Words from Wellness | November 2021

As the days become shorter and the holidays approach, many people are filled with excitement and joy as we gather with loved ones and enjoy the coziness that comes with being at home on a snowy evening. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to adjust to the changing seasons as easily. It is estimated that 5% of Americans are diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder, and another 10 – 20% suffer from a phenomenon colloquially referred to as “ the winter blues ”. Symptoms may include: anxiety, depression, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, heaviness in the limbs, inability to concentrate, changes in sleep patterns, and more. Those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder may need medical intervention, and the intent of this article is not to diagnose or treat any condition. However, as someone who suffers from extreme bouts of the winter blues, I would like to share the intervention that I find most helpful, among use of a light therapy device and maintaining a nutritious diet. Exercise is a powerful tool when it comes to combatting the winter blues. ■ As Elle Woods taught us in Legally Blonde, “ Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands”. For a supposedly ditzy character, she makes an excellent point. Endorphins, hormones produced naturally by the nervous system during exercise, can have an analgesic effect, meaning they diminish the perception of pain. They can also produce feelings of euphoria, which is why you have likely heard of a runner’s high! ■ Bundle up and get outdoors! Even if it’s cloudy or the sun is at a low angle, the

beach. Love it. Do it. “ Pick up a little run! I’m terrible at running but do you! “ Go for a bike ride! Mountain bike, gravel, road, or all the above, bike until your ready to manage the day, then realize your lost in the woods, then enjoy that, too. “ Do any sort of joyful movement! Yoga, Olympic weightlifting, both, that new workout class you’ve been dying to attend, stretching, whatever YOU enjoy, and not what you feel you “should” do. This will help your mood, but please, please, please… do not think you need to earn your food. This is for your brain and body health, not for diet culture to make you think otherwise. YOU ARE WORTHY. Love yourself and have patience with the ones you love. Although I don’t subscribe to the idea of “Thanksgiving”, I find it to be a time to appreciate what and who I have in my life. Pet my mom’s puppy, smell the herbs roasting, spend time mindfully cooking, feeling the warmth, that soft sweater, my grandma’s homemade pies, text my sister about that stupid thing my uncle said, local wine, and definitely a big cheese plate. If we are talking about wellness, we should talk about our overall wellbeing, and how to truly feel better. Practicing the self-care and mindfulness as explained above will do miles more for you than the harmful thoughts towards holiday foods, or winter coming up, or whatever your worry may be. Your worry is valid, but keep moving, keep loving, keep the joy bright in your heart. ♥ reduced rays received when exercising outside can help with the hormones that regulate energy levels and sleep/wake cycles. ■ Is that your 7th cup of coffee? If your energy levels have tanked since the clocks rolled back, you might want to go out for a walk instead of reaching for the coffee pot again . Regular exercise can have metabolic benefits that will increase your energy levels so you don’t feel that afternoon sleepiness. ■ We’re better together. Going for a walk or hitting the gym with a friend can have a double benefit, because both exercise and socialization are proven to ward off the winter blues. ■ “Snack” your exercise. If you’re already feeling low motivation and decreased energy levels, the last thing you probably want to do is head to the gym for an hour- long cycling class. Instead of pressuring yourself to get it all done at once, take a few movement “snacks” throughout the day. Just as some people have snacks to hold themselves over between meals, short bursts of activity can be a good substitute when you don’t have time or energy for a whole workout. Additionally, you can get a dopamine boost from the satisfaction of completing a task, so you may feel better knowing you got something done! Just a few short walks per day can really add up and improve your mood! I hope that these tips help you to have a happy and healthy winter! Remember, you deserve to take care of yourself!

Winter Blues...and How to Beat Them by Samantha Hojnowski (Meriden)

- - - STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE HOLIDAYS - - - by Sydney Cl ark ( Nor wood )

