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Benefits of Boundary-setting

Mental Health, Wellbeing

Are you the go-to person for your loved ones when they need help? If so, you are probably well aware that this can be stressful and take up a lot of your time and energy! Learning when—and how—to establish boundaries is an important pillar of self-care and overall well-being. Consider these benefits of boundary setting.

Helps you know your worth. When you become the go-to person for friends and family members—and maybe even coworkers—sometimes people may intentionally or unintentionally take advantage of your kindness and willingness to help. If you feel that you are repeatedly being asked in this manner, “no” is the best response to prevent this from continuing.

Allows you to focus on your well-being. Will helping cause you stress, emotional distress or negatively affect your well-being? If so, this might be a situation where you should say “no” to prioritize your well-being.

Keeps your priorities at the top of your list. Consider the impacts of saying “yes.” How will this affect things that are on your priority list? By setting boundaries, your priorities will in fact remain a priority, rather than being shifted by someone else’s needs.

Sets the other person up for success. Maybe the person needing your help is so accustomed to your support that they ask you before considering their other options. When you decline to help, be prepared to offer solutions so that they can still get the support they need and they can learn to problem-solve their own issues.

Helps you avoid burnout. This is especially important for work! Establishing boundaries between life and work can help you be more productive and feel better about your contributions in both places. 

Enables you to recharge your batteries. Making space for activities and people that boost, rather than drain, your spirits allows you to rest and restore the things you need to feel good.

Don’t feel ashamed of taking care of yourself first. After all, if you are not taking care of yourself, how can you be there for others? As a reminder, you and your household members can give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential support and referrals 24/7.

Substance abuse in the family: What you can do

Health, Wellbeing

Having a family member—whether it’s your spouse, parent, or teen—who has a drinking or drug problem can create an unhealthy effect on the entire family’s well-being. Alcohol or drug abuse can spark arguments, money problems, issues with responsibilities, and may even cause isolation from friends and relatives in order to hide or cover up the problem. If you suspect a family member has an alcohol or drug problem, consider the following tips: 

Speak to them privately to intervene as early as possible. Offer help and support without judgment. List specific examples of your loved one’s behavior that worry you, and urge them to seek help.

Avoid attempting to punish, threaten, bribe, or preach. Don’t use emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and compulsion to drink or use drugs. 

Don’t hide or throw out alcohol or drugs. Don’t cover up or make excuses for the abuser, or shield them from the negative consequences of their behavior. Don’t drink alcohol or use drugs with them. 

Don’t feel guilty or responsible for another’s behavior. You can’t force anyone to get help.

Look out for your own needs. Talk to your health practitioner or a mental health counselor or seek support from organizations like Al-Anon, which is for people worried about someone with a drinking problem. You may learn ways to take care of yourself and how to set limits with the family member who is abusing alcohol or drugs. This can help you focus more effectively on other important matters in your life. By helping yourself, you may be better able help the person with the problem. 

Contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). This service from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration offers individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance abuse disorders referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations, along with free publications. 

Offer children support. Children in families experiencing alcohol or drug abuse need attention, guidance, and reassurance from adults with whom they feel safe and who will offer them appropriate help for their age. They also need to just have fun and be kids. Look into participation in school or church-based support groups in your community.

Above all, remember that you are not alone. Drug or alcohol dependence disorders are medical conditions that can be effectively treated. Millions of Americans and their families are in healthy recovery from this disease.  Often a person with alcohol or drug dependence will need treatment provided by professionals just as with other diseases. Your doctor or one of the organizations listed here may be able to guide you.

Resources

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

National Institute on Drug Abuse

American Council for Drug Education

Check out additional substance abuse resources from Health Advocate or through the EAP, benefits eligible employees and members of their household may use Talkspace, a free text therapy app for five weeks.

The New 988 Mental Health Hotline is Live

Mental Health

In a tremendous achievement for mental health, July 16th marked the beginning of the phone number “988” being launched and recognized nationally as a new access point for critical mental health support, in the same way one dials “911” for emergency services. 

