Center For Family Services is invested in your health and wellness. The monthly wellness newsletter provides you with tips and resources that can support your mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual health and wellness.
May is a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how you think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. It’s important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Mental health conditions can have a substantial effect on all areas of your life, such as work performance, relationships with family and friends, and your ability to participate in the community. The goal of this month’s resources is to help you integrate different practices into your life to create a happier, more healthful you.
May is also Better Sleep Month. In this newsletter, you will learn about activities that can improve your mental health, how self-love influences mental health, tips for getting a good night's sleep, and healthy bedtime snacks.
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Wellness Wednesday Workshops |
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Register now for our upcoming Wellness Wednesday Workshop!
Four participants from each workshop will win a $25 Amazon gift card.
The Health Benefits of Sleep and Tools to Combat Insomnia, May 10 from 12pm to 1pm
While a tiny percentage of the population does just fine on little sleep, those people are incredibly rare. Almost half the population doesn’t get enough sleep: 40% of people sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night (teens and children need even more). Getting more sleep would make our lives much better. This workshop will cover the many benefits of healthy sleep and ways to fight insomnia.
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Activities to Boost Your Mental Health |
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Just like your body needs daily nourishment and activity to stay healthy and functional, your mental health needs its own kind of nourishment! Your mental state impacts almost every aspect of your life, including how you think, act, and connect to others. Prioritizing mental health is essential for long-term wellness. Committing even 30 minutes a day to care for your mental health can be beneficial to your over all well-being. Sometimes, even the smallest changes can help improve your psychological state.
Here are some activities that can help to improve your overall psychological well-being:
- Get plenty of sleep
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Stop to enjoy small aspects of the day
- Exercise or move your body in a way that brings you joy
- Practice deep breathing techniques
- Try yoga
- Listen to your favorite music
- Volunteer
- Sketch or paint
- Spend time in nature
- Keep a journal
- Catch up with a loved one
Please note: These activities are not replacements for seeking professional mental health care
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Self Love and Mental Health |
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Self-compassion and self-love are largely used interchangeably in specialized literature. Research shows that having more self-compassion builds resilience in the face of adversity, helping people to recover more quickly from trauma or romantic separation. It also helps us to better cope with failure or embarrassment.
There are three component to self-compassion:
- “self-kindness (i.e., treating oneself with understanding and forgiveness),
- recognition of one’s place in shared humanity (i.e., acknowledgment that people are not perfect and that personal experiences are part of the larger human experience),
- and mindfulness (i.e., emotional equanimity and avoidance of overidentification with painful emotions).”
There can be a more formal practice of self-love and then there are more informal day-to-day habits that allow us to love ourselves. A more formal practice of self-compassion might be taking some time out of the day to practice types of meditation focused on cultivating loving-kindness, also called metta meditation, as well as other exercises to build daily mindfulness practices. We can practice paying attention to the inner critic in our thoughts and replacing that harsh inner voice with kinder, more compassionate words.
Self-love can also be self-advocacy such as speaking up for ourselves, advocating for our needs and wants in personal and professional relationships, which can be difficult and vulnerable.
There is a large body of psychological research that shows self-compassion and self-love do have a strong impact on our mental health and our emotional state, both in terms of decreasing anxiety, depression, anger and loneliness and also increasing support and encouragement for ourselves.
Our positive state can increase feelings of happiness, gratitude and connectedness to other people. That self-compassion allows us to calm down our nervous system and turn down the self-critical voices, which allows us to engage more with our world and with other people. Self-compassion helps us feel more connected to other people because the more self-compassionate we are, the more we're able to be compassionate toward others and connect with others. So self-compassion can also increase our motivation and energy to do things that are important to us.
Most of us are better at being kind and loving toward other people than we are to ourselves. If you’re struggling with how you’re supposed to be kind toward yourself, you may ask: “What does that even look like? What does that sound like?” Often people have a hard time coming up with an answer to that.
