Health inSite: Wellbeing or Wellness?

We provide wellness sessions for a number of our clients, integrating the wellness component into the overall Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  To recap what MINES considers an EAP to be:

• An employee benefit: Free-to-the-client counseling or coaching sessions for the employee and their household members on topics ranging from workplace to personal issues.
• A management benefit: Supervisor / Manager training, work-performance referrals, and management consultations that help management work more effectively.  (For some of our clients, this is like adding a part-time HR assistant!)
• A work/life component: Including access to an online behavioral health portal with articles on all aspects of work/life balance, concierge referral services for help in finding and accessing resources like college planning, legal and financial coaching, and trainings related to interpersonal, stress, and other wellbeing topics.

This layering of benefits is more robust than a typical “embedded” EAP that is offered as part of a health plan.   These do not usually provide heavy promotion and oftentimes do not extend to the many management benefits that MINES includes in our EAP.

But a few months ago we were preparing for a presentation of this more integrated model and discussing the unique selling proposition of this program and how we wanted to position it in juxtaposition to our other Employee Assistance offerings.  When we charted out the program, we found that we had two very large changes that were being considered under this new program proposal: 1, we were looking at a more holistic approach to the health of the employee that honed in on outcome-focused behavioral change, rather than just incentivizing program participation (meaning that we were giving employees the opportunity to affect many dimensions of their health from the emotional to the physical to the financial and occupational); and 2, we were offering a way for management to interact with their employees in a way that was much more integrated than many wellness programs typically do.

By creating an offering that was integrated into the social fabric of the company, rather than simply proposing a commoditized offering, we uncovered a significant change in the way that we wanted to present this program.  We changed the program from an EAP with a wellness component to an Organizational Wellbeing System.

To distinguish these two terms from one another, and why we thought we needed to change our language for the proposal: wellbeing is differentiated from wellness, as defined by Merriam-Webster, by the former term’s incorporation of total prosperity.  Prosperity, we thought, had the added quality of openness to more dimensions than wellness had available to it.

We believe that this difference is significant, especially when considering the future of healthcare in the United States.  Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides about the legality of the Affordable Care Act, there are changes coming in the landscape of health and we at MINES believe that we are moving in the direction of a more integrated, network-based HEALTHcare as opposed to single person SICKcare.  As we’ve mentioned in some of our other postings recently (PPACA Roundup: Part II, Community is the Key to health, Halo effects and Link Influence), the brief therapy model has significant implications for treatment adherence in more than just substance abuse and mental health issues and we’re prepared for a more involved role with the whole wellbeing of the individual, their social network(s), and the population as a whole.

To our health,

Ryan
Marketing

Health inSite: Community is the Key to Health

Alternate title: Your friend’s friend makes you fat.

When it comes to your health, it’s important to realize that the decisions you make do not exist in a vacuum.  In fact, it may be even more the decision of your peer group than yourself as to what you eat, how you exercise, and what other habits and behaviors you engage in.  Recent studies have shown that your social network (and we’re not talking about facebook here, although that may be one depiction and/or part of your social network) has a greater impact on our overall health and well-being than we knew (or, in some cases, would like to think!).

An excellent, recent article posted by Mark Hyman, MD on the Huffington Post explains: “Much can be done with a little help from your friends.”  Creating a community around health topics, especially related to health behavior changes, can be critical to instituting new or better habits that have an impact on your total well-being.

At MINES, there are a couple of us that get together for lunch every day.  In the course of the meal, we may talk about the Broncos, the latest political debate, technology, and so on.  But one thing that we do every meal is discuss what we are eating.  We come together and discuss new recipes we’ve discovered and why we’ve chosen to eat as we have.  I recently (and at the time of this posting, currently) tried to eat only whole foods for a month.  This meant no salt, no sugar, no cheese, sweetening my coffee with honey, and very little pasta / bread.  It has been difficult to fully 180 turn around on a diet that had previously heavily relied on enriched cereal grains and pre-processed foods.  But, the reason I was able to make the shift, I believe, was that I was positively influenced by this group that was interested in, shared similar views on, and regularly engaged (daily) in the topic.  In behavioral health, we would say this created a support resource for treatment adherence.

Healthy behavior is not dependent on what payment models, medical technology, or other innovations come about in the healthcare debate.  We know that your friend’s friend has a great impact on what you do – and vice versa.

Today, you could:

• Discover new friends
• Decide to impact your friends
• Ask for support from your friends
• Be influenced by your friends

Today, make a decision about one habit that you want to change and find someone who wants to make that change with you (or even better, a group of people) and you’ll find yourself much more likely to achieve it.  If you’re not sure how to decide what changes to make or need some ideas on creating your own wellness plan, one of our Affiliates, Cecelia Keelin, recently hosted a ChooseWell webinar for MINES that might help.

