If you’re looking to improve your mental wellness, ConocoPhillips employee Tonita Gomez de Moran has some words of wisdom for you.

“The most difficult step to take is the first step,” she said, “so do not be afraid. Mental wellness is just as important as physical, emotional and spiritual health.”

Tonita Gomez de Moran, left, with husband, Marcos, and their two children, Fernando and Clara.
Tonita Gomez de Moran, left, with husband, Marcos, and their two children, Fernando and Clara.

Tonita said she realized the importance of mental health during and after her battle with breast cancer.

“It was clear to me that without a positive attitude, the brutal treatment would take a bigger toll on my body.”

Tonita, a change, problem management, and disaster recovery analyst at the company’s Bartlesville, Okla., campus, was among the thousands of ConocoPhillips employees and contractors who participated in the 2021 SPIRIT of Wellness challenge, a six-week competition featuring health and wellness activities. During this global campaign, held June 14-July 26, employees and contractors participated as individuals or as part of a team. The event included three challenges: Move, Eat Right and Stress Less. Recording their activities daily, participants earned points and tracked their progress on Individual and Team Leaderboards.

While Tonita focused on her mental health, Sani Dadan, a senior field rotating equipment engineer in Indonesia, pushed his physical limits by cycling and running.

Sani Dadan, a senior field rotating equipment engineer in Indonesia
Sani Dadan

“Go further … go faster … go higher and stay safe,” Sani posted on Yammer in the final days of the challenge, just days before winning the Individual Champion category with more than 290,000 points.

Tonita and Sani’s self-improvement efforts reflect the essence of this annual event, a challenge that played out in every location where ConocoPhillips operates around the world. Even in Malaysia, where the country remained on COVID-19 lockdown, employees walked, ran and jogged 10K steps around their homes every day, participated in virtual exercise classes and cooked healthy recipes.

In the Team category, the Indonesia business unit won for Division One (Large Division), and the China business unit won for Division Two (Small Division). 

Check out these photos highlighting participation around the world: