Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Anne Bloom Of The Osborne Group On The Top Five Selfcare Practices That Improve Mental Wellness

An Interview With Maria Angelova

Nurturing your spirit doesn’t have to involve religion or spirituality. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe or self.

Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Anne Bloom.

Anne effectively leads talent, culture, and business operations with expertise in building strategy, transformation, innovation, and growth in the for profit sector. She is a trusted, forward-thinking advisor and consummate relationship manager who builds cultures of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and collaboration to help businesses succeed. Anne works closely with business leaders to achieve timely results, minimize risk, and ensure compliance in all areas. Her experience as an HR consultant and executive provides a strong template for success in future Interim, Advisory Services and HR Project work.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?

My passion lies in helping people. I love seeing the “AHA” moments in people when they “get” what you are saying and understand the power of change. Some people try to ignore change. But what fuels us all is how we can make ourselves better at what we do. My whole purpose in my career is to fuel change, help people to recognize the importance of change and what the impact will be on those around them. The “Why” is not simple. I still haven’t answered the question on what I want my legacy to be. How will people remember me? What impact have I made on others. I believe the answer lies in my ability to help, coach, manage both people and project and provide the results needed to affect change — not only in how we all work but in how we all find the solutions to meet our day-to-day goals.

Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?

There was a recent experience where I misread a situation. I thought the conversation had been favourable only to find out that what I wanted to be favourable and bring extra work was a negative experience for the other person. Although I am a good judge of character and can read people well, this leader did not want to know that. She didn’t trust what I considered to be a valuable skill and attribute and viewed it as a negative attribute. That was a costly mistake. I lost what should have been additional business. The lesson I learned is that trusting your gut to read a situation is not enough. It is important to ask the right questions and find out the right information before passing judgement. I also learned not to “think too much” but ask questions and listen to the answers. Hear what is not being said and ask more clarifying questions.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Active Listening.

I live by the adage of “ask don’t tell”. Listen to hear not to respond. Don’t interrupt but actively listen to what is being said, asked and information provided. Early on in my career I was listening to respond. Thinking about how I was going to respond and formulating wording rather than active listening. This at times caused consternation and bad blood and didn’t win the respect of colleagues. Today, I spend my time hearing what is being said and responding effectively. This is what adds value to others.

2. Open, honest, transparent communication.

Unless the thought or process outlined is negative, I find that being open, honest and transparent in the way you communicate is so important. If you know a secret and it will negatively impact the other person involved, keeping that secret is oftentimes hard. I don’t want to “hurt” others and I want to ensure that what I say is always positive and uplifting as much as possible. When I am having a performance discussion with someone and the discussion takes on a disciplinary discussion, it is always best to ask the person the five “Ws” — Who, Want, When, Where Why? Find out information, Know what it is happening with the other person that might affect their performance. Finding out “how I can help them” be successful is an important aspect of the conversation. Discuss observances not feelings and share communication based on what you see. Personal judgement only leads to negativity.

3. Empathy.

Definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This is an important skill for leaders today especially when dealing with wellness. Understanding what a person is going through and how you can and should help them will lead to acceptance and trust. During the pandemic leaders had to learn to listen and understand. Some mastered these skills; others are still trying it on for size. When working with others today, it is important to know, understand and share not only the feelings of others but also being vulnerable enough to share your own feelings. Being able to find the words to share is difficult for some. Yet all leaders today need to be able to wear the shoes their colleagues are in to understand what they are going through.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?

I am working on an exciting project to bring awareness to a team of salespeople. It is not only important to understand what they sell, but also the impact of what they sell to the client. Conversations will lead to improving communication styles, finding the common ground on working as a team, finding the way to build that team to allow for trust, collegial relationships and reaching attainable goals. Advising, coaching and leading discussions on the betterment of work styles and client engagement is important to business success today and in future.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?

I learned a few things about myself while isolating during the pandemic.

1. I need people and interaction.
2. I need to take care of myself by healthy eating and exercising.
3. I need to give myself permission to take breaks away from the laptop.
4. I need to eat three meals a day. Snacking doesn’t work for me.
5. I need at least seven to eight hours of sleep to function.

