Wellness Under Pressure Toolkit
Welcome to the Wellness Under Pressure Toolkit. Well-Being Services and our Wellness Partners recognize that stress happens. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. That can create a lot of stress for our campus community members. Still, wellness can exist even during these tough times. So, we’ve created a resource called the Wellness Under Pressure Toolkit. This web-based tool kit provides practical ideas on how to be well during challenging times. By using the menu below, you can access practical information in the following areas:
- Staying healthy
- Making ends meet
- Managing time and work
- Coping with stress and uncertainty
The toolkit also features lists of direct services and resources. We will be updating the toolkit regularly. For example, we invite you to visit "Eat Well for Less: $7 a Day ($50 a Week) Menus" often.
Letter from the Director
Bette Davis once said, "Old age isn’t for sissies." We at Campus Wellbing Services believe that wellness isn’t for the faint of heart either. Wellness has gotten a bit of a bad rap as a feel-good luxury for people who are blessed with good health and comfortable lives.
In reality, wellness is about living the best life you possibly can, even under less than ideal situations; in fact even in pretty yucky ones. It's about being realistic while maintaining hope and optimism. Wellness is about building resilience.
Over the last several years, our nation, our state, and our university have gone through some pretty serious economic challenges. Well-Being Services realizes that, as a result, many employees may be grappling with questions such as:
- How do I do my work effectively with increased time constraints?
- How do I cope emotionally?
- How do I live well on less?
Well-Being Services and our Wellness Partners have teamed up to create a resource to address these issues. We invite you to visit our new web-based toolkit "Wellness Under Pressure." This web-based toolkit features practical information in the following areas:
- Staying Healthy
- Making Ends Meet
- Managing Time and Work
- Coping with Stress and Uncertainty
In addition, you can also find lists of direct services and resources in the Wellness Under Pressure toolkit.
Our hope is to further develop the toolkit over time, adding new resources regularly.
We have a tremendous group of Wellness Partners who work with us on endeavors such as this. I would like to extend special thanks to the partners who contributed to the development of the Wellness Under Pressure toolkit: Campus Recreation, Counseling Center, Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services, Illinois Human Resources, McKinley Health Center, Nutritional Services, and UI Extension Money Matters.
The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "an active process through which people become aware of and make choices towards a more successful existence". Well-Being Services is here to help employees through that process. Please contact me if you have any suggestions about the Wellness Under Pressure toolkit or about wellness programs in general.
Be well,
Michele Guerra, MS, CHES
Director, Well-Being Services
Managing Time and Work
Articles
Coping with Stress and Uncertainty
Articles
Making Ends Meet
Articles
Staying Healthy
Articles
Direct Services
Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services (FSAWS)
Our Services
The FSAWS provides confidential assessment, short-term counseling, and referral to U of I employees, retirees, and their immediate family members or significant others. Examples of issues addressed in counseling include work-related issues, relationship and family concerns, grief and loss, substance use/addictions, financial worries, stress, anxiety, depression, and other personal concerns.
Additional Services
- Supervisor Consultation: Consultation services are available for supervisors concerning identification and intervention strategies with employees who are experiencing personal and/or work-related problems.
- Trauma Debriefing: The FSAWS is available to provide assistance in individual sessions or groups to those who have been exposed to a traumatic event. After experiencing a traumatic event, it is common to experience emotional and physical symptoms. If treated within 72 hours, these symptoms can be reduced significantly.
- Customized Seminars: FSAWS staff offer customized seminars to all U of I departments. Seminar topics include, but are not limited to, stress management, conflict resolution, work/life balance, coping with change, and substance/alcohol abuse training for supervisors.
- Emergency Fund: The FSAWS administers an emergency fund grant program designed to bridge the gap when an employee's income is disrupted due to a crisis situation.
For information on any of the above services, please click here.
Resources
UIUC Employee Stress Management Resources
Managing Time and Work
Books
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen (2002)
Mind Tools
Practical articles and web tools to help people manage their time better. Resources include: template prioritized to do lists, activity logs, action plans, scheduling and goal setting tools, and more.
Coping with Stress and Uncertainty
Books
Web Resources
Support Group
Making Ends Meet
Getting through Tough Financial Times
Designed specifically to help families facing reduced income and financial challenges.
More for Your Money
This website provides help in designing a budget plan that will work for you. How to use credit wisely and save money is also covered.
Credit Card Smarts
A series of fact sheets about credit card topics such as selecting the right credit card, checking your credit report, managing your debt, and credit card laws that protect the consumer.
Plan Well, Retire Well: Your How-To Guide
A good resource on how to save money effectively. The website features money saving tips, information about tax-deferred retirement savings plans, and how to choose investments.