Phone: 866-327-9133 | Web: www.state.nj.us/csc | Email: EAS_help@csc.nj.gov

EMPLOYEE ADVISORY SERVICE NEWSLETTERWelcome to the NJ Civil Service Commission’s Employee Advisory Service (EAS) Newsletter! EAS is committed to improving the quality of life for all New Jersey Civil Service employees by encouraging a good work-life balance. The EAS Employee Newsletter contains useful articles and information for managing various well-being and work-life issues in order to create a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace.

Managing the Stress of the Holidays

The holidays are a joyous time for many, but can come with additional activities and responsibilities that can be quite

stressful.

This practical presentation will provide several helpful tips and strategies for managing our stress and keeping our lives

in balance during this important season.

When: Friday, December 18th Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET

EAS wants t o hear from you!

Complete a one question survey to share challenges impacting your work-life balance

while working remotely.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EASemployeesurvey620

December2020

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1) Identify your core values. Make a list of your core values—such as vitality, health, honesty, compassion, security—to get a sense of what is really important to you. If you focus on the things that really matter to you, you’ll be morelikely to stick with the program.

2) Set your priorities. Select 3 or 4 of those values to target. Base your decision on values that you know would make youhappier and improve your quality of life. Then look at what you are doing or not doing that is keeping that valuefrom manifesting in your life. If vitality is one of your priorities, determine why it is lacking in your life.

3) Establish specific, measurable goals. After you determine the changes you want to make, set specific, measurablegoals to track your progress. One of the reasons that many people fail with resolutions is that their goals are too vague.Examples of vague goals include making the commitment to exercise more or eat better. For example, if adding morefruits and vegetables to your diet is your goal, determine how many daily servings to add by a specific date.

4) Be realistic. If you’ve never been to a gym and promise to start working out daily, you’ll likely quit within amonth. The best health and wellness programs teach people to gradually reduce their unhealthy habits so that theycan learn behaviors that will last. Go for ridiculously easy, and you’ll achieve your goal every time.

5) Be creative. Who says resolutions have to be about weight loss or exercise? Getting plenty of sleep can also promotebetter health and vitality. Or walk around the office if you sit all day. Pledge to stand up once an hour or when you takea phone call.

6) Chill out more. Stress is the enemy to feeling better and being more productive. Stress management programs canprovide the tips and support to manage those life situations that may anger, sadden, or worry you and help to keepyou on goal.

7) Do something for someone else. Employees who are active and engaged in helping others in their community areoften more productive and healthier than those who do not. If your company supports a special cause, or if you haveone important to you, make the effort to spend a few hours a month volunteering or helping in some way.

Health-e headlines ™

7 Tips to Make Those New Year’s Resolutions StickAs the year comes to an end, many of us are looking forward to the start of a new year and along with it, setting New Year’s

resolutions. Below are a few tips to guide you in setting your resolutions and sticking to them throughout the year.

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Getting OrganizedHow many hours have you wasted looking for something you had previously misplaced, misfiled, or put down without thinking? How many times have you begun an especially busy day wondering what to do first? You can save hours a month, perhaps hours every week, just by taking a few basic steps to organize your life.

Organizing your possessions and your activities relieves you of the mind-numbing task of trying to remember where to find things—and you’ll know what to do next. This simple effort will free up a lot of brainpower you can use to think, enjoy, speculate, and just have fun.

You have two realms to organize: your activities and your things.

3 ways you can organize your activities:

1) Create to-do lists, grouping your day’s activities by the priority you assign to them. Do the things that you identifyas most important first.

2) If you have a complex errand or activity, make a detailed checklist of the things you need to do. A grocery list is aprime example. If you’re making a run to the shopping district, don’t forget to note the dry-cleaning receipt, thelibrary book that needs to be renewed, and that you need kitty litter. At work, jot down the main points you needto cover at a specific meeting.

3) Create “tickler” files to remind you of things you have to check on or need to do something about in thefuture, including birthdays, anniversaries, and follow-ups.

