A Lavender Room location has been added to Riverside Kankakee Assisted Living and Memory Care! Riverside recognizes that our staff has been under tremendous stress during this pandemic. We want to provide you with an opportunity to break away for a few moments in order to regain some calmness.

Are you located at the Medical Center? There is a Lavender Room there as well! Take a moment for yourself and visit the Lavender Room located in the Room of Magic, Room B306. The code for the Lavender Room at Riverside Medical Center is 8507.

You may have had a loss and are having a hard time communicating your bereavement needs.  Maybe you feel uneasy about how to navigate a co-worker’s grief.  Death is a topic that should be handled delicately, but not ignored.

If You Have A Co-Worker That Is Navigating Grief:

1. Ask Them What They Need: Grief is unpredictable and affects different people in different ways.  Someone can seem physically present and responsive, but emotionally can be a world away.  It’s best to have an open, candid conversation where you can ask how you can best support them.
2. Understand Work Isn’t A Priority Right Now:  When grief is at the forefront of our minds, it shifts our priority and focus away.   Grief demands honesty, attention, and a re-evaluation of values, all of which distract from the professional goal.  Give your co-worker grace. 
3. Be Human:  This means letting the employee know you’re there for them.  Support is key when a person is grieving, and comfort is often the thing they will search for the most.  

If You Are Experiencing Grief And Continuing To Work:

1. Be Upfront with Your Employer:  As quickly as you feel comfortable, let your boss know what you’re experiencing.  They can’t support you if they don’t know what’s going on.
2. Be Patient with Yourself—And Ask Others To Be, Too: Rather than pressuring yourself to perform at your top level, it’s vital to be patient with your feelings.  If you feel overwhelmed by the sadness, you should allow yourself to feel it.  If there are days where you feel energized and motivated at work, don’t guilt yourself about that either.
3. Take More Breaks:  When you return to work, add breaks in your calendar to do anything that is comforting.   There is an experience called ‘Grief Brain.’ Loss makes it hard to concentrate. Our usual ability to multitask and to be productive may be hindered, so you should allow extra time for familiar tasks.
4. Build Your Professional And Personal Support Network:  Don’t be afraid to lean on your people, from close friends to family members.  Find professional support via a mental health counselor or grief groups.  It is never good to internalize or bottle up your feelings and emotions.  

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

Approximately 2 in 5 people say they worry every day.  The average adult spends about 1 hour and 50 minutes worrying about something.  Worry can negatively influence your memory, relationships, and physical health, yet 85% of what we worry about actually has a positive or neutral outcome! Here are 14 ways to leave your worry behind:

1. Ditch the night owl: Keeping regular sleep hours lessens negative thinking/worry.
2. Do yoga: People with anxiety benefit from regular yoga practice.
3. Be mindful: Mindfulness and meditation practices help reduce worry.
4. Higher power: Fostering a belief that a higher power has your best interest at heart helps.
5. Exercise: People who exercise are able to improve their mood and reduce worry.
6. Declutter: Taking 15 minutes to tidy your space can reduce anxiety.
7. Gratitude: Express gratitude at least once per day.
8. Drop the cookies: Sugar and processed foods increase anxiety.
9. Quiet time: Even 5 minutes of quiet time per day can reduce anxiety.
10. Problem-Solve: Grab a pen and spend time brainstorming solutions to the worries in your control.
11. Worry time: Set a specific time each day dedicated to worrying. When worries pop up at other times, jot them down and know you can think about them later
12. Reframe: Ask yourself if the worry is true, if it’s not, consider how unhelpful it is to think about it.
13. Middle Road: There are worst-case and best-case scenarios, make sure you identify the middle of the road option, it’s always the most likely outcome.
14. Talk it out: Often when we say our worries out loud, it changes the way we see the situation. Talk to yourself, a loved one, a co-worker, or call Well In Mind.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or toask about your EAP benefits.

Research shows that in people who experience depression, those who ate less junk food and more fruit, vegetables, fish, and legumes experienced a 33% improvement in their symptoms. Hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, and commercial baked goods have been shown to be linked with depression. People who ate these showed a 51% increase in risk for depression.

• What to eat: Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, black beans, chickpeas, soybeans, oranges, apples, grapes, kale, bok choy, and spinach. These foods have been shown to reduce the risk of depression
• Nourish your brain: Omega 3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, B12, folate, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, iron (all found in a Mediterranean diet).
• Top 10 raw foods related to better mental health: Carrots, bananas, apples, grapefruit, lettuce, citrus fruits, cucumbers, dark leafy greens (like spinach), kiwi, and fresh berries.

Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.

1. Have warm feelings towards yourself: Aka self-compassion.  Be generous and caring towards yourself!
2. Prepare yourself to observe and learn: That’s the only intention you should take into your meditation.
3. Forgive your own lapses: If you don’t practice when you meant to, don’t feel bad about it, nothing is lost.  Just invite yourself back into the present moment.
4. Find a mindfulness pal: Having someone to share your meditation experiences helps to boost your motivation, commitment, and understanding of what you’re experiencing.
5. Thank yourself afterwards: Show gratitude to yourself for caring enough to meditate mindfully in your busy life.

  Well In Mind is here for you.  Call 815-933-2240 to schedule an appointment or to ask about your EAP benefits.