ParticiPant UPdateDecember 7, 2011

Keeping you Informed, Empowered and Prepared

Reducing Holiday StressFrom HealthPartners

The holidays can be a joyful time, offering a chance to reconnect with friends and

family. But they can also be stressful. You may feel pressure to buy and give gifts. Maybe you are worried about money. Here are some ideas to reduce that holiday stress:

Preparing for the holidays

• Know your spending limit. This year, set a budget, and don’t spend more than you’ve planned. It’s okay to tell your child that a certain toy costs too much. Don’t buy gifts that you’ll spend the rest of the year trying to pay off.

• Give something personal. You can show love and caring with any gift that is meaningful and personal. It doesn’t have to cost a lot.

• Get organized. Make lists or use an appointment book to keep track of tasks to do and events to attend.

• Share the tasks. Share your “to do” list with others. Spend time with friends and family while you share tasks like decorating, wrapping gifts, and preparing the holiday meal.

• Learn to say no. It’s okay to say “no” to events that aren’t important to you. This will give you more time to say “yes” to events that you do want to attend.

• Be realistic. Try not to put pressure on yourself to create the perfect holiday for your family. Focus instead on the traditions that make holidays special for you.

During the holidays

• Take breaks from group activities. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Spend a little time by yourself if you can.

• Keep a regular sleep, meal, and exercise schedule. Limit your alcohol. Taking care of yourself will help you deal with stressful situations during the holidays.

• Get support if you need it. Holidays can be especially hard if you are already dealing with the death of a loved one or the breakup of a relationship. You may feel embarrassed to ask for help. But most people need treatment to get better. Talk with your doctor about counseling and medicine for depression.

Join us at Celebration!Thursday, January 5Dinner 5:45 - 6:20 pm Program 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Minneapolis Urban League2100 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis

RSVP to 612-338-0295 (Mpls) or 651-603-8520 (St. Paul)

Employment EssentialsIs fear reducing your job search effectiveness?

Virtually all people have fears when it comes to searching for a job. Here are some tips for “feeling the fear” and applying anyway!

Even with the best resume, cover letter, and a perfect match with your skills and experience, only a small percentage of applications are selected for interviews. Like baseball players, the most effective job searchers still fail more often than they succeed!

When it’s your hard work, background, and qualifications that are being rejected, it is virtually impossible to avoid taking it personally. Applications are rejected for many reasons and the majority of those reasons are outside of our control. Remind yourself of this frequently to keep your confidence up.

When fear of change, rejection, or even interviewing stall your job search or prevent you from submitting applications, it is important to realize and take steps to overcome the fear. Use Empowerment and discuss this fear with your coach to develop techniques for connecting with your core value and reset the thinking that is limiting your effectiveness.

Remember: At TCR!, you have a huge resource in the Career Center...stop in today!

HoursMonday-Thursday: 12-2 pm

Friday: 9 am-12 pm

Mark Your CalendarsDecember 19-22 Evaluation Week

December 23-January 2 Offices closed for holidays

January 4 Offices closed for staff meeting and party

January 5 Celebration

January 9 First day of classes

Every Day You are Lovable, Important & Valuable!

Twin Cities RISE! will be closed to the public from December 23-January 2.

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season!

Education Extra: The latest class updates at TCR!

So You Think You Know Everything?

◊ A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.◊ All 50 states are listed on the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

◊ In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

Bonus BucksTCR! offers bonus money to eligible participants who help find new applicants. We will pay you for every person you refer to the program who meets the referral criteria.

Help TCR! get the word out and make money while you do it! For details see the front desk, Recruiters or Shereese Turner.

Internship InsightInterested in learning more about the TCR! Internship Program? Internship orientations will start again on January 9, 2012. Please join us!

Minneapolis: Mondays at 1:00 pmSt. Paul: Wednesdays at 1:00 pm

Coaches’ Corner

A popular refrain from a well-known story often told during this time of giving is, “bah humbug”! Coaches remind participants when they are saying, “bah humbug” how to reconnect to their core value, regulate this weak mode emotion and seek to have a fruitful, positive outcome.

What makes you go, “bah humbug”? It took Ebenezer Scrooge a horrific experience to overcome his negative beliefs, thoughts and behaviors. Learn from past experience; listen to your real inner self and you won’t have “bah humbug” to regulate.

As we near the close of the October session, congratulations on your hard work! Here are a few end-of-session reminders from Educational Services:

• Foundation One participants: Be sure to complete those Career Portfolio projects; those of you advancing to Career Fundamentals Two will be using that information to build a competitive resume (with plenty of support from staff, of course).

• Financial Literacy participants: December 16th—save the date! Each of you has a reserved time slot to meet with a personal banker for fifteen minutes. Be sure to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment

with your questions and any documents that you may wish to share.

• All participants: we’re in the thick of improving many of our courses! Our goal is give you the

most effective education possible in shortest time possible, all to help you step out into the world as a responsible, independent, skilled, and employed person (RISE!) Watch for all sorts of updates across our curriculum in the months ahead. We’re jazzed and looking forward to working and growing with you!