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American Heart Association and Zoom Team up to Address Mental Wellbeing and Concern Over Virtual Fatigue

The American Heart Association Bay Area and Zoom are encouraging people to #TakeABreak to improve health and address mental wellbeing. Find out how...

Updated on June 25, 2020

Published on June 11, 2020

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Bay Area nonprofit and Zoom join forces in offering tools to maintain mental wellness

The American Heart Association (AHA) Bay Area and Zoom want employees to #TakeABreak. As shelter-in-place orders continue, the boundaries between work and home continue to blur. Individuals are juggling multiple roles and there’s little time or space to reset, refuel or restore. Mental health — inextricably connected to cardiac health and overall wellbeing — is at risk due in part to a new culture of always being “on.” That’s why the AHA and Zoom are working together to create programs that encourage people to set personal boundaries, putting their health first and enabling time to disconnect. The programs will be funded by a $500,000 grant to the AHA presented by the Zoom Cares Foundation. The initiative begins on Thursday, July 16, at 4 p.m. PST with a Zoom “Happy Half-Hour Mental Wellness Webinar” the first of what will be a monthly series. Companies from throughout the Bay Area are invited to drop in for fun, relaxing activities that will give them mental wellbeing strategies and tactics as they navigate a changing work environment. “I’m happy to be rolling out this program with the AHA,” said Zoom founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan. “While Zoom has been helping people stay connected and productive during this pandemic, we know that never unplugging can cause stress and affect heart health. I deeply value happiness and mental health and have been personally impacted by cardiovascular disease in a family member. I want our company to lead the way in empowering people to put their health first.” “This collaboration aligns so well with our core priorities and we are very excited to make a difference with Zoom as we focus on wellbeing, specifically mental health,” said Laura Steinfeldt, Bay Area AHA Executive Director. “We are very grateful for this gift for the community knowing how critical our mission is especially during this pandemic.” Together the AHA and Zoom will implement a multi-faceted strategy to combat burnout and address mental wellbeing, including:

Zoom half-hour mental wellness webinar series. Employees of Bay Area companies are offered a Happy Half-Hour drop-in with fun, relaxing activities designed to learn more about mental wellbeing strategies and tactics.
Monthly resources through September that inspire our community to take the actions needed to support their mental wellbeing and help companies create a culture of whole-person health for their employees.
Promotion of a new kind of “happy hour,” one that encourages employees to step away from their computers and spend an hour enjoying an activity outside or with loved ones.

Both the AHA and Zoom encourage other companies to join in promoting a #TakeABreak culture to build happier, healthier workplaces and homes. Join us on Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 4:30 p.m. PST for the first virtual Zoom Happy Half-Hour.

The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work and 33 million volunteers, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information.