Work/Life Spring 2023 Newsletter |
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Dear UC Berkeley Faculty and Staff,
We welcome you back to this new semester with recognition of all that you do in your home and work life.
At this time of year, we tend to establish resolutions which benefit some of us, while for others, it may add to our already overwhelming work and home responsibilities. Perhaps this semester, you can set an intention and take a moment to check in with yourself to identify your needs. Too often we push aside what nourishes our physical and mental health due to familial obligations, busy schedules, and unrealistic expectations. Tending to your work/life is not always about finding an equilibrium between the two, rather it can ebb and flow as it incorporates and adapts to your ever-changing wants, needs, and day-to-day commitments.
Whether you would like to set boundaries in your interactions with others, spend more time with loved ones or in nature, or set aside some time each week to do something that makes you smile, encourages you to rest, or raises your dopamine levels, Be Well at Work Work/Life is here to support you.
This semester we are offering an array of workshops which focus on financial literacy, retirement planning, parenting at different stages of life, and a 4-week introductory workshop into Breema. Breema’s purpose is to create harmony and balance between your mind, feelings, and body, and in your relationship to yourself and others.
We look forward to seeing you this Spring.
Karen Patchell, MA
Work/Life Program Lead
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Spring 2023 Caregiving Workshops |
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To register, please click on the workshop titles below |
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Thursday, February 9th, Noon - 1 pm
Speakers: Jurrisha Johnson, Leaves Coordinator, Yvette Escobar, UCB Disability Counselor, Kristin Rissanen Ikuta , UCB Academic Personnel, Gabe Schmidt, Healthcare Facilitator
Thinking about starting a family? This workshop will provide information on leave policies, disability benefits, use of income supplements: sick/vacation/pto/pfcb etc. and options on when/how to return to work after having a child for both academic and staff employees.
Tuesday, March 7th, Noon - 1 pm
Speaker: Natalie Caine
Whether your adult children are going off to school or living at home while moving onto the next stage of their life, you may be feeling the joy, grief, and change that arises from this transition. This presentation will discuss this stage of life as not simply time to fill in the gap or stay busy, but focuses on how it may also be a time to grieve and focus on growing who you are.
4 Week Introduction to Breema Series
In-Person at the Staff Community Garden
Speaker: Angela Porter, MFT
Every moment there is something we can do to increase our energy and vitality. By reestablishing the connection between body and mind we move increasingly in harmony with ourselves, each other and with all of life, naturally experiencing support from rather than being drained by our activity. Join us for this experiential class series where we will learn to slow down and connect using simple Breema self care exercises and principles in moving meditation practice for unifying and balancing the energies of body, mind, and feelings. We hope to see you here. Please come comfortably dressed and prepared for light movement activity. Weekly classes will build on the material from the week before but also stand alone so feel free to drop in and connect!
Thursday, April 6th, 1 pm - 4:15 pm
Speakers: Tina Benitez/Tomas Handelsman
This class is FREE to UC Berkeley faculty, staff, students, and their spouses/domestic partners.
This 3 hour class is taught by a certified lactation consultant and is broken up into two parts.
The first portion of the class, 1-3pm, addresses breastfeeding basics and problem solving. The second portion of class, 3:15-4:15pm, covers returning-to-work planning and breast pumps. Those who have already attended a breastfeeding class are welcome to join the last portion of the class.
Thursday, April 13th, Noon - 1 pm
Speakers: Karen Patchell, MA., Elliott DiTusa, LPCC., Mary Kelly, MS, Greg Ryan,
The transition back to work after baby bonding for both birth and non-birth parents can feel overwhelming. It can be filled with a vast array of emotions, concerns, and limitations, not to mention demanding and conflicting schedules.
Join us for this virtual panel workshop focused on understanding both positive and negative emotions related to this transition, how to establish boundaries at work, benefits and accommodations available to working parents, ergonomic strategies for multiple workstations, and self-care resources to help ease the physical and mental pressure associated with working while caregiving for a young child.
Thursday, May 4th, Noon - 1 pm
Speaker: Karen Patchell, MA. Be Well at Work
Whether a child’s behavior during a tantrum is to hit, cry, kick or scream, these emotionally turbulent moments can cause caregivers to feel overwhelm, tension, guilt, sadness, or anger. In order to remain calm and patient supporters for children who are in the midst of a tantrum, we must first understand what is biologically happening. Only then can we focus on responding and assisting children to eliminate the big emotions they are feeling. In this workshop we will: - Learn about the different types of tantrums - Look at what happens in the body when a child is having a tantrum - Discuss why they occur and what can cause them - Identify ways of responding and being present to support your child during a tantrum - And how tantrums can actually connect you with your child more.
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Spring 2023 Financial Wellness Workshops |
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To register, please click on the workshop titles below |
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Wednesday, March 1st, Noon - 1 pm
Speaker: James Palen, TIAA Tuition Financing Inc.
