April, 2025
Focus Topics for April, 2025
April is Stress Awareness Month
Stress is an inevitable, and normal, part of life which is not managed well may impact an individual's sleep, mood, mental health, physical wellness, and relationships. Stress Awareness Month raises awareness about how stress impacts our lives and to encourage healthy coping strategies for creating a healthy and balanced life.
Stress Awareness Month has been observed since 1992.​
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Tips for managing stress are:
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Seek support: Connect with family, friends, or professionals for support and guidance.
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Prioritize sleep: Aim for adequate sleep, as it's crucial for both physical and mental health.
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Eat a healthy diet: Nourish your body with balanced meals and limit processed foods and sugary drinks.
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Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms: Refrain from using substances like alcohol or drugs to cope with stress, as they can worsen the problem.
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Identify and address stressors: Recognize the sources of stress in your life and develop strategies to manage or eliminate them.
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Practice self-care: Engage in activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, or spending time in nature.
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During April, 2025, identify your stressors, find new ways to manage stress, and create healthy habits to manage each with less stress.
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What is your plan?
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​How Stressed Are You? Test Your Stress! A free assessment.
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Stress Management-Small Changes-Johns Hopkins
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How to Manage Stress Management at Work
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How About Stress Management Bingo-A Game to Share With Co-Workers, Social Groups
Managing Worry in Uncertain Times
Many individuals, seen in EAP sessions now, are expressing concerns about addressing worry due to uncertain times. Worries often mentioned are about being able to manage their personal or family finances, new focus on having job security for future planning, finding creative ways for happiness and joy in uncertain times when media has a steady stream of many issues which could be troubling for individuals creating stress.
Worry has a way of sneaking up on us, especially when it comes to mental health. It might begin with a passing thought, Is this just stress, or something more serious? but it can quickly spiral into sleepless nights and silent fears.
Maybe you're worried about your own mental health. Or maybe you're watching someone you care about struggle and feel unsure how to help. Either way, the weight of worry can feel like too much.
Let’s be honest: mental health issues are still misunderstood in many circles. That alone can fuel our fear. We worry about being judged. We worry about being seen as "broken." We worry about the consequences of speaking up.
But here’s the truth: worry doesn’t have to control the narrative.
So the next time worry creeps in, let it be a prompt not a punishment. Let it be a reason to pause and ask: What do I need right now? Who can I talk to? What’s one small step I can take?
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A Resource on How to Manage Worry
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How to Manage in Uncertain Times
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Being Balanced
How is Your Worklife Balance?
This April's Focus is learning to manage work/life balance. Couples, families, individuals face challenges looking at how to incorporate work, personal time, family time, exercise, daily activities for routine chores, and other personal needs into their daily schedules.
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Life balance isn’t about achieving a perfect 50/50 split, but rather creating a rhythm that honors your well-being and your responsibilities?
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What Is Work-Life Balance, Really?
At its core, work-life balance is about boundaries and intentional living. It’s not just about clocking out on time, it’s about making space for the things that nourish your mind, body, and relationships. That could mean family dinners, daily walks, quiet mornings, creative hobbies, or simply time to do nothing.
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Take a few minutes, if you or someone you know, needs to assess where they may be currently with their "balance", and find ways to improve your balance in life.
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Resources for creating healthy habits:
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Work-Life Balance On-Line Assessment​
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A Resource to Assess Your Work-Life Balance
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What I Am Reading April, 2025!
When seeing clients through the referral EAP process, one issue seems to be a constant question, "How do I handle 'my anxiety' ?". Anxiety is a normal part of life, yet the the symptoms arise which negatively impact one's daily life, relationships, work environment, and thought patterns, then the individual becomes overwhelmed. A great book, "Unwinding Anxiety", is a resource for those experiencing anxiety to recognize triggers, see irrational (not fact filled thought patterns), and reframe their thought processed to new rational (fact filled) thoughts. This is called cognitive restructuring. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) approaches are taught in the EAP sessions to clients to begin the process of recognizing thoughts, changing patterns, and develop ways to reduce their anxiety.
In these recent days, individual's anxiety has increased with uncertainty, thus there is a greater need to learn effective coping mechanisms for clients.
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More About "Unwinding Anxiety"
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If you, or anyone you know is experiencing anxiety, this is a free assessment to determine your level of anxiety and to discuss with your primary care provider or your mental health clinician about getting resources and tools to reduce symptoms and reduce stress.
Anxiety Assessment from Mental Health America
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