December 2019 Volume 2, Issue 12

HOLIDAY STRESS & DEPRESSION

Many look forward to the holiday events, cookie exchanges, gift wrapping, and decorat-

ing. However, there are those who actually don’t and that can actually take a toll on

them. Also, those with limited means can find themselves questioning their self worth

due to not being able to participate.

Holiday-related stress and depression can cause some of the following issues:

Headaches

Excessive alcohol consumption

Overeating

Insomnia

To help with these issues, consider some of the following suggestions:

Do not feel as though you MUST meet all family obligations.

Ask others for assistance in hosting gatherings, purchasing presents, etc.

Make a list of priorities that you must accomplish and put them in chronological order so you do not become too overwhelmed.

Do not compare today’s moments with yesterday’s memories.

Consider volunteering to help others, especially if you are feeling lonely.

Stay active and continue to exercise and eat healthy.

Take “me” time.

Stay active and continue to exercise and eat healthy.

DO NOT OVERSPEND by keeping tabs on your holiday budget and stick to it.

It’s easy to be carried in the holiday whirlwind and not pay attention to how its affecting

us. However, during the holidays this year, make sure you step back and assess what you

can and cannot do and handle. And don’t feel low about it either.

Reference:

M3 Insurance Newsletter. November 2019.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Five Myths About Holiday Health ..................................... 2

The Pressure of New Year Resolutions .............................. 2

Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites .... 3

The Aromatic Antioxidant Powerhouse ............................. 3

Holiday Tortellini Soup ........... 3

Lights, Candles & Safety .......... 4

Brain Games ............................ 5

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

Last Month’s Winners Dawn Enger Lara Schulter Teresa Saugstad Nik Leese Valerie Hoodjer Jack Robertson

Sleep App Winner Amy Piaget

Medicare Seminar January 25, 2020 2865 N Sherman Ave Madison WI 608-261-9930 Must Register by: 1/15/20

Highway to Well & Safety

Sponsored by: Wellness Committee

Sometimes I pretend to be normal. But, it gets boring. So I go back to being me.

So, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the talk about certain myths through out the holidays. Many have

been around for a while. So, Kate Rockwood for Prevention Magazine talks about these 5 myths.

Myth #1—Most people gain seven to ten pounds over the holidays. It actually ends up

being more like one pound. A reason why you are feeling weighed down is because of the

high-sodium foods at the holiday feast. Those foods tend to promote water retention. The sugges-

tions is eat more green beans and easy up on the sweet treats. I can see some of you saying no to

this. I am.

Myth #2—Suicides spike at this time of year. The truth is that suicide rates are the

lowest in December, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The time when suicide

is more common is in the spring (March & April). Nonetheless, if you or someone you know is in

need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline which is staffed 24/7 year-round.

(800-273-8255)

Myth #3—Poinsettias are poisonous. This w as debunked decades ago. Go ahead and

eat 500 or more of the leaves, you’ll be fine. Okay, but really, if someone (like a toddler) happens to

ingest them, give them water or something to drink to eliminate the taste. This also doesn’t mean

you should just go ahead and start eating poinsettias.

Myth #4—Turkey puts you in a food coma. Though turkey does contain am ino acid

tryptophan which transforms into the sleep inducing hormone melatonin, turkey is not the reason

you want to crash after the big holiday meal. Alcohol, ginormous helpings of high-carb, high-fat,

and high-sugar foods, is the reason why you’re feeling drowsy.

Myth #5—You should save your appetite for the big family feast. It’s not a good idea to

sit down when you’re starving. You may end up being less mindful while eating. “The hunger hor-

mone,” impairs decision making.

Reference:

Rockwood, Kate. “5 Myths About Holiday Health.” Prevention Magazine, December Issues. Pages 58-

61.

THE PRESSURE OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

5 MYTHS ABOUT HOLIDAY HEALTH

The new year can bring forth many

types of emotions. An individual may

be excited and happy that the new year

is around the corner. Another individu-

al may be dreading it. There is a pletho-

ra of reasons why someone may feel

one way or another. One of those rea-

sons may be new year’s resolutions.

