Positivity 101: Peace of Mind Achievable During the Pandemic?

Posted By: HR avatar

Published to Newsletter on Mar 31, 2021

blog_post_624

Tracey L. Briggs, MA, Health Education Consultant, Supervisor, Employee Wellness


Many of you are possibly asking yourself this very question often over the past year. In today’s COVID-19 world, more than ever, we need a moment of tranquility in our daily lives. I grew up in a small city of 18,000 residents where life was a bit slower, and then as an adult, I had the good fortune to live in Seoul, South Korea, quite the opposite of my tranquil hometown. Seoul‘s population of nearly 10 million people challenged my ability to find tranquility among the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan city. Now in Albuquerque, where the inhabitants may not rival Seoul, I’ve found peace of mind is relative to our environment and lived experiences. So wherever you are, here are some tips to settle yourself and gain perspective:

  1. Create a safe space physically and/or mentally. Spare a few minutes of your attention while brushing your teeth, making coffee, or right before your bedtime. Engage in a relaxing activity. Draw, read poetry, or play relaxing music, as long as it is enjoyable to you.
  2. Be mindful of how you spend your time. By tracking how you spend your day, you will start recognizing how you want to allocate your time and slowly diversify your daily activities. You may want to reduce the amount of time you spend on media-related activities or increase your time spent outdoors. Tracking your schedule helps you to be aware of your mental availability.
  3. “Reset” your mind with positive affirmations. Keep motivational or spiritual material close by, or repeat a phrase that will foster peacefulness such as “relax” and “feel serene” to help you boost your sense of calm.

As you take steps toward achieving a place of tranquility, Benefits & Employee Wellness has resources to help you get closer to attaining the peace of mind that comes with financial and physical wellbeing.

As a reminder, Open Enrollment period begins Wednesday, April 21, and runs through Friday, May 7. It is your yearly opportunity to sign up for a wide variety of services and plans offered to benefits-eligible employees and retirees.

Additionally, there are numerous departments and programs are at your fingertips to help improve your career experience and personal well-being as an employee:

As you find support in these programs and so many more here at UNM, you will be able to reach an improved level of calm and stress reduction in various areas of your personal and professional career. Achieving this balance is where we all can work, live and thrive better. If we can help in any way, contact us at hrbenefits@unm.edu.

Tags: EmployeeWellness, Wellness