Stress Management Services
Stress has become a
chronic problem for American workers.
Events, thoughts, feelings, or any number of physical or emotional
changes can trigger this reaction in each of us. The detrimental effect of stress on our physical and
emotional health has been well documented in the scientific research.
As the pressures to try to balance work and family life and deal
with economic, health, and other issues become more complex, learning to
manage our personal levels of stress is ever more critical.
As employees of Goddard Space Flight Center we have access to many
services and entitlements that can directly or indirectly help us deal
with stress or avoid it altogether.
Many programs have been
established at Goddard to help us to better manage the relationship
between our home and work lives. Flexible
work schedule options allow employees to establish work schedules that
balance the needs of the workplace with personal needs.
The Telecommuting Program enables employees to perform certain work
at home on a regular or intermittent basis.
"Family friendly" leave provides alternatives for periods
of absence associated with our own or our family members' medical
conditions, bereavement, childbirth, and adoption.
The Leave Transfer Program allows us to receive donated leave for a
serious medical condition, either our own, or that of certain family
members who require our care. The
staff of the Human Resources Operations Office, including Human Resource
Management Specialists servicing each organization, a Work and Family
Issues Coordinator, and a Benefits Specialist can provide you with
detailed information to address these needs.
More information about these programs
and contact points can be found on the "Contacts"
portion of this web site.
A source of stress for
some employees is career management.
The staffs of the Human Resources Development Office and the Human
Resources Operations Office provide advice and assistance pertinent to
career development and training. Dr.
Charles Hicks, who can be reached at 301-286-5794, provides one-on-one
career counseling. The Office
of Human Resources website (see above) indicates the full range of
programs and contact points.
Exercise has been shown to
be an effective stress reducer. Flexible work schedules can enable many of
us to fit exercise into our day. Maintaining
good health is important to help offset certain causes of stress as well
as to temper its results. Onsite
health and fitness facilities are available at Greenbelt and Wallops.
Services include physical exams, screening tests, work related
injury assistance, sick call, allergy shots, travel consultations,
wellness information, and counseling. Patients are encouraged to call for
appointments if they wish to speak to a nurse or physician about specific
health related concerns. The health unit at Greenbelt is offering a "Healthy
Lifestyles" seminar which includes a segment on stress reduction.
Employees interested in further information about this 8-week
session should contact the Health Unit at 301-286-6666.
Our Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) provides civil servants and families with a free and
confidential program to help individual employees and family members begin
to identify possible causes for stress and ways to reduce or manage this
stress. The employee
assistance professionals are well trained in the area of stress management
and are available Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for
consultation and appointments. There
are a number of ways in which the EAP can intervene with individuals,
groups, or organizations with the goal of educating people about different
reactions to stress and ways to effectively manage stress in order to
improve the overall quality of our lives.
For the organization or small group, the EAP offers a variety of
different workshops and seminars. The workshop, “Stress Management” can be tailored
specifically to address the needs of an organization.
Additional offerings related to stress management include
"Time Management," "Balancing Work and Family,"
"Dealing with Difficult People," and "Life Skills." Other services for the organization include the individual
attention and consultation provided by the EA professional for the manager
or management team. For the
individual employee or family member, the EAP offers consultations that
can be focused on helping an individual identify areas of stress in his or
her life and begin to learn the skills necessary to effectively manage
stress and improve overall wellness.
Services may include assessment, short-term counseling, referrals
to community providers and resources, and follow-up. Some of the common
issues individuals identify as causing stress include parenting,
eldercare, marital relationships, work relationships, adjustment to
change, emotional well-being, grief, loss, and many others.
The EA professional is trained to help identify which area(s) may
be causing the most stress and recommend methods to manage or resolve
these concerns. Enclosed is a
list of resources recommended by the
EAP for additional information on stress and related topics.
Each one of us reacts to
and deals with day-to-day and life changing events and circumstances
differently. I hope you will
take advantage of the many programs and services available to manage
stress in our lives.
A.V. Diaz
