NO RESOLUTIONS. Just Real Life
No 2024 resolutions? No judgement! In fact, it’s better to focus on realistic ways that you can make your life better overall, than to make difficult-to-keep, extravagant annual goals.
For example, how would you like to strengthen your mental wellness? Here are some steps you could take to be better prepared to face life’s challenges.
- Reevaluate and reaffirm your values (aka your life’s compass).
- Learn to like yourself more and stop comparing yourself to others.
- Develop a positive outlook, even when things are bleak.
- Instead of letting stress manage you, learn to manage stress.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided through Uprise Health, is more than free counseling. It’s an in-depth resource that can help you achieve all of these goals.
- Take advantage of the Uprise Health app to help reduce stress and stay mentally strong. Schedule a daily, bite-sized reminder (on your phone or desktop), to develop resilience, learn to manage stress, and keep your mind sharp.
- The Uprise Health Resource Hub is a go-to for all kinds of information about living a well-balanced life. For example, check out the 20-minute (watch anytime) Webinars. Or delve into Work/Life Support resources or find tools for Seasonal Specific challenges (like setting goals for the New Year). The resources you’ll find here help you focus on positive outcomes through clinically validated methods and online tools.
Click here for details about the EAP, including how to access these resources (and many more!) on your phone, tablet, or desktop.
Resources:
- SD-1 Library: Three Tips to Develop Resilience
- Kaiser Permanente: Building Resilience
- Providence: Wellness Starts with Knowledge
ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE…and Life to Your Years
Five simple habits can add more than a decade to your life and help prevent chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. And it’s no surprise what they are: Eat a healthy diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain a healthy weight. Limit alcohol. Don’t start smoking (and if you do smoke, quit).
Developing healthy habits isn’t easy…but it is worthwhile. Here are some proven strategies that can help boost your ability to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle.
- Plan. Identify SMART goals to focus your efforts. Then set yourself up for success; for example, schedule time to exercise, or have all the ingredients for a healthy salad in your fridge.
- Change your surroundings. Find ways to make healthier choices easy choices. Remove temptations, like junk food in the cupboard, or cigarettes in the car.
- Get support. A health coach (see below) can help be accountable to your goals. If you want to quit tobacco, sign up for a quit smoking program to improve your chances of success.
- Keep track. Use an app to track your activity or journal your food choices. Tracking helps you stay focused and resolve challenges that derail your efforts.
- Reward yourself. Give yourself a healthy reward when you’ve achieved a small goal or milestone, like a massage or personal time. Your Health Plan can help you reach your healthy lifestyle goals. Click below to learn more.
Resources:
- SD-1 Library: Your Health Plan Helps You Reach Healthy Goals
- SD-1 Library: Whole Body Wellness
- Kaiser Permanente: Health Coaching
- Providence: Health Coaching
BENEFIT BASICS: Get Up to Speed on the Fundamentals
When you know the lingo, you have the knowledge to make the most of your benefits and get the services and care you need for the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
Watch our short videos to help you navigate your way through the fundamentals of health care.
- What’s an “In-Network Provider?” You always save when you choose doctors, clinics, hospitals, and labs in your network.
- What's the “Deductible?” Did you know this starts over on the first day of the Plan Year? Find out when you need to pay it … and when you don’t.
- What's the “Out-of-Pocket Maximum?” When you reach it, your Plan pays 100% of covered services.
- What’s “Preauthorization?” Your Health Plan requires preapproval for certain services and medications.
- What’s “Balance Billing?” Learn five ways to prevent surprise medical bills