putting yourself first, as you should.
We want to do more than talk the talk, we want to walk the walk. To give our team members the space and time to take care of themselves, we implemented unlimited mental health days as a benefit for all Chain.io employees.
Mental health days can be taken at any time with no notice, whether it’s the beginning or middle of the day, or the night before a work day. Whenever a member of the Chain.io team feels like they need time to reset, they simply let their manager know they are taking a mental health day and cancel all of their meetings with no questions asked.
As a remote-first organization, we respect the boundaries that are set by our employees (afterall, we are in their home). At the end of the day, no one knows what you need better than you do, and when something feels off or different, listen to your body and carve out the time for yourself, in whatever way that looks like for you.
It’s simple. We’re humans, we will never be perfect, and life is hard, we get it.
Taking care of yourself is more than wearing sunscreen, getting a full night's rest, drinking water, exercising, and eating the right foods. It’s also about learning how to draw boundaries with yourself and the cue’s to help recognize when you need a reset.
Our brains are processing 11 million bits of information per second (conscious, subconscious, and unconscious), and that’s just the baseline of what our natural processing capacity is. Now add the extra thoughts of our daily stress when it comes to working, taking care of your family & pets, trying to get in time to exercise, socialize, cooking those healthy meals, getting to bed in a timely fashion, slathering on that sunscreen, oh, and making sure that the stress of all of those things are not becoming too overwhelming.
Today’s world is extremely fast paced and full of unrealistic expectations, in which we are constantly putting others' needs in front of our own and resulting in our mental health suffering in one form or another. Some experience these feelings on a much deeper level, where the pile seems endless and too heavy to come out of, while others may chalk it up to having a “long” day at work.
Whatever your experience, we hope you take today to prioritize some mental self-care. Make time for a walk outside, do a short meditation, or just take a few extra deep breaths. And If you’re looking for a new opportunity on a supportive team, check out our open positions.
Mental Health Matters: How Chain.io Supports Employee Wellbeing
Each year, World Mental Health Day is observed to spark open conversations about mental health. At Chain.io, we’re working to create a safe and happy environment for our team to be a part of. Read more about our mental health benefits.