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October 2022Financial Health FAQCheck in with your financial know-how and get answers to frequently asked questions about credit, budgeting, and saving for your future. |
| Attending to Aging Loved Ones
While we understand that aging is an inevitable aspect of life, how it will affect our older loved ones and what it will entail for us is difficult to know. We tend to think of aging in terms of the distant future when considering the prospect of becoming a caregiver. Unfortunately, though, getting older doesn’t just happen in one day and caregiving often sneaks up slowly over time. |
Being There
When someone we love or care about is struggling, going through a hard time, or grieving in some way, wanting to help and comfort them is a natural response. What isn’t always natural, however, is knowing what it means to truly be there for someone. Our intentions are in the right place but supporting someone is sometimes more difficult to navigate than expected. Before rushing in to help, learn how to offer support in a compassionate way and discover the value of companionship. |
Caregiving: Your Shared Journey
Tending to the needs of someone you love can be a rewarding experience. There can be a flipside to that experience, however, when constantly focusing on another’s needs comes at the expense of your own well-being. Make caregiving less taxing and discover ways to take care of them and yourself while enjoying your time together. |
| The Challenges of Change: Returning to Work Amid a Pandemic
Workplace transitions are never easy. Add a pandemic to the mix, and things can get complicated. Learn how to manage stress and anxiety and cope with change as you prepare to head back to the office. |
The Finance Fight
Some say it isn’t polite to discuss money, yet it’s one of the most friction-inducing topics among couples. Your EAP can help you have an open, honest conversation about finances before it costs you your relationship. |
Financial Fitness in a Volatile Climate
Times are tumultuous and knowing what to do with your money might be unclear right now. Feel better about your future with some basic strategies that safeguard your finances in any environment. |
| Financial Literacy for the Federal Employee
With the help of the EAP’s financial services program, you can get the expert assistance and guidance you need to improve your financial literacy, make smart decisions, confidently plan for your future, and maximize your money. |
The Flourishing Family
The way family members interact with, relate to, love, and support one another contribute to the overall dynamic. Form better bonds, improve communication, and watch your family thrive. |
Gelling the Generations: Tips for Finding Common Ground
There are many benefits to working on a diverse team, but generational differences can sometimes present challenges. Here are some tips to help you remain united and work better together toward a common goal. |
| Gift Yourself a Break this Holiday Season
During the holidays, calendars fill up, family members visit, and we spend, volunteer, travel, and eat more than usual. As a result, many of us may associate this time of year with stress and dread. But the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, not something to simply “get through.” Do things differently this year with a few simple strategies to help you manage seasonal pressure and anxiety and take good care of yourself. |
Identifying the Signs of Abuse
Although we typically think of abuse as involving some element of physically violent or aggressive behavior that results in bodily harm, this isn’t always the case. Abuse and violence can occur in many forms and the evidence isn’t always visible. Often, it’s the bruises you can’t see — the mental and emotional ones — that can be easy to cover up yet last the longest. |
The Importance of Emotional Self-Awareness
Emotions can sometimes get the best of us. The more aware of them we are, however, the better we can process and appropriately manage them. With these tips from your Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you can begin to identify how you’re feeling in the moment, adjust your reactions, and experience life with more balance, intention, and empathy. |
| Insuring Your Future
Life insurance is an essential element of financial planning, yet many of us may not fully understand or take advantage of the benefits. With knowledge of the basics, you’ll see why life insurance is an important consideration when planning for your family’s financial future. |
The Invisible Illness
Many health conditions and their symptoms are evident, either because they're physically visible or because they can be verified through biopsies, scans, or other medical tests. Mental health illnesses, however, aren’t always as obvious. Unfortunately, those who suffer from mental illness tend to be misunderstood, judged, or questioned. With millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness each year, it’s imperative to break the stigma. |
Keep Workplace Bullies at Bay
Kids aren’t the only ones who experience bullies. People who aim to intimidate, harm, or prey on others they perceive as vulnerable are all around us, even at work. Whether you’ve seen it happen to a coworker, or you’ve been the target of such behavior yourself, workplace bullying takes a toll on the victim, its witnesses, and the organization. Learn how to identify bullying behavior in the workplace, what you can do, and where to turn for help. |
