Resource Articles

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.

​Since the beginning of the pandemic, our healthcare teams have done an awesome job in spite of the uncertainty, danger to their safety, fatigue, and the trauma to their psychological well-being. This article contains some suggestions that our healthcare members recommended for self-care during the first wave of this pandemic.

​The Medical Center has many programs in place to support individuals and work groups in their psychological and spiritual health.

The one-year anniversary of the deadly March 3rd tornado brings back memories of loss, grief, and fear. It is a good time to pause and reflect. Work/Life Connection-EAP's Jim Kendall provides tips on how to emotionally prepare for anniversary reaction.

​ Join SHARE Center Specialist Lauren Dattilo for a presentation on what sexual harassment is, ways bystanders can help when they witness harassment, and what steps VUMC is taking to create a safer and more equitable workplace.

​ Your browser does not support the audio element. Download the file to your computer. Jim Kendall, director of Vanderbilt's Work/Life Connections-EAP, suggests strategies for maintaining resilience during the holiday season.

As our population ages, it is now estimated that for the US and other industrialized nations, the number of individuals diagnosed with neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, will continue to increase. The CDC noted that, in 2017, complications from Alzheimer's was the sixth leading cause of death for individuals in the United States who are 65 and older. Worldwide, the incidence of dementia is thought to be on the increase, with researchers estimating that the diagnosis of Dementia will triple by 2050.