DECEMBER 2023 EAP – ACCEPTING CHANGE
Hello everyone – As December begins, our Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is offering the following resources to support you and your family:
- EAP webinars: Learn about all that EAP offers, through a live 30-minute EAP Orientation webinar for the month: Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 4:30 p.m.
Can’t attend the live December webinar? Check out future dates or watch on-demand. In addition, EAP offers on-demand webinars on a variety of subjects, including navigating change, leading change, stress management, creating psychological safety on work teams, and more.
- For support and resources to help navigate the impacts dealing with change, check out the Navigating Difficult Times resource guide, which you can also find on our Resources.
- December is Seasonal Affective Disorder month, and it can be a difficult time for many of us as we now have to navigate the addition of holiday stress on top of what we are already dealing with. According to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season, which can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. The reasons given include lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings. (McClean, n.d.). In addition, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) noted that 64% of individuals living with a mental illness felt that their conditions worsened around the holidays. This month, EAP offers the following resources to help support navigating some of the challenges you and those you care for may be facing at this time of the year.
Newsletters
- For more information and resources about Seasonal Affective Disorder, check out the EAP December Employee Newsletter and Supervisor Newsletter.
Helpful Articles
- If you feel lonely this holiday season, HelpGuide offers ways to reach out to others and feel more connected. And if you’re fortunate enough to be spending the holidays with loved ones, take a moment to consider those around you who may be feeling lonely.
- Help for the Holidays: Free resources for stress (MHTTC)
- As a Therapist, Here are Five Things I Tell My Patients Why They’re Feeling Overwhelmed (VeryWell Mind)
- 5 Tips For Surviving Family Drama During the Holidays – tool from BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health)
- Going Home for the Holidays…Or Any Days (PFLAG)
- Managing Recovery and Substance Use Challenges During the Holidays (Mental Health First Aid)
- For educators/school leaders – tool/resource: Seasonal Affective Disorder: Responding to Winter Blues in the Classroom (MHTTC)
- How Employers Can Support Staff Experiencing Seasonal Depression (Mental Health First Aid)
Webinars
- Reimagine, a non-profit that hosts community-driven experiences that bring creativity, connection, and essential conversation to communities around the world, is offering the following webinars:
- Grief at Work: Weaving Loss Competency into Workplaces | Tuesday, Dec. 5 | Noon-1:30 p.m. (PST)
- When loss is normalized at work, and resources are accessible for healthy grieving, we create more effective, inclusive, and resilient workplace cultures.
- Grief at Work: Weaving Loss Competency into Workplaces | Tuesday, Dec. 5 | Noon-1:30 p.m. (PST)
- Navigating Grief During the Holidays: Virtual Support Group| Tuesday, Dec. 5 | 4-5:30 p.m. (PST)
- A monthly virtual grief support group created for you. We’ll discuss holiday grief. Led by a certified grief coach and grief facilitator. We’re in this together.
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- Managing Emotions During the Holidays in the Black Community | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 9 a.m. (PST)
- Ideally, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are a joyous time of the year. However, for some individuals it can be stressful and anxiety provoking. This webinar will help the audience understand how stress and anxiety can affect us in our everyday lives. In addition, the presenter will explain ways of dealing with this stress, especially during the holidays.
- Home for the Holidays: Helping LGBTQ+ Youth Navigate Difficult Family Dynamics (On-Demand)
- Managing Emotions During the Holidays in the Black Community | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 9 a.m. (PST)
- In December, the EAP Work/Life site is also offering tools and resources to support you with accepting change and managing the stress of transitions. This month’s on-demand seminar, “Making a Change”, explores the concept that change is inevitable and offers strategies and practical tips on how to embrace the discomfort of change – it’s available beginning Tuesday, Dec. 19, through the Work/Life site (login with your Organization Code: EWU)
And if you’re struggling, or looking for some support or useful resources, our EAP is here for you: don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 1.877.313.4455 or online.
