About the Webinar

August2021

Upcoming Webinar: You Can Be A Leader: Leadership Skills For All Staff

P: 1-866-327-9133 | E: Eas_help@csc.nj.gov | W: https://nj.gov/csc/employees/programs/advisory/eas.html

InsidePg2: Be a Leader From

Where You Are

Pg3: Back-to-School Tips for

Parents

Pg4: Beyond The Pandemic -

Returning to the Workplace

Pg6: National Wellness

Month

All staff members can be called on to lead others at one time or another. Whether it be taking the lead on a project or organizing a department function, the ability to lead and influence others is an important skill set. This important session is designed to help individuals that are not currently in a supervisory role to enhance leadership skills such as building strong bonds with colleagues, collaborating effectively on tasks and projects, and resolving conflicts that arise.

EMPLOYEE ADVISORY SERVICE NEWSLETTERWelcome to the New Jersey Civil Service Commission’s Employee Advisory Service (EAS) Newsletter! EAS is committed to improving the quality of life for all New Jersey Civil Service employees by encouraging a good work-life balance. The EAS Employee Newsletter contains useful articles and information for managing various well-being and work-life issues in order to create a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace.

When: Tuesday, August 24thTime: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

2 Source: U.S. Small Business Administration. (n.d.). Being a leader. Retrieved February 5, 2015, from https://www.sba.gov/

The increasing rate of change in the business environment is a major factor in this new emphasis on leadership; whereas in the past, managers were expected to maintain the status quo in order to move ahead, new forces in the marketplace have made it necessary to expand this narrow focus. The new leaders of tomorrow are visionary. They are both learners and teachers. Not only do they foresee paradigm changes in society, but they also have a strong sense of ethics and work to build integrity in their organizations.

Raymond Cattell, a pioneer in the field of personality assessment, developed the Leadership Potential equation in 1954. This equation, which was based on a study of military leaders, is used today to determine the traits that characterize an effective leader.

The traits of an effective leader include the following:• Emotional stability—Good leaders must be able to tolerate frustration and stress. Overall, they must be well-adjusted and have

the psychological maturity to deal with anything they are required to face.

• Dominance—Leaders are often competitive and decisive, and usually enjoy overcoming obstacles. Overall, they are assertivein their thinking style as well as their attitude in dealing with others.

• Enthusiasm—Leaders are usually seen as active, expressive and energetic. They are often very optimistic and open to change.Overall, they are generally quick and alert and tend to be uninhibited.

• Conscientiousness—Leaders are often dominated by a sense of duty and tend to be very exacting in character. They usuallyhave a very high standard of excellence and an inward desire to do their best. They also have a need for order and tend to bevery self-disciplined.

• Social boldness—Leaders tend to be spontaneous risk-takers. They are usually socially aggressive and generally thick-skinned.Overall, they are responsive to others and tend to be high in emotional stamina.

• Self-assurance—Self-confidence and resiliency are common traits among leaders. They tend to be free of guilt and have littleor no need for approval. They are generally unaffected by prior mistakes or failures.

• Compulsiveness—Leaders are controlled and very precise in their social interactions. Overall, they are very protective of theirintegrity and reputation, and consequently tend to be socially aware and careful, abundant in foresight, and very careful whenmaking decisions or determining specific actions.

• Intuitiveness—Rapid changes in the world today, combined with information overload, result in an inability to knoweverything. In other words, reasoning and logic will not get you through all situations. In fact, more and more leaders arelearning the value of using their intuition and trusting their gut when making decisions.

• Empathy—Being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes is a key trait of leaders today. Without empathy, you can’tbuild trust; without trust, you will never be able to get the best effort from your employees.

• Charisma—People usually perceive leaders as larger than life. Charisma plays a large part in this perception. Leaders who havecharisma are able to arouse strong emotions in their employees by defining a vision that unites and captivates them. Using thisvision, leaders motivate employees to reach toward a future goal by tying the goal to substantial personal rewards and values.

Being A Leader From Where You AreOver the past several years, one of the most important contributions psychology has made to the field of business has been in determining the key traits of acknowledged leaders. Psychological tests have been used to determine what characteristics are most commonly noted among successful leaders. This list of characteristics can be used for developmental purposes to help managers and employees gain insight and develop their leadership skills.

