Employee Newsletter Articles Teasers for January 2019

We released the January 2019 Issue of FrontLine Employee on December 23rd. I want to join me as a subscriber. Below are the articles we offer in the January 2019 issue of FrontLine Employee. Would like to subscriber this first week in January (new subscribers only) and get 18 months for the price of 12? Go to here: FrontLine Employee. This sale ends Friday. 1-4-19 The fastest way to order and get started with the employee newsletter is phoning me personally at 1-800-626-4327 -- you can also fax this form: http://workexcel.com/content/PDF/FE_Order1.pdf

January 2019
Frontline Employee Newsletter
© 2019 by DFA Publishing and Consulting, LLC

Enthusiasm Is Contagious
We all want to work around people who are enthusiastic. Like all attitudes—even negative ones—enthusiasm is contagious. Enthusiasm’s ability to buoy others makes it a soft skill valued by employers. You can’t fake enthusiasm. So how do you maintain real enthusiasm when stress ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Online Gambling Addiction
Addiction to online gambling is a growing problem. Research shows it predominantly affects teens and young adults, particularly men. Although online gambling addiction and traditional gambling addiction are similarly diagnosed, the anywhere, anytime, out-of-sight aspect of online gambling via the internet ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Neurodiversity: A Word You Should Know
Neurodiversity refers to differences among employees regarding how they think and process information. Autistic persons and those with ADHD are examples of the neurodiverse. The world of work is rapidly seeking to accommodate and support these employees with broad programs of inclusiveness because of the strong value they  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Stay Pumped about Your New Year’s Resolution
It’s the ultimate New Year’s resolution challenge—staying motivated. Could a counselor or EAP familiar with motivational interviewing techniques help? Motivational interviewing is a counseling technique that does not direct you, but leads you to find the compelling reasons and the big “why” of your goal or resolution so you feel compelled to act. You also explore the roadblocks  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Empathy: Happier Customers, Less Stress
Direct customer service is known to be stressful. But there are customer service “tools” (ways of thinking and communicating) that can make this job easier and more rewarding. Upset customers, no matter the cause, have one thing in common: They want the pain to stop. The problem or need, even if unresolvable, always has another part—customer’s anger, agitation, or disappointment. Intervention calls for the skill of empathy. Empathy helps  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Don’t Fear Criticism in the Workplace
It’s easier to give criticism than to accept it. However, openness to criticism can help advance your career. This is why the “ability to accept criticism” is frequently a part of performance reviews. Make accepting criticism easier by understanding that defensiveness is like a “mental reflex.” It naturally rejects criticism. The key is mastering control over this impulse. Do so by  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Good for the Heart, Good for the Brain
If you do a lot of sitting and get little physical exercise, you are naturally at risk for cardiovascular disease, especially if you are over 55. New research shows that within six months of participating in a commonsense, aerobic exercise program you will experience improved cognitive functions—meaning better brain health. These include increased attention span, the ability to stay focused, better decision-making, improved working memory, better planning, and the  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Resolving Relationship Problems at Work
Are you tolerating a difficult workplace relationship? Thorny relationships are often tolerated because switching job functions or leaving is not an option. If this sounds like you, it’s time to discuss your situation with an EAP, counselor, or job coach. People conflicts are the most common complaints of workers, but the fewest for which help is sought. The reason: Thinking it’s hopeless. Numerous strategies exist for  ...learn more FrontLine Employee.

Can You Teach Your Employees to Smile with Your Employee Newsletter?

Before you say that I have gone off the deep-end with the suggestion that you should teach your employees to smile, and that you can influence them to do so with an employee newsletter, let's dive into the importance of smiling just a bit.

Do you remember how your grade school teacher or dance instructor shouted, "Smile everyone! SMILE!" during rehearsal? Of course you could not remember to do it very well, but there was a reason for it all.The purpose was to lift the mood of the audience, influence their positive reception, and make your act or dance more attractive and successful. And of course, you completely forgot to smile on performance day! No matter. You got the applause.

Did you know that the ability to smile is a soft skill? This means automatically that there is a business proposition to discuss. Knowing that it is important to smile, when to do it, and with whom and how long is inextricably entwined with emotional intelligence at work.

Employees who have conscious control over the ability to smile on cue, as needed, will have a huge impact on their customers, coworkers, and observant managers. All of this affects the bottom line. How can this be complicated? It sounds like a no-brainer.

On the other hand, employees who do not smile are quickly judged by customers as unfriendly, depressed, less helpful, bored, or angry at the customer or the job they have serving the customer.

It is plain to see that a lack of smiling and along with it, acting pleasant is something we can learn more about and gain an increased awareness for in order to consciously influence others around us.

Imagine the Rockettes of New York fame not smiling or Disney World employees appearing grumpy. Would these businesses be successful today? Probably not.

Research shows a smile is a powerful lever with big returns, even financial ones. You can’t fake a smile for very long, so it must be fueled by a positive disposition, a desire to serve, and a belief in what you are doing.