But if you are someone who is caring and loving toward other people, you can ask yourself: ”How would I talk to my best friend right now? What would I tell my partner if they were struggling with this? What kind of tone of voice would I use if I was speaking to someone else who was suffering? How would I show up for someone else?”
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Better Sleep Month takes place in May every year. It is observed to encourage people to get adequate sleep daily to receive all the benefits it offers. It also shows how poor sleep can disrupt lives. Gone are the days when you brag about how little you sleep but, just like diet and exercise, sleep is crucial to physical, mental, and emotional health. A survey conducted by the Better Sleep Council found that two out of three respondents reported impaired sleep due to stress. One night per week, one-third of Americans experience poor sleep at least and 16% are diagnosed with stress-induced insomnia.
Top 10 tips for a good night’s sleep
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Take time to relax- Take the time to relax before you go to bed, whether it’s taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to soothing music.
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Get into a routine-We all know that having a routine helps babies and children fall asleep at a certain time. This applies to adults as well, because it allows your body to program itself to naturally fall asleep and wake up at certain times. Try to be rigid about going to bed at a certain time, and create your own relaxation routine.
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Avoid technology- Ban your smart phone, computer and TV from your bedroom, and avoid looking at them for an hour before bed. This kind of device emits a blue light, which suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin.
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Create a restful environment- Make sure your bed provides the correct support, comfort and space to ensure you wake up and move about less. Ensure that your room is the right temperature – between 16 °C and 18 °C (60°F to 65°F) is optimum. A lack of clutter, along with pale colors and pleasant smells, such as lavender and geranium, can also help create a soothing setting. Before clocks, people would wake up when the sun rose and go to sleep when it got dark. Similarly, a darkened room helps to promote sleep and turning the lights down can make you feel sleepy.
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Don’t clock watch- Worrying about getting enough sleep can itself stop us sleeping. The best way to deal with that is to remind yourself that resting in bed and thinking nice thoughts is more productive than tossing and turning and looking at the clock every ten minutes. If you can't stop checking your clock, try turning it around or putting it on the other side of the room so it’s not as easy to watch time ticking away.
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Foods for sleeping- Eating healthily improves sleep generally, but some foods are particularly beneficial, such as milk, chicken, turkey and pumpkin seeds. They contain the chemicals tryptophan and serotonin, which are vital for the production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep.
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Keep fit and get active- Physical activity is great for sleep, as well as for your health generally. However, some people find that if they do vigorous exercise less than two hours before bedtime, it can make it harder to get to sleep.
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Focus on sleep quality- We tend to focus on how long we’re asleep, but sleep quality is just as important. We go through five stages of sleep, which we experience in a cycle, around five times a night. During the later stages of the cycle our memories are consolidated and information is processed, among other things. This means that getting up in the night, for example to go to the bathroom, can interrupt the cycle and you might not reach the later stages. For this reason, it’s also best to avoid having too many liquids before going to bed.
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It’s well after dark, and your stomach is rumbling. The challenge is figuring out what you can eat that’s quick, tasty, and healthy.
Here are a few suggestions on a Healthy Bedtime Snacks
- Almonds and bananas are excellent sources of magnesium
- Hot tea and lemon can calm your body and mind, as long as your tea is caffeine free.
- Eating a small amount of peanut butter as part of a healthy snack before bed may help improve sleep quality.
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Greek Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and has recently been linked to better sleep
- Crackers and cheese are a good balance of carbs and protein to maintain blood sugar levels
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Tart cherries contain a relatively small amount of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin
- Popcorn is a whole grain, and you will get a lot of complex carbohydrates to keep you full until morning.
The most important thing is to keep healthy snacks on hand that you enjoy. You’ll be less tempted to run to the convenience store or hit the nearest fast-food drive-through for an unhealthy, high calorie snack before bed.
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Wellness Week Virtual Health Fair |
Wellness Week is here!
Each day this week, May 1 to May 5, will feature a new wellness workshop and raffle for participants.
