Resource Articles

Tragic events continue to fill our newsfeeds. News like this can take a toll on our well-being. How do we cope with such chaos, devastation, and destruction? Vanderbilt's Work/Life Connections-EAP offers ways to cope if you or a colleague are having difficulty during these trying times.

Going for Gold Throughout Summer with Health Plus Care Gap Alerts: The Importance of Summer Safety with Cristina M. Estrada, MD Savoring the Moment and Expressing Gratitude with Heather Kamper, LCSW, SHARE Coordinator/ Clinical Counselor at Work/Life Connections – EAP Passion at Work with Caroline Epps, MSN, RN, CPPS Manager, Patient Care Services Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at VUMC Stick It to the Flu with Lori Rolando, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Director of Occupational Health Clinic Ask a Lifestyle Coach with Rachel Bowman, CHES, Health Educator at Health Plus

Improving Mental Health Across Vanderbilt with Ted Rice, LPC, CEAP, Clinical Counselor, Work/Life Connections Care Gap Alerts: MyOrthoHealth Bundle with Rick Ohmer, Executive Director, Compensation & Benefits Ending Sexual Assault and Harassment Starts with You with Heather Kamper, LCSW, SHARE Coordinator/Clinical Counselor at Work/Life Connections-EAP Passion at Work with Michael Garrett, Director of the Office of Patient Relations and Facilitated Patient Services at VUMC Walking Your Way to a Healthier Life with Mary Pullias Henderson, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner at Occupational Health Clinic Ask a Lifestyle Coach with Emily Cox, CHES, CHWC, Senior Health Educator with Health Plus

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced fully vaccinated and boosted individuals may be safe without a mask in an outdoor and indoor setting. This might feel like a step towards resuming our lives as we did prior to the pandemic, but it will require a psychological re-adjustment. Work/Life Connections-EAP is available to help those who may feel anxious as we enter this new phase of the ongoing pandemic.

Spring is getting closer, and more people will start getting outside to soak up the sun. Did you know that being in nature, or even enjoying the view outside your window, decreases feelings of negative emotions? Work/Life Connections-EAP shares ways in which you can spend time outdoors to help build your mental health resilience.

​Hobbies are a great way to reduce a person's stress level, improve moods, and reduce the risk of depression. They also help you focus on the present instead of worrying about your tomorrow's to-do list. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares suggestions to use hobbies to build your mental health resilience.

​Have you ever wished you could turn off your thoughts for a moment? Our minds can easily become cluttered and inundated with information. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways in which you can take a "mindful microbreak" to regain some peace of mind.

​Kindness is generally thought of as a simple act, like smiling to a stranger walking by or saying thank you to a waiter. While the act itself might seem small, the impact is big. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways in which you can inject small acts of kindness into your daily routine.

​In this issue:

In this issue: International Kindness with Jim Kendall, LCSW, CEAP, Manager of Work/Life Connections - EAP, Care Gap Alerts: Blood Donation with Jennifer Andrews, MD, MSC, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbology, and Immunology; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Medical Director of Blood Bank, Think Before You Drink with Ted Rice, LPC-MHSP, CEAP, Occupational Safety: Got Blood? Choose to Change a Life with Lori Brister, APRN, FNP-C, Get On Your Game (Plan)! with Health Plus