To smile more often, an absolute must is reading what it will do for you.

Start with http://www.wikihow.com/Smile. You’ll quickly develop a smile-a-lot mind-set. Practice smiling using jokes or happy thoughts as anchors. This gives you leverage to smile more naturally. You’ll soon find yourself smiling more at work.

By the way, ignore the naysayers. You will find contrarian article that discuss not smiling too much because of how you will be seen by others -- naive, annoying, immature, and brown-nosing. Ignore it all. The payoffs for conscious smiling are far greater than the negatives, and you can always go backwards to modify your how and when.

Use the following content in your employee newsletter article:

Imagine the Rockettes not smiling or Disney World employees appearing grumpy. Would these businesses be successful today? Research shows a smile is a powerful lever with big returns, even financial ones. You can’t fake a smile for very long, so it must be fueled by a positive disposition, a desire to serve, and a belief in what you are doing. To smile more often, an absolute must is reading what it will do for you. Start with http://www.wikihow.com/Smile. You’ll quickly develop a smile-a-lot mind-set. Practice smiling using jokes or happy thoughts as anchors. You’ll soon find yourself smiling more at work.

Let us send you an employee newsletter or company newsletter that you call your own. Rename it, edit it, add content to it, or use it just the way it comes. We will also create your own professionally designed masthead and name.

To get started, go to Purchase FrontLine Employee

December 2018 Employee Newsletter Articles for Companies - Click the Button to Download a Starter Kit

Here are the employee newsletter articles for the month of December 2018. Subscribe to FrontLine Employee newsletter here and never have a late newsletter or one that bores employees, and that you can rename, edit, amend, and finally...never have to say, "Yeah, we had a newsletter once a while back but no one could keep up with it."

New Physical Activity Guidelines

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention has released its updated “Physical Activity

Guidelines for Americans.” Only 26% of men, 19% of women, and 20% of adolescents meet these . . .

Research: Social Media Causes Depression
There has been quite a bit of research on the adverse impacts of social media on well-being. The most recent research focused on Facebook, Instagram, and ...

Avoid Drugged and Drunk Driving

During December 2016, 3,077 people died in vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S. One-fourth were related to drunk driving. The stretch between Christmas and New Year’s is particularly dangerous, with 300 people dying in ...

Dependable Workers Are Valued
The need to be dependable at work is obvious, but there’s a lot to it. All bosses have a feel for how dependable their individual employees are. These workers are prized because supervisors don’t have to ....

Hard-Won Secrets of Outstanding Workers

Some outstanding work habits take decades and hard knocks to learn. Practice these work habits and watch your indispensability grow. 1) Do more than what’s asked. How to do it: When given an assignment. .. 

Healing Relationships with Honest Conversations
When family and couple communication problems are left unaddressed, they get worse. Habits of impatience, interrupting, refusing to listen, and poor empathy—they can all create ... 

Free the Clutter that Binds You
Everyone reacts to work space clutter differently. Some employees even report working more effectively around a bit of it. But if that is not you, realize that research exists to explain clutter’s effect ...

Avoiding Overspending on Holiday Gifts

To prevent overspending during the holidays, first decide how much you want to spend. Take time early in the season to create a list of those for whom you ...
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Free Article for You

Hard-Won Secrets of Outstanding Workers

Some outstanding work habits take decades and hard knocks to learn. Practice these work habits and watch your indispensability grow. 1) Do more than what’s asked. How to do it: When given an assignment, put yourself in the boss’ shoes. Use empathy. For example, ask, “What will management above my boss additionally want in this report that was not requested?” 2) Avoid more mistakes. How to do it: Don’t ignore the small voice of warning in your head that says, “I better get clarification on…,” “Better check on…,” “I should inform my boss about….” 3) Take action to solve problems others ignore. How to do it: When you spot a problem that needs to be fixed, claim the high ground and create a solution or initiate the process if others are needed to participate. 4) Practice positivity. How to do it: No one feels happy all the time, but make a positive attitude your calling card. It will be remembered more easily than your name will. 5) Systematize and organize. How to do it: Create systems to save time and reduce repeating time-consuming tasks. This frees you for greater productivity, improved energy, and less fatigue. 6) Maintain a neat and orderly work area or office that greets you with a “smile” when you arrive at work. You’ll feel more energetic as you start your day.

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Help Employees Make Decisions to Improve Workplace Productivity

Write articles on decision making to help workers, help your company, and increase workplace productivity. You'll discover a ton of content on how to make decisions and no end in your employees' interest in learning more about it. 

Human decision making has been going on for a thousands years. However, wise decision making, although teachable, is still learned by most people through the school of hard knocks.