To our health,

Ryan
Marketing

Embracing Global Diversity

As the parent of a seven year old, I’ve been enamored with the concept of “intentional parenting.” The essence of this philosophy is to think about the type of person you want your child to be when they become an adult and to give them age appropriate responsibilities to support their development. I, for one, am committed to raising a global citizen who has an appreciation for other cultures, languages, perspectives, and lifestyle choices.

I was exposed to traveling at a very early age and was always deeply appreciative that my parents expanded my horizons and perspectives through global travel. I’m sure my mom wasn’t completely surprised when I told her I had bought a one-way ticket to New Zealand and wasn’t sure when I would be back. And, sure enough, after two years of traveling out of a backpack, returned home to start graduate school. I loved the sense of intrigue and mystery that came with traveling to exotic lands and far away places.

I also came home with a profound sense of appreciation for the global diversity that we have right here! Looking at situations from a new perspective, asking open ended questions to understand a different point of view, and being curious about someone’s background or beliefs are all windows towards creating a sense of belonging to a global community. I feel so fortunate that much of the work I do in BizPysch – be it executive coaching, diversity training, or providing conflict mediation services – are all ways to build bridges and create a sense of community and connection.

Now, I’m getting ready to embark on another global adventure. As a parent who is committed to raising a “global citizen,” I am getting ready to move overseas with my son. We will be gone for a little less than a year and during that time we will both be students learning a new language and embracing a completely different way of living. There are so many ways to embrace global diversity, be it participating in a cooking class with foods from another country, learning a new language, seeing a foreign film, reading books about other countries, or following your curiosity by exploring new places on the internet!  I trust I will return with a new set of perspectives which is what makes traveling and experiencing different cultures, no matter how you choose to do it, so exciting!

Marcia Kent, MS
President, BizPsych

Being Single and Satisfied

Being Single…

A common question when chatting causally with someone is “are you dating?”  When the answer is no, people often apologize like being single is such an awful thing.  The fact is when you are single you have the freedom to explore a variety of activities and indulge in your every whim.  Friendships strengthen.  And the idea of compromise takes a back seat.  Being single doesn’t have to be a woe-is-me state of mind, rather a lifestyle choice that has just as many advantages and disadvantages as being in a relationship!

Looking for things to do around town try meetup.com, a great resource for things to do locally!

~Health Psychology Team

Holiday Community Service

In lieu of the holidays, I thought it would be nice to share some of the community service efforts that employees here at MINES make. The holidays are always a time for giving, but during the economic downturn, volunteer work and donating to charities is more important than ever before. Knowing that we have the ability to give people in need a wonderful holiday experience through simply donating some of our time is comforting and heart-warming. The following stories were shared by my co-workers, all of whom wanted to remain anonymous as they believe that this work isn’t about receiving credit, but rather it is about making sure those in need don’t have to miss out on the happiness of the holiday season.

United Labor Agency of Orange County

This year the United Labor Agency of Orange County was robbed, with thieves stealing about $100,000 worth of donated food and toys (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34239153/ns_news-giving/from/ET). Knowing that people are capable of stealing from the poor is upsetting and disheartening. Because MINES is dedicated to its union brothers and sisters, our CEO Dr. Robert Mines decided it was extremely important to make a company contribution to ULA and show support for them during this difficult time.

If you would like to learn more about United Labor Agency of Orange County, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

The Denver Rescue Mission

“One of my family’s favorite charities is The Denver Rescue Mission. We have been donating to this group for about 15 years. We also work with my church, St. Francis Cabrini Caotholic Church to get Thanksgiving meals organized for that special day. Also, once a month, a number of people from my church are able to volunteer at The Denver Rescue Mission to help serve dinner.”

If you would like to learn more about The Denver Rescue Mission, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program

“I donate to The Salvation Army via their Angel Tree Program. My family has been doing this my entire life, but this year is my first solo effort. It’s important to me because I have always been very fortunate at Christmas time. There are so many children and teens who have nothing to open Christmas morning. My hope is to create some cheer in their holiday season.”

If you would like to learn more about The Salvation Army and their Angel Tree Program, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

Colorado Refugee English as a Second Language Volunteer Program

“I have been involved with this program for about a year now and have forged a wonderful friendship with one of my students. This year I helped her address Christmas cards in English to her friends in the United States and it meant a lot to her. Seeing the happiness on my friend’s face after sending her cards out made me realize that it’s the simple things that matter most during the holidays.

