After 20 years, I am still on my personal journey toward achieving work-life harmony in the moving industry. During peak season, especially, I am working at full capacity, trying my very best to meet business demands and exceed the expectations of my clients, partners, and colleagues. I don’t want to let anyone down. I want to be an effective, supportive leader at SEACORP and within our YP Community, I want to maintain relationships in my professional and personal life, and I want to have fun. It is summertime after all! I struggle this time of year juggling my work-life responsibilities and finding balance. I think it is perfect timing to discuss mental health in the heat of peak season and I believe that everyone must advocate for their own mental health and happiness.

You know yourself best and know when your battery needs to be recharged, which is the time to prioritize self-care. If you reach maximum mental capacity during the workday, it is time for a break. Log off at a reasonable time and do something fun. Watch a movie with your family, invite a friend to dinner, go to a group exercise class, or find something unique to you that helps you relax and recharge. Prioritize your workload, leave early, rest, and be ready to start fresh the following morning. Also, take your vacation time—all of it. Pick random days throughout the year and be surprised when you get Monday off because you forgot you put the time in four months ago. You don’t have to have plans for a vacation day. Enjoy staying in bed past your normal wake-up time and take the day at your own pace. Take care of yourself and make time to relax.

Next, try to stay positive and ask for help. I have found that my outlook on a problem or difficult situation can directly affect my mental health and overall attitude. Making a concentrated effort to remain positive helps me to work through problems and find resolution. Negativity and frustration are not going to help me get my job done and they will demotivate the team around me. Rely on your team and share the workload. If you see that a team member is falling behind or struggling to complete a task, ask if you can help. If you help others, I guarantee a reliable team member will help in return when you need help. I like to put the same positive energy into the world that I want to receive in return. Think positive and positive vibes will follow. Offer help when you see it is needed and help will be offered to you in return.

Lastly, I always have something to look forward to that brings me peace, joy, and happiness. On Friday, I sit around our work room table and enjoy happy hour with my team. I don’t remember how this tradition began, but every Friday I look forward to spending time with the team and reconnecting after a busy week. This Friday, we created a fun calendar to give us all something to look forward to throughout the summer. One team member has been nominated to teach everyone a new line dance on Wednesday evenings. We have decided that we will take time to go to the pool one Friday after work each month. We have planned a dinner for June birthdays at a fun restaurant. We have talked about indoor skydiving and other ways we can disconnect from the stress of our industry and connect with each other. I am doing my best to lead by example and create a safe space that promotes fun, well-being, and a sense of family.

I look forward to hearing from others and discovering how other companies and organizations have established company wellness initiatives. I hope to utilize proven initiatives and programs that have helped others in our industry to integrate more meaningful mental wellness practices at my company. I hope these discussions bring the importance of self-care and mental wellness to light and give us new perspectives. These discussions can give us all practical strategies to improve mental health, job performance, and personal well-being.