Over time you learn that decision A is better than decision B, even though at first glance decision B looks like a sure bet. Use this article for your current newsletter.
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Make Better Decisions
Don't burned with bad decisions if you can help it. Instead find formulas that get you to right answers quicker. Here is one such formula: Get better outcomes with your decisions using these tried and true tips and techniques: (1) Don’t use all emotion/feelings or pure logic in every decision. Instead, consider whether a blend of emotion and logic is best for the decision facing you. Blending these “tools” often produces more satisfying outcomes. (2) With every decision, consider: Is this my decision to make or someone else’s? Can this decision be made gradually, or must it be made immediately? Who is affected by the decision? (3) Think of alternatives and imagine all the choices by brainstorming, and asking “Where can I find more information so I know all my alternatives?” (4) Ask, “Which alternative best matches my values?” In other words, which choice is consistent with what you believe is important, right, and wrong. (5) Imagine what outcome will ensue from each alternative. (6) Decide and act. Putting off necessary decisions often produces more difficult choices later.================================================================


What do you think about this article. Write me at publisher@workexcel.com

Do you have an employee newsletter for your company? One that you can call your own, add news, and make a in-house communication organ t hat brings all workers together? Now is the time to start, and you can do it free.

Go here: https://www.workexcel.com/Employee-Newsletter-for-Workplace-Wellness/

Download Reproducible Holiday Stress Tip Sheet

Download Reproducible Holiday Stress Tip Sheet: Free holiday stress tip sheet and reproducible handout for workplace wellness, free to distribute, editable, web usable.

Holiday stress and family conflicts are a common concern among employees. They can add to the difficulty of the season. We we decided to create this reproducible and editable tip sheet for workplace wellness.

We think it hits all the right spots, including thinking ahead and preparing a personal care plan; understanding and responding to triggers; letting go of resentments; practicing mindfulness; having a "go-to-friend" for support if needed; recognizing that no one is alone with this problem or issue; focusing on the fun and valuing loved ones. We also included a special section on the political divide we all only know too well!

Click here to download JUST THE PDF or go here to download 
the EDITABLE MODULE.

This workplace wellness tip sheet is yours to copy and distribute without attribution, but if you put it on a Web site, please place a "back-link" someplace on your Web site--even in the farthest corner--where it is viewable by search engines --  [ http://workexcel.com ]. This will cause search engines to rank us higher and it helps us create more free tip sheets for you!

Other key links to explore . . .

1. See the WorkExcel.com Online Catalog--flip the pages!

2. Download the PDF catalog - 25mb....so it takes 20 seconds

3. Shorty Catalog, like #2 above, but on two sheets

4. Download everything you ever wanted to know about our "flagship" product FrontLine Employee Editable Wellness Newsletter-- here.

WorkExcel.com Home

Free Newsletter Article and a Look at Subscriber's Articles for November 2018

Have you subscribed to FrontLine Employee yet? Do so and I promise your stress concerning newsletters is over and done with. I started FrontLine Employee 19 years ago, and we have published it every month. Did you know that the U.S. Hours of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, State of New York, State of Washington, and universities, EAPs, hospital systems, employee leasing companies, and industrial plants worldwide subscribe to this newsletter?

I hope you enjoy popping into this blog every once in a while for a free article or two. To download a package of information and more free articles, click here on the green box to your right.

Way down below is a free article, but before I list it, I want to give you a quick introduction to the articles sent to subscribers for the month of November. We are getting close to the holidays, so I usually start adding in relevant article topics. That's a good idea, by they way, to get some seasonal kick into your newsletter. You will get more readership that way

Here is just a brief look at November's articles - become a paid subscriber here to FrontLine Employee and I will send these to you.

Stress Management Tip for Holiday Family Get-togethers

If relaxing and enjoying your family this holiday season and avoiding difficult family interactions are included in your goals, consider the following tips: 1) Decide on boundaries--types of interactions, and the amount of time you will spend with difficult relatives. What discussion topics will you avoid? What past grievances . . .

Avoid After-hours Job Creep
Work-life balance is critical to health and well-being. A recent study showed that unwinding after work and stepping away from work activities helped participants return their bodies to “pre-strain” and “pre-stress” levels. They also . . . 

New Cautions about Light Drinking
You’ve heard by now that a glass of red wine daily is good for the heart. Well, not so fast. One university just completed an extensive research study on light drinking, and the one drink of red wine a day came up short on helping people ...

Parent Tip: Saying No to Your Teen

Saying no to a teenager (and making it stick) is tough for many parents. Fear of conflict leads to backing away in the face of rebellion. Sound familiar? To make saying no easier, distinguish between house rules and guidelines. Rules are nonnegotiable, like a rule about no drug use. Guidelines are flexible and based on circumstances, like . . . 

Safeguarding Your Sobriety during the Holidays
Risk of relapse can increase for recovering alcoholics between Thanksgiving and the new year because lots of opportunities exist to socialize around alcohol. If you are newly sober and facing the holidays for the first time, relapse need not happen. . .. 

Don’t Touch That IRA!
Withdrawing money from your IRA early in life can pull the plug on your retirement fund. You can irreparably damage it. Enormous leverage exists when an IRA sits undisturbed over time. Perhaps you have heard this lecture before, but if you are young . . .  

