HOW TO: 12 Ways to Keep the Holidays Stress- Free

Time Management, Did You Know,

and much more!

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November 2014

Brought to you by American Behavioral

Benefits Connection

TheFeaturing Marie Smith Account Manager

YOUR EAPYour EAP is a confidential assessment, counseling and referral service for all employees and their dependents who need help in any of the following areas: marital and family issues, alcohol and other drug dependency assessment, stress related issues, financial/legal referrals and emotional problems.

The EAP counselor can help identify problems and assist in working through them. The counselors can also determine the best alternatives and, if necessary, make appropriate referrals to other professionals who specialize in particular areas.

How to: 12 Ways to Keep the Holidays Stress-FreeThe holidays are supposed to be a time of warmth, joy and excitement. And for many people, they are.

Still, the anxiety of having too much to do in too little time, the pressure of unrealistic expectations and the tendency to overeat and overspend can easily overshadow holiday happiness. The following suggestions will help you enjoy the season to its fullest with a minimum of stress.

Eat smart• Don’t arrive at a party starving; you’re likely to overeat. Instead, before you leave home eat a piece of fruit, a small

salad or a cup of low-fat yogurt. Eating a healthful snack will prevent you from overindulging on mini quiches and other high-fat fare when you arrive.

• Avoid handfuls of anything. At the appetizer table, fill your plate three-quarters full with fresh vegetables and fruit. Reserve the remaining quarter for anything you want, even if it’s high fat, so you don’t feel deprived.

• Don’t feel obligated to eat everything on your plate or to have dessert. And think twice before going back for seconds.

• If you overeat, get right back into your normal routine the next day.

Shop smart• Give yourself plenty of time to complete your holiday shopping. Shop with an itemized list of what you’ll buy for each

person and a ballpark figure of what you’ll spend.• Brainstorm for gift ideas. If you’re stumped on what to buy, consider what’s important to the gift recipient. To

personalize a gift that isn’t personal, give the story behind it. For a book, write an inscription that explains why you’re giving it or mention specific pages the recipient may find interesting.

Party smart•Keep parties simple by having a buffet instead of a formal sit-down dinner. Serve uncomplicated dishes (made with six ingredients or less) that you’ve made before.

•Buy nonperishable party items days, even weeks, in advance. These include groceries, beverages, candles, napkins and decorations. Save the day before to buy items with a short shelf life, such as fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers.

•Cook ahead. On the day before your party, prepare salad dressings, stews, casseroles, cold sauces, soups, desserts and dips. That way, during the party, you can spend as much time as possible with your guests.

•Hire a helper. To make your party more manageable, employ a teenager or a catering waiter to help you serve during the party and clean up afterward.

•Devise games guests can play to help spark conversation. For example, tape a piece of paper with the name of a movie character onto the back of guests when they arrive. Challenge them to guess who their characters are, with clues provided by the other guests.

•Be sociable. Attending parties when you don’t know many people can be stressful. To break the ice, elect yourself the official introducer. If you see someone standing alone, go over and ask nonthreatening openers. For example, ask these questions at a corporate function: How do you fit into the company? Are you a spouse or an employee? What do you do? What does your spouse do?

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In the Spotlight...

Marie Smith Account Manager

Marie Smith received her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Capella University in the spring of 2004. She has been with American Behavioral since May of 2008. As account manager, Smith assists client companies and their representatives to ensure that their needs are met. These needs include but are not limited to scheduling health fair attendance, employee orientations and other client events. She is also responsible for ensuring smooth implementation of new client accounts, handling communication materials, and other service components of the client relationship. Ms. Smith can be contacted at 205—912-8764 or msmith@americanbehavioral.com

Need a member login?Register for your free account by using your company name and

creating your own unique username and password. For questions: contact

Marie Smith at 205-912-8764 or

msmith@americanbehavioral.com

DID YOU KNOW:

Swap your morning cup of coffee for decaf—reducing

caffeine intake supports sleep. Experts recommend

7-9 hours per night.

LOC ATIONS

Corporate Headquarters: 3680 Grandview Parkway, Suite 100

Birmingham, Alabama 32543 800-925-5327

www.americanbehavioral.com

American Behavioral EAP, LLC Birmingham Office

17 Office Park Circle, Suite 100 Birmingham, Alabama 35243

(205) 868-9612

Montgomery Office 419 Interstate Parkway

Montgomery, Alabama 36109 (334) 396-9323

Tips: Meeting Management

Interested in more productive meetings and more time for productivity? Here are five simple tips for running more efficient and effective meetings.1. Spend twice as much time on creating the agenda as you

normally would. Unclear objectives are often the culprits afflicting meeting effectiveness.

2. Spend twice as much time on determining an attendee list than you normally would. Ask yourself: Do all of these people really need to attend? Or could some receive a brief email summary or a quick call afterwards?

3. Schedule the meeting for half the time you originally intended to. Meetings are like accordions—they stretch to fill the allotted space.

4. Don’t start one second late. Way too much time is wasted on late arrivals.

5. Consider, when practical, holding a stand-up meeting. Research shows that we take one-third less time to make decisions while standing than when seated.

Time saved in meetings equals productive time returned to the company.

3680  Grandview  Parkway,  Suite  100  |  Birmingham,  Alabama  35243  |  800-­‐925-­‐5327

The EAP is a confidential assessment, counseling and referral service for all employees and their dependents that need help in any of the following areas: marital and family

issues, alcohol and other drug dependency assessment, stress related issues, financial/legal referrals and emotional problems. EAP counselors can help identify problems and

assist in working through them and determine the best treatment alternatives.

What is an Employee Assistance Program?

A variety of work-life resources are waiting for you! Our website consists of interactive modules on topics such as emotional well-being, relationships, health, finances, legal issues, personal growth and stress. From our homepage, select member login to register for your free account.

Enter your company name and create your own unique username and password.

Visit www.americanbehavioral.com today...