The Campus CONNECTION Issue 14 April 2015
In this issue Stress Awareness Month P.1 Employee Corner P.2 Reminders & Updates P.3 Employee Enhancement P.4 Supervisor Corner P.5
Now You Know Current Staff Openings
Director of Communications
Director of Financial Aid and Veteran Services
Police Officer
Stress Awareness Month: How to Fight Stress & Ward Off Illness Today scientists are looking at how stress makes people ill, & what can be done to help prevent illness caused by stress. “In response to stressful events, our bodies pump out hormones. These hormones aren’t necessarily harmful & can be very useful”, says Dr. Sternberg, author of The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health & Emotions. “The problem is when the stress response goes on for too long,” she says. “That’s when you get sick. Hormones weaken the immune system’s ability to fight disease.” Unhealthy levels of stress come in many guises. Severe, chronic stress can damage our bodies in many ways. “Chronic stress has been shown to prolong wound healing, decrease response to vaccines, & increase the frequency & severity of upper respiratory infections,” Dr. Sternberg says. Stress also can aggravate existing health problems. Stress can play havoc with your nerves & muscles, causing backaches, tension headaches, or migraines. “If you feel stressed all the time, you need to take yourself ‘offline,’” Dr. Sternberg urges. “We reboot our computers when they are overworked, but we don’t seem to do it with our bodies. If you’re exhausted from constantly working on deadline or caregiving, take a vacation—they’re not luxuries, they’re physical necessities. Find a place of peace where you can stop, look, & listen.” If vacations are out of the question, Dr. Sternberg suggests meditation to rest body & mind. “Evidence shows that meditation bolsters immune function by reducing stress hormones that dampen immune cells’ ability to fight infection,” she says. Exercise is a great way to improve your mood, & it changes the body’s stress response, she says. If starting an exercise program seems too hard, then go slowly, she advises. “A few minutes are better than no minutes—you can gradually increase how much you exercise every day. You don’t need to go jogging—walking has significant health benefits.” Yoga helps many people relax, while others find peace of mind through prayer, music, reading, or art. “We need to find our place of peace & try to go there every day,” she says. Getting enough sleep is very important for protection, Dr. Sternberg emphasizes.
Employee Corner Employee of the Month February BIRTHDAYS Kevin Williams Donna Glod Karen Dukes Emily Cutrer Feodor Vainstein Carol McDermott Arthur Christy Celeste McNiel Larry Davis Frank Miller Debbie Hopkins Jayson Ferguson Rebecca Miles Donna Shipp Michael Perri Casey Roberts Steve Golas
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Ou t e e M
HollyAnn Mitchell Secretary II-COB
Linda Scott Learning Technologist
Tiffany Ray Academic Advisor
Sue Hughes The Employee of the Month for February is Sue Hughes. Her nominator said “Sue has taken on additional responsibilities; she is well liked and respected by college and university colleagues as well as the students that she serves.”
Brandon Barron
Aaron Harding
Academic Advisor
IT Business Analyst
Jessica Luckey
Mark Missildine
Secretary I-President’s Office
Alumni Relations Coordinator
em h T me Eagle o c l We The y!! To amil F
The Campus Connection Issue 14 April 2015
REMINDERS & UPDATES Congratulations Dr. Allard! On Friday, February 27, Texas A&M University-Texarkana Professor of Biology David Allard was one of eleven faculty members statewide inducted into the Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators of the Texas A&M University System. Chancellor John Sharp established the Academy to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of teacher education and to highlight the role of the A&M System in producing K12 teachers for the state of Texas.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Update BCBSTX is continuing contract discussions with CHRISTUS. While negotiations are continuing in good faith, unless they reach a mutually acceptable agreement, CHRISTUS will no longer be part of the BCBSTX BlueChoice® PPO/POS network effective April 1, 2015. This would include: Christus St. Michael Health System and Christus St. Michael Atlanta among many others. For more information go to the following link to the BCBSTX Christus Microsite. http://www.bcbstx.com/christushealth/index.html Wellness Exam Incentive 2015 Upon completion of the annual wellness exam incentive, employees will be eligible for the lower wellness premium rate on health insurance premiums for the upcoming benefit plan year. Highlights of the Wellness Exam Incentive: Have a wellness exam between September 1, 2014 & June 30, 2015. Applies to employees AND covered spouses enrolled in the A&M Care Plan. A premium differential of $30 per month will be added to the premium for each individual who does not complete the wellness exam incentive by the June 30, 2015 deadline. Retirees will automatically receive the lower premium. BlueCross BlueShield will record the incentive completion through the claims payment process. You can verify your completion status for the wellness exam incentive on BlueCross BlueShield Access for Members (BAM) website.