How to Be a Visionary Employee
Being visionary at work does not mean seeing the future or even the next revolutionary product or service. It means being aware enough of your role and its importance that you see ways to make it more valuable and how to evolve it. You don’t see the future; you . . .  

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome is an unfounded fear of not being deserving of your position or achievements despite your training, capacity, and skills. It often includes fear of others noticing it too. Impostor syndrome is a common experience. Even Albert Einstein reportedly suffered from it. Expect impostor syndrome if you are trained in what you are doing, but simply . . .  

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FREE ARTICLE - This is one of those article you will get a lot of controversy out of. Can you see why? I know, I wrote this for alcoholism awareness month, but just change the title and you are ready to go.

One-Question Quiz for Alcoholism

In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month, try this one-question quiz:

“Have you ever seriously wondered whether you could be an alcoholic

or have an alcohol problem?” The emphasis is on the word “seriously.” Whether your answer is yes or no, make an appointment for a professional assessment. Why? Those without any symptoms of alcoholism never seriously consider this question. Millions of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts have gathered their wisdom over the years in books, resources, self-help groups, and even short quizzes to help those with alcoholism or other drug addictions diagnose themselves. This is one of those quizzes.

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PRINT BROCHURE FOR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE

October Articles for FrontLine Employee: Subscribe at Link Below

These are the quick previews of October's articles from the subscription of FrontLine Employee. Subscribe at this link ONLY IN OCTOBER. Start your own Employee Newsletter that is editable, rename-able, and customizable, and receive 18 months instead of 12.

~ Learn the Five Steps of Suicide Prevention
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) recommends awareness of the “five steps” to suicide prevention. The research-supported model can reduce the risk that a person in crisis will take his or her life...

~ Think Outside of the Box

You’ve heard the expression “thinking outside of the box.” It’s thinking creatively and solving

problems in ways that defy convention. Outside-the-box thinkers see the same information differently from the way their coworkers do. …

~  “Amotivational Syndrome” and Marijuana
Does cannabis use foster apathy and reduced self-efficacy—“amotivational syndrome”? The most thorough study yet examined the cannabis use and behaviors of over 500 college students. Marijuana use, age, gender, race, personality style (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, …

~ Anger in the Workplace

If you blow up at disappointments, rage at inconveniences, or bark at others’ mistakes, then you probably recognize your anger management problem. Are you still struggling to get a handle on it? The change you want entails education about anger, self-awareness, and triggers; practicing alternative responses; ….

~ Relationships—the Secret to Happiness
Many articles, books, and speeches have discussed the secret to finding happiness, but there is only one 75-year study that has attempted to pin down the answer. It’s the Grant and Gluek Study, which began in 1934. And it continues today. The project focuses on the lives of two completely different groups of people—a …

~ Are Teenagers Switching to Xanax?
Many teenagers who have been using opioids may be switching to prescription drugs like Xanax, say addiction treatment professionals who specialize in teen substance abuse. The war on street opioids, related overdose fears, and the risk of death when using fentanyl may be influencing the switch. Drugs like Xanax are often plentiful in medicine cabinets of parents and grandparents. ….

~ Stress Tip: Reduce Catastrophic Thinking

Humans worry, but when we focus on the worst-case scenario, it is called catastrophic thinking. It’s worry on steroids. Catastrophic thinking is agitating and exhausting. It can be toxic to your mental health. …

~ Stalking Awareness

Studies show that a woman over the course of her life will have about an 8% chance of being stalked. For men, it’s about 2%. Stalking is unwanted or repeated shadowing, observation, and scrutinizing of another …
These are the quick previews of October's articles from the subscription of FrontLine Employee. Subscribe at this link ONLY IN OCTOBER. Start your own Employee Newsletter that is editable, rename-able, and customizable, and receive 18 months instead of 12.

Free Article for Your Employee Newsletter: Cold Weather and Heart Attacks

Cold weather is on its way in the northern hemisphere, and it is a good topic for your employee newsletter because cold weather injuries, seasonal illnesses, and dangerous conditions can affect anyone.

They can also take a toll on the bottom line in companies with workers' comp claims, absenteeism, and forever back injuries. Drug addiction to opioid medication anyone?

Both the U.S. and especially Canada have horrible problems with falls where snow and ice conditions are prominent. And of course, the older you are, the higher the risk of fall injuries no matter what the conditions.

One interesting bit of research about cold weather is that there are more heart attacks. Why? Well, they are not exactly sure, but shoveling snow is not the reason.

Here is an article below for your company newsletter or employee newsletter. Use your mouse to copy it, and feel free to edit or amend the content.

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New research presented by the European Society of Cardiology found

Put an article in your company
about cold weather and heart attacks.

that people with high blood pressure are more vulnerable to heart attacks during months of colder weather, or with sudden and significant temperature drops during other times of the year. One suggested theory to explain the phenomenon is the contraction of blood vessels and increased blood pressure experienced by hypertensive patients exposed to colder weather. The recommendation is to dress warmly when going out in the cold weather.

