|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
With the lazy days of summer behind us, fall brings new routines, deadlines, and stress. October is EAP Awareness Month, and stress is a hot topic with our counselors. It affects work performance, relationships, and our health. So this edition of Health e-News is focused on beating stress. With the right tools and perspective, we can make stress work for us and not against us.
We encourage you to share this valuable information with your employees. A version of this month's newsletter designed just for them can be found at: http://goo.gl/Dt7Yy. From all of us at Affinity Occupational Health, thank you for partnering with us for a healthy workplace! Holly Tomlin
Lead Employer Health & Wellness Consultant
Affinity Occupational Health |
|
 Learn to Recognize and Manage Stress
By Kadihjia Kelly, Affinity EAP counselor
Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and demands. Combine work, school and family, and the result can sometimes be major stress.
Stress is the normal, physical response to events that make us feel threatened or off balance. So, it's important to sense what our body is doing when we become stressed. Some signs may be a faster heartbeat, muscles tensing, or anxiety rising. When stress is working properly, it helps us stay focused and energetic. However, if not handled in moderation, stress can do more harm than good.
Below are some stress control techniques that may help with monitoring your stress level: - Learn to plan.
- Recognize and accept limits.
- Learn to play.
- Get regular physical exercise.
- Organize your time.
- Make a list and prioritize.
- Set boundaries and learn to say "no."
Effective stress management can create a balance in your lifestyle. However, if stress becomes overwhelming, seek help. Contact your local EAP office to schedule an appointment. Your EAP counselor can offer coping strategies when the tools you are using are not working. With the right help and resources, you can manage the day instead of letting it manage you. |
 How Resilient Are You?
By Heather Bogard, wellness account specialist
Stress is unavoidable, but how you respond to it can make the difference between feeling in control or feeling overwhelmed.
Affinity's Resiliency Program is designed to help participants understand how to handle stressors and how to bounce back from life's challenges.
This educational and interactive six-week program focuses on key areas of increasing resiliency and learning the skills to become a happier and stronger individual. Each week of the program contains a set of educational materials, posters, weekly e-mail communications, and an interactive quiz for participants to learn how to increase their resiliency.
The Resiliency Program: Bouncing Back in Life campaign focuses on six key areas for improving personal health and resiliency:
1. Resiliency: Bouncing Back in Life
Understand what resiliency is and how to improve individual resiliency
2. Check Your Attitude!
Learn the skills for attitude management
3. Build Your Social Support!
Learn how to grow a healthy social support system
4. It's Your Time for Stress Relief!
Focus on successful stress management techniques
5. Have Fun and Get Creative!
Express and find creativity and fun in everyday life
6. Shape Your Health with Resiliency!
Practice good self-care and stay healthy
To bring Affinity's Resiliency Program to your workplace, call Affinity Occupational Health at 1-800-541-0351. |
|
 Got Stress? We Have Solutions
By Heather Bogard, wellness account specialist
- According to doctors, stress is now the #1 killer in this country.
- Studies have shown that stress is the direct or indirect cause of more than 80 percent of all doctor visits and hospital admissions.
- More than half of all American adults report that they suffer adverse health effects due to stress, and 66 percent sought help for stress-related issues.
- Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and suicide.
- Seventy-five percent of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month, and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year.
Source: American Psychological Association
Affinity Occupational Health understands that your organization's stress management needs are as unique as the employees you hire. We offer customized wellness solutions targeted to the specific risk factors of your employee population, along with global programs that promote cultural worksite change.
Depression Awareness Campaign
The goal of the Depression Awareness campaign is to raise awareness and help guide employees experiencing depression to seek the care they need. This web-based, interactive program provides participants with a self-scoring depression screening inventory.
Live Balanced Program
Live Balanced is a year-long campaign to reduce stress in the workplace and create a culture of healthy work-life balance. Components include stress surveys, monthly work/life balance challenges with incentives, education and quizzes, on-site yoga, fun team-building challenges, relaxation and budgeting presentations, energy breaks, walking paths, a relaxation room and much more.
Live Balanced Lite Program
A spin-off of Live Balanced! Live Balanced Lite is a three-month worksite campaign that focuses on helping employees get more out of life by reducing stress and finding a better balance. It includes monthly campaigns, posters, stress challenges, and more. This ready-to-go-cultural initiative allows you to offer effective, low-cost programming at your worksite.
De-Stress Your Life Journaling Program
This cost-effective journaling program is designed to help participants identify their daily stressors and to learn how to effectively use stress management techniques and coping skills to reduce their daily stress level.
For more information these stress management solutions, please call Affinity Occupational Health at 1-800-541-0351. |
|
 Try This! Workplace Wellness Tip:
Beat Stress at Work
By Heather Bogard, wellness account specialist
Prioritize your tasks. Make a list of the tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result. Don't over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling projects or activities back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. We often underestimate how long tasks will take. It's also important to learn how to say no. We all want to help out our bosses and co-workers, but sometimes you have to say no to extra tasks. If you are stressed already, adding to your workload will only make it worse. Finish your main priorities before taking on anything else. Practice good self-care. The healthier you are, the better you are able to handle the stresses of daily life. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, practicing relaxation techniques, and pampering yourself are all good ways to take care of your body and mind. Work mindfully. Mindfulness is a way of focusing on the here and now and being fully present. Give your full attention to the task at hand, whether it's a phone call, a meeting or a project. Checking your e-mail messages while you're on a conference call may feel productive, but in the long run, multi-tasking only adds to your stress and drains your energy. Accentuate the positive. Remember to focus on the things going well in your life instead of dwelling on the negative. Instead of letting one grumpy customer get you down, can you focus on the 50 grateful customers you helped today? Positive thinking has power. You can still control your own attitude even when everything else seems out of control. |
 What's Happening at Affinity?
New Neenah clinic opens in November
Affinity's newest clinic will be opening soon! This November, our Main Street Clinic in downtown Neenah will open its doors to patients. This state-of-the-art clinic will replace our facility on Lincoln Street in Neenah.
If you are a current patient at the Lincoln Street clinic, or if you're looking for a new clinic to call your Medical Home, here are some important dates to note:
Thursday, Nov. 8 - Last day for patients to be seen at Lincoln Street clinic
Friday, Nov. 9 - Lincoln Street clinic closed; patients will be referred to Richmond Street Urgent Care in Appleton, or the Airport Road Clinic in Menasha
Saturday, Nov. 10 - New Main Street Clinic in Neenah will open for Urgent Care patients (adults and children)
Monday, Nov. 12 - All Main Street Clinic operations open, including primary and specialty care
If you have questions about an upcoming appointment in Neenah, call your physician's office for details. |
|
 We're Ready for Your Benefit Fair
It's the time of year for benefit and enrollment fairs! Representatives from Affinity Occupational Health are available to attend your company event. We can provide your employees with direct insight into Affinity physicians and services. To arrange for one of our friendly faces to visit your work site, contact Tammy Davis at (920) 628-1532 or tadavis@affinityhealth.org. |
 Breakfast With the Experts Non-Surgical Help for Orthopaedic Conditions: Handy, affordable, low-tech options you and your employees should know
Presented by Brian Harrison, MD
Medical director of Health and Productivity Management
Affinity Health System
Wednesday, Nov. 7
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Bridgewood Resort and Conference Center
1000 Cameron Way, Neenah
Joint replacements, back surgeries, and shoulder procedures account for a large and growing share of corporate medical costs. Orthopaedic surgery for musculoskeletal conditions like these strain disability, worker comp, and employee out-of-pocket funds, too. And in your company's ultra-competitive "Lean Redesigned" production systems, musculoskeletal presenteeism costs may climb!
Yet most often, these surgeries are elective. The employee can choose the timing of the procedure. In fact, non-surgical options make these surgeries avoidable, in some cases.
This presentation will show how employers and employees alike can optimize the value of every dollar spent on these painful and costly problems. Learn practical ways to promote these neglected alternatives, including Self Care, Musculoskeletal Wellness Programs, Behavioral Health Pain Management, Best Use of Over-The-Counter Remedies, Perspectives on Pain v. Distress, Decision Support, Health Coaching, and Expectation Management. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Your Affinity Occupational Health Sales Team
Holly Tomlin, lead employer health and wellness consultant for Affinity Occupational Health, enjoys building relationships with clients while finding creative solutions for their needs. Holly's background includes 15 years of experience in the health care field, with a strong background in employee assistance programs and occupational health. As a certified massage therapist, Holly has a special interest in educating others on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, including wellness and prevention initiatives.
Phil Bellis, employer health and wellness consultant for Affinity Occupational Health, is dedicated to cultivating client relationships. Phil's experience involves partnering with businesses to achieve both their financial and human capital goals. In addition to his role with Affinity, Phil serves as an ambassador for the Fox Cities Chamber. Tammy Davis, is the customer account liaison for Affinity Occupational Health. In her role, Tammy provides immediate response to customer service requests. She works closely with Affinity providers and department leads in coordinating educational programs and services. She also provides corporate clients with valuable information regarding services offered through Affinity Occupational Health. Tammy has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from UW Oshkosh and over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, and customer service. To contact Holly, Phil or Tammy, call the Affinity Occupational Health office located in Menasha, at 1-800-541-0351, or e-mail htomlin@affinityhealth.org, pbellis@affinityhealth.org, or tadavis@affinityhealth.org. | |
|
|
