Mental Wellness in the Workplace

Are you feeling stressed?

Stress is a body response to a stressor, and there are numerous stressors in our work and home lives on a daily basis. Stressors are dependent on the person and can manifest in a multitude of ways. Cleveland Clinic offers great resources to recognize and identify the signs and symptoms of stress for prevention and management.

Stress reduction techniques can be useful to prevent and manage stress. The Cleveland Clinic offers 10 ways to ease stress, and if you’re looking for instant gratification, Queensland Health has 5 ways to reduce stress now.

If you’re interested in additional stress reduction techniques, attend a free Stress Busters class led by the Center for Spirituality and Healing through the University of Minnesota every Monday!

If you can’t attend, the recordings from past sessions are available below:

• Qigong
• Chair Yoga
• Breath and Body Meditation
• Standing Mindful Movement
• A Guided Meditation

Working remotely best practices

As we continue to work remotely, we want to remind everyone to be mindful of each other and the amount of time we spend in meetings, checking emails or messages, and responding to notifications. Since most of us are no longer in the office, it is all too easy for our work lives to blur into our personal life boundaries. It is important to practice good etiquette while working remotely, not only for our own well-being but also for our co-workers’ well-being. Here are some tips and best practices to keep in mind regarding remote work:

• Schedule shorter meetings that allow for breaks in between the next meeting.
• Limit meetings to certain days of the week to cut down on excess meetings.
• Check calendars before scheduling a meeting to make sure someone isn't double-booked. If they are already scheduled in another meeting, ask permission first.
• Send an email regarding project updates or next steps instead of holding a meeting when appropriate.
• Use the “Do not Disturb” function on Google chat or set a custom status on Slack.
• Block off time on your calendar to focus on your other work.
• Reduce notifications by checking email, Slack, etc. only at certain times.
• Log off for lunch and take regular breaks.

Update from Sue

Many of you might be feeling some uneasiness with the beginning of the legal proceedings of Derek Chauvin who has been charged in the death of George Floyd. There may be impacts on your personal life as well as your work. I am concerned about everyone’s well-being, so please reach out to your director, supervisor, or me with any questions or concerns. We will assist as best we can.

We, the directors, continue to try to get answers or information on all the various questions being asked around campus. I believe as we finish up spring and head into fall, things will loosen up and start to move to our new “normal.” We continue to talk about what that might look like and hope the University provides direction in the near future. Thank you for continuing on the path to keep student success moving forward.

ASR Staff Engagement March 11th Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 3/11/2021 explores how we pursue professional development, such as attending webinars and informal learning opportunities. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

The results of the last survey revealed that most are planning to take at least 1 to 2 days off this spring with many planning to take an extended break. Regarding any hesitancy to use PTO while working from home, survey responses indicated that most are continuing to use PTO as needed, while a little less than half would rather save their vacation time for now.

Concerning university guidelines, this question was tricky as guidelines can vary by employee group. We’ve discussed this question more on the N&N blog. Finally, we had lots of fun responses about non-winter outdoor activities that others are looking forward to, such as biking, camping, going for walks, being on the water, and just being outside in general.

Hope you all enjoy your time off if you plan to do so! Make sure to check out the specific results from the last survey and some additional information below.

February 25, 2021 survey results

Do you plan to use paid-time off this Spring?

• 28.6% Yes, I plan to take an extended break (3 days or more)
• 65.7% Yes, I will take 1-2 days off here and there
• 5.7% No, I don’t have any plans to use PTO

Check out “How to Staycation on Any Budget During a Pandemic” from Everyday Health to learn about ‘staycation’ ideas on any budget.

Have you been hesitant to use PTO during the pandemic?

• 39.4% Yes, I’d rather save vacation time for now
• 60.6% No, I’m continuing to use it as needed

This CNBC article, “The year is over and workers left almost all of their vacation days on the table” from late last year discusses more survey results on vacation use during the pandemic and issues with potentially forfeiting PTO.

What (non-winter) outdoor activities are you looking forward to?

• Bonfire with friends
• Golfing and boating
• Paddle boarding
• Swimming
• Biking! Camping!
• Going to the lake!
• Gardening!
• Kayaking!

The Stay Safe MN site provides guidelines for how to stay safe during outdoor activities.

Concerning the university guidelines on PTO, please check the governance document for your employee group and administrative policies for leaves at the Vacations and Leaves Human Resources page. Sincere apologies for any confusion caused by this survey question. Policies can vary by employee group, and it is important to know which specific policies apply to you.

Mental Wellness in the Workplace

Rest is more than just sleeping

There are many things in our daily lives that can impact sleep quality, and exhaustion may stem from more than not getting physical rest. In her article, “The 7 Types of Rest that Every Person Needs,” Dr. Dalton-Smith, M.D. explores the different types of rest we need to feel restored. You can watch her TED Talk as well.

The University of Minnesota Wellbeing Program also has “journeys” in the Virgin Pulse app. dedicated to sleeping well. It includes tips and resources for better sleep as well as opportunities to track sleeping patterns. It’s a great way to take advantage of resources as well as earn points for the program.

Comic by Hannah Hillam

One year later

We are approaching many milestones tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been nearly one year since many of us began working remotely. Early on in the pandemic, the mental wellness in the workplace group partnered with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to discuss EAP resources and the impacts of cumulative stress. One year later, it feels appropriate to revisit the Navigating Cumulative Stress presentation and its resources. Throughout this year, we have been challenged, we have been stressed, we have taken hold of moments of resilience, and we have grown.

Performance appraisals

As a reminder, your performance appraisal is due to your supervisor by Friday, February 26, 2021. This year the form is available online through Jadu, and self-evaluations will cover the 2020 calendar year. If you have specific questions about the time frame or your goals from last year, talk with your supervisor. The timeline for the performance appraisal is below:

Timeline:

• Friday, February 26 - Employees submit their form in Jadu.
• Friday, March 12 - Supervisors submit completed forms in Jadu.
• Sunday, March 28 - Directors complete review on all appraisals for their unit.
• Friday, April 2 - Directors complete review for consistency across ASR.
• April 5-30 - Supervisors and employees meet to review the appraisal.

Note for supervisors: Only review one appraisal at a time. If you try to open multiple at once, Jadu will default back to the first one.

Update from Sue

I was procrastinating, which I do well, and took 30 minutes to watch “This Free North: Black History at the University of Minnesota.” It was fantastic and so well done. Wow! I recommend that you take some time to watch this documentary as I have worked with many of these faculty over the years and have great respect for them. It was well done and put some of the 1960 Morrill Hall takeovers into perspective. It is important for you to take time to learn about something that you enjoy or want to be informed about.

The Provost is trying to get us answers for fall scheduling as she realizes students need as much accurate information as possible. It will be challenging to predict with the rollout of vaccines and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) comfort level, so we need to be flexible again throughout this summer. I can’t tell all of you how appreciative I am with your commitment to our students, faculty, and staff.