If you have a heart attack, chances are you won’t be sure what’s going on if you don’t know the symptoms. You may then wait too long before seeking help. Usually, heart attacks are accompanied by mild pain and discomfort, not a sudden feeling of having “an elephant on your chest.”  Learn the symptoms of a heart attack and you may save your life, or that of someone you know.

1. An uncomfortable feeling in the chest—pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.

2. Discomfort in other areas of your body—either or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

3. Fatigue—a feeling of physical and mental weariness. You may feel a sudden sense of being ill.

4. Shortness of breath, which women in particular may have without chest discomfort.

5. Breaking out in a cold sweat, indigestion, nausea, or lightheadedness.

Source: American Heart Association

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Go ahead and download a complete newsletter kit for your company, and for at least the next three months, have a free editable, reproducible, workplace wellness and company newsletter without cost or obligation. Go here to download the information about FrontLine Employee.

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Holiday Article to Encourage Employees to Reach Out for Help

Employee newsletters should mention coping strategies for dealing holiday stress. Don't be

fooled though. Many sad and depressed people like the holidays because it offer activity and distraction, although loss may still be an issue that creates stress and sadness during this time of year. Here is a free article for your employee newsletter. Does you company have an EAP or an EAP-like service, then always mention it. This is a risk issue to help you employees who are depressed, suicidal, or at risk for other sorts of problems like alcohol and drug addiction relapse.

Free Article for Your Newsletter
Bracing for Holiday Blues

The holidays are supposed to be a time for joy and celebration – full of wonderful foods, social occasions, religious and spiritual enrichment, or just plain fun. However, many people experience holiday blues. Are you one of them? One common complaint of those who suffer from this form of depression or period of sadness is their awareness of the expectations surrounding the season and their inability or lack of desire in meeting those expectations. Personal health, relationship issues, past losses, isolation, financial circumstances, and pure stress of the season can contribute to these holiday blues. The company employee assistance program or a counseling service in your community can see you temporarily to give you support during this time. Your insurance may help pay for such services. Ask about group counseling support. It's often the best kind because others who seek to conquer similar challenges can often generate powerful solutions with the mastermind effect found in the group work experience. If all else fails, don't suffer in silence. Instead, Google "holiday blues solutions" for a ton of ideas on beating the season's impact on your happiness or mood.

Would you like a "ready to use" monthly newsletter in MS Word with images, or in MS Publisher,  so you can have your own internal publication?, We've got it! It's turnkey, and you edit or add or leave it as is. Birthdays, company news, etc? A newsletter will bring employees and your organization together like glue. You will notice this effect after the very first issue. Go here to download all the information. Your newsletter will never be late again, no skipped issues ever, and you 24/7 customer service access to us for your needs.

FREE NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: FATIGUE FIGHTING FOOD FACTS

FREE ARTICLE, NO ATTRIBUTION REQUIRED

TITLE: Fatigue Fighting Food Facts

BODY: There is a lot to know about food and its relationship to the prevention of fatigue. Because chronic fatigue illnesses are common, nutrition research is plentiful. Here are a few key tips if you are looking to fight the “three o’clock energy droop”: 1) Try vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for adrenal gland functioning. Under stress, these glands emit hormones that fight fatigue. Try supplements and natural foods. 2) Drink more water. Fatigue can be an early symptom of dehydration. Drink water periodically during the day, even if you aren’t thirsty. 3) Go easy on the coffee in the morning. It can reduce your desire to eat breakfast. By lunchtime, it could be 18 hours or more since your last meal — definitely an energy zapper. You need most of your calories during the day when you are most active. Appetite suppression can also contribute to overeating at dinner. 4) Snacking in the afternoon is good, but think fruits, vegetables, low-sodium juices, and foods with whole grains. Source: Eat to Beat Fatigue by Joan Slage Blake, M.S., R.D. (

To get 24 more articles go to FREE 24 NEWSLETTER ARTICLES. 

Mental Illness in the Family: Your Employee Newsletter Can Help

A free article for your employees follows this discussion, but visit here to get more free content and start a subscription (if you like--there is no "bill" or credit card needed) to FrontLine Employee newsletter

This post discusses mental illness in the family, how your newsletter for employees can reach out, and tips for how to do it. But the free article for your newsletter is at the very bottom.

Each year millions of Americans are diagnosed with mental illness. And most of them work. Do any work for your company? If you have more than say eight employees, you can bet on it.

Are there employees in your work organization with mentally ill family members? Absolutely. It's probably close to 1 out of 5. Most will keep it a secret, however. That's because there is still a great stigma attached to being mentally ill. And that is not going away any time soon.

Family members commonly feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness and may secretly blame themselves about mentally illness, believing something they did caused the family member’s mental illness. This is especially true of older children and teenagers.

Pre-teens and teenagers are at that confusing time in their lives where they know everything and nothing, act secure but are petrified with worry and guilt. Hormones rage. They are highly susceptible to guilt and suggestion, peer pressure, and mentor influence (a good thing.) They blame themselves for lots of stuff, which is what makes suicidal thinking a significant issue for this age group.

