Stress less during the 2019 holiday season: Self-care tips to consider during this busy time of year
The holidays can be full of joy, loved ones, and fabulous food. They also can be triggers for sadness and fatigue. It’s especially important to practice stress management this time of year. Balanced You and King County’s Making Life Easier program offer the following tips to help you enjoy the season to the fullest.
Take time out
Pay attention to your own needs. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take time for yourself.
- Learn how to reduce stress via a free-of-charge mindfulness class. Due to popular demand, Mindfulness Northwest has added an additional online class for King County employees, beginning November 12, 2019.
- Get some instant relief with Making Life Easier’s online Stress Center. Log in to practice a short meditation, listen to soothing music, or learn Desk Yoga stretches you can do almost anywhere.
- Go for a short walk. The fresh air will do you good.
- Set aside time to do something you enjoy – journal, read a book or exercise. Maintaining your own needs will keep you grounded and calm.
Acknowledge your limits
You may feel pressure to cook and spend more money during the season. This can add stress to your routine and hurt your wallet. Keep expectations realistic by knowing your limits.
- Understand your budget and spending limit. If you need help with holiday budgeting, call the financial wellness program – My Secure Advantage – at 1-888-874-7290
. You can speak with a Money Coach on any topic for 90 days free- of-charge.
- Remind yourself that it’s okay to say no to invitations.
- Prioritize your schedule. Can you give something up to make space for something you really value?
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Take winter by storm
Are you ready for fall and winter storms? Power outages? Snow? You’ll soon be receiving details from your leadership about your role in emergencies. Whether you are a first responder, a mission-critical employee, or a non-mission critical employee in emergencies, you’ll need to be prepared. You may need to be able to stay at or get to work and function in an emergency, get home from work, and be sure you and your family can weather a storm without assistance for several days. When a major earthquake hits, you’ll need to be self-sustaining for even longer.
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King County Regional Veterans Court celebrates Veterans Day and court graduates, Nov. 14
Regional Veterans Court (RVC) will celebrate all veterans and graduates who have successfully completed the court program, on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, at 1 p.m. at the King County Courthouse (Courtroom E-326). All are welcome to attend!
RVC is a specialized track within King County District Court that connects veterans in the justice system to health and behavioral health treatment, housing, and other services they may need to re-stabilize their lives. The court helps veterans stay out of further involvement in the justice system, and reduces the use of jails and emergency services by veterans. For more information contact RVC Coordinator Kate Tramontana.
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Welcome Alysha Kaplan to the OEM
We recently had an opportunity to chat with Alysha Kaplan, the Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) new deputy director. She comes to King County from Washington State Emergency Management Division (WA EMD), where she worked for 13 years. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation.
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Thanking our veterans for their service
King County Executive Dow Constantine
Dear fellow King County employee,
Every year, we dedicate November 11 as a day to honor America’s veterans. For more than 100 years we have joined together to salute the brave individuals who have served in our nation’s armed forces, placing themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom and security.
King County is home to some 115,000 veterans of all ages. Among their number are 1,277 people we work beside every day, fellow King County employees in every branch and department of King County government who have served or are currently serving. Of those employees, 102 have recorded military service hours (active duty or reserves) in 2019. Thank you for your service.
Expressing our gratitude is important, but we also need to honor their service with actions. Thanks to the voters of King County and funding from the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy, our King County Veterans Program is helping local veterans, military personnel, and their families come home successfully, offering counseling and case management, financial assistance, employment and training programs, and other supports. One particular highlight is the steady reduction over the past two years in veteran homelessness.
Veterans Day is Monday, November 11. I ask you to join me in thanking our veterans and active duty personnel for their dedication, courage, and ongoing contributions to our community.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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Pet of the Week: Sparky
Sparky is an 11 year-old, male, black and white, shorthair cat (A581600). His personality color is BLUE, meaning he is a gentle and loving boy who likes to take things slow. Sparky is very affectionate and he loves gentle head and cheek scratches. He has a big purr and doesn’t stop the whole time you are petting him!
Read more at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
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Featured Job: Equity and Social Justice Coordinator – Council
Salary: $74,185.00 – $99,770.00 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Appointed
Department: KCC – King County Council
Job Number: 2019-10765
Closing: 11/14/2019 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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2019 Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards
King County Executive Dow Constantine
Last year, I launched the Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards to recognize individual employees and workgroups whose innovations and improvements are delivering excellence for our customers, our organization, and our region.
The awards recognize the employees and teams who are achieving exceptional improvement results for the people we serve and driving us toward our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
In 2018, we honored 15 nominees and five award recipients for their hard work and service excellence. This year’s award categories will include Innovation, Leadership Excellence, and the Road to Excellence. Anyone can nominate a team or team member for the Innovation and Leadership Excellence Awards. The Road to Excellence Awards are given to divisions that achieve one of three levels of progress in the Lean Maturity Model.
I encourage you to start thinking about projects from the past year and team members which you would like to nominate for an award. You may review the nomination criteria here. The nomination period opens Nov. 12.
Thank you in advance for helping us build a King County culture where every employee is committed to innovation, continuous improvement, and performance excellence.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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You can make a difference through the Annual Giving Drive
King County Executive Dow Constantine
Dear fellow King County employee,
The Annual Giving Drive brings King County employees together to advance education, provide clean water to villages all over the globe, expand access to safe, warm shelter, and buy food for some of the 1 in 6 Americans that struggle with hunger.
It’s also an opportunity to help those impacted by natural disasters, here at home and around the world. The 2019 hurricane season devastated communities in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States, with Hurricane Dorian causing severe damage and loss of life in the Bahamas, and Tropical Storm Imelda causing catastrophic flooding in Texas; wildfires continue to rage across California.
Hundreds of employees have already participated in this year’s drive through special events, donated food, and volunteering. What’s more, we have already pledged $640,576 and are on the way to our countywide goal of $2.1 million. Your generosity makes a difference for so many people.
Our 2019 Annual Giving Drive runs through Friday, Nov. 22, and provides several options to support the people and communities impacted by these natural disasters, as well as countless causes that are important to each of us. You may do so online or with a paper form.
- Payroll Donation – One time, once a month, or twice a month.
- Time Donation – Up to three nonprofit organizations.
- Credit Cards and e-Checks – on the online storefront.
- Special Events – Raise awareness and money for a particular cause.
- Volunteer – Eligible employees may take up to three sick days a year to volunteer.
Whatever is important to you, when we give together, we can amplify the good we do. If you have any questions, ask your work site Ambassador or reach out to the Employee Giving Program at employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.
Thank you for all you do, both here and outside of work, to help our community and communities around the world thrive.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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I-976 impacts to Seattle and King County: if no replacement funds, major cuts to Metro service
King County Executive Dow Constantine outlined possible consequences of I-976, the $30 car-tab initiative that failed in King County but passed statewide in the Nov. 5 election.
King County does not collect vehicle license fees or motor vehicle excises taxes, which would be repealed under I-976. However, the state of Washington, Sound Transit and 13 King County cities including Seattle use these sources to fund mobility projects, impacting Metro operations. Read more.
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