Dialing “988” will replace the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) and help meet the growing need nationally for urgent and emergent mental health care. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will remain active after July 16th while routing to the new number, 988 for ease of transition.

The goal of 988 is to reduce suicide attempts and deaths by suicide and provide individuals and their friends and families access to instant mental health support. It will also aid in more quickly and effectively planning longer term care to sustain recovery and quality of life for individuals.

988 is available if you’re having thoughts of suicide, feeling emotional distress, or struggling with substance misuse. 988 is also available if you have concerns about someone else and need guidance, help, or support. 

When dialing 988:

The call goes to a local crisis center

The caller is connected to a skilled and trained counselor

Counselors listen and provide personalized support, resources and help in a mental health emergency

Special routing is available for both veterans and Spanish-speaking individuals.

988 is free and available 24/7/365. This easy-to-remember number makes it simple to get the mental health support and help needed immediately.

As a reminder, you and your household members can also give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential support and referrals for 24/7 in-the-moment support.

This information was brought to you by Resources For Living.

©2022 Resources For Living

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Safety First

Safety First

Wellbeing

When you’re in the moment of enjoying the great outdoors, it’s easy to overlook common safety hazards especially after the recent pandemic lockdowns. Here are a few summer safety precautions to keep in mind while enjoying the beautiful outdoor weather:

Always have water on hand. This will help you remember to continue drinking it throughout the day.

Plan your day around the sun. The temperature tends to be cooler in the early morning and early evening. Plus, these times are when the sun’s rays aren’t as harmful, so going outside during these times can be safer. Spend most of your time in the shade, when possible.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, wear sunglasses with UV protection, and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Apply tick and other bug repellents and wear long pants in grassy or woodsy areas.

Life jackets are bulky, but a boating must! Boaters should also watch the weather before and during your time on the water and skip alcoholic beverages when driving the boat.

Practice Fireworks Safety. When using fireworks, keep a safe distance once lit and don’t point fireworks toward the face or body. Keeping water nearby to extinguish fireworks is always a good idea, too.

Watch Your Grill. Firing up the grill becomes a popular activity in the summertime. Be sure to practice food and fire safety, including only grilling outdoors, keeping kids and pets away, and keeping the grill cleaned of grease and fat. Additionally, never leave a grill unattended!

Summer is and should be a fantastic season for outdoor fun of all kinds. By taking precautions to protect your and your family, you can help ensure you enjoy this summer to its fullest. Check out more summer safety tips from Health Advocate.

Celebrating Pride Month

Take Pride in your Health and Well-being

Wellbeing, Wellbeing Hotline

During Pride Month, we take time to celebrate and reflect on the efforts and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community. A large part of accepting ourselves and our loved ones starts on the inside and works its way out. Loving one another and our own uniqueness takes bravery, self-compassion, and self-discovery. Practicing mindfulness and speaking with intention can help our community overcome uncertainty, navigate injustice, live authentically, find inner safety, cultivate joy, and grow resilience.

This month, try out Headspace and its new meditations for mindful language. Learn how meditation can help us be who we want to be and offer support to the many people in the LGBTQIA+ community as a place to heal and grow. Just search the app for these guided exercises:

  • Pride Affirmations meditation. Embrace your whole self through affirmations.
  • Living Authentically meditation. Greet your queer self with more kindness and acceptance.
  • Growing Compassion meditation. Act as an ally with radical compassion

If you or someone you know is struggling with their self-identity and acceptance, provided below are some helpful resources. Additionally, you and your household members can give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential support and referrals for 24/7 in-the-moment support.

Financial and Mental Health are important parts of your overall wellbing

Creating a Path for Financial Wellbeing

Financial Wellness, Mental Health, Wellbeing

It’s important to recognize how mental health and financial health contribute to our overall wellbeing. During May we want to take a moment to bring awareness to mental health and financial health concerns and provide resources that can assist you in achieving overall wellbeing.