3 Source: USA.gov. (2016, August 8). Back-to-school guide for teachers and parents. Retrieved January 3, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/

• Schedule time with teachers. Keep an open dialogue with school staff to help your children thrive.• Get those shots. Some schools require immunization records for entry. Find out if your child needs any vaccines before school starts.• Ease into the school routine. A good night’s sleep is key to a successful school day. Preschoolers need 11–12 hours of sleep a night,

and school-age children need at least 10 hours, while teens need 9-10 hours.• Pack a healthy and safe lunch. Choose a balanced meal for your children’s lunchbox, and make sure you keep hot foods hot

and cold foods cold. Low-income families may qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.• Shop smart. Some states have sales-tax holidays in August. Make a list, know what you need, and shop the sales. Knowing

where the bargains are will help you save.• Talk to your kids about online safety. Identity theft, cyberbullying, or inappropriate behavior that can happen online. Teach your

children about online safety as they use social media to connect with old and new friends at school.• Plan and practice how to get to school. If your kids’ school or school system provides bus transportation, find the nearest stop

to your home and the pickup and drop-off times. Teach your kids to be safe whether by car, bus, bicycle, or walking.• Teach time management. Leisure time, sports, and “screen time” can interfere with homework. Keep your family’s schedule on

time with these tips.• Make sure kids are insured. Your child could qualify for free or low-cost insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health

Insurance Program (CHIP).• Listen to your kids. Anxiety and nerves can take over, so provide a safe environment at home and in the classroom. Talk to kids

about bullying and what to do if they encounter it.• Get tax credits on tuition. Check out these IRS tips to see what kind of tax credits you can get based on the price of education:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/back-to-school-learn-about-tax-credits-for-education.• Watch career spotlight videos. Is your child curious about future career paths? Look up some career spotlight videos to show

him/her.• Learn money management. No student wants to interrupt his or her education because of financial troubles. Get age-appropriate

checklists to help students manage finances while in elementary school, high school, or college.

Back-to-School Tips for ParentsBack-to-school time can be both exciting and stressful for parents and teachers alike. Getting ready for the first day of classes is an arduous effort. Check out these tips to help make this year’s back-to-school time easier:

Leaders are rarely (if ever) born.

Circumstances and persistence are major components in the developmental process of any leader, so if your goal is to become a leader, work on developing those areas of your personality that you feel are not up to par.

For instance, if you have all of the basic traits but do not consider yourself very much of a people person, try taking classes or reading books on empathy. On the other end, if relating to others has always come naturally to you, but you have trouble making logical decisions, try learning about tough-mindedness and how to develop more psychological resistance. Just remember, people can do anything they set their mind to.

Know how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.Be sure to continue following the recommended measures to prevent spreading the virus, both at work and on your commute to and from work. Even people who are vaccinated can come down with—and spread—COVID-19, though the risk is greatly reduced. When at work, follow your employer’s instructions on maintaining physical distance from coworkers and customers, wearing a mask, washing your hands often, and disinfecting surfaces that other people touch. Stay home when you are sick, even if you have only mild symptoms. Stay home, too, if a member of your household has symptoms of COVID-19. You can learn more about protecting yourself and others from COVID-19 on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/returning-to-work.html).

Consider your risk.Are you or another member of your household at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19? (See information about this on the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html). If so, you may need to take extra precautions. Check with your manager or your human resources (HR) representative to explore how your work might be adjusted to accommodate your increased risk. How might you work in a way that minimizes your contact with other people?

Be clear with your manager about your caregiving responsibilities.If you have children at home who can’t attend school or child care because of changes related to the pandemic, let your manager know. Explain your situation—that school is operating virtually or your child care is closed—and see if you can work out an arrangement that allows you to continue to work without putting your children at risk. The same is true if you are caring for an older or infirm family member and the care you used to rely on is no longer available.

Ask questions if anything is unclear to you or feels unsafe.Don’t be afraid to reach out to your manager or HR representative if you have questions or concerns about the transition to in-person work. Asking questions to understand the details of changing work arrangements can help you feel more confident that your employer has planned the transition carefully. If you have ideas for improving your employer’s plans, suggest them to your manager. Becoming involved with the transition can make you feel more in control of the situation, and your ideas might help make work safer and more efficient for everyone.

BEYOND THE PANDEMIC - Returning to the WorkplaceThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work. Many workers have continued to go into their workplaces throughout the pandemic, adopting new health and safety measures. Others have found ways to work from home and may not have seen their coworkers or customers in person for many months. As the number of people who are vaccinated grows and the incidence of COVID-19 in the community drops, many workplaces that have been closed or operating with limited staff will reopen.

You may be excited or apprehensive about returning to your workplace—or likely a bit of both. That’s natural and to be expected. Shifting to work from home was a big change, and returning to the workplace will be another. Here are some ideas that can help make this next adjustment a bit easier.

Understand what will be expected of you.Familiarize yourself with your employer’s plans, including any new procedures or schedule changes. Masks may be required. Barriers may be installed between workstations. There may be rules about gathering in groups for meetings or breaks. Schedules may be altered to keep the number of people in the workplace down, with some people coming in and some people working from home on assigned days. Listen to and read directives carefully so you know what to expect and what will be expected of you.