The Campus Connection Issue 14 April 2015
Employee Enhancement Save the Planet Lower the litter rate. Consumers worldwide use a trillion plastic bags a year, nearly 2 million a minute. The typical bag is used just 12 minutes. The average family brings home 1,500 bags a year, Mother Jones reports. California has become the first state to pass a bill banning plastic bags from grocery and retail stores.
The Mind-Body Connection Our bodies & minds are innately trained to listen to one another. In our “caveman� days, we were super-alert to our surroundings & when our physical self picked up on an unknown noise or smell, it transmitted the message to our brains that potential danger could be lurking nearby, therefore reactivating our physical systems that would have helped us to run or fight an enemy. In the present day, those systems are still active on a daily basis. However, as the world has evolved into a more sophisticated (& more complicated) environment, our brain now responds to all types of stressors, not just those that are life threatening. Now, our minds & bodies react to traffic jams, disagreements with spouses & family members, financial worries, difficult co-workers, & everything in between. With our minds being constantly occupied, our bodies begin to react; muscles tense, our alert system (fight or flight) becomes chronically engaged & our systems for relaxation take a permanent backseat. This can leave us with physical symptoms of stress to include headaches, muscle pain, gastrointestinal upset, & even a suppressed immune response. So the question becomes, how do we quiet our minds so that our bodies can go back to their balanced state? Oftentimes, the answer lies in our bodies as countless studies have reiterated the benefits of relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, & diaphragmatic breathing. Though part of our stress may come from feeling as if there aren’t enough hours in the day, committing to several minutes of relaxation or more per day, can help rejuvenate the body & therefore the mind. Like any major changes, it takes time to develop positive new habits. Start by committing to a small relaxation exercise per day, five to ten minutes either in the morning, evening, or when you feel exceptionally stressed. Then, once per week, try committing to a longer session (approximately 30 minutes in length). Pay attention to what even small doses of relaxation can do to help decrease your stress level & improve overall psychological wellbeing. The Campus Connection Issue 14 April 2015
Supervisor’s Corner Overcome Barriers to Listen Better Research shows that we tend to retain less than 10% of what we hear in a face to face conversation. When we are multitasking, we remember even less. To upgrade your listening skills, identify potential traps & take steps to avoid them: • Jumping ahead: Beware of concentrating on what you want to say next rather than focusing on the speaker’s remarks in the here-&-now. Mentally skipping ahead to what you intend to say can prevent you from capturing critical information that will help you respond appropriately. • Seeking agreement & nothing more: It’s easy to listen when you agree with what you hear. But the real challenge is tuning in once you realize the speaker is presenting an argument that you find objectionable. If you stop listening to an opposing view, you limit your ability to learn from others. Instead, welcome comments that are not aligned with your opinions or experiences. Tell yourself, “I want to understand this different perspective.” • Rushing to play fixer: Your good intentions to help others solve their problems can lead you astray. If you interrupt to offer a solution, you might alienate people who aren’t ready to accept your advice. A smarter strategy is to wait until speakers finish making their point. They may need to vent, tell a story or reveal their underlying concern before they are able to embrace your solution. Listen patiently until you are sure they’ve covered everything on their plate. • Applying your biases: Listeners often filter what they hear through their own screens. If you bring certain biases or assumptions to a conversation, you might miss the real message. Example: A senior executive might meet an entry-level clerk & think, “This person isn’t too bright.” If you conclude that someone has little to offer, you’ll listen half-heartedly.
Maintaining a Psychologically Healthy Workplace Putting focus on these key areas will help to enhance the culture in your organization which can lead to improvements in employee morale, productivity, & retention. • Employee Involvement – Soliciting input from employees & involving them in decision-making improves engagement. Involving employees can increase productivity & help to reduce turnover. • Work-Life Balance – Programs & policies that facilitate work-life balance acknowledge that employees have responsibilities & lives outside of work. Efforts to help employees improve their work-life balance can increase job satisfaction & their commitment to the organization. • Employee Growth & Development – Providing opportunities for employees to expand their knowledge, skills & abilities can translate into positive gains for the organization. By creating an environment that supports employee growth & development, the organization will be better able to attract & retain top quality employees. • Health & Safety – Health & safety efforts such as implementing an employee wellness program, access to health & fitness centers, & offering comprehensive group health benefits can help an organization to reduce health care costs & absenteeism. • Employee Recognition – Consistent recognition & communication of appreciation of employee efforts is a key to maintaining a motivated workforce. Recognition makes employees feel valued & appreciated, & can result in increased levels of engagement & productivity. The Campus Connection Issue 14 April 2015