Before you put these ideas into practice, it’s a good idea to take a step back and consider the activities that you feel you must do. Is there a way to whittle down your to-do list? Especially if you feel overloaded, eliminate chores and obligations that aren’t important, given your overall values and goals.

3 ways you can organize your things:

1) One of the most useful places you’ll discover when organizing things is a special place called “The Trash.” Use itoften.

2) Make places for things, even if they’re only piles in the corner. Use labels to keep track of what should be where.

3) Never put something down until and unless you can put it where it “belongs.” It’s a new discipline, to be sure, but it’sthe single most important difference between a life of reasonable organization and chaos. Devote an hour per day atfirst (later this will require much less time) to putting things where they belong. That’s right. Become your ownmom. It’s worth it.

Key TipsTip 1 : Put certain things where they’ll fall into your hands when you need them. Don’t leave your keys on the bedroom dresser. They’re easy to forget, and you might lock yourself out of your house. Instead, as soon as you let yourself in, put your keys right back in your pocket or handbag, which is where you can always look every time you need them. Similarly, keep your grocery list handy in the kitchen, where you can add a new item the very second you recognize the need for it.

Tip 2: Continually refine your filing methods. If you discover that you can’t find a recipe because you filed it under “Delia Smith” rather than “leg of lamb,” revise your system to eliminate this problem. Perhaps you’ll want to make a copy and file the recipe in both places, or perhaps you’ll recognize that you think of recipes in terms of main ingredients, not the author.

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Tip 4Create and use a tickler file that will remind you to follow up on important but unscheduled matters.

Tip 5Make a list before you go shopping. That way you won’t find out that you didn’t get vacuum-cleaner bags when you’re back from the shop preparing to vacuum.

SpecificsOrganizing Activities: Daily To-Do ListIn addition to the above-mentioned tickler file, use a daily to-do list. This is a complete list of everything you have to do today. Divide the list of activities into four categories: things you must do, things you’d like to do, things you might do, and things you’re thinking about but not ready to do. As you accomplish the “must-do” activities, adjust the priority of the remaining activities on your list: Don’t forget checklists, which are more detailed than your to-do list, to remind you what to accomplish on a

specific errand, trip to the store, telephone call, or meeting.

Because to-do lists change so much, it can be helpful to use an app on your smartphone or other electronic tool. Indexcards, which can be color-coded and shuffled by priority, also work well.

Do only what’s on your list. If you find yourself wanting to do something not on your list, put it on your list. Thisway you’ll be organizing yourself more as you go.

As soon as you’ve completed a task, cross it off your list, or tear up the card on which it’s written. Thesatisfaction you’ll get is immense—more than enough to help keep you organized despite all the pressures tobackslide into disorganization.

Organizing Things

Once you have enough extra places—like filing cabinets, bookshelves, and storage boxes—to put things, you’ll want to arrange the things you put there to make finding them again somewhat easier.

If you have extra cash and the time, get some nifty containers for some of the things you want to be able to find again. You’ll be surprised how much more stuff per square unit of horizontal space you can pile into an appropriately sized box than onto a bare shelf or floor. To provide even more storage space, put up extra shelves near the ceiling, place boxes under the bed, add hooks to your fitted wardrobe walls, and add new bookshelves or furniture with cabinets.

You can organize things conventionally, putting them in alphabetical or chronological order, or even size order. Under this strategy, albums go alphabetically by title or artist, and Dr. Gaskill the dentist gets listed under G.

You can organize things more personally, according to how you naturally think of them. Under this strategy, you’ll group albums by type of music, or perhaps by the year they were recorded, and Dr. Gaskill the dentist might get listed under D for Dentist or M for Medical. Because it reflects your natural way of thinking, using this second strategy is far more pleasing—but be careful. If your mind tends to be a little scattered, you might never think of Dr. Gaskill twice the same way, and after you’ve organized it you’ll have a very hard time finding his business card again.

Source: Workplace Options. (Reviewed 2019). Getting organized. Raleigh, NC: Author.

