More Texans are returning to the office this spring after working from home for over a year, which can trigger bouts of anxiety and stress. Experts have some tips for a smoother transition into the office again.

Talli Dolge, CEO of the San Antonio Mobile Mental Wellness Collaborative and senior vice president of school and community partnerships for Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, said a good place to start is with your own personal "inventory." Ask yourself how you are feeling about the work you are doing, and if you are getting the support you need from managers when you aren't feeling well.

"We're in an environment where everyone has accepted the fact that mental health is changing in our society," Dolge pointed out. "Workplaces have to learn to adapt to that, and be able to plan and make programs that would help support mental health."

Dolge noted feeling supported is a big key when dealing with mental-health challenges. She added a person should never blame themselves for feeling stress, anxiety or depression. You're not alone. Everyone has experienced a traumatic last two years. Some experts advise finding someone at work you trust to confide in, or seeking therapy.

Dolge suggested another approach is to give yourself grace and talk to yourself in a positive way.

"Saying things like, 'I can make it through this,' or, 'This is just a period of time, and then I will be able to find another thing that's going to make me feel better, after work,'" Dolge advised.

She recommended eating healthy foods, sleeping eight hours at night, and exercising at least three days a week can also help.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many people with mental health disorders also need care for physical health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness. The costs for treating people who face both mental and physical health challenges are two to three times higher than those without them in combination.

And Dolge emphasized if you dread going to work, are unable to do things you once enjoyed, or feel "checked out," it may be time to seek help, or even find a different workplace.

"Our mental health is our health," she stated.

It can be reassuring to find out what your company is doing to keep the office safe from the spread of COVID, including its policy on mental-health days. Dolge recommended trying a calming app on your phone. Many offer mindfulness and meditation exercises, plus access to peer groups and therapy services.

School is back and one way parents can set their kids up for success is ensuring screen time is not getting in the way of sleep.

Dr. Maida Chen, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said there is a strong connection between sleep and mental health, and they affect each other in a circular way, which Chen pointed out screens can exacerbate.

"The screens sort of work in both directions so that if you have underlying mental health issues, screens will worsen sleep," Chen explained. "If you have sleep issues, it'll worsen sleep issues to the point of, perhaps, further triggering the development of mental health issues."

Chen noted it's not just the screens themselves affecting sleep. The content, especially on social media, can be activating. It can trigger anxiety, for instance, which makes it hard to sleep. Mental health is a major issue for youth. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 42% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021.

Chen believes social media heightened social isolation during the pandemic, leading to greater mental health and sleep challenges for young people. But she also emphasized adults have to model the behavior they want to see in their children.

"It makes no sense for us to be chastising our teens for being on their phones and on social media when they turn around and that is all they see the adults in their world doing," Chen contended.

To help with the issue, Chen added families do not have to change their habits all at once. She suggested having screen-free time about 30 minutes before bed, when families can instead spend time together. If media is involved, Chen advised families should watch something together.


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This is National Suicide Prevention Week, part of National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness of the problem, and ways to prevent it. The California Parent and Youth Helpline reports a dramatic increase in calls about suicide - making up about 60% of the calls, texts and live chats received since May of last year.

Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous Inc., runs the helpline.

"In 2022, we had the highest rate of suicide ever, 49,449 deaths," she said. "So, that doesn't include the fact that 12 million adults in 2021 thought about suicide. And 3.5 million people made a plan, and 1.7 million attempted it."

She added that suicide deaths increased in 2021 and 2022, whereas they had been going down in prior years. Statistics show that 20% of children and adults in America suffer from some kind of serious mental health condition. Trained counselors are online at 'CAParentYouthHelpline.org'.

Pion-Berlin added it is crucial to take people seriously if they mention suicidal thoughts.

"It is very important if anybody mentions any thoughts they have - or a plan, or any concerns they have about suicide - that you take them seriously," she implored. "Don't brush them off."

Data show that youth of color living in rural areas are the fastest-growing category of people attempting suicide, and completing those attempts.

Recently approved legislation provides funding for barriers on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge - a scenic but unfortunate hot spot for suicide attempts. The bridge currently has posted signs and phones, which connect those in distress with a crisis clinician, but mental health advocates say it's not enough.

Greg Marley, senior clinical director of suicide prevention for the Maine chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health, said the barriers are needed to help buy time.

"Time for that crisis to pass. Time for them to reconnect to help, to hope," he said. "Time to resolve that issue."

Marley said the barriers save lives. The Memorial Bridge in Augusta was the site of 14 suicides before a fence was erected to prevent people from jumping, and there have been no suicides on the bridge since.

The Maine Department of Transportation is currently building the new barriers on its own as there are no engineering standards for bridge design that consider suicide prevention. That's something Marley said he'd like to see change so it doesn't take legislative action to ensure the bridges are safe for people considering suicide.

"It doesn't mean that the suicides by other means in that region go up," he said, "but it does stop people from focusing on that one site about how they might end their pain."

Marley said anyone who needs to connect with a crisis clinician should dial 988. He recommended that people share their concerns with their primary-care provider, a trusted friend or pastor - anyone, he said, to break the isolation of suicidal thoughts.