Although small children may be traumatized by mental illness depending on how overt its manifestations are, teenagers are the unaddressed most-guilt-ridden group. Newsletter articles can infiltrate this arena of need.

Since family members are often key to intervention, helping them cope is crucial to helping those with mental illness. Again, use the newsletter to target issues.

Does your company have an employee assistance program? Be sure your employee newsletter guides employees and encourages them to use it. Do so regularly to reduce risk and turnover in your organization.

If your EAP has only a hotline on the back of the insurance card to guide people to an EAP or mental health help, then hold everything, and look for a high-touch EAP in your community to serve your organization. There is one, or phone me and I will locate it for you. This is how you reduce risk in your organization -- from presenteeism to violence. No hotline or managed care referral number will suffice like a "high-touch" EAP with counselors that visit your organization, know your culture, and spot the needs yet addressed.

Employee newsletter articles should be positive. Always put a positive angle on even the worst problems. This is easy to do. Simply focus on the solution after mentioning the problem. Always

Regarding mental illness, encourage family members to be proactive. A good topic to discuss is avoiding the trap of shame and isolation. Push employees  with your newsletter content to reach out for support and a listening ear.

Consider helping your employees with articles that encourage them to avoid the trap of overprotecting a family member from the stigma of mental illness.

Alcoholism is not mental illness, but it has the same dynamic of protection and cover-up and affects 1 our of four families. Tell employees in news articles that the stigma of mental illness is fast disappearing, and new medications for mental disorders are continually being researched. It's true.
Be hopeful and realistic. Many people with mental illness and multiple hospitalizations are capable of holding full-time, responsible jobs with the aid of proper medication and support. 

Don’t ignore the needs of children with your newsletter articles. They may not read it of course, but parents do.

Although mental illness should not be the focal point of a family's life, share information with them that can reduce their fear and anxiety. 

Understand patient responsibility in recovery. A key principal in mental health treatment is patients taking personal responsibility for managing their illness. Help employees not become enablers that undermine this important principle. This includes medication compliance. Family members often unwittingly undermine this dynamic by doing too much "taking care of." Often this is out of guilt.

Encourage care-giving employees to take care of themselves. Encourage them to maintain balance in their own lives. This is a conscious process. It does not happen automatically. Your employees can suffer from lack of sleep, nutrition, exercise, fun, and stress management. This will affect your bottom line and even contribute to turnover, which is very costly.

Also, give  your employees self-help resources. They can take charge, get help, and get the help they need to draw a balance between concern and detachment. Again, your company EAP (if you have one) should be the #1 go-to resource.
=====================ARTICLE========================

TITLE
Mental Illness in the Family 
Each year millions of Americans are diagnosed with mental illness. Family members commonly feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness and may secretly blame themselves, believing something they did caused the family member’s mental illness. Since family members are often key to intervention, helping them cope is crucial to helping those with mental illness.
Avoid the trap of shame and isolation. Reach out for support and a listening ear. Avoid the trap of overprotecting your family member from the stigma of mental illness. That stigma is fast disappearing, and new medications for mental disorders are continually being researched.
Be hopeful and realistic. Many people with mental illness and multiple hospitalizations are capable of holding full-time, responsible jobs with the aid of proper medication and support.
Don’t ignore the needs of children. Although mental illness should not be the focal point in your family, share information with them suitable to their age level that can reduce their fear and anxiety.
Understand patient responsibility in recovery. A key principal in mental health treatment is patients taking personal responsibility for managing their illness. This includes medication compliance.
Take care of yourself! Maintain balance in your own life. Family members often suffer from lack of sleep, nutrition, exercise, fun, and stress management. Self-help resources can help you draw a balance between concern and detachment. Your EAP can help you find them.


Learn about the illness. Learn about the type of mental illness that affects your family member. Know its relapse warning signs so you can act early if intervention is necessary. 
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12 Critical Topics for Employee Newsletters and Internal Corporate Health News Publications

12 Critical Topics for Employee Newsletters and Internal Corporate Health News Publications:

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Employees are your company's most valuable resource, but if they are ignored and left unattended to -- meaning without effective workplace communication and reasonable personal development opportunities, then they can potentially become your organization's most at-risk explosive financial nightmare. There are many ways to attend to your employees' needs, but one of the most powerful is a workplace wellness, stress tips, productivity newsletter that they will be compelled to read, and that will find its way home where family members can read it, too. You will see why below with the list of topics shown. This sort of information is what can help employees and family members take steps to address personal issues affecting their lives.Every business organization wants its employees to work with maximum levels of productivity, while experiencing high morale, and thinking like a team--viewing themselves as part of a "corporate family." Unfortunately, this ideal picture of what executives want to can be undermined by personal problems that follow employees to work. There are ways to intervene, and of course an employee assistance program is one of them. However, you need to drive employee traffic to the EAP, and one of the best ways to do it is with a regularly disseminated workplace wellness or EAP newsletter.If you are considering an employee newsletter, here are 12 topics that continue: 12 Critical Topics for Employee Newsletters and Internal Corporate Health News Publications: 

How to Write Employee Newsletter Articles that Employees Will Delight In Reading

When authoring newsletter content, you have to have a system for generating it. If you do not, you will put your head in your hands, rub your race vigorously, and bite your lip trying to generate ideas. Things will go slow.

