There’s been a flurry of news this past week.
Much of the nation could see snow this weekend. Meteorologists continue to update their forecasts, but Winter Storm Izzy could deposit inches of snow—or ice or freezing rain depending on the conditions—to the Midwest, East and South. It all depends on the timing, cold air and pressure changes, but one thing is for certain: Get that extra loaf of bread and milk and be prepared for any weather delays or headaches.
And on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate for private employers with 100 or more employees. Read what associations, experts and industry leaders are saying about the decision here.
However, the Court voted 5-4 to allow the vaccine mandate to stand for those who work for health care providers that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funding. Notably, the health care mandate did not have a weekly testing option but does still allow medical and religious exemptions.
EHS Today will continue to provide you the latest news and analysis on this ruling and guidance on how to keep your workers safe from COVID-19 and all other workplace hazards.
Banks Bullish on Vaccines
As head of JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon often make headlines when he makes statements. His latest: “To go to the office you have to be vaxxed and if you aren’t going to get vaxxed you won’t be able to work in that office,” Dimon said Monday in an interview on CNBC. “And we’re not going to pay you not to work in the office.”
The biggest U.S. bank has not required all employees to be vaccinated. Instead, it is developing vaccine strategies based on local conditions.
The approach makes sense in theory, but as you all know, the devil (and headaches) are in the details. Time will tell if JPMorgan Chase needs to revise its policy—yet again.
In comparison, Citigroup Inc. is threatening unvaccinated employees with termination as soon as this month, Bloomberg reports.
Read more here.
Be Positive—and Stop Procrastinating
Ever not want to do something, so you push it off or “save it for later”? Yeah, us too. We’re trying to understand why we do that because well, eventually, you have to deal with whatever you’ve been dreading. And the longer you postpone something, the bigger you perceive the task.
When we procrastinate, we’re avoiding not only dealing with the task at hand but also our emotions. Research suggests that people who tend to procrastinate are more prone to anxiety, depression and negative repetitive thoughts, specifically worrying about the future and rumination about the past. The underlying mechanisms explaining why are less understood.
As one researcher explains:
“When we procrastinate, our present self benefits from mood repair, while our future self stands to bear the cost of the delay. The thing is, we don’t worry much about our future self; we actually think about our future self more like a stranger. What procrastination seems to be related to most is rumination. We have repetitive negative thoughts about the past—or even about our present situation.”
As with any problem or situation, understanding and breaking down what’s happening and what you feel about it—developing self-awareness—is the first step to ultimately changing the behavior or outcome.
One idea for how to stop procrastinating is to develop resilience by increasing self-compassion and self-forgiveness. It’s important to remember our humanity and accept our past failures or past mistakes. It’s also important that our past doesn’t automatically determine our future.
That’s something we’re trying to remember as we decide our own New Year’s resolutions as the world enters year 3 of a pandemic that is constantly producing new challenges.
Read more about the psychology of procrastination here.
Managing Expectations for 2022
If you read last week’s round up, you know to ditch the diet and try mindful eating instead. And, if you’re still considering resolutions, consider this unfortunately still relevant article from 2021.
Experts say that that “writing out one or two specific, small and attainable goals can help develop confidence and a sense of pride, improving your well-being.”
For goals to come reality, you need to understand your motivation for this change. Goals with internal motivators, meaning you’re doing something because you want to, are more likely to stick. They also need to be achievable, so you must first start small and get specific. Then build on your new habits, including the necessary steps you must take.
In other words, don’t make your 2022 resolution to get healthy. Specify that you want to eat at least three servings of produce per day. Commit to that by adding fruits and vegetables to your weekly grocery list and storing them where you will easily see them. For example, place washed berries in small reusable containers so it’s easy to toss them in your lunch bag on the way out or grab for a late-night snack instead of chips.
Remember to give yourself a break, too. It’s been a tough few years, so if you slip up one day, one week or one month, all hope is not lost. Revisit your goal, adjust as necessary and try again when you feel up to it. Don’t fall into the New Year’s trap; you can always make changes and set goals any day you darn well please.
For more expert advice, read the full article here.
