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CU Well program partner SimplyWell has provided �Ա���Ƶ with the following webinars and videos. 

Webinar Replays:

• How to Manage Employee Stress During Significant Change |
• Managing Employee Mental Health During COVID-19 |
• Building a Healthy Work-from-home Routine & Environment |
• Supporting Working Parents During Coronavirus |
• Learn How to Leverage Technology as a Bridge to Human Connection |
• Wake Up to the Impact of Sleep on Your Health |

Other Videos:

• Free Yoga Class Videos Through
• Meditation:

Short Reads:

Free Partner Offerings Available Through 5/31:

1. : Give yourself more power with meQuilibrium. You have the power to be more calm, motivated, focused, and ready for what’s happening now. meQuilibrium is a stress management system designed to build your resilience. Discover your stress personality and triggers, uncover your habitual reactions when things get tough, and learn effective ways to manage and shift your response to stressful situations.
2. : At-home cardio & relaxation classes. Stay fit and calm at home. Aaptiv — the #1 audio app — curated their best meditation, yoga, sleep and cardio classes for free on Apple Podcasts. 
3. : Managing Financial Wellness During COVID-19. Enrich has partnered with Virgin Pulse to provide critical financial resources during this pandemic. Learn how to keep your finances in good health.

Are You Really Hungry or Just Bored or Stressed?

Before mindlessly eating potato chips or chocolate chips straight out of the bag, ask yourself, “Am I really hungry or is this stress or boredom?”

Yes, I’m hungry

If you are hungry, the best thing to do is eat — but do it mindfully. Give the food your full attention. “When we eat mindlessly, it’s as if we are feeding someone else,” says Pat Salzer, RD, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“It takes more food and calories to feel satisfied if you aren’t focused,” she explains. “Eating mindfully means to pause before eating. Make eating a singular activity versus doing it while watching TV, working on the computer, driving, or reading the paper.”

No, it’s not hunger

If you answer the question with no, I am not truly hungry, you may be eating for other reasons. It may be stress or boredom. Often our mindless eating is for these very reasons. The word stressed spelled backwards is desserts — not cauliflower, kale or rutabaga, Salzer jokes.

“It may help to have a ‘joy list’ or ‘menu of comfort’ that doesn’t involve food to refer to when you need some soothing,” she suggests.

Try substituting some nonfood activities to fill the void that you thought was hunger at first.

Add These Items to Your “Joy List”

• Light a candle
• Enjoy a cup of tea or glass of water
• Write a letter
• Call (yes, call) a friend
• Meditate, journal, , day dream
• Take a bath/shower
• Brush your teeth
• Play a game
• Clean out a drawer (probably not one in the kitchen)
• Get moving: run upstairs, go down the hall, walk around your house
• Put on some music
• Get and take a walk
• Read a non-work-related, entertaining magazine for 20 minutes
• Take seven slow deep breaths
• Play with your or children
   

Breakfast and a routine can help

A solid routine that starts in the morning can also help with mindless eating. Eat balanced meals and snacks when hungry. Salzer offers some helpful tips for healthy breakfast .

Creating a routine can help ensure that you’re making time to care for yourself, adds Amanda Shanahan, RD, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “I don’t recommend eating based strictly on the clock, but I would suggest building time into your schedule throughout the day to check in with yourself and ask ‘how am I feeling (stressed, bored, worried)?’ ‘am I hungry?’ ‘what do I feel like eating?” she says.

Have meal options (and snacks) planned out so that you can . This can minimize eating your way through the kitchen. Shanahan suggests mixing and matching your meal based on these basics:

1/2 of Your Plate
• Fruits and veggies – a variety of fresh, canned (low sodium and without added sugar), and frozen (without butter or sauce)

1/4 of Your Plate
• Protein – choose from beans, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds, or lean meats, poultry, and seafood

1/4 of Your Plate
• Whole grains – have brown rice or quinoa precooked in the fridge or whole grain bread and pasta ready to prepare
– Article author: Aida Byrne

Take Time to Smile

A smile can do so many things: light up a room, offer encouragement, and communicate happiness, to name a few. Take care of your smile by scheduling regular dental checkups and following a daily dental-care routine that includes brushing and flossing, so you can smile with confidence. For a bright smile: brush for 2 minutes, twice daily! You may not be able to see your dentist for a preventive visit at this time, but don’t forget to maintain good oral hygiene! Your dental health is an important component of your overall well-being. Contact your dentist’s office directly if you experience tooth pain or a dental emergency. Don’t forget to schedule future preventive visits.
 
Follow these simple steps to help maintain good oral health:
• Brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste to protect teeth from decay
• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months and after being sick
• Floss between your teeth every day to remove plaque and food particles
• Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks
• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings
• Limit consumption of sugary food and drink
• Don’t smoke or chew tobacco