How these Thomson Reuters employees have invested in their mental health

May was Mental Health Awareness Month and the Thomson Reuters commitment to prioritizing the wellbeing of employees has never been more important than it is today. This commitment includes encouraging employees to take advantage of the new Flex My Way program and adopt new working habits connected to Mindful Business Practices. We sat down with four employees to hear their perspectives on wellbeing and how they have invested in their mental health. Read our Q&A with them below.

How has investing in your mental health helped you in your personal and professional life?

Emmye, Global Wellbeing Analyst, Connecticut, USA: Mental health is something that I have invested a lot in over the years. Through counseling, reading, and a lot of self-help, I have found tools that helped me through the peaks and valleys in my life. I’ve learned how to take better care of myself, accept that it’s okay to feel anxious, and give myself grace. Prioritizing my mental health allows me to show up each day and be the partner, parent, and person I want to be.

Bianca, Collections Specialist, Minnesota, USA: I probably could have saved myself a good ten years of self-sabotage, but everything I went through led me to who I am today: good and bad. So, I made a choice. That choice was to make sure that every single day, I chose life. Life in all its blessings. I had to work through some tough times to allow the medicine to do what it needed to do. I needed to be ready. Time is of the essence; what better time to invest in ourselves than now? If not now, when?

Ryan, Sr Software Engineer, Minnesota, USA: After my second son was born with Down Syndrome, I thought I was being strong for my family and wife, but I didn’t recognize the slow changes occurring in my personality and behavior. After hitting a low point, I began mental health care and gave it my full effort. I learned that it’s okay to fall off the path you thought your life was taking. It was a slow and accumulating change for me, but now I can look back and see that I came out stronger on the other side. Now once again, I am a good team member, spouse, father, and friend.

Sabhyata, Product Owner, Ahmedabad, India: One day I happened to see a LinkedIn post that mentioned how mental health slowly engulfs, without any red flags. As I continued reading more on the topic, I saw more posts from people publicly addressing their mental health issues who were receiving support, not criticism. Seeing that helped me gain confidence to speak about it with a small, trusted group of my mother, sister, and close friends. Confiding in them gave me confidence that I could return to my support group whenever I need. Doing so has honestly improved my life on both professional and personal fronts.

How has the Thomson Reuters commitment to wellbeing influenced how you view mental health?

Emmye, Global Wellbeing Analyst, Connecticut, USA: Instead of leaving self-care and wellbeing to something I do only after hours, I have learned that it is okay to prioritize my needs within my day and week. I am encouraged to adopt mindful business practices within my day to help reduce unneeded stressors. A few practices I’ve adopted include being upfront about my work boundaries, capacity, and schedule. I also have lots of flexibility, so I can take time off to recharge and be there for my family when they need me. I value having the ability to prioritize my obligations within my workday, like reading to my daughter’s first-grade class on a Thursday afternoon or being there for my son’s t-ball games, which fills me up and keeps me energized.

Bianca, Collections Specialist, Minnesota, USA: At Thomson Reuters, I have help if I need it. I can’t remember working anywhere else where I’ve experienced such energy about a better lifestyle, better choices, and more opportunities to spread and share the knowledge of mental health and wellbeing.

Ryan, Sr Software Engineer, Minnesota, USA: The beginning of my mental health journey began very suddenly and was a surprise to my co-workers, family, and friends alike. Thomson Reuters helped my family and me through the entire process. I saw firsthand that Thomson Reuters considers my health — physical and mental — as a top priority. When I came back from seeking care, my managers showed me compassion and motivated me to get back into a productive routine. That meant a lot to me then and it still does now.

Sabhyata, Product Owner, Ahmedabad, India: I have always seen mental health as an essential part of our life. Thomson Reuters has created a pool of resources that includes free access to apps like Headspace and Virgin Pulse, access to monthly webinars, assistance programs, and mental health e-learning modules. These resources encourage employees to prioritize their mental health and participate in ongoing conversations around wellbeing. As a cherry on top, the mental health days off are a great way to schedule our time away from work and digital devices to focus on things that make us happy, relaxed, and calm.