Wellness Wednesdays

For questions about your benefits, please email: benefits@wakendall.com

May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance established by Mental Health America to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing—and it's just as relevant today as ever.

In our line of work, we know how physically demanding and mentally challenging each day can be. That’s why you should remember that mental health is just as important as physical health. Whether it’s job stress, personal struggles, or just the weight of life piling up, we all need support now and then.

Here are a few eye-opening stats:

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental illness each year
1 in 6 kids and teens live with a mental health condition
Less than half of kids and adults get the treatment they need

This month, we encourage you to check in—with yourself, your coworkers, and your loved ones. Small actions like taking breaks, setting boundaries, or talking to someone you trust can make a big difference.

Let’s keep safety at the top of our priorities—not just for our bodies, but for our minds too. If you're looking for support or resources, we’ve got some helpful tools to get started below!

Take care of yourself. You matter.

This May, and throughout the year, prioritize yourself and explore the resources that can help you build resilience, manage challenges, and thrive, like these:

FREE EAP Resources for You and Your Family

FREE Anthem Employee Assistance Program (English and Spanish)
FREE Lincoln Financial Employee Assistance Program (English and Spanish)

Remember, you and your household members can get counseling and crisis support through the EAP. These programs can also help with addiction, work/life balance, stress, and other issues.

Anthem Members – Get Virtual Mental Health Support

Having a tough time? Anthem members can chat with a board-certified therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist through a virtual video visit. Read More.

Anthem members can also access the Headway Program, which helps you find the right therapist to provide the support you need. Read More.

Benefits 101

Struggling to stretch your healthcare dollars with rising costs? Here are eight budgeting tips that can help you get the most out of your money.

Stretch Healthcare Dollars Video WW April 2025.png

Spanish version

Boosting Your Benefits

HSA Promotion – Reminder for HSA participants!

Anthem HSA members, reminder to complete your annual physical with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) and submit your proof of annual physical form to Wellworks by JUNE 1, 2025.

If you complete your physical and submit your form by June 1, you will earn up to an additional $500 per year/$125 per quarter in your HSA account.

You can find your annual physical form in your wellness portal and mobile app within the Wellness Locker. Your Wellness Program Guide can be found here. It provides more details on how to submit your form. The annual physical form can be found on page four. If you have any questions, please reach out to Benefits @ 1-877-949-1113.

Benefits of an Eye Exam

Having your eyes checked annually can help identify early signs of certain chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Both of our vision plans through EyeMed and our medical plans through Anthem offer annual eye exams to enrolled members for a copayment of $10-15. One vision exam per year is covered under the Anthem medical plans for children at $0 copayment!

Your eyes play a bigger role in your health and learning than you might think—here’s why everyone needs to get their eyes checked – no matter how old you are.

Babies and toddlers: Should have their first eye exam between 6 and 12 months.
School-age children: 1 in 4 may have vision problems that affect learning.
Adults: Over 200 million in the U.S. alone need vision correction.
Seniors: The most common sufferers of glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
Moms-to-be: Pregnancy can cause vision changes, so it is important that you have your eyes checked throughout. This way your doctor can assess any changes.

To learn more about why eye exams matter, click on the flyer (Spanish).

Step Into Adventure: the National Parks Challenge is Coming Soon!

Ready to move more, connect with your coworkers, and win cash prizes? We’ve got the perfect excuse to dust off your sneakers and dive into an epic, step-filled journey. Join the Tour of the National Parks Challenge — a six-week virtual adventure that will take your team across some of the most stunning landscapes in the country! The Challenge starts May 5.

You received an email from Wellworks earlier this week regarding the challenge. If you didn’t, check your spam folder! Here are the details:

What’s the Challenge?

For six weeks, you and your team will “hike” your way through breathtaking national parks, logging your daily steps as you go. To complete the challenge, participants need to average at least 6,000 steps per day. Whether you’re a casual stroller or a hardcore stepper, this is your chance to get moving and stay motivated — all while soaking in some virtual nature vibes.

Why Join?

Cash, connection, and cardio — that’s why!

First Place Team: $50 per person
Second Place Team: $40 per person
Third Place Team: $30 per person

That’s money in your pocket just for walking and having fun while you’re at it!

How to Get Started

Form a team of up to five coworkers. Choose your team name and elect a captain. Your captain will sign up and activate your team on the Wellness Portal: www.wellworksforyoulogin.com. Don’t have a team? Don’t let that stop you! You can still join as a team of 1. Scores will be based on the overall average steps of team members, so individuals or teams of 2 will have just as much of a chance to win as a team of 5.

Please Note: Your National Challenge sign-on is different from your Wellworks HSA login.

Hit the Virtual Trail

You won’t be hiking the entire 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail… but you’ll still cover serious virtual ground — with plenty of fun, friendly competition, and healthy habits along the way. So grab your team, name your squad, and let’s hit the (virtual) trail!

You’ll receive additional emails about the National Parks Challenge in the coming weeks. In the meantime, see the flyer for full details — and get ready to walk your way to wellness (and some sweet prizes)!

Celebrating Earth Day!

Yesterday was the 55th anniversary of Earth Day! This year’s theme according to earthday.org is “Our Power, Our Planet.” For 55 years, Earth Day has led the world in awareness and taking action on critically important issues.

Here are ten simple choices you can make for a healthier planet:

Bike More – Drive Less.
Educate – When you further your own education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
Volunteer! - Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed too!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Cut down on what you throw away. Follow the three “R’s” to conserve natural resources and landfill space.
Choose Sustainable Seafood – Learn how to make smart seafood choices at www.FishWatch.gov.
Plant a Tree – Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save energy, clean the air and help combat climate change.
Conserve Water – The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
Shop Wisely – Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag.
Don’t send chemicals into our waterways. Choose nontoxic chemicals in the home and office.
Long-lasting light bulbs are a bright idea. Energy efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also flip the light switch off when you leave the room!

Since we’re out in mother nature every day, by taking part in one of these choices, you can help make the earth just a little bit healthier.