Matthew Collins, M.D., M.B.A. is BCBSRI’s executive vice president and chief medical officer, with comprehensive oversight for our medical management, care management, utilization management, and behavioral health management areas. Matt’s goals are ensuring our members get the right care at the right time in the right setting, while leading our efforts to control the increase of total medical expenses. He also brings a unique perspective to his role with a background as a family physician.

It seems hard to imagine, yet here we are…at the end of another year. In this season of gift-giving, I think one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself (and others) is gratitude. Even as we’re slowly easing out of the pandemic and have reached some level of normalcy, so many other external factors can make it hard to think about our positives and express gratitude for them. It can be far too easy to focus on the negative.

Think about what your practice and staff has been through the last few years, as an example. The stress and anxiety of caring for patients with COVID, on top of the normal stresses of the medical profession. The long hours, intense pressure, being short-staffed. Perhaps it’s a good place to start to be grateful for the ability to help those you were able to during that time, and for the support you were able to provide each other to pull through it.

Obviously, what – or who – you’re grateful for is solely up to you, but the important thing is to make sure you take some time during this busiest time of year to express that gratitude.

Being grateful is a very useful skill all the time, but especially at this time of year. The start of winter – and the holidays/post-holidays – also coincides with an uptick in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of mood disorder associated with seasonal changes that can be seen as a form of depression during the winter months, and it affects more than three million people in the U.S. every year. It can be associated with feelings of sadness or listlessness, loss of interest in common activities, low energy and sluggishness, excessive sleep, overeating and weight gain, problems concentrating, hopelessness, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.

Expressing or giving gratitude at this time of year can be especially helpful in coping (or helping others cope) with SAD, mental health issues, or depression. Gratitude can offer several helpful benefits for mental health, including helping to regulate emotions and boosting emotional intelligence; creating a more positive mindset and experiencing more positive feelings; increasing feelings of connection to others; motivating toward more positive and healthier outcomes; and minimizing feelings of stress and anxiety.

So the bottom line is this…take some time – even five minutes a day – to devote to your own and emotional health and wellness and to have (and express) thoughts of gratitude. While not a cure for the “winter blues” or something even more serious, it can go a long way toward improving mental health.

Thank you!

This month, from December 5-11, we recognize two weeks that are very timely reminders for this time of year: National Influenza Vaccination Week and National Handwashing Awareness Week. As always, thank you for your partnership and all you do to help our members stay safe and healthy all year long – we’re grateful for you! Wishing you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season from all of us at BCBSRI.