There are multiple challenges to attaining mental and financial wellbeing. The pandemic had a profound impact on the American workforce. With layoffs, inflation and rising costs of everything from gas to housing, money is on the mind of many.  Americans are looking for financial stability, independence, and retirement security. In a recent TIAA Retirement Insights Survey, 65% of participants surveyed report an increase in their overall stress since the start of the pandemic1. The report also found 51% of participants are more anxious about being able to afford to retire when they want1.

To help and provide a clear path forward, you also have financial wellbeing resources available to you at TIAA and Fidelity.

Online Tools and Resources:

A cornerstone of GW’s financial wellness focus is to provide tools and resources to help you perform regular self-checkups and have financial consultants available to listen to your needs and goals and work on a path to your future in retirement.

  • 6-Minute Check-Up helps to improve your financial wellbeing by providing actionable steps and educational content that you can read at your own pace. You start by answering 10 questions to evaluate your connection to finances and concerns you may have. You will receive a score and an actionable plan with tailored educational content that you can complete and track your progress. Log in to TIAA.org and find the Check-Up in the “GOALS” tab.

Fidelity participant? Financial wellness shouldn’t feel like a balancing act. In under 10 minutes, take the financial wellness checkup, get your scores, and next steps to help improve. Take the Financial Wellness Check up!

  • Discuss your financial situation with a TIAA or Fidelity consultant:
    • Fidelity Investments – Make an appointment online or call 800-642-7131
    • TIAA – Make an appointment online or call 866-843-5640
  • Retirement calculators & financial tools that can help you create a budget, calculate your needs for retirement, learn how to invest, and understand how much income you’ll have in retirement. TIAA tools are available at TIAA.org/tools.

1 The 2022 TIAA Retirement Insights Survey was conducted online from Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 7, 2022 surveying 1,008 retirement plan participants ages, ages 25 to 70 employed full-time at a company with 50+ employees and participates in a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, and 500 benefit plan decision makers employed full-time at a company with 50+ employees and offers a 401(k) or 403(b) plan.

Mental Health Checkup

Time for a Checkup!

Mental Health, Wellbeing, Wellbeing Hotline

Physical health check-ups

We all know that our annual physical is important. Those checkups help catch health conditions and diseases early. And finding out sooner gives healthcare providers the best chance of starting the right treatment. It’s no different with mental health.

Mental health check-ups

Mental health symptoms may not be as noticeable as the flu, but checking in with your provider can identify if you’re struggling. Talk to your health care provider about any changes in your feelings, mood or behaviors. Let them know how you manage stress and anxiety.

A professional can help you learn new ways to manage sadness, worry or other overwhelming feelings. Taking action early to treat your symptoms can reduce the chance of things getting worse.

When it feels like too much

If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, fear, low self-esteem or lack of interest in things you used to enjoy, ask your health care provider for a mental health check-up or referral to a specialist. It can start you down the path to feeling better. You and your healthcare professional can discuss options for treatment including exercise, mental health education, counseling and medication.

Visit mhascreening.org for a free.private.anonymous screening.

Mental Health Awareness

Better Mental Health for All

Mental Health, Wellbeing, Wellbeing Hotline

For You: Practice self-care every day to build resilience

When you make time to care for yourself, it’s easier to help others. Self-care includes taking part in activities you enjoy as well as tending to your hygiene, nutrition, exercise and mental health. It can also help you enjoy each day more. Exercising your brain to build resilience can help you prevent or reverse the effects of burnout. Try the mental health fitness exercises below.

For Children: Mental health awareness: Children and teens

It’s never too early to address mental health needs. Young people need support for their mental health now more than ever. In the U.S. “1 in 6 youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year” and of those only half receive treatment.1 Early interventions are the best opportunity for support and it all begins with awareness.