All these needs have me believing that being good to myself is important to my self-care and wellness. If I skip what I know I need I am listless, don’t function well, have a rough attitude and I am simply more needy. Self-care involves knowing a lot about yourself and what you need to be productive. I was and continue to be passionate about how I look after myself and how and when I treat myself.

Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?

Self-care is the active participation of enhancing your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and quality of life. It is important to maintain both the physical and mental components of self-care to achieve an overall state of wellness. Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to assist in reducing or eliminating anxiety and depression, reducing stress, improving concentration, minimizing frustration and anger, increasing happiness, improving energy, and lowering your risk of illness.

Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?

1. Physical Self-Care

Taking care of your body allows you to build a strong connection between your body and your mind. Mindfulness will allow you to think and feel better.

How you fuel your body, how much sleep you get, how much physical activity you do, and how well you’re caring for your physical needs helps with physical self-care. Going to healthcare appointments, taking prescribed medication and managing your health are all part of good physical self-care.

When it comes to physical self-care, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you getting adequate sleep?
• Is your diet fueling your body well?
• Are you taking charge of your health?
• Are you getting enough exercise?

2. Social Self-Care

Socializing is key to self-care. We all need to make time for friends and building relationships. Not always easy but the benefit far outweighs the negative. Spending time with friends and family in person, on the phone even on zoom helps build healthy relationships. We all have varying degrees for our social needs. Only you know what your social needs are, and it is up to each and every one of us to build the time into our busy schedules.

To assess your social self-care, consider:

• Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends?
• What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?

3. Mental Self-Care

Mental stimulation is the best way to ensure that our minds stay sharp. The way you think and the things that you fill your mind with greatly influence your psychological well-being.

Mental self-care includes doing things that keep us sharp like puzzles or learning about a subject that fascinates you. Reading books or watching movies that inspire you fuels your mind.

Here are questions to consider when you think about your mental self-care:

• Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you?
• Are you doing proactive things to help you stay mentally healthy?

4. Spiritual Self-Care

Nurturing your spirit doesn’t have to involve religion or spirituality. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe or self.

If you enjoy meditation, attending a religious service, or praying, spiritual self-care is important.

As you consider your spiritual life, ask yourself:

• What questions do you ask yourself about your life and experience?
• Are you engaging in spiritual practices that you find fulfilling?

5. Emotional Self-Care

Having healthy coping skills helps us deal with uncomfortable situations. like anger, anxiety, and sadness. Emotional self-care includes activities that help us all acknowledge and express our feelings regularly and safely. Talking to a partner, friend or family member on feelings or setting aside time for reflection and leisure activities will process emotions.

Consider these questions:

• Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions?
• Do you have activities in your life that help recharge you?

Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?

Some common self-care roadblocks are:

• Guilt
• Lack of Time.
• H.A.L.T. — hungry, angry, lonely, tired
• Unrealistic Expectations. …
• Change is Hard⁣

Getting around the roadblocks means that you have to stay positive in your thinking, in your expectations and in understanding that there is a benefit to doing what is hard.

Getting out of bed in the morning and thinking “today is going to be a great day” sets the mind to thinking positively. You can make better decisions when you are positive; have better relationships and meet goals set out for yourself. Don’t set goals when you are in a HALT frame of mind. You need to make the time for you and build that time and activity into your schedule.

In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?

What are you waiting for? Don’t let life or time pass you by.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?

The two most important dates in your life are the day you were born and they day you discover why — Mark Twain.

Like most people, I have a burning desire to know the why. What is my legacy and what have I done or can I do to help others. I am living this lifelong quest to answer that burning question.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

I have been a lifelong fan of Tom Hanks. I watch his movies and am in awe of his acting skills and attributes. It all started with one line — “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get”. I can only imagine that he knows how to make time for himself, family and friends and understands the importance of self-care and wellness.

I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?

I am a Human Resources Consultant associated with The Osborne Group — a group of dedicated executives providing excellent consulting in the areas of advisory services, project management and interim management. I can be reached at abloom@osborne-group.com.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.