Katie Seavey Pegoraro supports employees with issues of stress and balance, providing tools and resources to cope when life feels overwhelming. Katie is a contact for those who may be coping with issues of mental health, substance use, or grief and loss. A young professional herself, Katie is a unique support to employees who are navigating the many life transitions that occur in your 20's and 30's.
In May the Work/Life Team set out with questions for Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. If you answered a question, you got bubbles. Yes, bubbles for adults! They are a great reminder to stop and take a deep breath. Now, I can't inter-office you bubbles if you answer these
There’s a common response I encounter while supporting people dealing with loss of all kinds whether that be death, divorce, illness, etc. After vulnerably revealing a bit of their sadness they quickly jump to, “but I know someone out there has it worse than me”, and this signals the end
When describing the SAS Work/Life Center, I like to say our job is to help you make your life as good as it possibly can be outside of work. So when things aren’t going so great i.e. stress, caregiving, kids won’t sleep, divorce, illness - we appreciate that you think
Working in hospice I learned there was nothing I could say to erase a person’s pain, sadness, anger etc. I didn’t have that power and it would be irresponsible to think that I did. However, through education, I found that I could often ease the unnecessary additional suffering caused by misinformation and
Thank you to Katie Pape, LPC for this Friday's guest post for the Work/Life Center 2018 Relationship Series. In a new relationship or a first date scenario, you might think you have to downplay who you are or change your persona to get a needed laugh from your interesting date,
Thanks to Amelia Kelley, PhD for this guest blog post for the Work/Life February Relationship Series. Trying to date and find a meaningful relationship can pose challenges to most any person who has ever tried. But when these challenges are coupled with a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, otherwise known
Two years ago my husband and I found ourselves on the eve of Valentine’s Day with no plans. It fell on a weekend that year so there was plenty of time to do something. The act of giving gifts isn’t necessarily either of our love languages. We also have very
In 2018, join us for lively discussions on thought-provoking books. We love to read and have each picked out great books that we hope you will enjoy too. Book Club discussions will be held from 12:00 - 1:00pm in the designated month. Check the Work/Life Calendar throughout the year for
While I’d like to say that I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know this was not the case for everyone. While I’d like to wish you a joyous holiday season ahead, I know that for some this may seem a bit out of reach. While the holiday season
My family dog Danny barks at everything...constantly. Knowing this makes the following story even more remarkable: My Dad and Danny were in the backyard when a possum approached from the other side of the fence. Once he caught Danny's attention, rather than running away, the possum continued to approach. Face to face with
The overfunctioning or underfunctioning dynamic can occur in all kinds of relationships including romantic, work, sibling, parent/child, or friendship. In this podcast Adrianne Robinson, LCSW, LCAS, explains what this dynamic might look like and how to address it to make a change. http://www.adriannerobinson.com/
If you checked the Work/Life calendar of events this summer, you may have seen ads to meet with me to discuss character strengths and how to incorporate them into your everyday. It’s been a pretty popular offering, and that’s really no surprise. Who doesn’t want to learn more about themselves
Last month I vowed to take time off from watching TV. I worried I was wasting time that could be spent in better ways. I entered that commitment with optimism for what I could achieve during the time off. As it turned out instead, my body was waiting to teach me
Take a minute to think of all the television programs you have watched throughout your lifetime. For me? Arthur, The Rugrats, Doug, Full House, Family Matters, Clarissa Explains It All, The Jeffersons, The Golden Girls, Pete and Pete, The OC, Laguna Beach, The Office, Scrubs, Scandal, The Real Housewives of fill in
I've found that when supporting others it can be helpful to simply normalize that it's ok to feel two things at once. Usually, one of the two is more "taboo". "Of course you are feeling disappointed by your friend's actions. Being disappointed doesn't mean you are not appreciative of the positive aspects of your friendship." "Of course you
When I turn on my shower to heat up the water, I put a jar on the floor. Weird? Maybe. I once read a suggestion to reuse wasted water for household means. The idea stuck with me and the next time I turned on the shower I grabbed a jar. As the water
This May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. For #GEHFM the Work/Life Center is embracing the theme of Wholehearted Living. Wholehearted living is a concept developed by writer and research professor, Dr. Brené Brown. Wholehearted living can be seen in behaviors that promote physical and emotional self-care, gratitude, compassion, mindfulness and
Magical thinking is a typical behavior in which a child believes their thoughts and actions can control outcomes. Take the example of when a pet dies and the young child has to reason with the new concept of loss. The child perceives this loss as something they could have controlled or something they can potentially fix. Examples:
Thanks to Laurie Berzack, MSW, this week's guest blogger for the Work/Life Relationship Series! I've been a matchmaker for more than a decade, I've seen and heard it all. Do you really have no time to meet someone or is that merely an excuse? If you DO want to find the love of
Thanks to Sara Thatcher, LCSW, for today's Relationship Series guest blog. So you are married with a toddler…Who has time for a spouse? Becoming a parent completely changes the dynamic between spouses. Sleeping in and cuddling with your beloved on weekends is replaced by little voices requesting your undivided attention
If “ugh” is the response that comes to mind when you remember today is Valentine’s Day – this is the post for you! We want you to have a GREAT night tonight. A great night doesn’t have to be filled with over-the-top activities. A great night can consist of doing something
Throughout life we are bound to grieve many things but often may not realize when we are grieving. I am not referring to the grief felt after the death of a loved one. This post is not meant to equate these losses to the experience of the death of a
When someone is sick or in the hospital, it may not be long before the casserole patrol comes a knockin'. "Casserole patrol" is the term a witty colleague of mine used to describe the friends and neighbors who bring food when someone is sick. I've been there before, standing at a doorstep with a pot of chili
I recently celebrated my one year anniversary at SAS. I don’t use the word celebrated passively; there was delicious food, time for reflection, and of course selfies. I'm still in awe of this work environment and my awesome team. So what have I learned in this past year? Mayonnaise mixed
In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert paraphrases a famous quote by Richard Bach when she writes, "Argue for your limitations and you get to keep them". That saying is now on a sticky note at my desk and a reminder to reflect on the excuses I make for myself.
You've seen the terms #squadgoals or #lifegoals - to me, one #worklifebalancegoal is to be able to have time to volunteer outside of work. I could go on about the importance of service and how we are all connected but will have to save that soapbox for a different blog/time. From a happiness
As a hospice social worker I considered it one of my roles to remind patients and families to take moments to slow it down; to look around at the person they were about to lose and the people who were about to experience the loss. I knew it was time
Last weekend my boyfriend and I saw a license plate with the letters “E-A-T”. We joked this was a cool license plate, especially as eating food is one of our favorite things to do. I saw two other EAT license plates that weekend and then FIVE more on Monday. It’s funny
Contrary to popular belief, it is okay to: 1.Let yourself feel emotions other than happiness. Happiness is great. I love happiness. But to feel happy 100% of your life is not human. Happiness doesn’t mean denying other feelings like frustration, sadness, disappointment, etc. It takes some confidence and skill to allow yourself to feel
Last month in Lessons from Danny I wrote about embracing the present. So naturally on Thanksgiving the universe decided to see if I practice what I preach. I had rented a beach house for my family. Thanksgiving morning we packed up the car: three adults, two dogs, and a full turkey
