How Employers Can Help Workers Who Struggle With Their Mental Health

Between navigating our daily personal commitments, maintaining relationships with our loved ones and making sense of the world around us, this life can be hard. I didn’t even mention the fact that many of us spend at least 8 hours a day (or more) working to make a pretty penny.

Workers Struggle With Their Mental Health

In the last few years throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen terms like “quiet quitting” and “The Great Resignation” sprout up, underscoring the point that ideas about work are evolving in the U.S. Many Americans are simply tired of subscribing to a hustle culture mentality that has not served their mental health.

My colleague Robert Garrova wrote about recent research that shows how much strain U.S. workers feel they’re under and how it’s affecting their well-being. But because the job does need to get done, Robert also writes about what one’s employer can do to support employees who might be struggling. One thing to consider: figuring out that post-pandemic hybrid schedule so workers can have flexibility, but also in-person social interaction. There is a lot that we are all still figuring out as COVID lingers on but I think that we can all agree that long hours on a screen and on zoom can take a toll.

Let’s all start thinking about the ways we can take better care of ourselves and others throughout the day, especially at work.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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(After you stop hitting snooze)

• There are too few available adult hospital beds for patients in Los Angeles County, and that’s a problem as people continue to get sick in large numbers with COVID-19, flu or R.S.V.
• The California Public Utilities Commission approved of a plan that would cut rooftop solar incentives. The Natural Resources Defense Council contends that low-and middle-income Californians bear the brunt of increasing costs of electricity, while wealthier households have benefited from solar incentives.
• According to a recent Metro survey regarding the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor, a majority of respondents said they would rather have an underground rail as opposed to a monorail. 
• Do you usually bug a family member or a friend to get you to the LAX? Or are you one of those Angelenos who likes to spend $50 for an Uber to take you there? Well, my colleague Caitlin Hernández has some tips for you so you don’t have to rely on others or spend a fortune to get to the airport. 
• My colleague Jill Replogle interviewed Ashleigh Aitken, the first woman to be elected mayor of Anaheim, about her priorities during her term. Tackling homelessness, exploring various options for Angel Stadium and reforming city hall are some of the issues at the top of her list. 
• The Office of the State Fire Marshal just released a new fire hazard map for the first time since 2007. The map, which indicates the likelihood a region could get hit with a wildfire, reflects the effects of climate change. 
• Academic workers on strike at the University of California are taking their activism to the next level with actions that could lead to arrests. Those on strike say negotiations have been too slow. 
• Lorenzo Mays was in jail for nearly 9 years even though he was never convicted of a crime. CalMatters’ Jocelyn Wiener explains why a man with a mental disability spent years in jail without ever having a trial. 
• Ballot measures giving citizens power to pass or change a state’s constitution are facing a backlash from state lawmakers. Now, some lawmakers are either restricting the process or proposing new requirements for voters. 
• Need to get a COVID-19 test before packing up and catching that holiday flight? You can again order four free COVID-19 through the mail. Shipping will start the week of Dec. 19. 
• Don’t know what to buy your Aunt Sally or your cousin Keisha? Step up your clever gift-giving game by checking out NPR’s gift guide for inspo. 

Wait... One More Thing...

This Weekend, Look For Holiday Lights OR Attend A Kwanzaa Celebration

The Mission Inn in Riverside kicks off its holiday season on Friday with a spectacular show of lights.

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Courtesy Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

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When I was a little girl, my mom used to drive me to different neighborhoods to see how people dressed up their houses in lights and figurines for the holidays. We played this game where we had to come up with different adjectives to describe the display. Magnificent. Splendiferous. Resplendent. This holiday season, there are a whole lot of options to play that game with your little ones and see lights twinkle across the L.A area and beyond. The Festival of Lights at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside is one such place. Its display is up through January 6. And don’t forget lights at the L.A. Zoo, The Arboretum and Descanso Gardens. Another oldie but goodie is, of course, Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena.

After you’ve checked out the lights, get your creative juices flowing at the California African American Museum’s Kuumba Kwanzaa Celebration on Saturday from 1-3pm. Jayon and Jon Kev will lead interactive story time with puppets. Able ARTS Work artists will also teach participants how to create their own magazines.

Really, this weekend is full of exciting events! On Saturday, you can see the one and only Stevie Wonder during a charity event at the Microsoft Theater for $59. Or catch the Food Network’s Alton Brown hosting a hilariously fun cooking event at the Soraya. There’s even more options —- check it all out here.

Yep, I know. It’s too hard to choose!