There’s a pressure that comes with resolutions. Expectations that

sometimes people can’t reach, creating disillusion and a sense of

failure. Especially, in people who have mental illness.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to change things within your

life. In fact, change can be a motivation and positive. However, reso-

lutions need to be realistic to work. An inch-by-inch approach could

be helpful.

A few things to keep in mind are:

1. You don’t need a new year nor a resolution to change your life.

You only need a thought.

2. You must ask yourself what is really motivating you. Is this

something you want deep down or is there something else?

3. You need to know if you’re willing to put in the time. Change

takes time.

There are many ways you can help yourself to stay on track, but it’s

very important to really think about how you can handle the change,

the failure, and the struggle that tend to come with resolutions. If

you are someone who struggles with mental illness, be prepared.

Your health is important, so always be prepared.

Reference:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-support/201812/

the-problem-new-years-resolutions-what-do-instead

https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2011/12/

new-years-resolution-pressure-bad-for-mental-illness-video

***in an upcoming issue, we will be discussing the difference be-

tween mental health and mental illness***

SPECIAL PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT

This month, aside from the Brain

Games prizes, we will be doing a

separate prize. To enter, all you

have to do is email employee-

relations@countyofdane.com and

indicate which prize package you

want to be entered to. That’s it!

Swing Prize

Chipping net

Sleeve of Titleist golf balls

Tees

Stretch Prize

Yoga mat

Strap

Block

Eco Prize

Black lunch box

Reusable zip lock bags

Reusable straw

Meditative Prize

Relax Meditation CD

Aromatherapy Diffuser

4 Essential Oils

Good luck and I hope the holidays

are going well for you.

2

HOLIDAY TORTELLINI SOUP FROM: TASTE OF HOME

Ingredients:

1 plain cheesecake (homemade or store-bought)

1 1/2 cup whipped cream or cool whip

12 strawberries, tops sliced off

Directions:

1. Using a round biscuit cutter, punch holes out of cheesecake. Depending on the size of cheesecake you should be able to get 8 to 12 cheesecake bites.)

2. Transfer whipped cream or Cook whip to a piping bag and pie a layer on top of the cheese-cake.

3. Top with strawberry, sliced side down.

4. Pipe a dot on top of strawberry and serve.

THE AROMATIC ANTIOXIDANT POWERHOUSE

Cinnamon has some wonderful

properties that can help with

soothing and energizing. And even

better, it can help with immunity.

Here are some ways it can help:

Stop the sniffles—If you

feel a cold coming on, make

yourself a cup of antiviral

and anti-inflammatory tea.

One cup of honey in a jar and

place in a double boiler over

low heat for 15 minutes. Stir

in 3 tbsp. powdered cinna-

mon and 1 tsp. allspice. Re-

move jar from double boiler

and let cool. Finally, mix in 1

tbsp. of this mixture into a

cup of hot water and drink it

once it’s cooled down.

Boost your digestion—

here’s a nice mixture to

sprinkle onto your toast,

cereal, yogurt and fruit.

Mix 3 tbsp. powdered flax-

seeds, 2 tbsp. powdered

cinnamon, 1 tsp. powdered

ginger, and 1/2 tsp. pow-

dered cardamom.

Take the chill off— A nice

foot soak can help with that.

Put 4 quarts of water in to

large pot and add 1/2 cup of

orange peel. 2 tbsp. cinna-

mon stick pieces and 2 tbsp..

Sliced fresh ginger. Bring to

a boil, turn off heat, and let

infuse for an hour. Reheat to

a comfortable temperature.

Pour into a basin and soak

feet for at least 10 minutes.

Reference: Prevention Maga-

zine, December 2019 Issue, Page

23.

3

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 oz. pancetta or bacon, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (49.5 oz.) chicken broth

9 oz. cheese tortellini

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes in puree

8 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta. Cook until crisp. Add chopped onions; cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Add cooked tortellini to soup mixture. Stir in crushed tomatoes; simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add spinach; cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

SANTA HAT CHEESECAKE BITES FROM: DELISH

Ingredients:

16 ounces pomegranate juice

32 ounces cranberry juice cocktail

32 ounces sprite

24 ounces pineapple juice

24 ounces ginger ale

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients. It is best if they have all been kept cold.

