Employee Assistance Fall 2019 Newsletter

Dear All,
Welcome to a new semester! 

For many of us, fall is a time of transitions and new beginnings. With the excitement of new beginnings come opportunities - to engage more with the parts of our lives and work that we find meaningful and purposeful.

As we embark on this new semester, we encourage you to commit to practices and habits that help you to find engagement and meaning. These could involve spending time in nature, committing to put down your phone when you get home each evening, talking with colleagues in person rather than over email, or setting aside periods of time to focus on work projects that give you energy.

Employee Assistance is here to support you with your stress management, and can provide guidance to you and your dependents through short-term counseling, assessment, referrals, and workshops. Please call 510-643-7754 or email to set up an in-person or phone appointment. 

Sincerely,

Fall 2019 Employee Assistance Workshops
To register, please click on the workshop titles below
Monday, Oct. 7th

The intention of this hands-on workshop is to introduce participants to the benefits of mindfulness, including stress reduction and increased executive function, and provide a space for them to express themselves creatively. The session will include brief movement and awareness practices, discussion, and journal writing inspired by a poem.

Wednesday, Oct. 16th

Mindfulness and meditation are practices that all of us can integrate into our lives. Doing so yields profound benefits -- emotionally, physically and interpersonally. No matter how busy you are, there are techniques -- some requiring only one minute -- that are possible to incorporate into your daily existence. This workshop will provide tools you can use to enhance your life, and will end with a guided mindfulness meditation that will leave you feeling relaxed, grounded and focused.

Tuesday, Dec. 3rd

Being fully present and engaged can be a daily challenge for most people. In this interactive workshop we will learn sport psychology techniques and how to apply them to our daily lives. Specifically, this workshop will teach us focused goal-setting, as well as mindful, cognitive, and somatic strategies used by athletes to increase focus and performance.


Relaxing Sound Meditation

Unplug and feel an empty mind as you are immersed in tone and vibration of quartz crystal bowls and other instruments during this Sound Bath. Learn how live calming sounds can be help reduce stress, release tension, balance the nervous system, and encourage healthier sleep. No yoga is practiced nor do you need fancy yoga pants to participate, come in your work clothes. Simply lay down and receive sound. Appropriate for any level, any ability. 

Campus Events
Be Well at Work Self-Care Workshops

 As we juggle the complexities of work and personal life, we often overlook the importance of self-care and it's many health benefits. Join Be Well at Work this semester for a number of reflective, interactive, and practical workshops which highlight ways for you to prioritize your physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being.

Campus_Memorial
Annual Campus Memorial
The  Campus Memorial  remembers and honors the lives of campus members who have passed away during the previous year.  

For those unable to attend, a video will be available on YouTube following the event.

When:  Tuesday, September 10th, 2019

Transitioning Back After Baby Bonding Leave
The transition for all parents (both birth and non-birth parents) returning to work after baby bonding leave ends can feel overwhelming as we contend with a vast array of emotions, concerns, and limitations while simultaneously juggling a new work/life balance. This panel workshop will focus on understanding both positive and negative emotions related to this transition, how to establish boundaries at work, what benefits and accommodations are available to working parents on campus, and offer self-care resources to help ease the physical and mental pressure associated with returning to work.

This one-hour panel presentation will be followed by an opportunity to meet with campus programs and vendors to learn more about parenting support and benefits on campus.

When:  12:10 - 2 pm, Wednesday, Nov. 6th
Where : Tang Ed. Center 
Integral Taiji and Qigong
Classes will focus on somatic, psycho-spiritual, ecological, and cosmological dimensions of taiji (tai chi) and qigong. We will practice standing meditation, walking meditation, the Microcosmic Orbit, Tai Chi Ruler, the Eight Treasures, cleansing the internal organs, embodying the elements, tai chi dance, push hands, the Yang style slow form, and more

When: Friday, October 18th
Time: 11 am - noon, UC Botanical Garden


Community Events
Breema: Living with the Principle of Mutual Support
Do you need support in dealing with the increased pace and tension of life? Wish to relate in a more nurturing way to your family and associates? Doing Breema can increase your vitality and availability to life by promoting harmony and balance between your body, mind, and feelings.

Where: The Breema Center, 6076 Claremont Avenue, Oakland
When: Wednesday, Sept. 11th, 18th, 25th, Oct. 2nd

Book & Article Recommendations
Book Recommendation

Mindfulness for Beginners provides welcome answers, insights, and instruction to help us make the shift, moment by moment, into a more spacious, clear, reliable, and loving connection with ourselves and the world. 
Article Recommendation

"Most of us have heard about self-care. We know it’s important. We may even know a few things that we “should” do for self-care. But one of the things I hear over and over...is “how do I fit self-care into my already packed day?!” This is such a valid question."


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