healthy & well
AT LBNL
Welcome
Healthy & Well at LBNL is a centralized location for Berkeley Lab staff to find support and resources to help build their health, wellness and well-being. The website is intended to get you thinking about the things you can do to foster health and wellness in your life - both at work and at home. In each section you’ll find a collection of resources from the Lab, UC Berkeley and the community that touch on different aspects of health and wellness.
Why does it matter?
You know the safety advice when flying “Secure your own oxygen mask before helping others”? The same goes for health and wellness – caring for ourselves is an integral part in caring for our families, friends and loved ones. Caring for ourselves gives us the capacity to better handle stressful or demanding situations both at home and work.
The site is a collaborative effort between Health Services, Human Resources and the IDEA Office to support the health and wellness of Berkeley Lab employees and their families. Questions? Please email us at IDEA@lbl.gov.
October resources
Health Services: Get Your Flu Shot!
Free flu vaccine clinics are available to all Lab employees at the Health Services in Building 26 in October and November. Login to clinic.lbl.gov to schedule an appointment.
Benefits: 2024 Benefits Open Enrollment is Oct 31 - Nov 22.
Get ready for open enrollment at the end of the month. Even if you like what you have, be sure to double check your coverage updates and changes. Review a list of benefit basics from UC (Benefit Overview) and check the LBNL Open Enrollment page for updates.
Pathway to Retirement hosted by Fidelity - Oct. 14, 9 am - 12 pm
A Healthy Wallet Can Be a Key to Better Health - Health Net, Oct. 16, 12 - 12:45 p.m
In-Person Open Enrollment Fair - Nov. 1, 11 am - 2 pm. Bldg 91, 3rd floor
Wellness Topic of the Month: Cook Well Berkeley
Did you know that UC Berkeley’s Be Well at Work Program has a nutrition program, recipes, and cooking classes? Check out their website for more information, upcoming cooking classes, recordings of past classes, shopping lists, suggestions, and even a downloadable cookbook. Bon appetite!
Ergo Angle: Computer Desk Set Up
Click here for some helpful videos you can watch to help provide you useful tips to work comfortably.
Upcoming Events (for all events, check out the calendar):
Resiliency & Respect Speaker Series:
Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense - Saul Perlmutter - October 2, 2024
How Respect and Trust Build Collaboration and Drive Team Effectiveness - Christine Porath - October 10, 2024
EAP Elder Care Workshop For Berkeley Lab: Prepare to Care - Thurs, Oct. 3, 12 noon. Prepare To Care is a one hour workshop which will highlight advanced planning essentials - both medical and legal - to consider when preparing to care for an older adult.
Berkeley Lab Blood Drive Oct. 15, 9 am - 3pm, Building 76, Room 235
October EAP Workshops:
Event highlights
Employee Assistance Program Workshops for Berkeley Lab
Be Well at Work's Employee Assistance Program provides no-cost confidential counseling and referral for Berkeley Lab staff as well as workshops on eldercare, parenting, and stress management. All Lab employees are welcome to register and attend.
Sharpening our Focus at Work
Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Time: 12 noon - 1 pm PT
Join us on Zoom
Presenter: Elliot DiTusa, LPCC
Many of us strive to work in a productive and efficient manner. This can often be easier said than done. Our work environment, thoughts, and feelings can sometimes distract us from our workplace goals. This workshop will identify common workplace distractions and explore how we can use a variety of strategies to effectively manage them. Strategies discussed will include cognitive reframing, regulating emotion and utilizing performance psychology.
Elliott DiTusa (He/Him) is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with experience working in various Employee Assistance models. His work experience also includes providing individual and couples counseling at a group psychotherapy practice. Elliott received his BS in Secondary Education from Indiana University and his MA in Counseling with a specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from Adler University.
Elliott brings a warm style that sets people at ease quickly. Elliott is passionate about providing short-term, solution-focused support in an empathic and practical way. Skilled in assessment and referral, Elliott takes in account both clinical needs and personal preferences when connecting individuals to longer-term support. Elliott enjoys serving all members of the UC Berkeley community and has a special interest in working with researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and those experiencing academic/work stress and pressure, and work/life balance challenges.
The Science & Practice of Gratitude
Healthy & Well at LBNL is hosting the second annual 5-day gratitude practice - join us!
We all know that gratitude is a good idea, but did you know that research suggests that consciously giving thanks can have profound effects on our well-being and relationships?
The simple practice of paying attention to the good things in our lives - from the small (my latte was delicious) to the profound (my spouse gave birth to a healthy baby) - and then translating those thoughts into concrete language by writing them down makes us more aware of them and deepens their emotional impact. The more we pay attention, the more we notice and that can shift the emotional tone of our daily lives.
Dates: Monday Nov. 18 - Friday Nov. 22
More information and to sign up > 5-Day Gratitude Practice
Be Well at Work Fall Workshops
Be Well at Work's Employee Assistance Program provides no-cost confidential counseling and referral for Berkeley Lab staff as well as workshops on eldercare, parenting, and stress management. All Lab employees are welcome to register and attend.
Managing Money: A Caregiver's Guide to Finances
Tue 11/12; Noon – 1:30 pmAn Update on Alzheimers: Assessment, Treatment and Prevention
Tue 12/10; Noon – 1:30 pm
529 College Savings Plans
Tue 10/15; Noon – 1 pmNavigating the System: Social Security Retirement
Tue 10/29: Noon – 1 pm
Transitioning Back After Baby Bonding Leave
Thu 10/17; 1 – 4:15 pmConnective Parenting for Neurodivergent Families ~ Diverse Paths
Thu 10/24; Noon - 1:30 pm
Each neurodivergent family is unique. Join Be Well at Work Work/Life and a panel of five parenting coaches who have navigated connective parenting in their family. The goal is to share the journey of how we have come to understand neurodivergency in our families and the ways we've customized our parenting specializing in the Hand in Hand parenting tools.Navigating the Holidays with Self-Compassion
Tue 12/19, Noon - 1 pm
Emotional Intelligence for the Workplace
Thu 10/31; Noon – 1 pm
Understanding and managing our emotions can increase our sense of well-being, motivation, empathy and ability to relate to others in a healthy way. This workshop will examine what it means to be emotionally intelligent and how to apply key concepts to create a more successful and fulfilling work/life experience.Simple Practices for a Calmer Mind: Breathing and Grounding Techniques
Wed 11/6; Noon – 1 pm
Research shows that on the average day an adult has 6,000 thoughts - about six per waking minute. Many of us struggle with anxious thoughts, rumination, or feel easily distracted during the day. Grounding and breathing exercises bring focus on the present moment and awareness to our senses. In this workshop, participants will practice different techniques to calm their bodies and minds by taking part in guided breathwork, gentle stretching and mindfulness exercises.Reclaiming Rest
Wed 12/11; Noon – 1 pm
Rest is something that our bodies naturally know to do, and that is required to maintain our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Yet many of us can relate to the experience of being unable to fully rest; we may experience guilt or anxiety when we try to take a break. This workshop utilizes a systems framework to contextualize why resting is harder than it seems, and why it is vital to reclaim this process. Participants will learn about 7 different types of rest, and strategies for identifying what rest they need, and how to achieve more restfulness and resilience.