Watch this video or read the transcript to learn about the mental health needs of children and teens. For more information, check out these resources:

If you’re a parent or someone who works with children and teens, learn about school and local resources available to them and let them know you’re available to talk about their mental health needs or struggles.

1Mental health by the numbers. Available at: NAMI.org. Accessed March 2022.

For Elders: Mental health is important at every age  

According to the American Psychological Association, as many as one in every five people who are 55 or older have a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. But fewer than three percent of older adults seek professional help.1 These mental health concerns should not be just considered a normal part of aging and can be helped.

To learn more, read Mental health and older adults and check out the Think Tank Older adults and mental health podcast series:Staying connected | Transcript

1Growing mental and behavioral health concerns facing older Americans. Available at: APA.org. Accessed March 2022.

It’s time to talk about mental health

If we see someone who has a broken arm, we don’t shy away from asking what happened or offering support. But if we see someone struggling emotionally, we don’t always know what to say or how to help. Just like with physical health, it’s important to be comfortable talking about mental health.

Check out Talking to friends and family about mental health concerns for tips to help start the conversation. The more you understand mental health, the better you can help yourself and others through tough times.

If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health issues, reach out. You and your household members can give the GW EAP a call for free, confidential support and referrals for any emotional or mental health concerns you may have, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Mental Health Awareness Month Back to Basics logo

Back to Basics: Practical Mental Health Information

Mental Health, Wellbeing

Since the start of the pandemic, more and more people are talking about mental health. An increasing number of folks are starting to see mental health for what it is: one important component of your overall health and well-being, just like your physical health. But mental health conditions, resources, and conversations can still feel complicated and out of reach.

Are there common warning signs for mental health conditions or crises? Are there specific factors that can lead to mental health conditions or even crises? What resources are out there – and how do I know if they’re right for me?

There’s often no one single cause for a mental health condition. Instead, there are many possible risk factors that can influence how likely a person is to experience a mental health condition or how serious the symptoms may be.

Some risk factors for mental health conditions include: trauma, which can be a one-time event or ongoing; your environment and how it impacts your health and quality of life (also known as social determinants of health like financial stability and health care access); genetics; brain chemistry; and your habits and lifestyle such as a lack of sleep.

Of course, understanding the risk factors for a mental health condition can be more difficult when it’s your own mental health. Take time to ask yourself about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to see if this is part of a pattern that may be caused by a mental health condition. Here are some questions to get you started:

  • Have things that used to feel easy started feeling difficult?
  • Does the idea of doing daily tasks like making your bed now feel really, really hard?
  • Have you lost interest in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy?
  • Do you feel irritated; possibly to the point of lashing out at people you care about?

Our society focuses much more on physical health than mental health, but both are equally important. If you are concerned about your mental health, there are several options available. You are not alone – help is out there, and recovery is possible. It may be hard to talk about your concerns, but simply acknowledging to yourself that you’re struggling is a really big step.

Taking a screen at mhascreening.org can help you to better understand what you are experiencing and get helpful resources. After that, consider talking to someone you trust about your results, and seek out a professional to find the support you need. While you may not need this information today, knowing the basics about mental health will mean you’re prepared if you ever need it. Go to https://mhanational.org/ to learn more.

Tip! Maintaining Good Mental Health: Whether you realize it or not, mental health plays a big role in your overall well-being. When you’re mentally healthy, you are able to enjoy your life and the people in it, feel good about yourself, keep up good relationships, and deal with stress. It’s normal for your mental health to shift over time – we all face difficult situations in our lives. Creating positive habits is a great way to support your mental health when you’re doing well. They also help you build skills to use if you do face symptoms of a mental health condition.

Active&Fit Direct

Wellbeing

Beginning May 1 – Gym or Home? We’ll keep you active either way.

The university is continually exploring innovative programs that support your overall wellbeing. As we continue to move onward together, we are excited to share a new discount program through Active&Fit Direct™.