I have also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity (Tajikistan), Artists Striving to End Poverty (Shanti Bhavan, India), and the Ilula Orphan Program (Tanzania). Donating my time to work with people in need is the best gift that I can give because I know that I’m a part of improving the quality of life for people around the world. I’ve also donated to Colorado Public Radio, Central Asia Institute, and The Denver Rescue Mission – funding for projects like these is so important because they are constantly making efforts to make the world a better place.”

If you would like to learn more about Colorado Refugee English as a Second Language Volunteer program, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about Habitat for Humanity, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about Artists Striving to End Poverty, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about the Ilula Orphan Program, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about Colorado Public Radio, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about the Central Asia Institute, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

If you would like to learn more about The Denver Rescue Mission, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

LALMBA

“LALMBA is an African word meaning “hope” and it is an organization that provides medical, educational, and relief services to people throughout Africa. My family has been involved in helping LALMBA for about 20 years. We personally know the founders, Hugh and Marty Downey from our church, and have been inspired by their profound and extended commitment to this work. We support LALMBA during a special Christmas campaign they have, as well as other times throughout the year.”

If you would like to learn more about LALMBA, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

Charlie’s Place

“Last week I was given an adopted dog, Dexter, as a Christmas present. I am a huge dog lover, so needless to say I was thrilled. Ultimately, though, I was overjoyed to know that the money paid to adopt my puppy went to a no-kill shelter in Colorado. I think it’s important that animals have a safe and healthy place to live until they are adopted, and Charlie’s Place is just that. My dog had been adopted twice before I met him and returned, but the good people at this shelter had faith that they would find him a home, and sure enough they did. I’m so happy to have Dexter as a part of my family now, and I will be donating to Charlie’s Place as often as I can in the years to come.”

If you would like to learn more about Charlie’s Place, volunteer, or make a donation, please click here.

This holiday season, if at all possible, please try and donate your time or make a monetary contribution to any charity that you personally believe in, or one of the organizations mentioned above. I hope you all have a fantastic holiday and a happy new year!

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing and Advertising Assistant

Transcend – 9 Steps to Living Well Forever

According to a new book titled Transcend, by Ray Kurzweil there are 9 steps we can follow that create wellness and forestall aging and disease processes.  Here are the steps:

1) Talk with your doctor

2) Relaxation

3) Assessment

4) Nutrition

5) Supplements

6) Calorie Reduction

7) Exercise

8 New Technologies

9) Detoxification

You grew older today, but did you age as well?  If you drank a few cups of green tea, had five servings of fruits and vegetables, exercised for at least 30 minutes at your target heart rate, took nutritional supplements optimized for your age and health situation, spent quality time with close friends and loved ones, had a romantic time with your spouse or significant other, and got 8 hours of quality sleep, then you probably aged very little if at all.

Posted by Ian

Sales Consultant at MINES

Mental Health Issues Among College Students

Driving to work this morning I heard this fantastic story on NPR. College is a difficult transition for so many students to make, but with more people around accepting and paying attention to mental illness, that transition can be made much easier. Mental illness is not something that should be swept under the rug, and with more awareness and respect, students can feel comfortable in their college settings and be set up on a path to success. Click on the following link to hear the NPR story in full. 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113835383

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Assistant

Balancing Work and Life

Going from being a full-time student to being a full-time employee has been quite the transition over the past couple of months. With graduation just around the corner, I am now beginning to see that my life is headed for some big changes. While school felt like a full-time job, classes were spread out and my schedule was far more flexible. Now that Monday through Friday is fully scheduled, I have realized that balancing work and life is feeling more important than ever. Finding time for family, friends, and relaxation is not always easy, but the good news is that it’s possible. The following article from http://topten.org/public/BI/BI103.html presents some helpful steps when it comes to finding some middle ground between work and personal life.

There is no single formula for attaining a balanced life. It is a personal decision how one combines their career, spouse/significant other, children, friends and self into an integrated whole. The key is to develop creative solutions as you approach the challenges of balancing the responsibilities and joys of your multiple roles. Some of the same skills and strategies you use at work such as planning, organizing, communicating, setting limits and delegating can be used effectively on the home-front for achieving a satisfying, fulfilling well-balanced life both personally and professionally.

1. BUILD A SUPPORT NETWORK

Ask for help and allow yourself to be helped and contributed to. Get your children involved–work together as a team. Recruit friends, family, neighbors, bosses, work colleagues, etc. and ask for their support. Create back-up and emergency plans; always have a contingency.

2. LET GO OF GUILT

Guilt is one of the greatest wastes of emotional energy. It causes you to become immobilized in the present because you are dwelling on the past. Guilt can be very debilitating. By introducing logic to help counter-balance the guilt you can stay better on course.

