The holidays are often happy times filled with gatherings with friends and families. But the holidays also may have unwelcome guests who arrive under the name of tension and stress. Changes in eating habits, demands on time that interfere with exercise routines and expectations from others often trigger unhealthy responses – ones that we normally manage in the best of times, but seem uncontrollable under extremely stressful conditions.
Magellan Health Services, provider of SMU’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide you with tips and tools for managing the stress of the season. Accessing the Magellan website is easy and searching for resources is quick. Simply use the search box in the top right portion of their website.
Some of the resources available to you include the following articles:
Holiday Stressbusters for Big and Little People
While there, check out additional resources such as the stress management primer and ways to reduce and/or manage stress all year long.
And when stress seems to get the best of you and you feel like more help is needed, SMU employees and their dependents may call the 24/7 counselor hotline for up to three free and confidential in-person sessions with licensed counselors.
Read our earlier blog post titled What is the EAP or on the SMU Benefits U website.
Learn how positive thoughts can help you reduce stress and achieve a more balanced life style by attending the Quick Takes Lunch and Learn session on January 25 titled Happiness and the Power of Positive Psychology facilitated by Jeff Strese.
