For the third week of Mental Health month, Balanced You is focusing on the topic “connecting with others.” Social connection helps ward off social isolation and is an important part of mental health. The connections we make with other people enrich our lives and support us through the most difficult times. But, sometimes, it is not easy to know how to make those meaningful, enriching connections, especially during the pandemic.   During the pandemic, you may not be as ambitious about connecting with others as you were pre-pandemic, and that is okay. Still,… Read More

Social distancing is one the strongest tools we have to save lives and slow the spread of the coronavirus. Yet for many of us, the practice is difficult; while social distancing keeps us and others safe, it also challenges our important need for connection.  Whether you live alone or in a home full of people, practicing social distancing can lead to feelings of isolation, which can take a toll on your mental health. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help combat isolation and stay safely connected, both online and offline,… Read More

Washington State is seeing an alarming rise in fraudulent unemployment claims as victims’ identities are being used to file false unemployment claims with the Employment Security Department (ESD), including here in King County. Some individuals who have not filed an unemployment claim have received notification from ESD indicating that a claim as been filed on their behalf. The State is taking this seriously and reviewing its internal processes to identify and prevent these fraudulent claims going forward. This may slow down processing, but is being done in the interest of claimants. Please… Read More