Mental Health Awareness!!

Suicide accounts for five times the number of fatalities than job-site-related accidents do in the construction industry. How’s that for frightening?

Beyond frightening, it’s incredibly frustrating because while this industry claims to care deeply about its people, mental health is still taboo. No more…

Since one of BuildWitt’s values is “be the example,” here’s an unedited internal note I sent to our team last week regarding mental health. If you have any questions or comments about it, feel free to reach out to me!

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“Dirt Gang —

As many of you know, I’m a huge advocate for mental health and wellness. I visit with a therapist 2-3 times a month, and it’s some of the best time and money I spend.

While I initially went to a therapist to work through bad anxiety, I now go for maintenance. I view it as no different than going to the gym or eating healthy. Most sessions aren’t “groundbreaking,” but it’s remarkably freeing to have someone I can regularly discuss life and issues with outside of my friends and family. Running a business is extremely taxing, and I’ve realized I can’t tough it out and do it independently.

In life, it’s important to take care of yourself before you can care for others. The best analogy I can think of is oxygen masks on airlines — there’s a reason why you should put yours on before helping others. If you’re out of the game, you’re not much help to anyone else.

IF you’d ever like to talk to someone, I’ve asked Jessica to find out more information about our benefits through UHC, and I’ve attached them to this email. She put together a brief PDF on how to find your benefits online.

I pay out of pocket (about $150-200 per session) because it offers more flexibility on who I can see and what I can see them for. As Warren Buffet says, the best investment is in yourself, so I view this as easy money to spend.

I found my current therapist through https://www.psychologytoday.com/us — I specifically looked for someone local, who has experience, is licensed, and has a doctoral-level background. As a bonus, she has a therapy doggo!

Take a look around, and don’t become discouraged if it takes time to find someone who fits with you. It’s so worthwhile to find someone who you’re comfortable talking to.

If you have any questions about my experience, give me a shout any time. I’m an open book and will tell you anything I know and answer any questions you may have to the best of my abilities.

Stay dirty!”