Benefits Bulletin #8-2020

INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE AND WAREHOUSE UNION | LOCAL 13

630 South Centre Street | San Pedro, CA 90731 | (310) 830-6116

from your Benefits Office

Benefits Bulletin #8-2020

AUGUST 2020 BENEFITS BULLETIN

The Benefits Office is aware of the incredible amount of stress that our members and their families are experiencing at work and at home. We are committed to providing you with resources to assist you during these challenging times because we care about the physical and psychological well-being of all individuals. We are mindful that the public health policies and interventions necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 are affecting all facets of society and our lives. These daily disruptions, coupled with the fear of not knowing what may come, are resulting in increased stress and anxiety for many.

These stress-busting strategies

are taken directly from the recently published

California Surgeon General’s Playbook

Focusing on Stress Relief during COVID-19.

SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS. Maintain your supportive relationships virtually or with those with whom you are at home. Turn off media and devices for high-quality time together making art, dancing, cooking or reading with loved ones. Remain in touch with mentors, friends, and family by phone or video chat, including schools and community- or faith-based organizations.
EXERCISE DAILY. Engage in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. It doesn’t have to be all at one time. Dance party in your bedroom, 35 jumping jacks here and there, 20 minute hula hooping contest, film a TikTok and share it, power walk around the block twice, running, bedtime yoga, 10 pushups, do some double dutch jump rope, the list can go on and on. Bottom line – get your body moving and your heart rate up to burn off stress. Ask friends what resources they have been using or get online and search for at home work-out routines to see what comes up and what can work for you.
HEALTHY SLEEP. Get sufficient, high-quality sleep. This may be particularly hard right now, but things that help are going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day. Turn off electronics at least a half hour before bed. Drink some warm water or hot tea and read a book after you climb into bed. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Ensure your place of sleep is cool, quiet, and free of distractions and devices.
NUTRITION. This is not about losing weight. This is about ensuring that you are getting proper nutrition to help combat stress. Keep regular mealtimes, so you aren’t just snacking all day. Minimize refined carbohydrates, high fat, high sugar foods and reduce your alcohol intake. General rule of thumb includes 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and foods rich in omega-3-fatty acids, including fish, nuts, and fiber.
MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT. Engage in mental health care. Schedule video or phone sessions for psychotherapy, psychiatric care, and substance use disorder treatment when possible. Minimize consumption of news or other media content that feels upsetting. If you do not have a regular appointment or have not been in contact with a mental health professional previously, there are resources on the back of this page to help you get started.
MINDFULNESS, MEDITATION, PRAYER. Practice mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, or prayer for 20 minutes, two times a day. Apps like Headspace and Calm are easy, accessible ways to get started. Meditation resources are also available online. Mindfulness can help strengthen the brain pathways that actively buffer and regulate your response to stress.

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The Benefits Office is sensitive to our members who have school-aged children returning to remote-learning in the upcoming academic school year. There are dozens of valuable resources available online. We hope you find these helpful and informative.

Los Angeles USD Covid-19 Response

https://achieve.lausd.net/latestnews

Long Beach USD Covid-19 Response

https://www.lbschools.net/District/coronavirus.cfm

Free Back-to-School Tool Kit from Mental Health America

https://www.mhanational.org/back-school

Meditations for Teens

http://mindfulnessforteens.com/guided-meditations/

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/addressing_race_and_trauma_in_the_classroom_educators.pdf

Blue Shield News Center for Coronavirus

https://news.blueshieldca.com/search?q=coronavirus

Testing for COVID-19 (for non-Kaiser members)

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsca/bsc/wcm/connect/sites/Sites_Content_EN/coronavirus/testing-faqs

Kaiser Information for Coronavirus

https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/southern-california/health-wellness/coronavirus-information

This is an excellent, award-winning FREE resource for Kaiser and non-Kaiser Members of all ages:

https://www.FindYourWords.org — Kaiser Permanente’s public health awareness effort to normalize talking about mental health — features new information on its redesigned website to help everyone learn how to start conversations, connect to helpful tools and online communities, and find support for themselves and the people they care about —including young children and teenagers. There’s also new information on how to build resilience and reduce stress, screening tools to inform further conversations about diagnosis and treatment, and new ways to share inspiring stories, videos, and artwork from the site with others.