stress free zone Stress-Free Zone

We all have stress in our lives. Work stress. Home stress. Maine weather stress. ChallengeME is going to help you learn how to handle stress in new ways so that it doesn’t get the best of you.

Winter especially is a taxing time of the year for the mental health of all of us. This December, we're taking an in-depth look at the resources available to our employees to take advantage of to help combat the variety of issues we may all run into.

Week 5

Self Care

This week’s topic for “Safety for the Inside” is taking care of yourself and how it doesn’t have to be a formal, sit-down practice. It can be simple, such as engaging in some breathing exercises, enjoying a walk, slowly eating a meal, or taking care of your heart. The real skill is just interrupting the auto-pilot mentality and patterns we create by pausing to create new ways of thinking and behaviors that may serve you better in the long-run. Mindfulness, much like physical exercise, takes training. Resistance is a normal and expected part of the practice, however, it will become easier and more beneficial over time.

Week 5

Winter Isolation

This week’s topic for “Safety for the Inside” is winter isolation. The days are shorter with less opportunities for us to socialize with others. This can negatively impact our mental health and cause some difficult emotions. The feeling of loneliness can come from winter isolation, but it can also stem from the loss of a person or relationship. This link may help identify the root cause of your loneliness and how to overcome it. You can also listen to organizational psychologist Adam Grant discussing the topic in his TED talk "We don’t have to fight loneliness alone". You can also check out the Community Calendar from Maine Public Radio to attend an event near you.

Week 4

Grief and Loss

Grief isn't a straightforward journey with specific steps, and it doesn't have a clear endpoint. It's normal for people to feel waves of grief and to experience difficult emotions at different times, not just right after someone passes, but throughout their lives. This can make it difficult for friends and family to know how to best support them. If you want to support a friend, the grieving friend document attached will provide you some suggestions.

Get and detailed account from writer and podcaster Nora McInerny about how she processed her own grief in her TED talk "We don’t 'move on' from grief, we move forward with it". Additionally, you can listen to "How to Help Others Cope with Grief" to find ways to support.

If you missed our lunch time session on “What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say”, you can watch it here.

The Living Resources Program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you. Their contact information is attached if you need to talk to someone.

Resources

Week 3

Managing Anxiety

Winter presents us with many unknowns which can cause stress and anxiety. If you prefer to listen to a podcast, listen to LifeKit's Stress-Busting Skills to try in your everyday life.

Resources

Week 2

Winter Storm Preparedness

This week for “ Safety for the Inside” we want to provide you with some tasks you can complete now to prepare for winter storm success and reduce some stress! Many of us have been in the situation where we are rushing to get the generator started, last minute grocery shopping or in the worst case, in a broken-down car, attached are a few tasks that could help you prepare.

  • Before a bad situation strikes, prepare your car by using the three P’s of safe winter driving, see more information attached.
  • Prepare yourself and your family by using the power outage info sheet BEFORE the power goes out. Provide them with the educational content so you can focus while you’re at work. Also, protect yourself by using the working safely in the cold document.
  • Fueling your body properly helps to keep you alert. The meal planning document will guide you through some additional tips for successful meal planning. Addtionally, you can listen the Meal Prep Made Easy podcast for time saving tips to add nutrition into your diet. We're all human and if meal planning isn’t a goal right now, take a look at the quick healthy gas station snacks documents for some alternatives.

Resources

Week 1

Living Resources Program (formerly known as Employee Assistance Program or "EAP"):

The Living Resources Program is available to employees and retirees of the State of Maine, Maine Community College System, Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), FAME, The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Maine Maritime Academy and all of their household members. The program offers:

  • Confidential, short-term counseling services: This no-cost counseling service can help with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, grief, etc.
  • Legal and financial information, support and resources: Speak with professionals by phone on a wide range of issues including family law, real estate transactions, debt consolidation, taxes, etc.
  • Work-life solutions: Work-life specialists are available to do research and provide qualified referrals for child and elder care, moving and relocation, college planning and much more!

For more information call toll free 1-844-207-LINK (5465) TDD 1-800-697-0353 (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf), or go to GuidanceResources.com (Web ID: LivingME). For online services, go to GuidanceResources Online. First-time users will need to register. The web ID is LivingME. There you will find articles, tutorials, streaming videos, etc. on a wide variety of topics.

You can also visit the Living Resources Program FAQ page.

Resources