Work/Life Balance
Do you remember going to a sleepaway summer camp when you were a kid? I do! My first sleepaway camping experience was a Girl Scout camp when I was in fourth grade. My mom helped me pack my duffle bag. We selected a pair of shorts, t-shirt, underpants, and socks
Beginning a new school year can be hard for little ones. Whether it is being dropped off the first day of preschool, starting kindergarten, going to a new school or getting a new teacher, young children can experience stress. A lot of times this stress presents itself as separation anxiety – not
There’s nothing like a funny race sign to keep you entertained during a race. Post chuckle, this one got me thinking. It’s true, making a lifestyle change - like adding 15-20 hours a week to train for long distance triathlon – definitely rocks the relationship boat. In our 8 years
I don't have a big vacation planned this summer. Don't feel sorry for me... I am going to Germany for a week in October and on Friday I leave for my second weekend at the beach. I have recently been reading about what makes a vacation "restorative". There is some cool
My colleague, Lisa, and I were comparing notes the other day. Both of us starting working in our teens (14 and 15 respectively) during the academic year as well as the summers. I worked at Sears in the drapery and bedspread department. I’ll never forget my first boss—Mr. Arnold. He
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
Time is marching on, despite my best efforts to slow it down. Larkin graduated from Enloe High School last week, and leaves for Virginia Tech in August. I am filled with joy and despair, often simultaneously, laughing through my tears, trying desperately to enjoy every minute with him and yet
I am delighted to have as one of my 2017 College Series’ guest bloggers, Theresa Maitland, PhD. Dr. Maitland is a Senior Learning Specialist and Academic Coach at UNC’s Learning Center. She has co-authored three books and engages in training and consulting with educational institutions. Q: When you think of
Among the many celebrations observed this month, May is National Bike to Work Month. If you’ve always wanted to commute by bike, this is a great time to give it a try. Depending on your specific location across the globe, the weather here in Cary, NC is typically mild in May
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
As part of the 2017 College Series, I have invited a few individuals to write guest blogs. Today’s blog comes from Christopher Campau, the Collegiate Recovery Program Coordinator for the state of North Carolina. If you have a student who has struggled with substance use in high school and you
I am having a rough spring. My allergies are awful, really dreadful. I got sick and couldn't knock it for months. I injured my hip flexor in December and on some days in Jan, Feb, and March it hurt to even stand still much less exercise. And did I mention I am 50? I
When we built our house in Durham ten years ago, I asked the builder if I could make a special request. He was very accommodating. He said he had heard it all. “Can you install a switch to turn off the doorbell?” That he had not heard. His response, “Why
Work Life has chosen the theme “Wholehearted Living” for Employee Health and Fitness month. In her book, “The Gifts of Imperfection”, Brene Brown sets down 10 guideposts for Wholehearted Living. They are all relevant and timely for me, but ultimately I decided to choose one to focus on during the
Each year at SAS, along with companies around the world, we celebrate health and fitness at work and this year is no exception! The Recreation and Fitness Center, Health Care Center, Work/Life Team, the Cafes, our Environmental Sustainability Team, and Research and Development Departments have teamed up to promote whole body
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
Hi! My name is Allison, and I recently completed my undergraduate work at UNC-Wilmington. I am currently in grad school at NC State getting my Masters in Social Work (Go Pack!), and am an intern in the Work/Life Center here at SAS. I am assisting Work/Life with aspects of the 2017 College Series
I have a pet peeve. When folks I barely know ask me to write them a letter of recommendation or reference. I say no when I feel that my sense of personal integrity would be compromised in the process. With youth, I don’t say no right away. I use it
In honor of March Madness, the RFC hosted our first March Mania Challenge led by our Fearless Trainer, Angie Fernandez. Team Captains gathered, or in my team’s case, conjured might be a better word ;), a group of five SAS Employees. Our task was to compete in dedicated Mania exercises consisting
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:
I was at the park with my three year old granddaughter this past weekend. As I was watching the parents running, fetching, pushing, I was reminded of some advice I received from a very wise woman when I had young children. She said, “If you are expending more energy than
As a single mom of 10 years, I have vacillated back and forth from “There is no evening that I wouldn’t rather take a bath than go on a date” to “ok, this might be fun.” Mostly, thinking about dating as a single parent just makes me tired. Whether you
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
In our Work/Life Relationship series we are trying to offer something for everyone. I thought a light-hearted blog of funny dating stories from LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) teens would be a good addition. This year W/L will be doing more educational offerings around parenting LGBTQ kids and
The last time I wrote a blog about teen dating, I shared that my colleague, Lisa Allred, and I were learning new terms from the teens in our lives. One was “ship”. Of course, the funny part was that although Lisa got the concept correct, she mis-remembered the actual term.
On any inauguration day in our country’s history people probably found themselves in one of three categories: happy & hopeful, disappointed & apprehensive, or apathetic & checked-out. Change is difficult, whether you perceive it as positive or negative. This blog is not to share which category I fall into but
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
Today's guest blogger is Liisa Ogburn, founder of Aging Advisors NC About one in every seven Americans is over 65 and that number is projected to increase to one in five by 2050. Ninety percent of people over sixty-five want to live out their days at home. However, only sixty
