04.01.20 Mental Health Wellness Update

While we all are telecommuting, OSFA will be sharing some ideas to boost your mental health during these difficult times. If you know of any videos, podcasts, articles, events, ideas, etc. that would be perfect to include in these emails, please send them along to Erica Tisdale at erica.tisdale@wisc.edu.   One Way to Improve Your Day: Try your best to separate work from home. You can do this by establishing a specific work space, setting a definitive work schedule, and being conscious of when you switch from work to home. Consider developing a ritual that helps your switch as you start and stop work. You could take a long, deep breath, say a mantra aloud, or bring gratitude journaling into the mix and focus on one positive from the workday. Studies show that creating such a ritual can cut back on compassion fatigue as well as work-related stress and anxiety. Campus/Community Resource: Healthy Minds Program – https://tryhealthyminds.org/. This app is affiliated with the Center for Healthy Minds at UW–Madison. The app is now FREE to anyone in light of the COVID-19 crisis thanks to donor support and is backed by decades of science at UW. Cute Video of the Week: Kindness 101 with On the Road with Steve Hartman (Empathy) – https://www.facebook.com/CBSEveningNews/videos/1598146980337613/. Steve Hartman is doing a half hour video daily for kids on Kindness. Each video is pretty heart-warming and cute. Something to explore if you enjoy this one. Podcast of the Week: How to Stay Connected When Distanced a Tiny Leaps, Big Changes Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/517-how-to-stay-connected-when-distanced/id1071032154?i=1000468816372. These are short podcasts, usually less than 15 minutes. If you enjoy this one, there are many other relevant Tiny Leaps, Big Changes podcasts to explore.