Fall is an incredible time of year. I recall jumping in the piles of leaves as a kid while hearing my grandma yell to me to check for ticks, seeing the leaves change into a beautiful auburn fire in the sky, and the tell-tale, crisp breeze swirling in my lungs--one of the best feelings in the world. To me, fall is a time of joy, nostalgia, the coming ski season (and the unfortunate end of bike season), and all the holiday food I’ve been missing from last year. However, there is a part of the holidays we all dread: the unwanted commentary. We’ve all heard too many times to not talk about politics or religion, but there is one thing that is worse than it all: diet talk . That is the most unwanted of the commentary. Family members commenting on each other’s body changes, what’s on your plate, “working off the calories”, or somehow worse, “saving the calories”. The holidays are not meant to be spent hyper- fixating on yourself, they’re meant to be spent appreciating those around you. If you are comfortable, there is a chance to set boundaries with your holiday guests. There are incredible benefits of informing those you care about what you would prefer to have left at the door, but in a lot of cases, for example with my family, boundaries will be disregarded. So, what do we do to protect ourselves and our emotions from this yearly emotional beratement? It’s really different for everyone. If you need ideas, this is what I do: POUR A HOT CUP OF TEA, that might have hints of orange and spice—whatever you like --------- “ Sit or stand with your hands around the mug, inside or outside “ Take deep breaths, smelling the warmth, maybe even close your eyes “ If there are people around, take a deep

breath to appreciate your tea while mindfully listening to the sounds around you (if you’re in a direct conversation with someone, just don’t ignore them, but maybe step away after the convo) MEDITATE ------------------------------------- “ I use the Headspace app, because it’s guided, and has lots of options, including an “SOS” for times you really need to get out of your head, or change the scenario “ Take a second before company comes over, sit a moment with yourself, take deep breaths, notice what’s around you, close your eyes and listen and smell and feel, be kind to yourself. Maybe say some affirmations if that helps (google some). EAT! ------------------------------------------- “ Make sure you nourish yourself all day!!!! “ Start with a hearty breakfast like oatmeal with peanut butter and a smoothie, or poached eggs on avocado toast (and also probably a smoothie if it’s me) “ Still eat lunch, or some snacks, keep yourself satiated like you should on a normal day, and the holiday meal will not feel as much like desperate eating, and will make you less hangry so you won’t yell at the people judging your plate! STAY HYDRATED!!!! -------------------------- “ Please drink water. Just do this anyway. Everyday. So much water. EXERCISE OR TAKE A MINDFUL WALK OR RUN! “ I LOVE GOING FOR WALKS! Go for a walk. Throw some music or a podcast on. Do a little dance down the street. Listen to the birds chirping. Find a park you’ve never been to before. Skip some stones at the

Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash (or really, any veggie!) by Syndey Clark (Norwood)

PREFACE: I’ve never written down a recipe, and this is more of a guideline anyway. Some might find this chaotic, but I hope it is an introduction to exploring cooking. This is also a good recipe for anyone with dietary needs/preferences/allergies, being that it’s gluten free (my boyfriend has celiac disease so many of my recipes are GF or have a GF option), dairy free (for the lactose intolerant, etc.), and vegan. My email (sclark@blcompanies.com) is always open for cooking questions! For me, I like to go to the nearest farm stand and pick out whatever veggie looks nice that day. However, we don’t discriminate where or what you get for food. Because it’s fall, and people like sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, I’d like to showcase butternut squash, which is more my style. INGREDIENTS: z One (or more) Butternut Squash , cubed into ~1.5” orange cubes of happiness (the closer to even size, the more even the browning, but if you like variation, do a few odd shapes, because using the weird pieces that are inevitable with a butternut squash is sustainable! *reminder to use your broccoli stems, too*) ƒ *Again, you can really use anything for this. The only thing that really changes is the time it takes to cook. * z Garlic is a must and must be measured with your heart… fresh or powder. For powder, I like to shake with the bottle horizontal leaving a nice, even dusting over each cube, and then toss them with the other seasonings to make sure it’s relatively even. For fresh, I use a garlic smasher with about 4-7 cloves , but you can slice, dice, use one of those cool little garlic plates, microplane, or even do it like they do in Good Fellas. Rule of thumb for garlic: there is never too much garlic . z Salt is a preference, but for a large-ish squash (1’ long, 4” diameter approximately), I use a good three-finger pinch , which probably works out to about a tablespoon (probably will need more though) . z Black Pepper is the same as salt, about a tablespoon , or a lot of pepper-grind-rotations worth z Red Pepper Flakes (or gochugaru if you wanna go that route), (or chili crisp after it comes out of the oven), (or fresh fresnos or serranoes or jalapenos or pickled spicy peppers *I have a bomb recipe for that, too* after it comes out of the oven)… this one depends on your spice preference and is also totally optional. I generally sprinkle about a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes for the average day (I make this a lot). ƒ Paprika is a good substitution if you don’t want spice z Herbs! This is where you have the most free reign. Have a home herb garden? Use whatcha got! Dried herbs from McCormick? That’s cool, too! I like using thyme and/or sage. Make it a nice even cover, like the garlic, if dried, or a few bunches if fresh. Some other ideas include but are not limited to: Za’atar, Oregano, Tarragon, really anything. z Olive Oil! The most important part for roasting. 2-3ish tablespoons of EVOO should do the trick, add more if not all the squash are coated. If you don’t have olive oil, that’s fine, you can use avocado

