Health snack brand offers mental resilience program too��

Tough Banana, a local health snack brand, has branched out to also start offering a mental resilience program customizable for individuals, schools, and companies.����

“Everyone experiences life challenges at different stages in their lives,” said Eric L. Dimar, a psychologist and registered guidance counsellor with DMR Psychological Services. Mr. Dimar co-developed the Tough Banana resilience program with its co-founder, Cherry S. Kho.����

“The information that we share is something anyone at any point in their life can use,” he added in an e-mail. “The earlier we realize these things, the better it is in the long run.”����

A free Zoom webinar on May 6 ()��has��been organized for those who wish to know more about the program.����

Tough Banana started as a snack in 2019, Ms. Kho said.����

“But then we felt it would be more powerful to integrate the physical and mental — as both need each other to be more valuable and useful,” she added in the same e-mail. “Also, resilience is something that is so natural for Filipinos to capitalize on.”����

Divided into four parts, the program’s first session introduces the concept and value of resilience. It also serves as a baseline measure for determining the training’s effectiveness. Subsequent sessions focus on growth mindset, mental toughness, and how to turn frustration to motivation.����

Modules are also available for subjects such as team communication and trust building.����

A total of 40 employees from two company clients have thus far completed the program since its inception in November 2021.����

Resilience is bouncing back to one’s “normal” after adversity, according to Mr. Dimar. It is responding to situations with calmer centeredness.��

“There are people who are naturally resilient. The program can help build on that,” Ms. Kho told������ý.��On the other hand, “there are people who are easily affected by unforeseen life events. This program can help them become more resilient.”����

The snack, meanwhile – whose main ingredient is bananas – likewise symbolizes hardiness.����

“Saba��banana ��is��a resilient plant that doesn’t require much care and can grow essentially anywhere,” Ms. Kho said.����

Several studies have shown the connection between a healthy diet and mental wellness. Among the particular nutrients found in bananas is potassium, which supports heart health, and fiber, which helps manage blood sugar levels.����

COMPANY SUPPORT
PhilCare, a health maintenance organization, gleaned from its 2021 survey that the major causes of work-related stress are: 1.) getting exposed to COVID-19 at work (52%), and, 2.) taking care of both personal and family needs while at work (45.7%).����

To combat stress,��PhilCare��suggests that companies implement a clear strategy on how to respond to the economic impact of the pandemic. It also suggests setting clear guidelines on how to promote employee safety and wellness.��

Providing their staff with mental health support goes beyond the requirements of Republic Act Number 11036 (the 2018 Mental Health Act) and Order No. 208-20 (the Department of Labor and Employment’s guidelines for mental health policies), said the co-developers of Tough Banana’s resilience program.����

“People are a company’s number one resources. Taking care of their people in a holistic manner – financial, inspirational, physical, and mental – should always be the case,” Ms. Kho said in the same e-mail. Life will not always be easy, which is why it is “important that we ready ourselves [for] when tough times come. — Patricia Mirasol