5 Ways to Use Your Benefits for Self-Care

February 7, 2022

Self-care has been in the spotlight recently for good reason. Our lifestyles have been adjusted, re-adjusted and in some cases, halted altogether. The coping strategies people have relied on in the past may not have the same positive effects as they used to. Plus, experts have reported a significant increase in the number of Canadians experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression. Many turn to self-care practices for help.

There are many ways to practice self-care, everyone is unique and requires different types and levels of support. Gaining access to support can be considered a barrier to entry for some people, but chances are, if they are Honeybee plan members, they may have access to more self-care options than they think. Encouraging your employees to utilize their Health Spending Account (HSA) or Allowance Account provided to them by their employer is just one way to encourage employees to take care.

When considering employee self-care, here are 5 ways to use benefits for support:

1. Physical Health

In the hierarchy of needs, physical health is the baseline standard before the other levels of self-care. Here are some ways to care for your physical health:

Booking and attending medical appointments with virtual health services such as TELUS Health Virtual Care is vital to keeping physical health in check.
Prioritize dental health. You would be surprised at how an unhealthy mouth can negatively affect the rest of your physical health. Be sure to schedule regular checkups with your dentist.

2. Mental Health

There are many ways in which mental health directly affects physical health, and vice versa. Utilizing an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) such as Inkblot for remote counselling services for employees and their dependents can help connect those who need it, with support, right from home.

To supplement counselling services, medical cannabis prescriptions have been an effective tool to aid in mental health.

3. Wellness

Wellness is what most people most often connect to self-care. Maintaining overall wellness means taking care of physical and mental wellbeing in a connected and mindful way. To get help with beginning a wellness journey, Honeybee plan members often utilize wellness benefits such as:

Guided meditation
Life coaching
Health coaching

4. Fitness

One of the most commonly used categories of the Honeybee Allowance Account is the fitness category. Supporting employee’s fitness is a key way to support other methods of self-care. In particular, coverage for the following can help plan members achieve their fitness goals:

A gym membership
Personal training
Health and fitness coaching

5. Down time

Rest is one of the most crucial methods to really take care of oneself and yet, it is the most neglected self-care practice. Employers can show support for employee down time through Allowance Account allocations for:

Meal delivery and take out
Social club memberships
Art lessons

While these are just some examples of self-care, there are so many options available with enough creativity and the right support system. Finding the right support system is often a journey and requires patience and mindfulness.