The holiday season can be stressful, and with the added stressors the pandemic has contributed, it’s more important than ever to take proactive steps to safeguard your mental health this Thanksgiving. An article from Medical News Today lays out five tips to help fend off the seemingly inevitable blues of a physically distant Thanksgiving. Topping the list are three mood-boosters that are often recommended—getting good sleep, keeping active and eating and drinking well. The article also recommends addressing any loneliness you might experience by making an effort to make contact either by phone or video chat with family and friends. Finally, align your expectations and be prepared for the different positions family and friends might take on the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to have clear and frank discussions with loved ones about what they can expect at Thanksgiving this year. 

With millions of employees working remotely, meeting tools such as Zoom have become our new remote workplace. Ben Aston, an online media entrepreneur, looks at how remote work can introduce unique mental health challenges, while also exacerbating those that existed before the pandemic. He recommends 10 steps to make sure employees are functioning at their best. The tips include being on the lookout for coworkers who appear exhausted or do not speak up during meetings; providing clarity around expectations and adequate support to accomplish tasks; reaffirming each employee’s value to the organization; and setting boundaries so employees do not “burn out” from overwork. Read more in his article from People Managing People.

A new episode of the Legal Speak podcast looks at the mental toll the ongoing election cycle is taking on lawyers and legal professionals. Law.com reporter Dylan Jackson discusses his reporting on how lawyers and law firm staff have attempted to stay focused on work despite around-the-clock news on issues still unresolved in the 2020 election.

Greater Good Magazine has eight questions to ask ourselves that can help us stay in touch with our feelings and build resilience to survive election stress. From “What’s happening in my body and mind today?” to “What am I grateful for today?” these questions remind us that no matter what happens with the election, we are not powerless. Check out the questions and the authors’ practical tips for maintaining our health and well-being during this challenging time.

According to a recent article in Psychology Today, mental stimulation and activity promotes better brain health and even a lowered risk of dementia. John Randolph, Ph. D. writes that “mental activity” could be defined in many ways, but includes reading, playing a musical instrument, working a crossword puzzle, playing board games or cards, going to museums and more. He cites several recent studies showing that people who engage in these types of hobbies tend to have better memory, executive functioning skills and a reduced risk of dementia. In addition to hobbies, Randolph also mentions research that suggests having a more complex job has a “protective effect on the brain.” He also warns against being “mentally disengaged,” as it is associated with negative outcomes, including “atrophy in a region of the brain containing the memory-critical hippocampus.”

Between the COVID-19 quarantine and the ever-more electronically-plugged-in world, many of us are communicating through electronic screens more than ever before. Throw in rising political polarization and the thinning of the line between our public and private lives, it’s no surprise Americans feel less connected and more divided. In a new podcast, journalist Celeste Headlee talks about navigating the hard conversations that are happening these days. Headlee has spent 20 years in radio and television, appearing on NPR, PRI, CNN and the BBC, producing a show for Georgia Public Broadcasting, and anchoring several NPR shows. She also has authored two books: “We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter” and “Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving.” Check out the podcast here.

The heart of sensory awareness practice is living an awake and responsive life and is based on the principle that we cannot heal what we are not willing to address. Sensory awareness practitioner Lee Klinger Lesser will offer a two-day online workshop on the mornings of Oct. 24 and 25 beginning at 11 a.m. CDT each day to introduce the practice and how it can be used to address hard issues in our country’s past. The “Cultivating our Capacity to Respond: Sensory Awareness and Anti-Racism” workshop will explore the basics of sensory awareness, how to quiet sensations, and how to move into action. She will be joined by Jarvis Masters, who teaches mindfulness while serving on death row at San Quentin Prison. Proceeds from the workshop will benefit the Equal Justice Initiative, which is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting human rights.

Self-awareness is one of five essential inner skills, says Dr. Rick Hanson. (The others are letting go of painful experiences, insight into oneself, taking in positive experiences, and choosing well.) But when we suddenly start feeling angry or frustrated or sad — and don’t understand where those feelings are coming from — a well-developed sense of self-awareness will help us respond in more healthy and productive ways. To improve self-awareness, Hanson recommends these five practices: (1) spend a few minutes each day to “check in” with your emotions, thoughts and desires; (2) do an honest assessment of “inner world” areas that typically are ignored, suppressed, denied or disowned; (3) cultivate a daily practice that is centering and use it to create an inner sanctuary of peaceful, kind awareness; (4) reflect on the experiences of your younger self; if there are places where negative messages have been internalized, try being kind to yourself; and (5) keep practicing these skills!

In a remote work world, setting up clear boundaries is integral to protecting mental health and personal well-being. And as the pandemic continues to chip away at the rhythms we once knew, those boundaries are even more important. Aytekin Tank, a tech executive, says there are four signs of impending remote work burnout. They are: (1) not taking accrued time off, (2) using work as an escape from stress or our new uncertain reality, (3) lacking time and space boundaries for work (e.g., do not view your whole home as your office and don’t work on a project during family movie night!), and (4) “panic working” to deal with fears about job security. Read more about these signs and how remote work boundaries can protect your mental health as well as your job.

A well-being pledge that started two years ago with 13 law firms now has nearly 200 signatories, including firms, law schools, corporate legal departments and state agencies. The pledge asks legal employers to commit to a seven-point framework to combat substance use and mental health issues in the profession. Steps include bolstering education on mental health, well-being and substance abuse; reducing the expectation of alcohol at professional events; and providing confidential access to addiction and mental health experts. Some employers say they have had to get creative to get employees to participate. One firm, for example, allows lawyers to count mindfulness activities as part of their billable hour requirement. Read more from the National Law Journal on how the pledge is making a difference.