oil, coconut oil, canola oil, really whatever you have. I do however recommend acquainting yourself with some good olive oil, if you have the chance, Action Bronson can back me up on this. INSTRUCTIONS: z Preheat your oven to 400F z Chop your squash, removing the skin, seeds, and cubing the flesh into ~1.5” pieces. If you like making stocks, I’ve used the skin in stock, it didn’t seem to change the taste but maybe it added some nutrients? Or compost your discards if that’s an option! z Spread out on a baking tray, or glass cake or pie pan, I don’t notice much difference, so use whatcha got! I sometimes even use my cast iron pan, and I’m sure I could use my cast iron Dutch oven packed in coals in the fire! z You can do seasoning first or oil first, then mix it all around to make it all even-ish. z I start the timer with 20min , but generally put it on for another 20min , tossing them around for even baking, or leaving them for extra caramelized yumminess . z Eat ‘em as is, or smush them up with the crispy pieces throughout z Plate with scallions, cilantro, some hot green finger chilis, or whatever you got/want! ƒ If you wanna be fancy, fry some fresh sage leaves to top and drizzle with hot honey LEFTOVERS: z MAKE EXTRA SQUASH . Just do it. You’ll be so grateful you did. z Tip: roast some shallots or onions, whole garlic cloves/heads, and maybe some other veggies with the squash, and blend with veggie or chicken stock and coconut milk for soup, OR blend with just a little veggie stock, to make a vegan butternut squash gravy, to put on those left-over mashed potatoes! Also, absolutely bonkers on roasted potatoes and fried shrimp. Take my word for it, it’s delicious. *Ask for my gluten free fried shrimp recipe!*

VITAMIN

Vital health information in a minute

Caregiving support Resources for you and your loved one Caregiving Support Resources for you and your loved one

Being a caregiver for a family member or friend who’s sick or has a disability is a tough job. It can be especially challenging if you’re still in the workforce. About 1 in 4 Americans is a caregiver, and most of them have other jobs, too. They spend an average of 24 hours a week caring for a loved one. 1 The responsibilities of caregiving can be both rewarding and exhausting. That’s why it’s important to build a network of support for caregivers. Tap into the following resources to help you navigate the demands of caregiving.

Wellness Resources & Benefits

Reminder! Past Wellness Webinars can be found on the Intranet! Documents and Resources > Video Library Solutions EAP Short‐term, confidential counseling and/or referral for employees and employee family members. www.solutions-eap.com Cigna Talkspace Convenient, safe and secure online therapy from any location. talkspace.com/cigna More resources can be found on the Intranet.

Meet with your health care team Connect with the health care providers involved in your loved one’s medical care. They can help assess the level of care needed and refer you to helpful resources. Lean on friends and family Take your friends and neighbors up on their offers to help. Often, they want to help but don’t know how. Delegate specific tasks, such as making a meal, shopping for groceries or making trips to the pharmacy. Hire some extra help Consider bringing in a home health aide to fill gaps with caregiving or household tasks. You might hire a cleaning or lawn service to keep up with chores around the house and yard. Or, enlist a neighborhood student or friend of the family to help for a few hours a week.

Choose home delivery Use delivery services whenever possible to save time and limit the number of trips you have to make. Ask your pharmacy about delivery by mail for prescription medications. Take advantage of delivery services for groceries, household goods and more. Join a caregiver support group Look for a local support group or join an online group for caregivers. Sharing your experiences allows you to express fear and frustration, deal with emotions and learn coping techniques. It may also help you look at the bright side of caring for a loved one. Connect with local organizations Check out community resources in your area. You may be eligible for occasional day care services, transportation services and other help. Check in with your local Area Agency on Aging for more information. Find help in your community by visiting eldercare.acl.gov .

Source: 1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get Support if You Are a Caregiver. https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/everyday-healthy-living/mental-health-and-relationships/get- support-if-you (last reviewed/updated January 24, 2020).

Offered by: Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company or their affiliates. This information is for educational purposes only. It’s not medical advice. Always ask your health care provider for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing, and care recommendations. All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life