Resource Articles

National Recovery Month is observed every September to remind Americans that there is hope for those struggling with a substance use disorder. Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares resources to help you learn, understand, and access support for your journey or a loved one's.

With all the natural and man-made disasters over the last several months, it reminds us how important it is to have a disaster plan. Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP shares 10 ways in which you can be better prepared in the event of an unexpected crisis.

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. During the past couple of years, there have many traumatic stressors that have impacted us. For some, there is a more lasting emotional effects, including intense feelings and disturbing thoughts related to their experience. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways to help manage the intense feelings that come with a PTSD response.

​The last few weeks have been filled with sadness and trauma. We try to make sense of the senseless and irrational. How can we cope when faced with such chaos, devastation, and destruction? Work/Life Connections-EAP lists ways in which you can help yourself and others who are having difficulties after traumatic experiences.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced fully vaccinated and boosted individuals may be safe without a mask in an outdoor and indoor setting. This might feel like a step towards resuming our lives as we did prior to the pandemic, but it will require a psychological re-adjustment. Work/Life Connections-EAP is available to help those who may feel anxious as we enter this new phase of the ongoing pandemic.

Spring is getting closer, and more people will start getting outside to soak up the sun. Did you know that being in nature, or even enjoying the view outside your window, decreases feelings of negative emotions? Work/Life Connections-EAP shares ways in which you can spend time outdoors to help build your mental health resilience.

​Hobbies are a great way to reduce a person's stress level, improve moods, and reduce the risk of depression. They also help you focus on the present instead of worrying about your tomorrow's to-do list. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares suggestions to use hobbies to build your mental health resilience.

​Have you ever wished you could turn off your thoughts for a moment? Our minds can easily become cluttered and inundated with information. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways in which you can take a "mindful microbreak" to regain some peace of mind.

​Kindness is generally thought of as a simple act, like smiling to a stranger walking by or saying thank you to a waiter. While the act itself might seem small, the impact is big. Work/Life Connections-EAP shares some ways in which you can inject small acts of kindness into your daily routine.

The destruction of the December storms and tornados is heartbreaking. There is a feeling of being totally overwhelmed, hopelessness and helplessness. Jim Kendall, LCSW, of Vanderbilt Work/Life Connections-EAP gives an assessment of how to recognize symptoms of extreme stress, and how to help those affected by the recent tornadoes.