If you repeat this experience regularly, even if you have a monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly newsletter--it doesn't matter--you will ditch your newsletter eventually out of frustration. Authoring regular content is simply too tedious. Even I have a hard time doing it with a blog like this one because no one is paying for this content. It take more motivation.

That said, write these words on a piece of paper or a strip of 3 x 5 card.
.....or print and cut this list below. Paste it to the side of your computer screen like this:

• What
• Who
• Why
• When
• How
• Which
• Example
• Allusion
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Resource Link
• Try this
• Learn more
• Tips

Post these words where you can see them and they will keep you keep moving on your article idea--like you see here.

Does the title of the article that you are writing create energy -- mental energy -- good or bad that the reader is compelled to expel by reading further and learning more? This is critical.

For example, if I wrote an article and titled it, "Three Ways to Find 24 karat Gold in Your Trash Can Today!", you would experience energy, right? This energy is compelling and you would read the article to satiate it.

The above is an exaggeration of what you are trying to do. After reading your article title, a question should challenge your reader to explore and read more. This is a very important dynamic because you have to sell them on what you are writing and its significance to their lives. There are many distractions all around us and keeping your reader glued to the page is really an art.

I can honestly say we have accomplished this with FrontLine Employee newsletter, and one reason is how short and punchy our copy actually is. This is another secret to writing great newsletter copy. We keep the articles between 75 to 250 words. However Most are about 130-145 words. That's plenty to give employees rich content.

See the August 2018 issue right here.

If you can do it, create "How to" articles. The reason for this is, again, interest. An article with this title will have the most interest of all titles.

I really like the "how to format." This format can be created with almost any expertise that you have at this moment regarding a topic. If want to education others about anything you have great knowledge about, you can create your own "How-To" article.

Don't worry about your newsletter articles not answering every question possible. If you are short, punchy, but leave employees wanting more, you will come back to a responsive audience who will not forget what they read. 

Can you see why your human resource program, EAP or wellness center can benefit strongly from a company newsletter while you insert links to amendments that connect to wellness and other opportunities you want them to know about?

You do not need to be dramatic with your newsletter content to get noticed. Consistency is the secret...more frequency, less quantity. Hey, did you know that a monthly 2-page newsletter is 50% more content per year than a quarterly 4-page newsletter? But the 2-page r is more likely to be completely read. This is the secret to program promotion along with short punchy articles.

Can't bare to think or imagine writing a newsletter monthly. It is easy as pie with this product below because we do it for you. All you to is send or amend!

Get a nice download package of information about our editable newsletter, FrontLine Employee is found here: 

Thrill Those Who Read Your Staff Employee Newsletter

Writing employee newsletter articles is not as demanding as most people make it. A few tricks and tips is all you need to thrill your readers with content. This is easier to do that you might think.

A topic of interest must be fast reading and can't put your readership to sleep. Be careful. You can put an employee to sleep with the first sentence of an article depending on how you write it. Do not use the passive voice, which I will demonstrate below.

Articles must be practical, and they must offer useful tips that can be snatched up and used by employees or family members.

I've learned that high-impact articles are written with 80 to 250 words. After this length employees seem drop off the page or go to another article. The good news is that this is easier for you write.



Get a Free Trial to FrontLine Employee Human Resources Newsletter for Employees

I mention family members because newsletters often go home with employees or articles in them, or are forwarded to family members because of their content. (Articles on teens using pot, day care center tips, elder issues, and stress get a lot of forwards.) This engagement leads to opportunities for employees to improve wellness.

As you can see, your employee or staff newsletter put out by your human resources office can create change and help a lot of people beyond your W-2s and 1099s. Yes. Be sure make your newsletter available to part-time employees and contract employees. Why? The reason is simple: These individuals can affect your bottom line. The reason you are distributing a wellness newsletter, staff newsletter, or other type of communication vehicle that solves problems and communicates is because it helps your company. It is that simple.

Get a free trial to the only Employee or Wellness Newsletter you will ever use...that you can amend with your own internal news articles


Back to style. Don't start writing articles with the following phrase: "Have you ever wondered..." This passive voice style tires readers because the must weed through words on the page that are not linked to any topic until they finally arrive at your point! This sort of writing will lose your employees' interest. Also, please, never start an article with the phrase, "When it comes to..." These are amateurish writing styles that will destroy your readership. "When comes to stress management...etc." (Feeling sleepy?) Remember: Like I mentioned above, if your content is boring or tedious, risk to your organization will increase because employees won't read and absorb the useful content you want them to grasp.

