Workplace Diversity & more COVID19 Resources

“Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.”

― Jacqueline Woodson

Welcome to the June 2020 edition of TotalWellbeing, your guide to the 8 dimensions of wellbeing. This month’s focus will be on more COVID19 resources as well as a look at workplace diversity as many of us are either returning to work, reducing the amount we work remotely, or are simply looking at the next steps as we rebuild a sense of normality. Now more than ever it is important to embrace diversity. If the COVID19 pandemic has taught us anything it is that we are all in this boat together and we need to work together to move forward. Below we explore tips on dealing with stress and anxiety, as well as a look at some key workplace diversity factors. For more, please head over to our blog or our COVID19 Resource page where we will be constantly updating our Coronavirus related resources. Make sure to download the Coronavirus Fear and Anxiety workbook here (pdf download), provided to us by The Wellness Society. Its full of helpful tips and exercises around managing stress and setting up routines during stay at home orders and isolation.

As a quick reminder, your online portal, PersonalAdvantage, also has live updates and helpful resources around current events including helpful information, current CDC news and recommendations, helpful and free webinars, as well as other resources for professional/personal development, diversity, mindfulness and tons more.

Remember you can always catch past issues of TotalWellbeing on our newsletters page. This newsletter is aimed at providing helpful information about various aspects of your wellbeing and then connecting it all back to important and relevant parts of everyday life. If you have any thoughts, questions, or content you would like to see covered here please get in contact with us. You can email us directly by clicking here.

To your total wellbeing,

The MINES Team

Stress & Anxiety Reduction

Last month was National Stress Awareness Month which is good because lately there have been many reasons to share stress management strategies. The outbreak of the Coronavirus has brought a mental health crisis next to the medical crisis.  In a recent Gallup Study published on April 14, 2020, life ratings plummeted to a 12-year low. The cause of the decline is due to “current satisfaction” and not looking forward to the future. The respondents’ daily stress levels have reached an “unprecedented magnitude.”

Here are some tips that can help manage stress and anxiety during this time:

1. Consider past coping strategies – You may not have been here before, but you have likely experienced difficult situations before where you had little to no control. What were some ways that you coped? It is good to think through which strategies worked well before and try to engage in some version of those strategies now. As you think through the strategies that worked well before, you may recall some that did not work well or were not healthy, make note of those too and try to avoid them.
2. Engage in a gratitude practice – Consider starting a gratitude log. Write down at least one thing that you are grateful for each day. After you have written down what you are grateful for, say it out loud and allow yourself to feel yourself cultivating gratitude. Noted benefits associated with gratitude include (Wellness Society, 2020):

• Positive mood
• Better sleep
• A stronger immune system
• Reduction in anxiety and stress

3. Limit media/social media – You can check updates on the virus from credible resources such as the CDC.gov and WHO.int. There are less than informed and polarizing perspectives throughout the media as well as our social media which can leave us feeling sad, frustrated, and powerless.
4. Practice centered breathing – Take a deep, slow breath filling up your abdomen. Allow the breath to inflate your abdominal area.  As you exhale out all your air, hollow out the abdomen.  Become mindful of your breath and how it transforms your mind, body, and emotions. Being centered:

• is a psycho-physiological state that is strengthened through practice
• allows you to be more authentic, sensitive, and open
• produces emotional and physical stability
• has a positive effect on relationships and the surrounding environment
• has a great impact on developing trust
• enables you to appreciate the nature of conflict
• brings you to a point of clarity, the point of power
• is always your choice, at any time

5. Make certainty statements – In a time where so much feels uncertain, making clear certainty statements can be a way to reduce anxiety. Examples include, “I am certain that I am a mother of three beautiful children,” “I am certain that I am a runner,” “I feel certain that the weather is sunny today.”
6. Check-in with friends and family- Checking in and extending yourself to others through texts, over the phone, video connections, emails, etc. This will not only help you feel less isolated and better connected but no doubt will be impactful to those who you are connecting with. You will boost their mental health as well as your own.

Check out our blog or our COVID19 Resource page for more resources and more helpful information pertaining to working remote, dealing with isolation, managing stress and anxiety, downloadable workbooks and more.

Remember that Your Employee Assistance Program is here to help you and your family members manage the anxiety from health concerns such as the Coronavirus. Please call us at 1-800-873-7138 to get connected right away. Also, PersonalAdvantage has a ton of great resources and FREE webinars.

Encouraging Workplace Diversity

The workplaces of the 21st Century are becoming increasingly diverse. Most organizations employ a variety of people from different cultural backgrounds, religions, sexual preferences, nationalities, and others. Regardless of your personal biases or fears, the workplace is changing. It’s important for you to understand that your professional reputation and future success will depend on your ability to accept and embrace the differences of others. Some key factors include:

• Diversity Opportunities – Having a variety of cultures, opinions, and experience can bring new perspectives, innovative ideas, and out-of-the-box thinking. However, this variety can also lead to miscommunication and disagreements that might lead to conflicts in the workplace.
• Opening the Lines of Communication – Oftentimes, differences are so apparent that they can dominate our immediate impressions and weigh heavily on our reactions, interactions, and behavior. Through the development of the working relationship, professionalism, and workplace coaching, those differences will fade, allowing positive working relationships to form.
• Being Part of the Team – No matter what the element is that makes someone diverse, every individual in the workplace wants to be judged for his or her performance, professionalism, and personal success. When labels and stereotypes are allowed to become “workplace identities,” they can impede the sense of accomplishment anyone wants to feel.

Read More

Remember, your Employee Assistance Program is here to talk about workplace challenges, stressors, communication techniques, and team building. You can access free professional development tools on your PersonalAdvantage, as well as use your free wellness coaching sessions to discuss occupational wellbeing topics. If you need additional information, or to access services, please call MINES and Associates at 1-800-873-7138 today.

Question of the Month

What are your main fears or stressors around returning to work or about cities lifting restrictions? What tools have you learned in the past few months that you can use to manage these stressors going forward? Would calling your EAP and talking with someone help either yourself or a household member around these worries?

This Month’s Focus

Free Webinar:

We All Matter: Diversity in the Workplace

MINESblog:

New to TW? Check out our past Blogs!

COVID-19: For YOU, the Essential Worker!

COVID-19: Stress & Anxiety Reduction

COVID-19: Home Workout Essentials

Important Links

COVID19 Resource Page

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MINES and Associates

Current Training Catalog

Balanced Living Magazine

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MINES Archives

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