OakFit/Resources/We Are All In This Together

We Are All In This Together

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While we are living through uncertain times with COVID-19, OakFit wants to remind you of the importance of taking care of yourself. It is imperative now more than ever to stick to a routine and give your day structure. Eating right, washing your hands and getting enough sleep are simple ways to help keep yourself healthy. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Stay connected via phone, email, social media and video calls with your loved ones. Most importantly, you are a part of the Oakland County family and we are all in this together. Below are resources that we hope will help you during this time. 

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Everyone faces challenges from time to time and Encompass is here to support you so you don't have to face things alone. Here are some of the services Encompass provides:
  • 24/7/365 Telephone Support, Mobile App with Chat Functionality, Video Counseling and Web Portal
  • Mental Health Counseling
  • Work/Life Resources 
  • Legal/Financial Resources
  • Medical Advocacy
  • Life Coaching
  • Personal Assistant 

Encompass Leader Tool Kit

Encompass Frontline Employee Newsletter

JULY 2020

JUNE 2020


Encompass Frontline Supervisor Newsletter

JULY 2020

JUNE 2020

MAY 2020

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The lines between work and non-work are blurring in new and unusual ways, and many employees who are working remotely for the first time are likely to struggle to preserve healthy boundaries between their professional and personal lives. Here are three tips to help stop working from home burnout: 

  1. Maintain physical and social boundaries: Put on your work clothes every morning—casual Friday is fine, of course, but get yourself ready nonetheless. And consider replacing your morning commute with a walk to a nearby park, or even just around your apartment, before sitting down to work.

  2. Maintain temporal boundaries as much as possible: Creating clear temporal boundaries often depends on the ability to coordinate ones’ time with others. This calls for leaders to aid employees in structuring, coordinating, and managing the pace of work. This might mean regularly holding virtual check-in virtual meetings with employees, or providing them with tools to create virtual coffee or workspaces. Through this disruption, keeping a sense of normality is key.

  3. Focus on your most important work: While working from home, employees often feel compelled to project the appearance of productivity, but this can lead them to work on tasks that are more immediate instead of more important—a tendency that research suggests is counterproductive in the long run, even if it benefits productivity in the short run. Employees, particularly those facing increased workloads as they juggle family and work tasks, should pay attention to prioritizing important work.

  • Structure Your Work-From-Home With These Routines: The conveniences of working at home are also its curses. There’s no commute giving you time to settle your thoughts on the way in to work, no lunch with co-workers. To get some structure in your work-from-home life, you need to create your own routines.

  • How to Make Working Remotely a Success – For Managers and Employees: There’s a complexity to remote working. Many people are very self-sufficient and disciplined and don’t need to be in an office to get their work done and be motivated. For others, it can be more challenging.

  • 5 Subtle Stretches You Can Do At Your Home Desk:  A quick stretching break could be just what you need to feel reinvigorated. In fact, studies have shown that taking a much-needed pause can help boost your productivity (and act as a great alternative to downing an extra cup of coffee when the afternoon slump hits).
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  • ​The Growth Collective with Susan Bailey: Resilence Podcast Series: Resiliency isn't something we're born with. It's something we do. To support resiliency of anyone who needs a little help, Susan interviewed a bunch of wellbeing experts for a special Resiliency Series of the Growth Collective podcast.

  • The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: How to maintain well-being in the midst of the coronovirus pandemic
     
  • Public Health On Call: Experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health offer science and evidence-based insights on the public health news of the day. The current focus is the novel coronavirus spreading around the world.

  • Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Skin Care for Your Hands, Face during COVID-19: On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Dawn Davis, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, shares tips to care for your skin affected by frequent hand-washing or face masks.

  • NEW Coping Through COVID Podcasts: Staying healthy, both physically and emotionally, is a goal for us all. The Hartford HealthCare podcast series brings you experts in a variety of areas to talk about ways to maintain and improve your health. Listen to entire episodes or shorter excerpts to be part of the enlightening conversation.

  • NEW 5 Podcast to Listen to Through COVID: Three are newly launched, and all of them are focused on helping listeners navigate these times, professionally and personally. Filled with ideas and insight, they may help spark some of your own.
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More free time might mean more walks and less eating out. Working from home means less structured time and that can mean more snacking. Less trips to the grocery store means fewer fresh fruits and vegetables in the house. The worry, stress and anxiety that naturally come with a global pandemic can lead to stress eating and cravings. Here are a few strategies to help you eat right:
  • Distinguish true hunger from a craving: Stay on a scheduled eating pattern with planned meals every four to five hours
  • Time/distance technique: If you know you aren't hungry and have a craving distance yourself from the kitchen. Go for a walk, read, clean, watch tv, or call a friend.
  • Eat your craving mindfully: If ever distancing yourself you still have the craving, eat them. But, make sure to measure out a serving and enjoy each bite. 
  • Ambush cravings: If you find you have cravings at the same time each day plan a healthy snack that satisfies you. For instance, don't expect raw carrots to fill you up but add something like peanut butter, ranch or hummus.

