Love In The Real World

Valentine’s Day paints an idealized version of love, but in the real world, love isn’t all hearts and flowers. Even healthy, loving relationships run into stormy waters that need to be navigated. Relationship problems are among the main reasons people turn to an EAP for help. Here are common problems we hear:

  • Loss of trust – Large problems like infidelity or addiction take a huge toll on trust, but smaller, everyday problems can erode trust over time, too. 
  • Differences in priorities – Early in a relationship, goals may be aligned but over time, uncomfortable differences can surface about career, family, or values.
  • Distractions – Being absorbed in work demands, social media, friends, and hobbies can leave one party feeling neglected or unloved.
  • Money – Spending, savings and debt can often lead to arguments and stress.
  • Family matters – Child rearing, caring for aging parents, and extended family can be sources of conflict.
  • Crisis and trauma – Coping with death, loss, chronic illness, or surviving a natural disaster can all put extreme stress on a relationship.

Good news: With effort, most relationship problems can be resolved. Your EAP provides couples and family counseling to address ongoing problems and help improve communication. We also offer help for debt, financial planning, family issues, and other problems that can lead to conflict. Plus, you can tap into a wealth of self-help resources for interpersonal relationships under Work/Life Benefits.

    Kindness is Contagious

    Iowa carpenter Dale Schroeder lived a simple life, driving a rusty old Chevy and putting his money aside each week. Near his death, he left money to help poor Iowa students go to college. To everyone’s surprise, he had saved nearly $3 million over his 67 years of hard work, and it sent 33 young Iowans to college. While we can’t all send 33 kids to college, we can all spread kindness around us. Random Acts of Kindness Day, which celebrates and encourages kindness, falls on February 17th. Acts of kindness are free, open to anyone to perform, and often contagious. Plus, they couldn’t be more needed with all the pandemic stress people are experiencing.
    Spread kindness at work, at home, and in your community.

    Set a goal to perform at least one act of kindness a day…give a thank you note with a gift card to a frontline worker, let someone cut ahead of you in a long grocery line, shovel for a neighbor, send a note to someone’s boss complimenting them…
    It doesn’t have to be a large, dramatic, or a costly gesture – it just has to come from your heart.

    E-Learning Popular Picks

    We frequently add new trainings to our vast library of 10,000+ online E-Learning courses. Check out popular new courses by logging in at www.theEAP.com, clicking the “Training Center” icon and choosing “New & Improved Trainings.”

    • NEW! Building Great Relationships with Difficult People | Course ID: SVL_1021227
      In this 5 minute video, learn options for dealing with difficult personalities on the job and feel empowered to respond to problematic people.
    • NEW! 6 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance | Course ID: SVL_1020015
      This 8-minute video will help you learn why a healthy work-life balance is important to well-being, and how to move toward a more productive and fulfilling life at home and at work.
    • NEW! Overcoming Compassion Fatigue | Course ID: SVL_1020419
      This 19 minute lesson covers who is most at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue, what the common symptoms are, and tips to reduce the stress and renew your ability to effectively care for others. 

    See What Our Members are Saying…

    “The providers at the EAP were immediately interested and
    engaged in supporting my healing journey.”

    “Thank you for all of your help, recommendations
    and support.”

    “Telephonic counselor was great and I didn’t feel rushed or judged. My face
    to face counselor is kind, listens and I am hopeful that she will help me during
    this difficult time in my life.”

    Don’t Forget!

    EAP services are available to you and your household members as well as dependent children living away from home, up to age 26. 

    How To Be
    Heart Smart

    One of the most important gifts you can give to loved ones on Valentine’s Day is to look after your own heart health and to encourage them to look after theirs. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends Life’s Simple 7:

    • Manage blood pressure

    • Control cholesterol

    • Reduce blood sugar

    • Get active

    • Eat better

    • Lose weight

    • Stop smoking

    They suggest starting with one or two and note that even modest improvements can make a big difference. For more heart healthy tips, login at www.theEAP.com and check out the many tools, articles and videos in the Wellness Center.

    Accessing the EAP Training Center

    1. Go to www.theEAP.com

    2. Click the Employee and 
         Family login
    button.

    3. If you have already created a 
         User
    Name and Password, 
         simply enter
    that info in the
         appropriate boxes.
    If you have
         not registered, complete 
         steps (a) & (b).

    1. a) Click on REGISTER.
    2.      b) Fill out the Registration 
                Form
      to create your own 
                User Name
      and Password, 
                then click
      Register. You only
                need to register once.

    3. 4. Click the “Training Center”  
           icon.

    4. 5. Then click the “New & 
            Improved
      Trainings” icon.

    5. 6. Search Content bar at the top 
           of the screen, type the
      course
           code.

    6. 7. Click on the course icon.

    7. 8. Click the ‘Play’ or ‘Start’   
           button to begin the course.

    8. 9. After viewing the course and 
           taking the quiz (you must score 
           at least an
      80% to receive a 
           certificate),
      click
      on
      the ribbon 
           icon below the right
      corner of
           the video.

    9. Please Note: The certificate will download to your computer. Not all courses require a quiz.

    www.theEAP.com | 800.252.4555


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