April is Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to focus on proactive stress management for better mental health and overall well-being. Stress awareness involves recognizing the triggers, signs, and symptoms of stress in yourself and others. This awareness is crucial for maintaining good mental health and overall well-being.

Know the signs of stress

Stress is a natural response to demands or challenges, but chronic stress can have detrimental effects on well-being. It can trigger physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and insomnia, as well as mental effects like anxiety and difficulty concentrating. When left unchecked, stress can lead to burnout and other serious health issues. It's essential to be aware of stress levels and recognize signs early so you can take steps to manage them.

Strategies to defuse stress

Effective strategies for managing stress include mindfulness practices, physical exercise, relaxation techniques, and reaching out for social support. Well-being and stress management are not a destination but a journey; small changes in daily habits can make a significant difference in reducing stress and improving your overall health. When you check in with yourself regularly and acknowledge that you feel stressed, you take a positive step toward building resilience and maintaining a balanced life. The next step is to use the resources available to you and ask for help when you need it.

Resources for well-being

Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (JHEAP)
If you feel overwhelmed, consider reaching out to JHEAP for free, short-term, confidential, professional counseling to help you navigate stress. JHEAP also offers personalized referrals for caregiving, health and wellness, pet care, household help, and legal and financial needs, taking the stress out of finding support.

Here are some resources from JHEAP to help you get through stress and live joyfully.

• Tips on How to Lead With Love Through Stress
• Loving-Kindness Bingo
• Make a Stress Management Preparedness Plan

JHEAP can be reached confidentially, 24/7, by calling 888-978-1262, by logging into CCA (company code: JHEAP), or through the CCA@YourService app. Counseling requests can also be submitted electronically.

Help with financial stress
To support you in managing your financial health, JHU partners with Marsh McLennan Agency, an independent investment adviser. Through MMA's Prosper Wise digital platform, you can access courses, articles, and tools to manage financial stress.

You also can schedule time to meet virtually with a financial coach, who is trained in financial planning, at no cost to you. MMA's coaches are unbiased and do not sell products or receive commissions.

Other resources for well-being

Burnalong is a virtual wellness platform that features thousands of online classes to help decrease stress, such as yoga, meditation, sleep management, and more. Click here to set up your free JHU Burnalong account.

If you're around the Homewood campus, consider biking or walking the Sustainability Trails. Check out this map from JHU Sustainability that shows places to stop and take a moment for yourself, such as the apple orchard, the monarch waystation, and various notable trees.

JHU students, faculty, and staff also have free access to the Calm app, which provides meditation instruction, sleep assistance, mindful movement and stretching, and relaxing music. You can use the app from your phone or desktop.

To stay up to date with JHU Worklife and Well-Being initiatives, subscribe to the Fueling Your Life monthly newsletter to learn about resources and offerings available to you beyond your usual benefits. Share this flyer to spread the word.