Beginning May 1, 2022, GW Faculty, Staff, Temporary/Wage workers, Postdoc Associates, and Scholars will be eligible for discounted gym memberships through the Active&Fit Direct program. The program will provide you with access to a network of 11,500+ standard fitness centers and/or 4,500+ premium gyms across the U.S. at a discounted rate with no long-term contracts. There are two available enrollment levels:

  • Standard Fitness Centers for $25 a month (plus applicable taxes) + $25 enrollment fee*
    • Enrollment in the standard fitness level also allows the participant to use multiple gyms participating in the standard fitness level. For example, if you use a Gold’s Gym in Virginia and are traveling to New York, you could find a participating standard fitness center in New York for no additional fee!
  • Premium Exercise Studios with 20% – 70% discounts on memberships (plus applicable taxes) + enrollment fee

*Enroll in the standard fitness level during our launch month in May and have your $25 enrollment fee waived!

Your Active&Fit Direct Membership Also Provides Access To:

  • 6,500+ Digital Workout Videos
  • The ability to purchase a membership for your spouse/domestic partner
  • One-on-One Lifestyle Coaching 
    • Get matched with a professional lifestyle coach who will provide personalized over-the-the phone education and support in areas such as fitness, nutrition, stress, and sleep!

Before enrolling with the Active&Fit Directprogram, compare your fitness options. Review key features including price and contract terms provided via the Active&Fit Direct program alongside local gym discounts available.

Want More Information?

Already participating with a network fitness center? No problem.  Visit the GW page to see how you too can take advantage of the Active&Fit Direct discount.For questions on the Active&Fit Program, live chat with an Active&Fit Direct support agent or call 1-844-646-2746 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST. 

Financial Literacy

Up your Financial Game during Financial Literacy Month!

Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Wellbeing

National Financial Literacy Month  is a national campaign held every year in April. It is an annual opportunity to highlight the importance of financial literacy and encourage employees to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. It provides an opportunity for employees to gauge their personal level of literacy and seek out resources to support further learning.

Get smarter about managing your money during National Financial Literacy Month this April. Take advantage of these opportunities to grow your financial confidence.

Interactive webinars

Discover practical steps you can take to save smarter, budget better, manage debt and pursue greater financial success, now and into the future. Click here

Timely insights and education resources

Financial planning is an ongoing process that you can fine tune over time to align with your financial goals and resources.  Learn about how careful planning can help protect what you build and how to make the most of your money with a solid financial foundation. Click here

Financial IQ trivia challenge

Test your knowledge of financial concepts. Answer five quick questions to unlock five more. You have a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card every time you play until April 30. Click to play

Fidelity participant? Financial wellness shouldn’t feel like a balancing act. In under 10 minutes, take the financial wellness checkup, get your scores, and next steps to help improve. Take the Financial Wellness Check up!

Check out these resources on managing finances from GW’s own Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC), a leading center for financial literacy research and policy:

COVID-19 Financial Resilience Hub

Helping You Navigate Through the Crisis: Assess resources to manage personal financial finances and buffer ourselves against the financial emergency caused by COVID-19.

Discover five fundamental concepts behind financial planning.

You’re invited!

Visit our events page and join a financial webinar this Spring with topics ranging from How to Protect Your Money from Inflation, Understanding Your Retirement Plan and All it Has to Offer, to Saving Through Roth Contributions in Your Retirement Plan and more!

Headspace - Mindful Money

Headspace: Spend Money Mindfully to Budget and Save

Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Wellbeing

This month, check out Headspace’s Mindful Money Collection.

Learn to approach finances through a lens of awareness and compassion with Headspace’s newest collection, featuring:

  • A 10-day meditation course on Mindful Spending
  • Brand new expert videos on how to mindfully approach debt, saving, and how money impacts our relationships, and more.

Find it by navigating to the Search tab in your Headspace app today!

