These guilty pleasures help benefits leaders maintain their mental health during the pandemic

March 1, 2021 9:00 AM

If there’s anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s that guilty pleasures can double as lifelines when the going gets tough.

Remote work has become the new normal and more than 60% of employees say they are burned out, according to a recent survey by Blind. As such, it's increasingly more important for workers to find new and creative ways to offset stress.

While there are several steps companies can take to lift employee morale — such as modifying work expectations, encouraging a work/life balance and scheduling regular check ins — employees should also feel encouraged to find and treat themselves to activities they enjoy.

Each year, Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser highlights a group of standout individuals who are new to the benefits space. This year’s group of Rising Stars are distinguished young professionals who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to tackling wellness, healthcare and other benefit offerings with new perspectives, while also navigating the COVID-19 crisis.

These Rising Stars know how important it is to prioritize mental health. They’ve shared the guilty pleasures they’ve enjoyed during the pandemic and how those little treats are helping them navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

Megan Nail

Vice president, total rewards practice at First Person Advisors

“My guilty pleasure during quarantine has been learning more about wine. I was able to join a variety of different wine clubs and the winemakers host virtual tasting which provided a fun and educational outlet.”

Victor Tang

Vice president at Marsh & McLennan Agency - Bouchard Region

“Having a guilty pleasure means you have guilt. I have no guilt in listening to Backstreet Boys or NSYNC. Early 2000s music was the best!”

Sohail Hooda

Health and Welfare Practice Leader at Arthur J. Gallagher

“My guilty pleasure during quarantine has been learning more about wine. I was able to join a variety of different wine clubs and the winemakers host virtual tasting which provided a fun and educational outlet.”

Stefanie Cano

Benefits account manager at Thrive Benefits

Photoquinton

“Cooking!”

Stephanie Hernandez

Assistant account executive at FNA Insurance Services

“During this whole quarantine I have definitely been catching up on a lot of my reality TV shows on BRAVO.”

Aaron Lipford

Senior associate, people at PSB Insights

“My guilty pleasure has been making a lot of baked goods and creating new recipes from various international cuisines.”

Maria Simmers

Senior consultant, pension actuary at Buck

“I've been working outside when the weather permits, rather than in my house. It's a great way to mix up the day, and my dog has been loving that he can spend all day playing in the yard.”

Robert Clark

Sales vice president at PGT

“Podcasting! "The Benefits Advisor Podcast" highlights brokers' stories and insights. Brokers are left little opportunity to share who they really are, what they care about and why they do what they do. The Benefits Advisor Podcast gives brokers this platform to relate, connect and share with their audience.

The second podcast is called "Advice First." This show highlights and interviews professionals across many industries who are committed to doing the right thing for their clients and their community. I feel too many consumers are sold a bill of goods for the sales person's benefit. Advice First is a resource consumers can lean on and know they'll get objective, valuable advice.”

Alexis McWilliams

Benefits specialist at Dollar General

“Netflix (and other streaming services) have definitely been a guilty pleasure during quarantine. I'm thankful to the inspired minds that created outstanding content that has been released over the last year in all genres imaginable. I love that I can pick the kind of escape from the real world I want at that time.”