Wellness Newsletter

Expressing Gratitude

Gratitude is a key factor in creating safe spaces and a culture that prioritizes self-care. It’s imperative to create space for recognizing and celebrating your accomplishments. Just like a personal habit, gratitude is a powerful tool for us to stay motivated, but it does take practice.

• 30% of those that practice gratitude "lower the risk of developing heart disease
• 81% of colleagues "...work harder" when they feel appreciated by grateful coworkers & bosses
• 10% of those with a daily gratitude practice reported an increase in long-term happiness

Article from CALM.com https://business.calm.com/engagement-strategies/expressing-gratitude/

Remember to use the CALM room. It is connected to the mailroom. It is great place to get in your car.

C: Calm (Remain Calm)

A: Awareness (Be Aware)

R: Respect (Be Respectful)

The calm room is quiet, comfortable seating, mindful activities and more.

The link for the Online Gratitude Journal is in the email this newsletter was attached to.

Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of gratitude, abundance, and delicious meals – but it’s frequently served with a side of stress, too. Between travel time, sharing personal updates with extended family members, and figuring out how the heck to defrost a turkey, the holiday is known to throw an unexpected curveball or two.

To help embrace the sweeter side of the season, we’re sharing four actionable tips to help you manage any Thanksgiving-related stress as it comes:

1. Take a deep breath before responding to an uncomfortable question or comment

Have a relative or friend who’s prying you for details you’d rather not share? Or maybe your sibling touched on a sore spot – and you’re feeling hurt, or angry.

Reacting in the moment may cause you to say some things you regret. Before responding to what you perceive as a snide, condescending, or generally inappropriate remark or question, grant yourself a mental and emotional pause.

One helpful, calming technique is diaphragmatic breathing.

1. Place your hand on your abdomen, just above your navel.
2. Breathe in, through your nose, with your belly – you should feel your stomach inflate.
3. Hold your breath for three seconds, and release.

Afterwards, you’ll likely feel more refreshed, and removed from the question or comment – and as a result, you’ll be able to answer in a calmer state of mind. If you’re at the dinner table, you can excuse yourself to the restroom, take a few of these deep diaphragmatic breaths, and return with a bit more calm in your system.

“Before responding to what you perceive as a snide, condescending, or generally inappropriate remark or question, grant yourself a mental and emotional pause.”

2. Have some topics at the ready to easily switch gears

What Netflix series have you been streaming? How ’bout them Red Sox?

Make sure you have conversational topics ready if you really need to change the subject. If someone in your family brings up a topic that’s a sore spot for you or anyone else, deflect to something more positive.

To change the subject in a non-abrupt way, have some conversational bridges up your sleeve.

Lead the new topic with an exciting preface, like “Oh, that reminds me – I’ve been meaning to tell you!” or change the focus to another person – including the person you’re talking to.

The simple act of asking “What are your thoughts on the matter?” is often distracting enough to remove you from an uncomfortable spotlight.

3. Take control of what you can

If you’re hosting, here are some tips to make the setup conducive to a less stressful evening:

• Arrange the seating charts in advance to eliminate emotional hiccups
• Swap out alcoholic beverages for a boutique sparkling cider (if drinking is an issue for some guests)
• Ask for assistance with cleaning – enlist your close friends and/or family members to help you ready your home for guests, set the table, and do dishes afterwards
• Predicting a lot of leftovers? Ask guests to bring tupperware so they can take home some, and leave you some fridge space!

Facilitating these small but tangible acts can prevent a lot of frustration during get-togethers.

4. Give yourself emotional space in advance

Take a walk, whip out your meditation app for 15-min of pre-meal calm, or book an appointment with a therapist.

Giving yourself the mental space and an opportunity for your emotions to feel heard before entering a tense environment can give you extra mind space.

****This article was published by Katie DiMuzio on the Zencare Blog

https://blog.zencare.co/thanksgiving-stress-tips/#:~:text=Give%20yourself%20emotional%20space%20in,give%20you%20extra%20mind%20space.

Cranberry Sauce

By Jenn Segal

Ditch the can and impress your guests with this easy and elegant homemade cranberry sauce—ready to brighten your holiday table in just 15 minutes!

Servings: 2¼ cups

Total Time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup fresh orange juice, from two oranges
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (do not use dried)
• Zest of one orange, about 2 teaspoons
• Pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium sauce pan over high heat, bring the water, orange juice, and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries, orange zest, and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of cranberries have burst open. (You may need to mash them a bit with a spoon.)
2. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.




3. Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Cranberry sauce will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

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• Serving size:about 1/3 cup
• Calories:126
• Fat:0 g
• Saturated fat:0 g
• Carbohydrates:33 g
• Sugar:28 g
• Fiber:3 g
• Protein:0 g
• Sodium:43 mg
• Cholesterol:0 mg

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, cubed (1/2-inch)

  
  

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon, divided

  
  

  
  

• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted (see Tip)

  
  

  
  

• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

  
  

  
  

• 1/8 teaspoon salt plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided

  
  

  
  

• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

  
  

  
  

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Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

   PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: CHELESA ZIMMER, PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY

   
   

2. Meanwhile, combine 1 teaspoon oil, hazelnuts, cranberries, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl.

   PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: CHELESA ZIMMER, PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY

   
   

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 minutes without stirring, then stir and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the cranberry-hazelnut mixture.

   PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: CHELESA ZIMMER, PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY

   
   

Tip

For the best flavor, toast nuts before using in a recipe. To toast chopped nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.