Take 5!  Manage your money mindfully. Watch financial wellness expert Alex Holder as she explores how mindfulness can help us save more and spend less by increasing our awareness around impulse shopping, noticing what we buy, and acknowledging the feelings that drive these purchases. Being mindful of your purchases can help you stick to a budget, lower your spending, and increase your savings.

Haven’t registered with Headspace yet? Get started today.

  • Sign up using your computer or device, such as a tablet or iPhone. To use on a tablet or phone, the Headspace app will need to be downloaded first.
  • Only your @gwu.edu email address can be used to sign up and verify that you are a GW employee.

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Retirement Plan

Spring Virtual Retirement Fair!

Employee Benefits, Retirement

You’re Invited! Virtual Retirement Fair – Thursday, April 28
On Thursday, April 28, we invite you to join us for a virtual retirement fair created specifically for GW employees.

The webinars focus on important topics to help you prepare when retirement is on your horizon, including:

  1. Understanding the steps to take as you consider and prepare for retirement from GW.
  2. Navigating the transition from career to retirement.
  3. Incorporating Medicare and supplemental plans into your retirement plan.

Virtual Retirement Fair Schedule

Please use the links below to register (all times are ET). If you are unable to join us, sessions will be recorded and saved on the Benefits website. 

Listen On Demand

Plant growing from coin jar

Pre-tax v. Post-tax Roth 403(b) Contributions

Financial Wellness, Retirement

As a GW employee, you are eligible to contribute to the university’s 403(b) Retirement Plan. You may choose to contribute a percentage of your pay either pre-tax or post-tax Roth or both to your account. The main difference between the two options is when you pay taxes on those contributions:

  • Pre-tax contributions reduce your taxable income in the year you contribute to the Plan, but taxes are withheld when you withdraw the funds after retirement.
  • Post-tax Roth contributions are included in your taxable income in the year in which you contribute to the Plan, but are tax-free when you withdraw the funds after retirement.

Not sure which contribution option(s) is right for you? See resources below from Fidelity and TIAA or schedule a 1×1 appointment:

TIAA and Fidelity continue to offer remote retirement counseling appointments to assist you in navigating your retirement savings options. To schedule, call your preferred provider or use the online booking systems:

  • Fidelity Investments – Make an or call 800-642-7131
  • TIAA – Make an appointment online or call 866-843-5640
Castlight logo

Benefits 101: Castlight

Employee Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are critical. GW partners with Castlight, a comprehensive tool to help you along your personal healthcare journey. Castlight is a leader in personalized healthcare navigation, putting the most relevant benefits, programs and recommendations front and center for you – based on your unique needs.

Castlight is provided by GW to medical plan participants and their covered adult dependents at no additional cost to you. It’s accessible 24/7 on your mobile phone, tablet or desktop. And, once you register, Castlight takes it from there. Here’s how:

Find the right care

When you need to find a healthcare provider for an annual check-up, screening or specialist visit, it can be overwhelming. There are so many choices on where to go, the thought of unknown costs can be daunting, and you may not even be sure what kind of provider you need. Based on your particular needs like an annual exam, pregnancy, diabetes or back pain, Castlight does the heavy lifting for you, providing you with key information on top-rated providers, connecting you to the best care with clear cost transparency, saving you time and giving you peace of mind.

Find the right programs

If you have certain health conditions you want to control or need support achieving healthy goals, Castlight is at your service. Castlight will curate the programs that best support your needs and help you make those goals become a reality. Maybe you want to quit tobacco, start exercising or need support controlling diabetes. Castlight features the best programs for you so you can easily get the information you need when you need it, and help you track next steps.

Be a better healthcare consumer

Keeping track of-and understanding-your healthcare spending can be confusing. Information can seem all over the place (bills here, receipts there, healthcare spending account information somewhere else). Castlight organizes all of your healthcare spending, claims history and health savings account information all in one place, so you can see the big picture and more easily manage your healthcare finances.

