Dear Readers,

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer filled with sunshine and relaxation. As we embrace these warm months, it's important to take time for ourselves and reflect on our growth.

This month's newsletter features two valuable articles. The first explores the importance of self-respect for women leaders in the funeral service profession, offering practical tips from Psychology Today. The second addresses the need for healthier work environments that prioritize mental health, drawing on recent insights from Fortune.

I encourage you to read these articles and consider how they can enhance your professional life. Remember to prioritize your well-being and mental health!

Stay connected with me on LinkedIn, where I share valuable articles and data every week. Also, tune into my podcast, Your Funeral Coach Talks. If there's any way I can support you, please reach out!

Wishing you a fantastic July!

My best always,

Embracing Self-Respect as a Woman in Deathcare

As women in the deathcare and funeral service profession, we often find ourselves in the role of guiding and supporting others through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. While our work is deeply fulfilling, it can also be emotionally taxing. That’s why it’s crucial to prioritize our own well-being and self-respect. According to Psychology Today, self-respect is a cornerstone for well-being, resilience, and emotional health. However, challenging the negative core beliefs that interfere with self-respect can be tough. 

Here are some tips I find important to help us nurture our self-respect, tailored for our unique roles.

First, it’s essential to reflect on our values. Our values guide our actions and decisions, and staying true to them helps us remain grounded. Take a moment each day to consider how you can live by your values. Whether it’s demonstrating empathy, maintaining integrity, or fostering compassion, aligning our actions with our values reinforces our sense of self-worth. Next, examine your relationships. As women, we often prioritize others, sometimes at the expense of our well-being. It's important to surround ourselves with people who support and uplift us. If certain relationships are draining or unsupportive, it might be time to reevaluate and make necessary changes.

Creating a healthier Work Environment in Funeral Service

In deathcare, we are no strangers to the emotional and psychological demands of our roles. As professionals dedicated to supporting others through their grief, it's essential that we also prioritize our own mental health and well-being. A recent article from Fortune highlights the growing need for healthier work environments that prioritize mental health. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, 92% of workers believe it’s important to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being. Yet, 77% reported experiencing work-related stress in the last month, and 43% worried that disclosing a mental health condition could negatively impact them at work.

These statistics remind us that when employees suffer, so does the business. Untreated depression alone has cost the U.S. economy over $51 billion in absenteeism and lost productivity, according to Mental Health America. But what makes a workplace healthy, and how can we, as leaders in the funeral service profession, nurture our employees’ mental well-being while fostering company morale and productivity?

Creating a healthy workplace involves making employees feel heard and supported. This can be achieved through comprehensive health care benefits, on-site resources, and other support mechanisms. Investing in employees builds trust and encourages them to invest back in their work, creating a positive cycle of support and productivity.