North Little Rock e-Newsletter Provided by Diane Whitbey, City Clerk and Treasurer
May/June 2025
The City of North Little Rock has a workforce of around 1,000 employees. These employees work to provide services that keep our city running: Police, Fire, Emergency Services, Electric Utility, Animal Control, Sanitation, Street, Traffic Control, Community Development and Fair Housing, Courts, Economic Development, Engineer, Finance/Purchasing, History, Libraries, Neighborhood Services, Planning, Parks and Recreation, Human Resources, IT. We also have elected officials (Mayor, City Clerk/Treasurer, City Attorney, District Court Judges and their staff, and last but not least, City Council Members representing four (4) wards in our city). Our employees come from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. These things add to the effectiveness of our team members at all levels. As with any company, we take the health and wellness of our employees seriously. Last month, our Human Resources Department provided female employees an opportunity to attend a session during their lunch hour where a group of professionals (RNs) provided information focused on women’s health. The discussion focused on stress and the affect it can have on the body. One of the handouts was about practicing gratitude during stressful times. Below is information that might be helpful for all of us. Here are some of the highlights. Stress. It happens to all of us at one time or another. Let’s face it, we live in a stress-filled world. So what can we do to make it better? Put positive emotions, like gratitude to work. How can gratitude help? Stress is often a combination of worry or negativity which can leave you feeling tired and hopeless. Instead of letting those feelings rule your day, think about what you are grateful for. Try to shift your daily thoughts to positive things (think of the glass is half full saying). Eating things that are good for you. So we’ve heard “you are what you eat”, but is it true? The body needs healthy food and exercise to thrive. Just like your vehicle, your body needs the proper fuel and tune ups! Positive thoughts. With positive thoughts and feelings, your body can release “feel good” hormones which can lead to feeling happy and less stressed. Try picking one day a week to not complain about anything. Spend time with positive people. Say thank you! Post positive images and sayings on social media (who knows, what inspired you may inspire someone else). Sleep. We ALL need a good night’s sleep which gives the body time to reset itself. When you lay down to rest, think about something positive that happened during the day so your last thoughts of the day will be good ones! How stress can affect your health. Stress affects your immune system—people who are under a lot of stress are twice as likely to catch a cold, flu and other viruses. Mental health and emotional issues can be related to your health—your body produces chemicals that affect how your brain works. People who are stressed may have trouble with focus, concentrating, tired, irritable. Weight gain or loss may be stress related as well. Some folks will ‘stress eat’ meaning the go on a junk food binge or just eat foods that are bad for them. Stress often leads to over eating which can lead to weight gain. Diabetes—stress can affect your glucose levels which can bring on symptoms or make diabetes worse. Coping with outside influences. These days, news broadcasts and social media are a 24-7. Yes it keeps you informed, but it can also contribute to your stress. If you only watch the news for the weather, that’s fine. Put a limit on the time you allow yourself to check news and social media. Make an effort to balance bad news with something positive. Avoid negative people, which may sound hard if it is a good friend or family member, but if it is ongoing negativity, it can affect you. Spend some time outdoors—this can help both your physical and mental health. (But if you stay awhile, be sure to apply sunscreen!) Enjoy nature and all of the wonderful things it has to offer. Take some time to stop and smell the roses or walk barefoot through the grass! Mindfulness. Even if you don’t practice mindfulness such as yoga or meditation there are things you can do. Take a break and go for a walk around the block, try not to think about your worries but focus on what you see, hear, smell and fell. Try taking a few minutes out of each day to sit back, close your eyes and clear your mind...it really does work! Talk about it. Use your support groups: family—significant other, coworkers, church family, friends when you need someone to vent to. “Where’s Mel”? Be the first person to call 501-975-8617 and tell us where you found Mel hiding and win!
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