Every workshop will be held from 1pm-2pm and will be recorded for later viewing. Winners will be drawn and contacted following each workshop.
Wellness Week Health Fair Calendar
Monday - Healthy Recipes in 15 Minutes or Less
Making time for a nutritious meal isn't always easy. Learn how to make quick, healthy, and tasty recipes in this workshop.
Prizes: Nutribullet personal smoothie blender, vegetable chopper, rapid egg cooker, Nutribullet food processor, gift cards, and Ninja air fryer.
Tuesday - Importance of Preventative Care
Regular screenings and check-ups are so important for your health. Join this live session for valuable information about the many ways screenings and check-ups can support your well-being.
Prizes: Humidifier, Stanley tumbler, Fitbit fitness tracker, acupressure mat, hand held massage gun, and gift cards.
Wednesday - Guided Relaxation and Mindfulness
In this workshop, you will have the chance to participate in a guided relaxation session and learn about the many benefits of adding mindfulness activities to your daily routine.
Prizes: Ember temperature control mug, neck massager, $100 Spa Finder gift card, bath bombs, bubble bath, heat pad, gift cards, and foam roller physical therapy kit.
Thursday - Nutrition for Healthy Families
Healthy eating is important at every age. Learn simple tips and tricks to improve your family's nutrition and overall health in this workshop.
Prizes: $160 gift card to Hello Fresh, nutrition & food scale, Cuisinart steamer, and lunch box kit.
Friday - Healthy Happy Hour
Celebrate the end of Wellness Week with a Healthy Happy Hour! Learn to make mocktails for any occasion and play a game of music trivia.
Prizes: Nutribullet blender, cheeseboard tray, mocktail recipe book, ice cube molds, and gift cards.
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The 10,000 Step Challenge is back with the goal to inspire you to increase your daily physical activity to 10,000 steps a day. The Challenge can get you out of your comfort zone and help you create new healthy habits, get moving, and have fun! Exercise is vital for your mental health, and participating is a fun and easy way to stay active, relieve stress, and connect with your colleagues.
You have the option to participate on a team or as an individual. Each week, you can walk your way to the weekly goal of steps per day. The 7-week walking program will run from Tuesday, May 9 through Monday, June 26. You have the option to participate on a team or as an individual.
Team must have 3 to 7 participants including a designated Team Captain. Team Captains must register their team members and team name by completing the registration form no later than Friday, May 5.
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Employee Assistance Program |
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Center For Family Services cares about our employees and their dependents.
Your Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, can be used free of charge as needed when you or your dependents are facing emotional, financial, legal or other concerns.
As employees of Center For Family Services, we are normally the ones who help and support individuals and families when they are in crisis. Your Employee Assistance Program is who you can turn to when you find yourself being the one who needs help.
To learn more about Center For Family Services' Employee Assistance Program, visit the Staff Portal.
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Not able to make it to last month's Wellness Wednesday Workshops? We have you covered!
You can view recorded versions of previous workshops as well as handouts and other supplemental information on the Wellness Committee page of the Employee Portal. Scroll to the "New, Free Virtual Wellness Events & Resources" section to view our Stress Awareness Month resources and more.
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Coming Up Next Month
- 10,000 Step Challenge Wrap Up
- Wellness Week Review
We want to hear from you! Let us know what wellness activities you’d like to see by contacting us at [email protected].
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Interested in Joining the Wellness Committee?
Wellness events and activities are brought to you by our Wellness Committee. If you are interested in supporting the health and wellness of our staff, consider joining the committee, where you can share your creative ideas and perspectives on wellness.
For more information, please contact Jenny DeSimone-Jewell at [email protected] or call 1-856-651-7553 x40202
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Wellness tips from Center For Family Services are of a general nature and are not meant to replace any medical treatment or advice. Center For Family Services is not a medical provider and does not have licensed health care professionals on staff. Individuals looking for medical treatment or advice are encouraged to always seek assistance from a qualified medical professional. These tips are of an informational purposes only.
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