How you save and plan for your loved one’s education goals matters. The way you save and allocate for college savings dictates the investments you have access to, the tax status of your funds for education expenses, and even has an impact on the needs-based financial aid your loved one is eligible to receive. Join us for a college savings workshop to help you better navigate the college savings arena. During this workshop, we will discuss:
- Paying for college “The basics”
- The cost of higher education
- Different ways to save
- Is ScholarShare 529 the right plan for you and your family
- Getting started
- Making the most of existing accounts (resources)
- The Matching Grant Program and CalKids
- Q&A
Wednesday, March 8th, 11 am - 1 pm
Speaker: Scott Sylva, Retirement Administration Services Center
For UCRP members who are planning to retire within the next five years and for vested inactive members of UCRP. This live webinar will cover topics such as understanding UCRP pension benefits, retirement savings and retiree health coverage.
Wednesday, March 15th, 11 am - 1 pm
Speaker: Scott Sylva, Retirement Administration Services Center
For UCRP members who are planning to retire within the next 4-12 months. This live webinar will explain everything you need to know about the retirement process, including required forms, important deadlines and helpful resources.
Thursday, April 20th, Noon - 1 pm
Speaker: Laura Crymble, Fidelity
This class offers manageable strategies and tools that can help you get a handle on spending and borrowing. It also covers how to develop a smart budget and ways to manage debt.
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Be Well at Work Spring Refresh |
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As we enter a season of renewal, Be Well at Work invites you to join us for a range of events that focus on cultivating and supporting your mental and physical well being. This spring, our offerings include healthy lifestyle programs, disability management and ergonomic classes, financial literacy and stress management workshops, and mindful movement opportunities, to nourish your whole self both at work and in your personal life. We look forward to seeing you this semester.
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UC Berkeley Summer Camps 2023 |
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With the recent wet spell, summer may feel far away, but UC Berkeley summer camps are sooner than we think! Registrations are open and spaces are filling up fast.
UC Berkeley summer camps offer fun activities for children of all ages. Whether interested in athletics or academia, science, nature, business, aquatics, skateboarding, or leadership skills; there is something for everyone to enjoy. Check out the summer camp website for everything you need to sign up.
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The Basic Needs Center Food Pantry is in need of additional staff members to support our staff-specific open hours. Shifts would include supporting check-in, check-out, and restocking the food pantry under supervision of a student pantry staff. This will also be a great opportunity to meet and collaborate with other staff who you do not usually get to meet on campus!
Volunteer hours will be Wednesday 2-3pm and Thursday 10-11am. If you are available for either of these times on a weekly basis please fill out the form by Tuesday, January 17th!
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How to Create a Single-Friendly Work Environment
"It is easy to forget that single people can have rich and full lives. Sometimes it comes down to being given extra demands at work, unequal treatment for the same position, and lower paychecks every month. I set out to study this and found some quite remarkable findings. While everyone tends to focus on work-family conflict, it is actually work-life conflict that deserves our attention."
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What’s the Difference Between Meaning and Happiness?
Jill Suttie
"Many people want to experience a sense of meaning as part of living a fulfilling life. But what brings us meaning, as opposed to just happiness?
A new study aimed to help answer this question.
In the study, people were presented with various situations where they had to make judgments about whether someone’s actions benefitted society or themselves and if those actions brought a sense of meaning or happiness (or both)."
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Kaiser Children & Teens Emotional Wellness Classes
Multiple Dates Offered in 2023
The two single session online classes are designed to introduce our young members to stress management, self-care and mindfulness practices. By providing a safe space, this program can help when stress is having a negative impact on children and teens who might experience physical or mental unease, or if simply interested in learning ways to adopt and sustain healthy ways of living. During the class, participants will be educated about: Stress and skills to reduce emotional/physical symptoms of stress, Sleep hygiene, and Mindfulness and relaxation skills and practices to cultivate a sense of presence and emotional wellness.
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Dare to Be: 3 Part Series on LGBTQ Inclusion for Middle Schoolers
Sunday January 22nd, 29th, & February 5th
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
JCC East Bay invites 6th-8th graders to join their three-part LGBTQ inclusion and allyship workshop. Each of the three sessions will dive into different topics covering creating inclusive spaces, building the community we want to see through support and allyship, and understanding how to utilize joy and connection so we can feel belonging for ourselves and others. All themes will be explored through art, games and activities, and through open discussions to learn with and from each other, while enjoying a vegetarian dinner together.
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Financial Health Workshop Series |
Join SparkPoint CCSF for a free Financial Health Workshop Series to strengthen financial literacy and empower you to start thinking about your financial health. This four-part series will be held on Ocean Campus, Science Hall, San Francisco, and lead by Daniel Fukuyama at Chase Bank.
Wednesday, February 8th - Strategic Goal Setting and Budgeting
Wednesday, February 15th - Credit 101
Wednesday, February 22nd - Managing Debt
Wednesday, March 1st - Protecting Your Identity
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From Tunde Oyeneyin, the massively popular Peloton instructor, and founder of SPEAK, comes an empowering, inspiring book about how she transformed grief, setbacks, and flaws into growth, self-confidence, and triumph.
Taking us through each step of the SPEAK acronym—Surrender, Power, Empathy, Authenticity, and Knowledge—
Oyeneyin shares the lessons she has learned about loss, love, body image, and how she has successfully created an intentional, joyful life for herself, offering an accessible blueprint for anyone looking to make a positive change in their lives.
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