Personal Lines Insight: May 2022
May 2, 2022
Life
Mental Health Week – Simple Tips for Self-Care
May 2-8 is Mental Health Week. Mental health includes emotional, physiological and social well-being—and the state of your mental health can affect your overall health and quality of life. It’s essential to be sure you’re taking care of your physical and psychological well-being to be at your best.
Prioritizing self-care is one way to focus on your mental health. Self-care includes activities that help manage your stress, lower the risk of illness and increase your energy. To get started with self-care, try following some of the following tips:
- Exercise regularly. Walking just 30 minutes a day can help boost your mood and improve your overall health. If you can’t do 30 minutes at one time, that’s okay. Small increments of exercise can add up.
- Eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet and staying hydrated can help improve your energy and focus.
- Prioritize sleep. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Reduce your blue light exposure from devices such as phones or other screens before bedtime for better sleep.
- Participate in relaxing activities. Activities such as journaling, meditation, muscle relaxation and breathing exercises have all been shown to help improve mental state.
- Set goals and priorities. Make lists by focus to determine what needs to get done now and what can wait. This is also a good way to practice saying “no” to tasks that make you feel like you’re taking on too much.
- Stay connected. Reach out to friends and loved ones who can provide you with emotional support when you need it.
- Practice gratitude. Remind yourself daily of things you are grateful for through journaling or meditation.
Auto
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. With warmer weather, more motorcyclists will be on the road. This means surrounding drivers should increase awareness of their surroundings to help prevent accidents. To help keep motorcyclists safe on the road while you’re driving your vehicle, follow these safety tips:
- Check lanes twice before changing. Double-check to be sure you didn’t miss a motorcyclist who may have been in your blind spot.
- Be aware. Pay extra attention while driving at night. Motorcycles are smaller and may not be as easy to see as a car.
- Keep a safe distance. Especially when driving behind motorcycles, ensure you have enough space to stop in the event there’s an accident or problem ahead on the road.
- Drive defensively. Exercising an abundance of caution can help prevent accidents and account for other driver’s actions.
Home
Spring Cleaning Safety Tips
After a long winter, it’s natural for dust and dirt to collect in your home. This means your home is probably due for a thorough cleaning. Before tackling spring cleaning chores, it’s essential to know how to approach spring cleaning safely.
Consider these safety tips:
- Declutter before cleaning. If you have any stray objects lying around or items you could trip over, pick them up beforehand to help make cleaning more efficient and safe.
- Use mild cleaning products. Limit harsh cleaning products that could create toxic fumes, especially when mixed.
- Wear proper gear. Wearing rubber gloves and a mask can help prevent skin reactions and other allergic reactions and irritations from harsh cleaners if you’re using such.
- Read cleaning product labels. Your cleaning products should each have labels listing ingredients, how to store them, proper use and precautions to follow. Be sure to read through your labels before each use of the product.
- Keep cleaning products out of reach. If you have kids or pets, keep your cleaning products out of their reach.
- Work from top to bottom. Start from your ceiling and work your way down. This forces debris downward and can help prevent re-cleaning.
- Lift furniture with caution. You may have to move some furniture if you’re doing a thorough cleaning. If available, ask for help and be sure to lift with your legs versus your back o avoid injury.
- Ventilate your household. It’s essential to open your windows to circulate fresh air and help prevent allergic or chemical reactions.
Recommended
- Personal Lines Insight: April 2022
- Tips to Staying Active While Working From Home
- Excessive Phone Use and Associated Health Risks
- Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace