MENTAL WELLNESS: Keep Your Mind Healthy

When we are mentally healthy, we are resilient. We can handle the normal stresses in life, feel good about ourselves, enjoy healthy relationships, work productively, contribute to our communities and make sound decisions.

But sometimes, challenging life events can negatively affect our emotions, thinking and behavior. When we go through a difficult time—such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, a traumatic experience, or relationship problems—our mental health can suffer.

Just as you would go to a doctor if you were physically unhealthy, it’s important to get help when you’re not mentally healthy. Ignoring symptoms can lead to more serious mental and/or physical illness, like depression or anxiety, as well as chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Taking a confidential, online mental health screening is a quick and easy way to determine whether you are experiencing depression, anxiety or another unhealthy mental state. These common conditions are treatable with help from a mental health doctor or counselor.

Get more resources here:

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT: Confidential EAP Counseling Can Help

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), administered by Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH), provides services to help you privately and confidentially resolve problems that may interfere with your work, family and life in general. Common challenges include depression, anxiety, stress, relationship issues and dealing with divorce, grief or trauma.

Your benefits provide five sessions at no cost to you per situation, per year, to all benefit-eligible PPS employees and anyone living in their household. Many people feel much better after just a few counseling sessions.

You choose the counseling method that is convenient for you:

  • Face-to-face confidential counseling
  • Confidential counseling by phone
  • Exchanging secure emails with a counselor
  • 24-hour crisis help: call 1-866-750-1327

The EAP provides many tools to help with life balance and well-being. For details:

  • See the Employee Assistance Program section of the PPS website
  • Go to MyRBH.com ; Use access code OEBB, Company ID: 10607 (for the Wellness Works Portal)
  • Call 1-866-750-1327 for help using your EAP benefits

SUN SAFETY: Protect Your Skin, Save Your Life

More people are diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancers combined. 1 in 5 of us will develop skin cancer by the age of 70 … and melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, will cause nearly 9,000 deaths this year.

You have an increased risk for skin cancer if you’ve ever had a serious sunburn that caused blisters, even when you were a child. Your risk is also higher if you have fair skin that easily burns or a family member with skin cancer, are over age 50—or simply spend a lot of time in the sun.

The first sign of skin cancer is often a change in a mole you already have. Look for the ABCDE signs of melanoma, and if you see something, get it checked right away.

A few simple practices can reduce your risk:

  • Stay in the shade, especially from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., when UV exposure is greatest
  • Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs
  • Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears and neck
  • Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays
  • Use plenty of 15 SPF or higher sunscreen with UVA and UVB (broad spectrum) protection

For more tips and information:

FIND IT FAST: Easy Access to our Virtual Library

Wondering where to find previous blog posts, infographics and videos? Go to the Health Trust website, click Menu, then Blog. (For the most current posts, click the links at the bottom of the Home Page.)

You’ll find a virtual library of resources to help you use your benefits wisely:

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