| Living an Intentional Lifestyle Most of us move through each day reacting to the things, people, and situations we encounter. We perform tasks and make decisions, giving little or no thought to what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and most importantly, why. Living your life this way means it’s probably passing you by. What if instead of letting life happen to you each day, you chose to make each day mean something to you? |
Lock in Your Legacy
Estate planning is about more than distributing assets after you die. Protect your property, your family, and your wishes with an organized plan. |
Making Conflict a Conversation
Disagreements are inevitable. Turn an argument into a conversation and debate with grace and respect for a more productive outcome. |
| Opt for More Optimism
Positivity has been linked to better life satisfaction and happiness. Discover how to improve your outlook and enjoy a more fulfilled life. |
Persevering Under Pressure
The ability to rise above obstacles and overcome the unforeseen is an important quality that can mean the difference between stopping short and achieving success. It isn’t always easy to muscle through life’s adversities, but you can learn the skills you need to brave what tomorrow may bring. |
The Power of Being Present
We all have busy days and busy brains. Often, we move through time on autopilot, checking off to-dos and putting out fires one after the other, with only the end goal of getting done or getting home in mind. Operating on this endless loop of do, done, repeat, means we’re ignoring the here and now and unable to appreciate the present. Become more mindful so you can connect with, and find more joy in, each moment |
| Raising Resilient Children
Children aren’t naturally resilient, they learn to be. The earlier they begin practicing how to work through dilemmas and swerve around curveballs, the better equipped they’ll be to bounce back from the difficult stuff all their life. Help your kids persevere and gain the skills to handle uncertainty, problem-solve, and make decisions with confidence. |
Recalculate Your Financial Prowess
You don’t need to be an accountant to be skilled at managing your money, you just need to be financially literate. This means understanding the basics of finance management and having the skills to make smart choices with your money. Save and invest with confidence, make better financial decisions, and escape future money mistakes by educating yourself on the basics. |
Reignite Your Passion and Avoid Burnout
At the start of a new job, we tend to be energized, eager, and gratified by our work and contributions to the agency. Over time, workloads increase and we become overwhelmed, stressed, or find that we’re no longer challenged by or interested in the work. This can lead to burnout. Find out whether you’re at risk and what you can do about it. |
| Show Retirement Who's Boss
One of the benefits of being retired is that you finally get to be in charge and spend your time how you choose. But before you declare that every day will be Saturday once you’re the boss and clock out for the last time, prepare for your future role as the CEO of your golden years by getting to work on your long-term plan. |
Social Security Benefits FAQ
Get answers to frequently asked questions about how Social Security works, when to apply, and what it means for you and your family’s financial future. |
Stabilize Your Finances for an In-Flux Future
With a financial forecast that’s cloudy, it’s important to have an umbrella on hand to shelter your finances and your future from being left without cover in the rain. |
| Staying Happy and Healthy While Working from Home
Telecommuting has its advantages, but it can also leave you feeling disorganized and disconnected at times. Discover how to feel and do your best while working remotely. |
Supporting Your Child in School
Each new school year potentially brings about challenges for students and parents. Testing requirements change, homework gets more difficult, and the pressure to do well increases with each passing semester. Educate yourself about how kids learn, the challenges they face, and what to do to if your child begins to struggle. |
Tap Into Your Talents
We all feel pressure to be perfect at times. Whether that pressure is real or perceived, deep down we want to be successful, perform well, and be admired or respected. Instead of fixating on what you aren’t great at, shift your focus to your strengths and unique skills, and leverage what you are good at to achieve real success. |
| The Truth About Self-Care
We often hear or read about self-care and its many science-backed benefits, but what self-care really is and looks like may surprise you, and with a better understanding, you can begin to take care of yourself in more meaningful and effective ways. |
Upgrade Your Social Skills
How we communicate has changed quite a bit over the years, but the importance of good communication hasn’t. Despite the incredible benefits that a digital world affords us, the lack of authentic interaction could be hindering how we socialize and communicate with others. Strengthen your social and communication skills and connect more meaningfully. |
Understanding Addictive Behavior
The path from habit to addiction is typically gradual. An activity that begins as an outlet or a form of comfort can become compulsive, difficult to manage, and interfere with relationships, work, and daily life. Recognize the signs of addictive behaviors and disrupt harmful patterns. |
| Your Happy Place
Happiness is a state of well-being that we all strive to experience, though many of us struggle to explain what it means to be truly happy. Discover what genuine happiness is for yourself by developing a sense of meaning and purpose, deep satisfaction, and profound contentment. |