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As we move through 2022, the WorkLife team is focused on caring for our community and supporting a balanced lifestyle. We hope the resources shared in this weekly update help you cultivate meaningful, balanced and successful lives.

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Mental health webinars

Common Family Reactions to Mental Illness

• Thursday, May 26 at 12 p.m.
• Hosted by Mindspring Mental Health Alliance
• Click here to register

Understanding why people experience things differently can help to ease tension and increase acceptance. Discuss the caregiving experience, the stages of emotional response, and learn how to respond and cope in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist.

Anxiety Reduction and Self-Care

• Wednesday, June 1 from 6-7:30 p.m.
• Hosted by Project Recovery Iowa
• Email khyatt@dhs.state.ia.us or call 515-601-7899 to register

As we reflect on the past two years living with the pandemic, there has been disruption, uncertainty and prolonged exhaustion which may have impacted your emotional wellbeing. Across the Midwest, levels of anxiety and depression have remained three times higher than pre-pandemic levels. As we continue to better understand the impact of prolonged ups and downs in our lives, we want to help you look at strategies to assist and help those who are especially vulnerable. This training will help you learn how you can support healthy dialogue, address stigma and promote emotional wellbeing.

Learning objectives:

• Discuss how the pandemic and other disasters experienced over the past two-plus years have emotionally impacted you and your community.
• Assess your ability to promote a meaningful mental health literacy strategy in your workplace or community.
• Participants will be coached on strategies to prevent burnout and manage feeling overwhelmed by engaging in healthy activities that may rejuvenate you.

EFR Mental Health Tips

“When work hours stack up, and burnout looms, your capacity to focus and produce quality work wanes. Making your mental health a priority by incorporating self-care into your daily routine and taking mental health days when needed fortifies your physical health, reduces stress, boosts cognition, and improves your well-being.

Throughout this month, embrace the idea of total well-being. Your mental and physical health are connected, and when you care for both, you can achieve optimal health and well-being.” (Excerpt from Employee & Family Resources’ May 2022 Life Happens Headlines newsletter)

We have turned some quick tips and tricks from EFR into a PDF for you to reference as needed! The document is broken up into activities for each day of the week that can help you on your journey toward a happy and healthy you!

Click here to download

Last Walk and Talk Before Our Summer Programming Break

Please note that this Friday, May 20 will be our last Friday Walk and Talk before our summer programming break! There will be no Walk and Talks Friday, May 27- Friday, June 10.

We will also be taking a break from live Mid-Morning Mindfulness sessions from May 27-June 10.

All WorkLife programing will resume its normal schedule the week of June 13. Remember, you can always watch recordings of previous live events on the ISU WorkLife website!

It’s Bike to Work Week

Bike to Work Week 2022 is May 16-22. Whether you’re a seasoned biker or your tires are a little dusty, we encourage you to bike to work this week if you’re able to! Biking is a great way to get fresh air, exercise and a clear mind.

City of Ames Event:

The City of Ames will end Bike to Work Week with the annual Mayor and City Council bike ride beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 in the west parking lot of City Hall.

Track 10,000 Daily Steps in Adventure2

Nice weather has finally arrived, and we encourage you to take advantage of it with a daily walk outside! Add the Track 10,000 Daily Steps Adventure2 challenge to your “My Activities” and start tracking.

For each week that you track 10,000 daily steps (or 70,000 weekly steps), you will receive 25 Adventure2 points.

TIP: While Friday Walk and Talks are on break, you could use this challenge to still get those steps in. Consider inviting colleagues, friends, family members or a furry friend to join you on your walks!

Please reach out to us with questions or comments: worklife@iastate.edu