2. Add fresh cranberries and fresh orange slices.

*** If you wish to make it alcoholic, add 16 oz. of vodka and use 16 oz. of pomegranate liqueur instead of the juice***

HOLIDAY PUNCH FROM: WIND AND GLUE

Dane County Directory

AMERICANS W/ DISABILITIES:

Richard Johnson 608-267-1520

ANTHEM VISION CUSTOMER CARE:

1-844-226-2849

BUS PASSES & RIDESHARE:

608-266-7433

DEAN CUSTOMER CARE CENTER:

800-279-1301

DEFERRED COMPENSATION:

608-241-6605

DELTA DENTAL CUSTOMER SERVICE:

1-800-236-3712

DIRECT DEPOSIT:

Lea Kuqo 608-283-1230

EMPLOYEE ASSITANCE PROGRAM:

608-280-2644

ETF/WI RETIREMENT SYSTEM:

608-266-3285 / 608-266-3286

FLEX SPENDING:

Cathy Lippart 608-266-4116

FMLA/LOA:

Deb Henke 608-266-9025

HEALTH, DENTAL, RETIREMENT:

Carol Cady-Severson 608-266-4081

PUBLIC SRVC LOAN FORGIVENESS:

Cathy Lippart 608-266-4794

RECLASSIFICATION/REALLOCATION:

Alex Hauri 608-266-4794

WELLNESS:

Katelyn Thurs 608-266-4649

WORKER’S COMPENSATION:

Scott Teuscher 608-267-155

Dane County Employee Relations 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Room 418

Madison WI 53704

Phone: 608-266-4125 Fax: 608-266-4409

E-mail: employee-relations@countyofdane.com

MERRY & BRIGHT SAFETY

By now many people have already set up their trees, maybe put pre-

sents under there, or decorated outside.

Though all of this is great and in the cheerful spirit, it’s important to

keep in mind that all of this must be monitored regularly and carefully.

All it takes is a spark and much unfortunate damage may occur

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Inspect all holiday light strings and discard any with frayed cords,

cracked lamp holders, or lose connections.

2. When replacing light bulbs, make sure you unplug and be sure

you’re matching the voltage and wattage of the original bulb.

3. Turn off all holiday lights when you leave the house or when going

to bed.

4. Purchasing a freshly cut tree is better since it is more resistant to

ignition.

5. Keep your Christmas/holiday tree watered and away from open

candles.

6. Use an outdoor timer certified by CSA International to switch

lights on and off.

7. When purchasing light strings, cords, electrical decorations, look

for the accredited certification: CSA International, UL, ELT.

8. Do no connect more than one extension cord together.

9. When outdoor light hanging, keep electrical connectors off the

ground and away from metal rain gutters.

10. Choose the correct ladder for your light stringing job.

11. Do not use a gas fireplace if the glass panel is compromised.

12. Test your smoke alarms on a monthly basis.

13. Have your furnace and venting system cleaned or replaced fre-

quently.

14. Clean up any and all clutter. This can be very hazardous.

Reference:

https://www.parents.com/holiday/christmas/safety/12-tips-for-

holiday-home-safety/

Danum—Infuser bottler (fuchsia or aqua)

Kemier—Collapsible Water bottle

Wireless headphones

Strong by Zumba DVD

Relax: Guided Meditation to Ease Stress & Anxiety CD

30 Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook

30 Minute Vegetarian Cookbook

Instant Pot Cookbook for Beginners

Aosbos—Black Lunch bag

Banlana Diamond Kit

Follow Your Heart 500 pc puzzle

Round Horoscope 500 pc puzzle

Animetrics—Color by Sticker Challenge

Coloring & puzzle book + color-ing pencils

NAME: ______________________________ JOB LOCATION: __________________________

BRAIN GAMES

PUZZLE #1:

5

Please circle the prize of your choice. It helps to chose more than one prize. Please submit to Employee Relations Room 418 or employee-relations@countyofdane.com by December 23, 2019 by 10:00 a.m.

Place letters into the grid

such that every row, column,

and 2x2 block has letters (in

any order) that form a com-

mon word.

Each letter is only used once,

and no letter is repeated in

the rows/cols/blocks.

Letters allowed:

W A R M T H

PUZZLE #2:

Last Month’s Answers:

Puzzle #1:

Puzzle #2: