Tag: mindfulness

September is Self-Improvement Month

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

This September, make yourself a priority, and celebrate Self-Improvement Month! From learning something new, maximizing your strengths, or focusing on your physical or emotional wellbeing, there are endless ways to grow. Celebrate this month and the months ahead by exploring these MSU resources. 

Breathe In, Branch Out – Explore MSU’s Campus

Explore our beautiful campus or take a stroll through the East Lansing area. Walking is great exercise, but it can also improve your mental and emotional wellbeing. Opportunities include: 

Sign Up for a Professional Development Course

  • Identify and Maximize Your Strengths: Tap into your unique talents and complete the CliftonStrengths Assessment. Learn more about your natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and how they apply to your role in the workplace. This workshop will take place on September 11. 
  • The Power of Habit: Learn how habits are created, and how to replace undesirable habits with productive ones. You will learn how to spot your habit loop, turn bad days into good data, and create habits that get the results you want. This virtual course will be held September 18. 
  • Breaking Free From Stress:  This four-part series explores how becoming aware of your own thoughts can bring your personal and work life together. Become a wise leader of your personal and work life, move beyond anxiety and depression, stay steady in difficult times, embrace change, and more in this series.
  • Strengths-Based Leadership Course: Looking to maximize your strengths and become a more supportive leader? Join HR’s Organization and Professional Development team on Thursday, October 16 to learn new ways to manage more effectively, meet your goals, and improve your team’s success. 
  • Find books, videos, courses, and more on elevateU, a free online learning resource for MSU employees. 
  • MSU IT Educational Technology offers a variety of valuable resources and technology training for the MSU community.

Desk Decompress

Join University Health and Wellbeing on Tuesdays for full-body and Thursdays for upper-body Desk Decompress. From now through December 9th, take a few minutes to join one of these sessions to stretch and strengthen your neck, spine, wrists and shoulders, all from the comfort of your own desk! 

Mindfulness and Meditation Resources

From now through December, University Health and Wellbeing is offering multiple Mindful State courses. Throughout this five week course, you will learn about the benefits of mindfulness, explore techniques that can be applied to daily life, learn how mindfulness can foster a more compassionate learning environment, and more. 

A Campus Meditation Map was created by Beal Scholar Anhad Viswanath as part of the Garden’s Wellness program.

Spartan Resilience Courses

From September through December, University Health and Wellbeing is offering various virtual Spartan Resilience courses at no cost and open to anyone! These courses invite you to build your own framework for resilience, recognize elements of burnout and stress cycles, understand shame, and build resilience skills overall. 

Share your favorite self-improvement tips and comment below!

Burnout: How to Avoid It and What to do if You’re Experiencing It

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Burnout is described as a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. According to the American Psychological Association 2021 trends report, “two-thirds of employees report that poor mental health has undercut their job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 40% of employees are battling burnout.” While these numbers are disheartening, after a year of balancing the evolving demands of remote work, childcare, social distancing, financial uncertainty, grief and more, they’re certainly not surprising. If you are experiencing symptoms of burnout, we want to ensure you’re aware of the resources available to MSU employees that may help. If you’re a supervisor, follow these tips to lead by example and make sure your team is aware of them too.

While symptoms of burnout can vary depending on the severity, some include persistent fatigue, chronic stress, inability to focus, change in eating habits, reduced sleep quality, depression and anxiety. If these symptoms sound familiar or you want to learn more about the signs of burnout, we recommend you watch this 24-minute webinar called How to Recognize and Minimize Burnout presented by Jaimie Hutchison, Deputy Director for the MSU WorkLife Office.

Resources and Tips

As Jaimie states in the webinar mentioned above, “Even if you are not experiencing stress or burnout now, a positive course of action is to proactively take up self-care and build your mental resilience.” Whether you feel like burnout is on the horizon or not, there are actions you can take to improve or avoid symptoms. Take stock of your current habits to see where you could make improvements and don’t forget to use the resources available to you:

  • Utilize employee mental health resources. As an MSU employee, you and your family have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers a confidential virtual counseling service at no cost. MSU Health4U offers a weekly virtual MSU Grief and Loss Support group. You also have access to Teladoc, which allows eligible employees and dependents who are 18+ to schedule a virtual visit with a therapist or psychiatrist. Your Best Doctors/Teladoc Medical Experts Behavioral Health Navigator benefit allows you to have a current mental health diagnosis reviewed by experts who will provide a second opinion, answer questions and help you find a specialist (if needed).
  • Set boundaries. Keeping an up-to-date work calendar is a great way to let your colleagues know when you’re working and when you’re not. When your home office is also the family dinner table, it can be too easy to answer email and phone calls after hours. However, as shared in this LinkedIn News article, “When there’s never a break, productivity ultimately suffers, and burnout becomes a greater risk.” It’s in your best interest to save after hours work for urgent issues only.
  • Take note of caregiver resources. We appreciate the struggles and challenges caregivers are experiencing right now. The MSU WorkLife Office has compiled an extensive list of resources available, including: options for care providers, support for managing boundaries with kids and work at home, and supervisor support on flexibility and making equitable decisions.
  • Make time to do things you enjoy. Whether that’s painting, planting a garden or walking the dog, make time to do activities you’re interested in – even if they’re challenging at first. This recent MSU Health4U article called I am a Runner! by Beth Morris LMSW, MPA chronicles Beth’s “last-ditch effort in the middle of a pandemic to try and manage stress” through a new running program. Beth’s story is inspiring and demonstrates how making time to do an activity you’re curious about – even if it’s hard – can help you cope with stress. Check out the MSU events calendar to see if there are any interesting virtual or socially distance activities you can join.
  • Practice mindfulness. There are many definitions out there of mindfulness, but most include the practice of being aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without judgement. Developing a mindfulness practice can help you focus, ease anxiety, and manage stress. MSU employees have access to discounts for the Headspace and Calm meditation apps (find here under the Reduce Stress heading). If you want to get the whole family involved, MSU Extension recently published this Starting a Mindfulness Practice with your Child article.
  • Move more. A regular exercise program can have huge benefits on our overall health and well-being. Recreational Sports and Fitness Services offers virtual group classes over Zoom and Fitness On Demand, which gives you over 1,000 classes to choose from. Additionally, benefit-eligible employees have access to MSU Benefits Plus, which allows you to explore Global Fit’s growing library of free virtual classes and resources. Login to MSU Benefits Plus, click on Discount Shopping in the top navigation then type “Global Fit” in the search box to find a link to the digital resource library.
  • If you can, take time off. If you have vacation and/or personal days you can use, talk with your supervisor about taking some days off. That time away from work could be just what you need to reset and recharge.

We hope these tips and resources will help you avoid burnout or start to recover if you’re currently experiencing it. While the past year has been challenging, know that you’re not in this alone and there are resources available to help.

Sources:

Anders, G. (2020, October 8). Burnout signs have risen 33% in 2020; here are seven ways to reduce risks. Https://Www.Linkedin.Com/Pulse/Burnout-Signs-Have-Risen-33-2020-Here-Seven-Ways-Reduce-George-Anders/. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/burnout-signs-have-risen-33-2020-here-seven-ways-reduce-george-anders/

Huff, C. (2021). Employers are increasing support for mental health. American Psychological Association 2021 Trends Report, 51(1), 84. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/01/trends-employers-support