3 Mindfulness Practices for Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment season is here! Your Broker and HR Benefits teammates have been working hard preparing for OE and assisting employees with their company health benefit elections. To help reduce the stress you’re under, we’re sharing our 3 favorite mindfulness practices.

Open Enrollment can be a stressful time. As if selecting an affordable health insurance plan wasn’t hard enough, now you need to communicate benefit changes to employees. Between follow ups with your healthcare vendors and never-ending questions from colleagues (on top of your normal workload!) it can feel overwhelming.

Take a deep breath in. Hold. Release.

Know that it’s going to be okay.

Carebridge appreciates all you do to promote our EAP mental health benefits during Open Enrollment. As a thank you, we’ve put together our 3 favorite mindfulness practices to help you remain calm during this hectic OE season.

3 Mindfulness Practices for Open Enrollment Season

1. Body Scan

Practice this method if your mind is whirling with everything on your to-do list. A Body Scan helps you get out of your head, and into your body.

  • Sit comfortably.
  • Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
  • Focus attention on the sensations at the top of your head.
  • Slowly move your attention down your body. Take notice of sensations and how each part feels. Neck, shoulders, chest, arms, belly, legs, and feet.
  • Take a few deep breaths.
  • Bring your attention back to the room as you open your eyes.

2. Smile Check! It’s Open Enrollment.

The Inner Smile method can be practiced wherever you are. Even during a chaotic workday. Do it when you’re feeling down, frustrated, or grumpy. Research shows this method can instantly lift your mood and improve your mindset.

  • Smile lightly. As if you were smiling at a loved one.
  • Soften your jaw.
  • Relax your forehead.
  • Keep smiling!

3. Increase Your Energy with Breathwork

Double Breathing is a short practice, but it quickly excites the sympathetic nervous system and increases blood flow. Which makes you more alert and awake—ready to take on open enrollment!

  • Inhale through your nose with a short, sharp inhalation.
  • Immediately followed directly by a long, strong inhale.
  • Without pausing, exhale through the nose and mouth with a short exhale.
  • Followed by a long exhale.
  • Repeat up to 5 times.

Here’s to a Low Stress Open Enrollment!

Carebridge EAP wishes you a low stress Open Enrollment season to Brokers and HR-Benefits Teams! Thank you for all you do to ensure employees have solid healthcare, wellness, and mental health benefits.

Interested in learning more about Carebridge EAP? Click here to learn how we can become an extension of your HR/Benefits team.