We're here for the WHOLE you, not just the work you
By Liz Smith, Senior Manager
Global Total Health and Recognition
My Total Health
At Kellanova, we believe that we all do our best at work when we feel well and are healthy. That’s why we have a “My Total Health” framework covering physical, financial, emotional and social health. We want employees to show up as our complete and authentic selves, sharing the full complexity and richness of who we are and embracing our lives within and outside of Kellanova.
World Mental Health Day
Every October 10, we recognize World Mental Health Day with a full slate of programs focused on the Emotional Health aspect of our holistic framework.
This year, we’re hosting an entire week-long series designed to support employees’ emotional well-being with leading experts discussing:
- Mental health and what to do when
it happens at work. - Media and mental health.
- Supporting your team’s mental health.
This work is very personal to me
But that’s not all. Helping our team achieve emotional well-being is an everyday priority at Kellanova. During the pandemic, we hosted 2.5 years of mindfulness programming on everything from mindful parenting to healthy eating to communicating with others both in person and virtually. Additionally, Employee Assistance Programs are now available to all employees globally to help address a wide variety of needs, which is an accomplishment of which we are incredibly proud.
This work is very personal to me. I discovered the importance of managing my mental health at the young age of 21. At that time, I was mentally exhausted working a full-time role here at Kellanova but also going to college full-time in the evenings. Additionally, I volunteered at a suicide-prevention hotline and was writing a 200-page thesis to graduate with honors. In the midst of all of this, I lost my favorite person in the world to cancer – my grandpa. I had a mental breakdown and ended up fainting in the middle of one of my college evening courses, waking up on a stretcher surrounded by emergency workers and police officers. I knew I needed to focus on my mental health. I learned how to eat and work out for my mental well-being. I got a dog which gave my life a completely new sense of purpose and happiness. I learned it was okay to lean in on the people that love me and seek professional help when I need it. Applying these concepts slowly but surely helped me to thrive emotionally. These are all concepts that many years later are still part of my mental health routine to help me be the best wife, stepmom, dog mom, friend, and employee I can be.
Focusing on emotional well-being
For me, holistic well-being makes a huge difference, and I’m so happy to be able to bring this commitment to my work at Kellanova. For example, more than 140 of my colleagues have completed our U.S. Lean on Me mental health certification training. We’re offering a wide variety of other education programs and training in all our regions, and employees tell us we’re getting it right in our annual global employee opinion survey. But we’re not stopping here. Emotional well-being continues to be a focus area for us in 2023 and beyond.
Empowering all of us to face the demands of life
Just as our Locate for Your Day (for office-based employees) hybrid way of working helps us find a balance between working from home and the office, we’re also encouraged to own our days and take mental health breaks throughout the day. We know that strong emotional wellbeing, and all aspects of our My Total Health philosophy, leads to employee growth and engagement. That’s why we’re here for the whole you, and empowering all of us to face the demands of life, big and small, with emotional strength and security.