text: Workers are Stressed Out
  According to stress.org, 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress, and 25% say their job is the number one stressor in their lives. And the American Psychological Association shared that about 80% of workers express the importance of working for an employer that provides mental health support. Finding ways to assist employees with managing stress should be part of every employer’s HR strategy.
  Supporting employees’ mental well-being benefits both employee and employer and may even help retention. A Forrester Consulting survey showed that 79% of employees are likely to stay at a company that provides high-quality mental health resources.
  While it’s clear employers need to take action to help their teams build stress resilience, deciding the best way to offer assistance can be daunting.
  Digital Health Apps Makes Offering Mental Wellness Benefits Easier
  Many wellness apps on the market provide meditation, peaceful sounds, mindfulness training, etc. These are great tools to help people manage stress. Still, some people might find terms like meditation or mindfulness intimidating.
  Now employers can take their benefits program a step further with a recently released digital benefit that offers more than meditation and mindfulness and caters to each unique individual with customized support. Pivot, a behavioral change digital health company, recently launched Pivot Flex, a powerful digital health solution employers and health plans can offer their employees and members to help them manage everyday stress and build resilience to improve their mental well-being.
  Pivot Flex offers a mobile app and set of tools built on several proven tenets to address everyday stress. The platform provides board-certified health coaches, connections to a supportive community of fellow users, and challenges, tools, and resources, such as the Flex Assessment, to help users track progress, develop strategies, and become more resilient to the daily stressors we all face. Pivot Flex also supports employers and health insurers with insights into measurable data and outcomes they can tie into their strategic goals.
  A natural evolution of Pivot’s offerings, Pivot Flex is based on the successful behavioral change model established with their flagship solution, Pivot Breathe, for tobacco cessation. Stress is the number one reason people smoke, and the company realized that skills, lessons, and support offered through Pivot Breathe could be applied to a much larger population impacted by the health crisis of stress and burnout.
  Coaching, Community, and Practice Tools Build Resilience to Stress
  “Did you know more than 70% of us report insurmountable stress, leading to burnout and feeling out of control?” said David S. Utley, M.D., Pivot’s founder and CEO. “Having a dedicated coach to advise and guide you, a community around you so you know where to turn and don’t feel alone, and ample ways to learn, challenge and practice to build new skills – that’s what Pivot Flex offers. We want to support human beings struggling with the challenges of everyday stress.”
  Pivot Flex provides each user with a personalized experience supported by their coach. Pivot believes resilience is a skill everyone can develop, yet no two journeys are alike. Individuals learn the building blocks to strengthen their resilience skills in times of stress and within common everyday experiences through evidence-based lessons and support from certified health coaches.
  “To be resilient, an individual needs a wide range of useful coping strategies that incorporate both the mind and body,” said Laura Dotson, Pivot’s Director of Coaching and Behavioral Science. “Resilient individuals understand the extent of their control when they have the power to change or influence something and when they should conserve their energy. They also tend to have meaningful connections with others,” she added.
  Employers and Health Insurers Benefit Too
  Employers often see lower turnover and higher productivity when employees are happier and less stressed. Insurers see fewer claims. Resilient individuals are likely to take fewer sick days, experience fewer stress-related healthcare issues, be more productive, and report greater job satisfaction. It’s a win-win when people have the right tools to manage daily stress.
  About the author
  Kate Cote has dedicated her career to connecting people with life-changing products through the art and science of healthcare marketing. As a Berkeley Haas MBA/MPH graduate, she brings a unique combination of expertise in marketing excellence and the nuances of the healthcare industry.
  This is a sponsored post
  Digital Health Buzz! aims to be the destination of choice when it comes to what’s happening in the digital health world. We are not about news and views, but informative articles and thoughts to apply in your business.