3. ESTABLISH LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES

Boundaries are an imaginary line of protection that you draw around yourself. They are about protecting you from other people’s actions. Determine for yourself what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior from other people. Boundaries and limits define how you take charge of your time and space and get in touch with your feelings. They express the extent of your responsibilities and power and show others what you are willing to do or accept. Without limits it’s difficult to say “no”.

4. DETERMINE YOUR OWN STANDARDS

Get rid of the notion of being a perfectionist. Wean yourself off it by making compromises–figure out where the best places to make the compromises are without short-changing yourself, your spouse, your children, your boss, etc. Live by your own standards rather than someone else’s. Standards are about YOU and refer to the behavior and actions you are willing to hold yourself to.

5. CREATE TIME FOR YOURSELF

Being a good parent, partner and professional means being good to yourself first. Use your mind to make some affirmations for yourself. Find ways to relax, relieve tension and minimize stress. Taking some time off for yourself will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your family tremendously!

6. GET ORGANIZED.

Set priorities, work smarter not harder, delegate (and really let go!). Create lists and save them for re-use. Keep a main calendar centrally located to post everyone’s activities.

7. BE FLEXIBLE

Forgive yourself when things don’t get done. Understand that with children things change at a moment’s notice. Be ready and willing to assume responsibility for any of the tasks that need to get done at any time. Never get too comfortable, because as soon as you seem to get things under control, they change! Also, realize that in order to achieve success many women have had to give up their original goals and substitute new ones with different but equal challenges. Negotiate for what you need.

8. ENJOY QUALITY FAMILY TIME

Spend quality/focused time with your family. Give them your full attention. Develop rituals you can all look forward to. Create relationships with your spouse and children that are not incidental but rather instumental to your success.

9. FIND RELIABLE CHILD CARE

Leave your kids in capable hands. Find someone you feel comfortable and confident in. If you’re feeling ambivalent about working or about leaving your child, etc. do not show it–your child (at any age) will pick right up on it. Feel proud when you’ve found someone who fits into your needs. Get involved with your child’s care providers by communicating frequently and observing interactions between caregiver and your child.

10. ACHIEVE AN INTEGRATED LIFE

Keep things in perspective. Create harmony in your life–a mixture of work, family and friends. Remember, there is no single formula for balance. It is a personal decision how one combines spouse, children and career.

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About the Submitter

This piece was originally submitted by Natalie A. Gahrmann, M.A., Success Coach and Workshop/Seminar Leader, who can be reached at coachnatalie@rcn.com, or visited on the web. Natalie A. Gahrmann wants you to know: N-R-G Coaching Associates was founded to guide
professionals who have a career plus kids in creating a life that is more balanced, fulfilling, satisfying and successful. We are dedicated to helping working parents achieve work/life mastery. To subscribe to a free weekly newsletter for working parents, send a blank email to workingparenttips-subscribe@egroups.com.

 

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Assistant

Stress in the Workplace

Hello MINES bloggers. My name is Sarah Kinnel and I’m the new Marketing Administrative Assistant. I have found an interesting and helpful article that I wanted to share with all of you. Stress in the workplace is something all of us deal with on a daily basis—the good news is there are many ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed. The following article entitled Stress at Work: How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress focuses on key points that both employees and managers can implement in order to better communicate with one another. The article also brings light to self-awareness and how it can help aid in feeling more comfortable and relaxed, both in the office and life in general. I have included the beginning of the article here, and if you’d like to read more please visit http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

Stress at Work

How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress

In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

In This Article:

• Coping with work stress
• Warning signs
• Taking care of yourself 
• Prioritizing and organizing
• Improving emotional intelligence
• Breaking bad habits 
• What managers or employers can do
• Related links

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Coping with work stress in today’s uncertain climate

For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. “Layoffs” and “budget cuts” have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it’s important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you’ll positively affect those around you and the less other people’s stress will negatively affect you.

You can learn how to manage job stress

There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:

• Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.
• Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
• Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.

Warning signs of excessive stress at work

When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress

Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed Apathy, loss of interest in work. Problems sleeping Fatigue, Trouble concentrating

Muscle tension orheadaches Stomach problems Social withdrawal Loss of sex drive Using alcohol or drugs to cope

Common causes of excessive workplace stress

• Fear of layoffs
• Increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks
• Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction
• Pressure to work at optimum levels – all the time!

 

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Adminstrative Assistant

Allegra’s Adventures in India Draw to a Close

Hello again everyone!  I am back from my 5-week adventure teaching at a rural school in India with my sister.  Although I am exhausted this week, it’s been great to be getting back in the groove at MINES and Associates.  I am so thankful to work for a company like MINES where I am valued, supported, and treated as a person instead of just an employee.  I communicated to my 4th grade math class in India just how special my company is, and here’s what they created!

Allegra Boggess, Marketing Coordinator