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Due to COVID-19, our Grief Support Groups with New Hope Center are continuing to meet via conference calling. Please call their office at 248-348-0115 for more information about attending a group.

  • Support for Front-Line Workers, All Healthcare, Grocery workers, First Responders, etc.: Mondays at 12:00pm

  • Support for those who have Loss of Loved Ones due to the pandemic:  Wednesdays at 6:00pm

  • Support for All Losses- support for anyone who has suffered the death of a love one: Mondays at 12:00pm

  • Widows Group- support for women of all ages who have loss of their spouse: Tuesdays at 6pm

  • Parents of Hope, Northville- support for parents who have loss of a child: Wednesdays at 6:50pm 

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  • NEW Grief and COVID-19: Mourning Our Bygone Lives: The pandemic has led to a series of losses, from our sense of safety to our social connections to our financial security. Psychologists point to ways we can heal.

  • Beginning the Grief Journey Seminar: This FREE three-hour peer support seminar provides an understanding about the basics of the grief journey and is a great first step for those grieving the death of a loved one.
    Register at https://newhopecenter.net/program-registrations/  OR by calling 248-348-0115. 

  • It's Okay To Not Be Okay: It’s okay to not be okay. You are experiencing something that you have never experienced. There will be a lot of feelings that may surprise you. 

  • COVID-19 National Alliance for Grieving Children: Webinars that focus on many challenges as a result of the social distancing that is necessary in light of the global pandemic.

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7 steps to Get a Good Nights Sleep- During a Pandemic

  1. Give yourself an electronic curfew of 90 min prior to lights out: this means a MEDIA DIET before bed (you need time to relax and destress). Remove blue light by wearing blue light blocking glasses, it will help you wind down before bed and help your body produce melatonin on the proper schedule. 
  2. Consider meditation or progressive relaxation before bed or while falling asleep.
  3. Compile a gratitude list in your mind (while lying in bed, in the dark): Many people think stressful thoughts as they fall asleep (which makes sense it’s the first time all day you get to think by yourself), but that causes increases in our fight or flight hormones. Thinking less stressful or positive thoughts can help reduce stressful feelings and help with sleep (improves deep sleep and encourages more positive dreams).
  4. Keep your schedule consistent: the more consistent your wake-up time, the more consistent your overall body function. Avoid extra napping if you are home bound-it will only disrupt your nighttime sleep.
  5. Lower stimulants and depressants: caffeine and alcohol- if you are already stressed out, adding caffeine to the mix is NOT a great idea, it will only increase the unwanted side effects. Alcohol, while making you feel sleepy, does NOT allow for quality rest, which in turn will make you feel even more stressed if you have a hangover the next day. It also makes you less able to fight a virus.
  6. Take a Hot Shower or Bath 90 minutes before bed: wash off all those germs and increase your core body temperature. Your body temperature will decrease once you get out of the tub and help produce melatonin naturally.
  7. Make sure your environment is clean: If possible, use HEPA filtration for your bedroom air. Wash sheets 2x a week (in HOT water), try to do an overall deep cleaning of your bedroom, you will be spending a lot of time there!
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This breathing method helps you to focus on your breathe or muscles and help you take your mind off topic. If you’re a beginner trying these hacks out, these methods may take up to 2 minutes to work.

  1. Let your lips part slightly and make a whooshing sound as you exhale through your mouth.
  2. Then close your lips and inhale silently through your nose. Count to 4 in your head. Then hold your breath for 7 seconds.
  3. After, exhale (with a whoosh sound) for 8 seconds.
  4. Avoid being too alert at the end of each cycle. Try to practice it mindlessly.
  5. Complete this cycle for four full breaths. Let your body sleep if you feel relaxation coming on earlier than anticipated.
Source: Healthline

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There are many ways you can build a feeling of connection, even if you can’t see people in person or go places you usually would: 
  • Stay connected via phone, email, social media and video calls 
  • Ask for help when you need it 
  • If talking about COVID-19 is affecting your mental health, set boundaries with people about how much and when talk you about COVID-19. Balance this with other topics you’d usually discuss.
  • Do virtual activities together 
    • Plan virtual dinners and coffee breaks
    • Do at-home crafts and activities over a video call
    • Watch a virtual concert together 
    • Read the same book or watch the same movie/TV show and talk about it
    • Play online multi-player video games
    • Join an online exercise class
  • Here are ways to connect with your friends and family during this time:

More information from National Alliance on Mental Illiness

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  • Encompass Free On-Demand Webinars - Watch these on-demand webinars on subjects such as mindfulness, financial wellness and working from home to help you through this time

  • Navigating Nutrition During COVID - Watch NASM Master Instructor Rick Richey and NASM Nutrition Coach Mike Fantigrassi discuss the importance of nutrition during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

  • NEW Patient Advocate Foundation: Subject matter experts present timely information regarding the coronavirus pandemic in our weekly webinar series so you can stay abreast on current COVID-19 pandemic developments.