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Q. If I am at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 or the flu, where is the safest place for me to get a flu vaccine?

You can safely get a flu vaccine at multiple locations including your doctor’s office, health departments, and pharmacies. You can use VaccineFinder.org to find where flu vaccines are available near you. When going to get a flu vaccine, be sure to practice everyday preventive actions.

Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or health department if they are following CDC’s vaccination pandemic guidance. Any vaccination location following CDC’s guidance should be a safe place for you to get a flu vaccine.

Vaccination of people at high risk for flu complications is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness. Many people at higher risk from flu also seem to be at higher risk from COVID-19. If you are at high risk, it is especially important for you to get a flu vaccine this year.

Q. Are there special precautions my doctor, pharmacist, or health department should take this flu season to make sure fluvaccines can be given safely during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes. CDC has resources to help with vaccine planning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or health department if they are following CDC’s vaccination pandemic guidance. And protect yourself by practicing everyday preventive actions.

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Retrieved November 18, 2020 from, https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm

Getting a Flu Vaccine during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Q. If COVID-19 is spreading in my community, should I still go out to get a flu vaccine?

Yes. Getting a flu vaccine is an essential part of protecting your health and your family’s health this season. To protect your health when getting a flu vaccine, follow CDC’s recommendations for running essential errands and doctor visits. Continue to take everyday preventive actions.

Q. How can I safely get a flu vaccine if COVID-19 is spreading in my community?

When going to get a flu vaccine, practice everyday preventive actions and follow CDC recommendations for running essential errands.

Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or health department if they are following CDC’s vaccination pandemic guidance. Any vaccination location following CDC’s guidance should be a safe place for you to get a flu vaccine.

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Lighter Cranberry Bliss BarIf you look forward to the Cranberry Bliss Bar each winter season at Starbucks, you will love this lighter, more whole grain version that you can make any time of the year.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour1/4 cup unbleached white flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/3 cup no trans fat margarine with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon 1 cup dark brown sugar, pack

1 large egg, high omega-3 if available 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract 1/3 cup dried cranberries1/4 to 1/3 cup white chocolate chips 1/3 cup vanilla or cream cheese frosting ed(optional)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 9-inch nonstick square cake pan with canola cooking spray.

Add whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, baking powder and baking soda to a 2- or 4-cup measure and whisk together well; set aside.

Melt the margarine in a small, nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and continue to cook for exactly one minute. Remove from heat; pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for five minutes or so. Add egg and vanilla into mixing bowl with brown sugar mixture and beat on medium-low speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, just until blended. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bars are done to your liking (don’t over bake if you like them on the chewy side). Let cool about 10 minutes. [Spread 1/3 cup of store-bought or homemade vanilla or cream cheese frosting over the top, if desired, then cut into 16 squares or triangles.]

Makes 16 servings. Per serving: 134 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 3.9 g fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 64 mg sodium. [The Starbucks version has 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 8 grams of saturated fat per serving.]

Used with permission from the Recipe Doctor, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, www.recipedoctor.com. Health-e headlines ™

Tips for Celebrating The Holidays During The COVID-19 Pandemic

• Limit in-person gatherings to people from your immediate household.

• Include other family members and friends by phone or video.

• Select key elements of your holiday traditions, and modify them to be safe during the pandemic:

- Prepare traditional family recipes for family and friends who live nearby, and deliver them in a way that doesnot involve contact.

- Make holiday cookies early, and mail them to people who won’t be with you in person.- Share recipes ahead of time so virtual participants can prepare some of the same food at holiday meals.- Watch a holiday movie together using Netflix Party (https://www.netflixparty.com) or another application.- Have a virtual cookie-decorating party.- Share pictures of your holiday decorations and activities.- Think of new holiday traditions this year to make your celebrations meaningful and fun even if you can’t all

be together.

Source: Morgan, H. (2020, September). Celebrating holidays during the COVID-19 pandemic (C. Gregg-Meeker, Ed.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options.