Employee newsletters are comprised of informative tidbits. Make sure your employee newsletter includes this goal. The real key to success is the engagement of readers. You want them looking up additional resources, practicing exercises, cutting up the newsletter, and remembering the tips within the publication -- tips for dealing with employees who interrupt, act anti-social, hog all the credit, or behave is myriad of ways that demonstrate dysfunctional behavior, tension, conflict, etc.

In other words, your company newsletter is a workforce management tool! (Ok, the secret is out.)

What new information makes sense to be newsletter articles? And what is exciting to your readers? Find those things out prior to writing any article. The last thing that you want is irrelevant information.

If your employees are under stress, be sure to have stress articles regularly. You are welcome to purchase reproducible wellness tip sheets from WorkExcel.com and use them as content in your company staff or employee newsletter. Better yet of course is just get a free trial to our Frontline Employee Workplace Wellness and Productivity Newsletter.

Avoid cookie recipes in your workplace employee newsletters or other company staff newsletters. Here is the reason why: It is not helpful to the employer for you to take up valuable newsletters space with meaningless information like this. Send it another way. The same goes for jokes and paid ads from local businesses. Don't think that you need "fillers" in your newsletter to take up white space. If that is the case, you need to phone me personally at 1-800-626-4327, and let's get you started with FrontLine Employee for 3-4 months. You won't get a bill.

Some might have overlapping interests periodically in your articles. That's okay. This kind of crossed-information promotes retention of key concepts employee should hear a lot about. For example, I usually mention something about substance abuse several times per year because one out of four employees have a substance abuser in their family.

Keeping the information in your newsletter relevant as possible entails to some degree becoming an authority on various topics, but not overly authoritative. It is not advised to cram information onto your readers, keep concepts simple, and concise. Sincerity and a genuine voice will get you just as far, or further, than technical and boring jargon.

Use these steps to find interesting content:

1) Create a list of wellness and productivity keywords. Use a dictionary if you like. Let's take the words "coping with overfilled inboxes" - 

2) Google this term.

3) You will see this on your computer (this is a screen shot of what I saw):

4) Do you see the words "News"?

5) Click "News" or see "All"

6) News will bring to the most hot stuff going on with that keyword. The more simple the search the more likely you will see news that is hot. And that is your article for the company newsletter.

Are you getting this? Pay attention to what employees like about your newsletter and drift toward the article topics that seem to get the most accolades.

Free Newsletter Article for Human Resource Managers: "Reducing Aggression in Your Email Communication"

If you are like me, the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words "workplace violence" is a guy in a factory or some maniac coming into an office building with a gun to shoot up the place.

Indeed, that's about as bad as it gets, but violence has other dimensions to it. You can bet that any employee who does march into an office building slamming open the front doors has had some small, seemingly benign violent interchange with coworkers in the past before the "big one"  finally happened.

Everyday for example, aggressive individuals send hostile and aggressive emails. You many not think much of them, but indeed violence can start here as much as it can occur on the loading dock in a fiery exchange of words.

So what about intervention and education when comes to emails? Your employee newsletter and 

HR newsletter or staff newsletter should consider these types of stories. I have one for you to use below. Include it in your next employee or staff newsletter.

Get a free issue from us if you like and use that to include this content. I want to email me at publisher@workexcel.com and let me know if you do or don't get feedback from employees who read it, and whether or not they tell, "Hey, I am glad you send that newsletter out with that article on aggressive emails. I know some people who needed to read it.

If you don't use FrontLine Employee (get a free trial if you like) and/or paste this content into your own template. 

Please note: There is no attribution necessary for this article if you create a link on your web site somewhere that says. "Article used courtesy of WorkExcel.com with link to [  http://workexcel.com ]." You do not have to make this conspicuous or obvious to anyone. Just place it on any page where search engines crawl web sites 24 hours a day can see it. That could be almost anywhere. Your Web master will know what to do. So, the article is free and this small but highly appreciated favor will help us to keep posting new articles in the future. Thank you!

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ARTICLE TITLE:
Reducing Aggression in Your Email Communications

FREE CONTENT OF ARTICLE:
Avoid email blunders that can accidentally send the wrong message, communicate aggression, or demonstrate emotions that you do not intend to send by practicing "emotional proofing." If you are angry, upset or "PO'd", do not send an email immediately. Compose it. Walk away from it. And do something else like take a bathroom break, eat lunch, or attend to another business matter out of the room. After ten minutes or more, revisit your email. Do you still want to send what you wrote? It is more likely that you will edit your email. You'll be shocked at what you wrote, and you will want to "turn down" the emotional volume and aggressive tone within it. This emotional proofing of your communication--as opposed to grammatical proofing--allows you to remove "emotional mistakes" you would rather not send. (By the way, this works with other emotional content that you may unwittingly perceive as positive. For example, do really want to send that "love email" to the coworker down the hallway and risk being accused of harassment? Harassment is, in fact, another form of workplace violence. For extra super-emotional proofing of your communications, send your email to yourself first. Then tomorrow--that's right, the next day--read your email. It is nearly guaranteed that you will make significant changes. And you will sigh with relief that you did so.
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