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Grocery Shipping in the Time of COVID-19

  • When you shop, please do not hoard. Shop for food thinking about what you need for the next week or, at most, two.

  • Buy fresh meats that you can eat over the next few days. If you have a good amount of freezer space, use it.

  • Buy protein sources that last when you do not have fresh meat. Cheese, eggs, canned and pouch tuna, and salmon are all great complete, high-quality proteins. Starchy beans when paired with rice also make a high-quality protein. Peanut butter is also a great protein that when paired with a grain (a peanut butter sandwich) is a complete, high-quality protein.

  • Some fresh vegetables and fruits last a lot longer than others. Grapes, apples, carrots and potatoes stay fresher longer than lettuce and berries.

  • Buy frozen and canned fruits and vegetables for when you run out of fresh. 
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​Michigan COVID-19 Resource Guide: This guide provides information on programs that can support Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The programs in this guide are supported by the state and federal government, private companies, and nonprofits. There are special sections at the end of this guide for programs serving Detroit residents and local resources for other areas of the state.  
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  • Stay Home, Stay MIndful: This special collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises below are designed to help you keep a strong and healthy mind in the midst of this global health crisis.
     
  • The Psychology of Spring Cleaning: If your current situation finds you with a few extra hours on your hands, set aside some time this month for a more thorough spring cleaning. Not only will you feel good about taking any steps you can to protect your family from illnesses, but spring cleaning is good for your physical health, mental health, and just might help you hit your fitness goals this season.

  • Gratitude: Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools in your personal toolkit. It lowers stress and alleviates a scarcity mindset, or one in which it feels like we never have enough. 

  • Stress and COVID-19: In the face of a challenging situation such as COVID-19, how can we be resilient? In other words, how can we make adjustments for the difficult conditions without putting our lives on hold? Here are a few suggestions for handling the stress from the current situation.

  • Your Loved One Has Lost Their Job. Now What?: We’re in the middle of a pandemic and a lot of people are losing their jobs. If someone you care about has lost their job, here are some tips to help them through this difficult time.

  • Choosing Happiness: Even in uncertain times in a world characterized by uncertainty, you can choose happiness. Because of the reality that we are in highly uncertain times, you owe it to yourself to try. Your challenge for today is to try. Choose happiness.

  • NEW 6 Calming Reminders to Ease Your Pandemic Stress: Let’s make one thing clear: At this moment, you are not just “working from home.” You are “at your home, during a crisis, trying to work.”

  • ​Quick Stress Relief: Learn how to use the power of your senses to relieve stress on the spot and stay calm, productive, and focused—no matter what life throws at you.
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  • NEW COVID-19 Physical Activities Resources: Johns Hopkins resource page provides physical activites to do during COVID-19.

  • YMCA On-Demand Bootcamp: Circuit-based classes are energetic, fun and allow you to tailor the workout intensity to your fitness and skill level.

  • The Best Stretches for Your Neck and Shoulder Tension: Whether it's typing on the computer or scrolling on a phone, we seem to spend most of our time with our shoulders rounded, head craned and back hunched. And if you've been feeling tightness in your neck and shoulders, your posture is probably the culprit.

  • Stretching Workout to Reinvigorate Tired and Stiff Muscles: This at-home stretching routine, created by Autumn Calabrese, NASM- and ACE-certified personal trainer, will help you release your muscles in just 10 minutes. Or if you really want to take your full-body stretching to the next level, go through these stretches twice.

  • 13 Free Online Workouts To Try When You are Stuck at Home: Here’s a list of 13 free online workouts you can access via a smartphone app, YouTube, or live streams on social media — specifically leaving off workouts that require equipment, cost money, or have brief free trials.

  • Free Walking Challenges Around the World: You can still explore the world while you walk at home. These free walking challenges are places all over the world. Push yourself to get some steps in!

  • Jefit: A free app with a 1300+ Exercise Library. Create a workout plan, track your progress and analysize your data to help yourself improve!

  • PopSugar: Free workouts from dance cardio to HITT to strength training
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