Five on Friday: Employer Benefits You NEED

Working in Human Resources, I've come to realize that many employees know little if anything about the benefits their employers offer. It's so important for us to have a solid understanding of the options that we can elect. Below is a brief run down of five benefits you need!

401K
I've had more than one person tell me that one of their biggest regrets is not saving for their retirement. If you employers offers a 401K, ENROLL! Especially if they offer matching. You know what that means? Free money. You don't need to be a stock market genius in order to see your money grow. If you start early enough in your career, you will be able to save up plenty.

Life Insurance
Life insurance is generally pretty affordable and if you employers offers it with the option of having the costs taken out via payroll deduction, that's event better. We would all like to live forever but honestly, you never know. Make sure that you designate a beneficiary.

EAP
EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program and is probably one of the most under utilized benefit I've seen offered. EAPs are normally free for employees and can offer mental health and financial counseling, referrals for doctors, elder care assistance and even legal counseling at a discounted rate.

HSA
Health Savings Accounts allow pre-tax deductions to be distributed into an account to use for either qualified medical expenses or qualified health care expenses. It's a helpful way to prepare to expenses that you will have over the course of the year. You just need to be careful but they are often "use it or loose it" plans.

Wellness Plans
Look into your health insurance plan because you can often find hidden benefits in the form of gym discounts, gift cards for participating in wellness surveys and weight loss programs. Also, don't forget that as part of Obamacare, us ladies get our annual lady bit exams and physicals with NO copay.

SAD

Most days I love living in a place where we get to experience all four seasons. We get the long warm (sometimes too hot) days of summer and then the crisp air with the first snow of the winter. Especially living near the water, the seasons tend to be more vibrant than in other places.

Although I enjoy seeing all four of the seasons, the winter can feel particularly long and dark. I definitely get a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter when the days are short and it feels like the snow just won't back off. I get fatigued and lethargic and can sense my motivation lacking more than other times of the year.

I am sure there are other women who experience some of the symptoms of SAD. Luckily, I have found a few tips that make it a little easier for me to make it through the long winter.

• It can be tough to motivate myself during the winter to exercise but it always feels better after.   Getting in a  good daily sweat not only makes me feel better physically but it helps mentally as well.
• I always up my supplements in the winter knowing that the shorter days are coming. B12 and Vitamin C & D are my three must have in my vitamin regiment for the summer.
• Light therapy is one of the most common forms of treatment for SAD. I like to call them happy lights and they really can work! You can get ones for your desk or even an at home alarm clock. (I've used this the Philips Hf3470 Wake-up Light, White)

Do you have any tips to make it through the short days of the winter?

**I am not a doctor. You should consult your doctor if you feel as though you suffer from SAD.

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