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Be prepared.Take time to gather any work equipment that you need to bring back to the office. Make sure this is organized and ready to go the night before so that you can grab it on your way out the door the next morning. Be sure to include things you might need to protect yourself, such as masks and hand sanitizer. Since you may be combining work in the office and work at home for a while, organizing a work bag for yourself could keep you from forgetting something important. Plan, too, for how you will get to work safely, and any special arrangements you may need to make for your children or other family members.

Allow yourself extra time.The schedule you followed before the pandemic may be too tight now. Allow extra time for your commute if public transportation is operating at reduced capacity. Factor in time for any new drop-off procedures at your child care provider. You might need extra time if symptom screening is conducted at the entrance to your workplace or if elevators are operating at reduced capacity. You’ll also want some extra time to settle back into your workspace.

Be patient with yourself and others as you adjust to a changed work environment.When you return to the workplace it probably won’t feel like “getting back to normal.” With masks, physical distancing, and restrictions on gathering in groups, your workplace may feel different and possibly a little uncomfortable. After months of pandemic isolation and wariness, you may have changed, too. You may become anxious when others come close to you, or tire more easily from social interactions. Even if you have no hesitancy about jumping back into the social engagement of in-person work life, some of your coworkers may. Be patient with yourself and others as you adjust to the new work environment.

Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.If you find yourself becoming tense and anxious, either in anticipation of your return to the workplace or while you are there, practice a stress-management technique that works for you. You might try the following:

• Deep breathing—Slowly breathe in through your nose to fill your lungs, then slowly exhale through your mouth.Concentrate on your breathing, rather than your worries, and feel yourself relax.

• Progressive muscle relaxation—Relax each muscle group one by one, moving from your toes to your head. You might massagethe muscles that get particularly tight when you are tense, which might be in your jaw, neck, or shoulders.

• Meditation—While sitting comfortably, focus your mind on just one thing. That might be your breathing, a calming wordyou repeat to yourself, or an object directly in front of you. With practice, you’ll learn to shut out distractions so that meditationleaves you calm and refreshed.

• Mindfulness—Focus your mind on the present moment—what is happening right now, the sounds and smells around you, howyour body feels—and accept it as it is. By concentrating on the here and now, rather than what has happened, what might happen,or what you think should happen, you’ll find yourself growing calmer and more relaxed.

There are many other ways to relax, too, including a walk outside (especially in nature), listening to soothing music, and yoga. Healthy eating, sleep, and exercise habits also play a role in managing stress. Pay attention to your body and your emotions. When you feel the signs of tension, take a few minutes to pause and calm yourself.

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help.Even in the best of times, people can find themselves with worries that seem too difficult to manage. These are extraordinary times, in which many people are facing unprecedented worries and stress. If you are anxious about the transition back to in-person work, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. EAS is available to help you process difficult emotions, manage stress, and navigate change. The program can provide expert help in a telephone consultation, refer you to a counselor for additional support, and help you find child care or elder care resources.

Source: Morgan, H. (2021, April 19). COVID-19: Returning to the workplace (C. Gregg-Meeker & B. Schuette, Eds.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options.

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Make a plan.Make a plan that includes small, reasonable goals and specific actions you’ll take to move toward them. “If you walk by the vending machine at work and buy junk food every afternoon, try walking a different way to eliminate that decision, and bring healthy snacks from home,” Czajkowski says. “Whenever possible, make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

Consider what you think you’ll need to be successful. How can you change things around you to support your goals? You might need to stock up on healthy foods, remove temptations, or find a special spot to relax.

Get friends and loved ones involved. Research shows that people’s health behaviors tend to mirror those of their family and friends. Invite them to join you, support you, and help you stay on track.

It’s also important to plan for obstacles. Think about what might derail your best efforts to live healthier. How can you still make healthy choices during unexpected situations, in stressful times, or when tempted by old habits?

Stay on track.Doing positive things for yourself can feel exciting and rewarding, but there will also be times when you wonder if you can stick with it. “Identify negative thoughts and turn them into realistic, productive ones,” Marsch advises.

Keeping a record can help. You can use a paper journal, computer program, or mobile app to note things like your diet, exercise, stress levels, or sleep patterns. A study of people who lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year found that they often tracked their progress closely.1

National Wellness Month August 2021Take time during National Wellness Month to focus on the importance of self-care, stress management, and establishing healthy routines in your daily life. Below are tips for creating healthy habits.

Make better choices easier.Everyone knows that making healthy choices can help them feel better and live longer. Maybe you’ve already tried to eat better, get more exercise or sleep, quit smoking, or reduce stress. It’s not easy, but research shows how you can boost your ability to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s frustrating to experience setbacks when you’re trying to make healthy changes and reach a goal,” says National Institutes of Health (NIH) behavior-change expert Dr. Susan Czajkowski. “The good news is that decades of research show that change is possible, and there are proven strategies you can use to set yourself up for success.”