Also, remembering to make healthcare appointments can quickly make it to the bottom of your list, or not be on your list at all. Castlight sends you alerts and reminders to be sure you stay on track of your upcoming annual exams and screenings. Making time for routine healthcare is integral to you and your family’s overall health and wellbeing.

Not yet registered?

Register on the Castlight/GW microsite today! 

Headspace for Sleep logo

Trouble Sleeping? Headspace Can Help.

Mental Health, Sleep, Wellbeing

Quality sleep helps us navigate challenges with optimism and grace; it helps us make sense of our emotions, recharge our bodies, and keep our minds sharp. But between endless stressors and the temptation for “just one more episode,” sleep is a bit harder than it used to be. Luckily, getting a restful night’s sleep can be as simple as adjusting our habits. GW is proud to offer the headspace app to our benefit eligible faculty and staff free of charge. From serene soundscapes to short meditations that help ease you into sleep to science-backed tips on how to sleep better, Headspace has the tools you need. Give the app a download and set the mood for a restful night’s sleep.

How Do I Join?

  • Sign up using your computer or device, such as a tablet or iPhone. To use on a tablet or phone, the Headspace app will need to be downloaded first.
  • Only your @gwu.edu email address can be used to sign up and verify that you are a GW employee.

Did You Know? When it comes to bedtime rituals, practicing gratitude might be more effective than sipping tea and fluffing your pillows. Check out this gratitude checklist to get started.

March is National Nutrition Month

Celebrating a World of Flavors

Healthy Eating

March is National Nutrition Month

“Celebrate a World of Flavors” is the theme for National Nutrition Month 2022. Celebrating flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate our diversity. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! Create healthy habits that celebrate your heritage and introduce you to new foods and flavors. For inspiration, check out this tip sheet .

This month is also a great time to reset and focus on having a well-rounded diet—the key to both good nutrition and better well-being. And, it doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or boring! Click here to learn simple ways to help your whole family eat healthier.

Women's History Month

Women’s History Month

Wellbeing

This month we celebrate Women’s History to recognize and reflect on the accomplishments of women throughout the years to our history, culture and society.  From science to politics to the arts, athletics and beyond, it is a chance to pay tribute to the trailblazing women who lead the way for change.

This year, women’s history theme is Providing Healing, Promoting Hope as a tribute to the “ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.”

During March, we invite you to celebrate Women’s History Month by attending a university event and finding ways to honor the women in our communities, our country and the world, past and present, working toward improvement and advancement for all. 

A modern white keyboard with blue colored save money button. Save money keyboard button has an icon and text on itself.

America Saves Week

Financial Wellness

America Saves Week, February 21 – 25, 2022, is a national effort to motivate, support and encourage us to set savings’ goals, make a savings plan, and use automatic contributions to support those plans.

Each day of American Saves Week focuses on areas of financially resiliency, which includes being conscious of your own financial landscape and being aware of resources.

Watch informative, short videos that focus on daily themes to illustrate how saving is possible despite challenges and life experiences.

Day 1: Save Automatically

Day 2: Save for the Unexpected

Day 3: Save to Retire

Day 4: Save by Reducing Debt

Day 5: Save as a Family


Being financially resilient is more than having access to money; it includes being conscious of your own financial landscape, being aware of available resources, and being willing to seek out and take advantage of opportunities that will support and increase your financial wellness.

Schedule a Retirement Counseling Appt

Fidelity and TIAA both offer retirement counseling appointments where you can check-in on your progress goals and ask questions on how to make saving adjustments.

Curing the Winter Blues

Employee Benefits

Seasonal affective disorder, or S.A.D., can be a formidable consequence of shorter days, colder weather, and weaker sunlight. However, it’s highly treatable, thanks to treatments such as light therapy. Even walks outside can help boost your mood, says Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and vice chair for clinical affairs at the George Washington University (GW) Medical Faculty Associates (MFA). In a recent article, he explores the cyclical nature of both human biology and Mother Nature, how our mental health can be affected, and how to effectively use light therapy.

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