January 2025 Benefits Buzz: Post-Holiday Reset

The holiday season can be a stressful time. Travel plans, inclement weather, and the many social functions we attend throughout the month of December can take their toll on us mentally, physically, and socially. The beginning of the year can be a refreshing time to set intentions for the year to come, but it can also bring feelings of post-holiday and winter blues.

Provo City School District’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Blomquist Hale is here to help you navigate the post-holiday stressors. Blomquist Hale provides free, confidential, in-person counseling sessions to help with a variety of issues. In addition to their free counseling services, Blomquist Hale can help with:

• Senior care planning
• Stress management
• Grief or Loss
• Financial or Legal problems
• Y mucho más.

Blomquist Hale App

The Blomquist Hale app gives you direct access to mental health resources such as webinars, informational handouts, articles, and more! To download the App, search for Blomquist Hale on Google Play (Android) or on the App Store (iOs).

Ways to Boost Your Mood

A great way to help combat the winter blues is to engage in mood boosting activities. Blomquist Hale suggests the below listed activities to practice during this time of transition:

Maintain a regular sleep schedule – during the winter when daylight hours are shorter, many people find themselves struggling to maintain their regular sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up as close to the same time as possible each day – within an hour is recommended!

Try a new hobby – start doing jigsaw puzzles, try a new recipe, or a new outdoor activity.

Socialize with friends and family after the holidays – incorporate a fun theme to your gathering or plan a game night.

Give yourself manageable tasks to accomplish – checking an item off your to-do list at the start of the day can provide motivation for a productive rest of the day.

Check something off your bucket list – go snowshoeing, karaoke at your favorite place, or spend a day baking all of those cookie recipes you saved on Pinterest. Don’t have a bucket list? Take some time to create one full of activities you’d like to complete during the winter months.

Bundle up and get outside – fresh air and Vitamin D are sure to improve your mental and physical health. If you have any questions, please contact Benefits at (801) 374-4879.

• Download the January Benefit Buzz