Are you recovering from the holiday marathon? Maybe it’s new year, new you?
The year-end holiday stretch can feel like a roller coaster ride — from leftovers to candy hangovers, run-ins with eccentric family members, holiday shopping, holiday travel, holiday blues — and when you reach the first official week of the new year, you’re ready for a reset.
With everything happening during the holiday rush, your benefits coverage is probably the last thing on your mind to combat post-holiday stress. But, it shouldn’t be! As it turns out, there are a few key features in your coverage, that we’d like you to consider as a way to start the new year off right.
Lean on Health Advocate
Many people may think that Health Advocate just helps find in-network care, but the truth is it’s so much more! This service is like a free, personal health care and benefits support team. It’s available 24/7, in over 250 languages, and available for your entire family. (Yep, even your in-laws!)
Along with helping you find a provider, Health Advocate also offers:
- Support in understanding diagnoses, treatment options, medications and preparing for doctor visits.
- Claim support, coverage questions, billing errors and understanding prior authorizations.
- Guidance on prescriptions, procedures and negotiating bills.
Health Advocate can be a great help in reducing the unnecessary stresses of health care. Click here to learn more and sign up, or call 866.695.8622.
Try Exercising & Breathing Techniques
Exercising is a proven method for better health, as it helps to drop unwanted pounds and can boost your physical health. During the holidays, it’s not uncommon for people to slack off a bit in their routines; it’s the holidays, after all. It’s time for relaxation.
When the new year comes, many people state they want to start or restart an exercise routine. In fact, nearly 50% of survey respondents say their health and fitness is a top goal for the new year. However, there’s more than just the physical aspects that exercising can help.
One instance is improving your mental health. Cognitive functioning, mood, energy and sleep improve when doing leg day, for example, while reducing stress, anxiety, depression and even cognitive impairment and dementia risks.
Because your employer has partnered with ADP TotalSource®, not only can you explore a variety of gym memberships but also get discounts on those memberships! So, if you’re looking for a gym after the holidays, we’ve got something for that. Keep scrolling to check out the LifeMart discount options below.
Don’t want to head to the gym? Don’t worry. We have you covered there, too.
Breathing techniques can easily be done anywhere, anytime you feel stressed. Deep breathing can help manage that holiday travel stress, while also reducing feelings of anxiety and depression, stabilizing/lowering your blood pressure and promoting calm. To start, try the box or four-square method:
- Breathe in through your nose for a count of four seconds
- Hold in the breath for a count of four seconds
- Exhale for a count of four seconds
- Rinse and repeat
Using these breathing techniques can be a great way to calm yourself if the holiday atmosphere starts to overwhelm you. You can also use our next resource.
Call the Employee Assistance Program
While some find joy in spending time with family and friends, others find this time with loved ones stressful, even mentally exhausting. Along with mental health concerns, kids are usually out for the holidays, meaning parents may struggle with finding child care resources.
This is where the Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, comes in.
EAP is a free benefit resource providing professional support for you and your family, from personal to work-related issues and anything in between. Here are some examples of how EAP can help:
- Help with child care. EAP can support you with referrals for child care options, such as day care centers, in-home care or education services. EAP can also help with child development, education and even prenatal care or adoption support.
- Help with parents. If you’re worried about your parents or grandparents, EAP offers care options and living arrangements, transportation services and home meal deliveries.
- Life changes. Whether you’re planning your wedding or moving to a new place, EAP can help with financial and legal concerns, retirement planning, moving services, automotive services and more.
- Need to talk to someone. Holidays aren’t the only times of the year that bring stress. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed throughout the year, which is why EAP offers 8 free counseling sessions per topic, per year. You decide if you want to talk face to face, over the phone or video chat.
To learn more about the EAP, click here or call 866-574-7256.
Give a Pet Some Pets
If you weren’t already aware of the Internet, you might think it was just a place for cat videos.
Talk to any pet owner and you’ll hear their excitement, happiness and yes, even frustration with their pet.
Many pet owners describe their fur babies like members of the family and for good reason – as of 2024, 66% of US households own at least one pet, while globally, half the population is estimated to have a pet.
And of course, 97% of owners state their pet is a beloved family member.
Research shows that owning a pet can create better health outcomes. Dog owners can certainly attest to the amount of outdoor physical activity Chomper will make them do, but pet owners can also gain mental health benefits, with a stronger sense of physical and psychological well-being. Emotional support animals show that pets can decrease mental and psychological stress and ease feelings of loneliness.
Our friends at Wagmo offer pet wellness benefits for your current or potential fur baby. And because your employer is an ADP TotalSource client, you can get preferred pricing! Check out their plans here.
Explore LifeMart
These days, people are cost conscious.
You might be cutting back on a few expenses, stretching your dollars as much as you can. After the holidays, you might feel stressed when you look at your credit card statement; or maybe you’re avoiding it until the last minute.
Consider LifeMart – a marketplace that provides exclusive discounts on brands you know and love to help you save money on movie tickets, phone plans, home delivery options and more.
More importantly, some of these exclusives can help reduce your post-holiday stress with discounts on home security systems, debit reduction services, travel, automotive services and software programs.
LifeMart is where you go to save time, money and energy. Click here to check out their current deals.
Beneficial De-stressing
ADP TotalSource offers a variety of options that support and protect your health – mental and physical. Reach out to our MyLife Advisor team at 844-448-0325 for questions or further details.