Balancing Work and Well-Being: How Offleash Prioritizes Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed yearly in May since 1949 to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and provide support for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. At Offleash, prioritizing mental health and well-being extends well beyond the month of May.
Mental health and well-being are integral parts of the culture at Offleash. We have a wellness benefit to be used toward anything that supports mind, body, and spirit; whether that’s therapy, a gym membership, travel, or hobbies.
Recognizing the critical role mental health plays in overall health, Offleash created a Wise & Well committee to ensure mental health remains a priority at the agency. The committee is a resource that offers regular advice and strategies for living a balanced, healthy life, while also ensuring the team feels supported and heard.
To honor this important month, our Wise & Well team spoke with colleagues to learn how they prioritize their own mental health and use the Offleash wellness benefit.
“I recognize the importance of a healthy mind, body, and spirit and try to keep these in balance. In the last few years, there was a point I realized I wasn’t prioritizing my own mental and physical health day to day. While I’m still terrible at prioritizing sleep, I do try to get outside and walk a lot more (my dog helps!), and for stress management I turn to hiking, yoga, and meditation — many on our Offleash team have been trained in Transcendental Meditation (TM). I’m happy that mental health has become part of our regular conversation and culture.” – Robin Bulanti, Partner
“I prioritize my mental health by taking short walks a few times per day. Even if it’s for just ten minutes up and down my street, it really helps me return to my work refreshed. I’ve also used my Offleash “The Well” stipend for things like hot yoga and a pilates membership.” – Georgia Kulesa, Content Manager
“Running has always been a key for maintaining my mental health. Whenever life starts to feel heavy, I lace up and hit the road (a playlist of 90s hip hop also helps!) Everything feels more manageable after a few miles, plus I do my best thinking while on a run. I log a lot of miles so I recently used my Offleash “The Well” benefit to replace my worn out sneakers.” – Erica Anderson, Account Manager
“I prioritize my mental health and manage any work or personal-related stress by making time for self-improvement activities like spin class, pilates, long walks, or even reading a book after a long day. I look forward to my time after work and being able to ease my mind and socialize with others, and group fitness classes have become my ritual and outlet for ensuring I keep my mental well-being in check. One of my favorite things about working at Offleash is the constant encouragement to take time and care of our personal needs to support our mental and physical health. It makes such a difference when you can find an employer like Offleash that wants to see you succeed both in and outside the workplace.” – Bianca Robles, Senior Account Executive
“I prioritize my mental health by giving myself and my family what we need most – time. Time to be with each other, time for myself, time out in nature, time to explore the world, and time to have fun. Offleash fosters a culture of flexibility, balance, and focus on well-being that allows me to do just that.” – Tanya Carlsson, Vice President
“It’s hard to find the time to prioritize mental health, but it’s imperative to create balance. I prioritize my mental health through physical exercise. Dance has always been one of my passions and I’ve found an outlet for this through a workout class called “High Fit.” Three to four times a week, you will find me on the “dance floor” doing this full body cardio workout to the tune of Bruno Mars and Black Eyed Peas. It has helped improve my overall endurance, stamina, strength, and cardiovascular health. And I’m grateful for that, so I can chase after my two very active daughters!” – Tanaya Lukaszewski, Vice President
“Everyday that I am lucky enough to be alive is at times overwhelming and challenging, but it is also beautiful and massively fulfilling. My goal is to embrace the latter by cherishing the small things, recognizing the daily wins and keeping my body and mind in tune through exercise and quite honestly, enjoying a good beer. But I can’t do it alone. Offleash helps me achieve my health goals through its laser focus on supporting mental well-being for each and every one of its employees. How? It’s not through its generous Flexible Time Off (FTO), mental health benefits or having an actual Wise and Well Team there for us everyday (though these benefits are awesome and unique). No, with Offleash it is all about the authenticity the company brings to the table about truly caring about the health of every one of its employees. Offleash walks the walk, man, and I am lucky and proud to be a part of this team and a member of the Offleash family.” – Scott Lechner, Media Strategist
During a recent company meeting, Offleash Partner Robin Bulanti quoted Fred Rogers, “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” We couldn’t think of a better way to sum up Offleash’s commitment to creating a space where mental health matters, during Mental Health Awareness Month and every day that follows.