Lots of things you do impact your health and quality of life, now and in the future. You can reduce your risk for the most common, costly, and preventable health problems—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity—by making healthy choices.

Know your habits.Regular things you do—from brushing your teeth to having a few drinks every night—can become habits. Repetitive behaviors that make you feel good can affect your brain in ways that create habits that may be hard to change. Habits often become automatic—they happen without much thought.

“The first step to changing your behavior is to create an awareness around what you do regularly,” explains Dr. Lisa Marsch, an expert in behavior change at Dartmouth College. “Look for patterns in your behavior and what triggers the unhealthy habits you want to change.”

Maybe you eat too much while watching TV or join a friend on smoke breaks even when you don’t want a cigarette. “You can develop ways to disrupt those patterns and create new ones,” Marsch says. For instance, eat meals with the TV off, or join friends for healthy activities, like walk breaks.

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“Even when you think you’re about to ‘fall off the wagon,’ hold on,” Czajkowski says. “Continue to track your behavior. Sometimes when you feel like you’re failing, you can learn the most.”

Marsch and others are working on digital technologies, like mobile apps, that could support you in a moment of weakness. Her team is also using technology to learn more about how to measure and increase the ability to monitor and control behavior.2

“The more you practice self-control, the better you become at it,” says Dr. Leonard Epstein, who studies behavior change and decision-making at the University at Buffalo. “You develop the capacity to act and react another way.”

Think about the future.Epstein has found that some people have a harder time than others resisting their impulses. He calls this delay discounting, where you discount, or undervalue, the larger benefits of waiting in favor of smaller immediate rewards.3 This can lead to things like overeating, substance abuse, drinking or shopping too much, or risky sexual behavior.

“You can learn to postpone immediate gratification through episodic future thinking, or vividly imagining future positive experiences or rewards,” he explains. “It’s a great way to strengthen your ability to make decisions that are better for you in the long run.”

Epstein is now studying how to use this technique to help people who are at risk for type 2 diabetes prevent the disease.4

Focusing on how a change might heal your body and enhance your life can help. When you stop smoking, your risk of a heart attack drops within 24 hours. Reducing stress can lead to better relationships. Even small improvements in your nutrition and physical activity can reduce your health risks and lengthen your life.

Be patient.Sometimes when you’re trying to adopt healthier habits, other health issues can get in the way. “When you’re really struggling with these behaviors, ask yourself if more is going on,” Czajkowski says. “For example, mental health conditions like depression and anxiety can be tied to unhealthy behaviors.”

A health professional can work with you to address any underlying issues to make change feel easier and to help you be more successful.

You’re never too out of shape, too overweight, or too old to make healthy changes. Try different strategies until you find what works best for you. “Things may not go as planned, and that’s okay,” Czajkowski says. “Change is a process. What’s most important is to keep moving forward.”

Wise Choices: Building Healthy Habits• Plan. Identify unhealthy patterns and triggers. Set realistic goals. Write down steps to help you achieve them.• Change your surroundings. Find ways to make healthier choices easy choices. Remove temptations. Work for changes in your

community, like safe places to walk.• Ask for support. Find friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, or groups for support, or ask people to join you.• Fill your time with healthy activities. Try exercise, a favorite hobby, or spending time with family and friends.• Track your progress. Record how things are going to help you stay focused and catch slip-ups.• Imagine the future. Think about future benefits to stay on track.• Reward yourself. Give yourself a healthy reward when you’ve achieved a small goal or milestone, like a massage or personal

time.• Be patient. Improvement takes time, and setbacks happen. Focus on progress, not perfection.

References

1. Voils, C. I., Olsen, M. K., Gierisch, J. M., McVay, M. A., Grubber, J. M., Gaillard, L., et al. (2017, February 20). Maintenance of weight loss after initiation of nutrition training: A randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 166(7), 463–471. doi: 10.7326/M16-21602. Marsch, L. A., Guarino, H., Acosta, M., Aponte-Melendez, Y., Cleland, C., Grabinski, M., et al. (2014, January). Web-based behavioral treatment for substance use disorders as a partial replacement of standard methadone maintenance treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 46(1), 43–51. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.08.0123. Sze, Y. Y., Stein, J. S., Bickel, W. K., Paluch, R. A., & Epstein, L. H. (2017, July). Bleak present, bright future: Online episodic future thinking, scarcity, delay discounting, and food demand. Clinical Psychological Science, 5(4), 683–697. doi: 10.1177/21677026176965114. O’Donnell, S., Oluyomi, D. T., & Epstein, L. H. (2017, May). Does goal relevant episodic future thinking amplify the effect on delay discounting?Consciousness and Cognition, 51, 10–16. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.02.014

Wein, H. (Ed.). (2018, March). Creating healthy habits: Make better choices easier. NIH News in Health. Bethesda, MD: U.S. National

Institutes of Health (NIH). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/