Wellness, assistance and work/life support for the whole family

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Exclusively for Health Advocate Members February 2014

Monthly Webinar • Tuesday, February 18th

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Be Mindful of Your Daily HabitsHeart disease awareness month is here, reminding us that taking control of contributing factors like stress is important. Some stressors are obvious like overdue bills, but others are not. In fact, everyday habits—including habitual negative self-talk—can boost stress, too. For example, having frequent thoughts like, “Everything always goes wrong” can raise your anxiety. Replacing it with something positive like, “I can handle this,” can calm you down.

Even how you maintain your surroundings can cause stress. For example, research shows that an overly cluttered house can prompt the release of stress hormones. For one thing, clutter constantly reminds you that your work is never done. Read on to find out how managing your surroundings, spending habits and time can all help lower stress.

Remember, you can always turn to your EAP+Work/Life program for personal, family and work issues.

Practice Mindful Spending Are you a habitual impulse buyer? Being unfocused with your spending habits, can lead to “debt stress.” Here’s how to spend more mindfully:

• Ask yourself questions. Do I already have similar items? Will I like it a year from now? Will I really use it and maintain it?

• Identify where you lose control. Is it earrings? Shoes? Doo-dads at the check-out line? Remember, even little purchases can really add up.

• Sleep on it. You may even forget the item once you exit the store. If not, put it on your birthday wish list.

• Find alternatives to “retail therapy.” Lousy workday and want to soothe yourself? Try calling a friend, or take a scented bath. Bored? Browse the library and explore new subjects.

• Avoid temptations. Unsubscribe from the promotional emails and product catalogs. If you always seem to spend money around a certain friend, suggest money-free activities like going for a walk.

Spending habit out of control? Your EAP+Work/Life program can help.

[Source: University of Southern California]

Give Your Mind and Body Breathing Space!Is your office, bedroom, garage or another space a personal “disaster” area? It’s time to change! Try these tips:

• Toss, recycle or donate. Get rid of anything you don’t use, want or need. Lightening your load can boost your energy.

• Commit to three household chores after work. It’s a good way to overcome messiness.

• Create designated spaces for everything. And return items there as soon as you are finished with them.

• Follow the “one in, one out” rule. Every time you bring home a new purchase, get rid of something else.

• Toss the junk mail right away. Store necessary paperwork in its proper place.

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Health AdvocacyYour Personal Health Advocate can help untangle medical bills, find qualified doctors, locate eldercare services and much more.

EAP+Work/Life ProgramTalk to a Licensed Professional Counselor to learn coping skills. You may be referred to the appropriate professional for in-depth, long-term help.

Use self-search provider databases, get 4,000 updated and authoritative articles, view video clips, attend monthly online seminars and more.

Wellness CoachingYour personal Wellness Coach can help you lose weight, eat better or reach other health goals.

Just call 866.799.2728

Your All-in-1 Benefit

Monthly WebinarTuesday, February 18th12 pm and 2 pm ET

“Eight Steps to a Healthy Heart” Utilizing Mayo Clinic’s Heart Healthy Diet concepts, this webinar will review the eight steps for preventing or reducing your chances of heart disease.

You can register at HealthAdvocate.com/members

• Enter the name of your organization and click “Submit”

• Click on the umbrella icon at the bottom of the page under “EAP+Work/Life”

• Click “Online Services”

• Scroll to online seminars, choose “Eight Steps to a Healthy Heart”

• Select your registration session

• Click “Register” on the “Welcome to e-learning center” page

• Enter your name, other information and click submit

*Please note: Webinars are available only in English.

Manage Your Time Lower Your Stress Effective time management is more than improving productivity—it’s about improving your quality of life. Here’s how to gain control:

Always keep a daily to-do list. Put the most important tasks at the top. Taking care of urgent things in your life, and letting go of the unimportant tasks help ease stress.

Think before saying “yes” to another responsibility. Learn to say no to new activities that aren’t worth your time or energy.

Tackle a big project in 10-minute time chunks. It can help you overcome procrastination—a key stressor.

Shut out distractions. This goes for worrisome thoughts. Write them down on a piece of paper to deal with later and continue with the work at hand.

Set short-term deadlines. It forces you to get things done so you don’t have as much pressure and work build-up.

Your EAP+Work/Life program can help with more time management strategies.

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Balance Your Workouts! Include these activitiesEngaging in regular exercise, and keeping a balanced workout, helps improve your heart and overall health while decreasing your risk for injury. Try incorporating the following into your fitness routine:

Cardiovascular activities, such as aerobics, swimming, walking, running, hiking, work the heart muscle and increases the “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body.

Strength training, like weight lifting or resistance training maintains strength and bone density.

Flexibility, such as yoga poses or stretching exercises, reduces soreness and stress.

Intense interval training, such as sprinting for 30 seconds and then walking for 30 seconds can improve your overall fitness levels and increase your energy.

Contact your Wellness Coach for more help kicking your fitness plan into high gear! Always consult your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.

Heart-Smart Choices Tips for a healthy dietWhen trying to improve your heart health, be strategic about the foods you eat. These tips can help you make smarter food choices.

• Eat whole foods. Whenever possible, try to eat foods made up of only one ingredient. Examples include vegetables, fruits, lean meat (such as chicken breast), eggs, nuts, and seeds.

• Avoid excessive sugar. Try not to eat foods that have sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients.

• Go lower-salt. Reduce your daily sodium intake to no more than 1500 mg.

• Increase potassium. Up your intake of potassium-rich foods such as beans, dark leafy greens, and bananas.

• Eat fiber. Fiber helps you feel full, improves digestion, and helps with weight management. Depending on your age and gender, you should aim to eat 21-38 grams of fiber per day.

Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have a heart or other condition. You can also contact your Health Advocate Wellness Coach for more help adopting a heart-healthy diet.

©2014 Health Advocate, Inc. HA-CWEM-1401002-FEB

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The Health Advocate member website will tell you how your FREE benefit can help you and your family with healthcare and insurance-related problems. You can view features of your benefit, as well as online health tools. You can always talk to a Personal Health Advocate or a Wellness Coach for one-on-one help.

Log on to the website:

HealthAdvocate.com/members

• Download member essentials

• Access your Wellness tools

• Complete your Personal Health Profile

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866.799.2728

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Facing Surgery? Know Costs Upfront!How can you avoid getting an unexpected medical bill for a procedure? One way is to choose the facility where it’s performed wisely. At the nearest hospital, you could pay hundreds more than at another one in your area. Your Personal Health Advocate can do the upfront legwork so you can budget accordingly.

We can help get estimates for:

• Hospitals in your area

• Lab tests, X-rays and imaging

• Your out-of-pockets costs for in- and out-of-network services

And remember… we can also help make appointments, facilitate any pre-authorization you may need for the procedure, and help you and your eligible family members with a full range of healthcare and insurance-related issues.