Mindfulness with Éva Völgyi

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! This week, we’re spotlighting mindfulness and how our colleague, Éva Völgyi, uses it to boost her mental wellbeing.

Mindfulness 101

Simply put, mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what’s currently happening within and around us moment by moment – it’s the opposite of living life on autopilot. Mindfulness can:

  • anchor us to the present moment through our five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell).
  • help us engage with our thoughts, feelings, and experiences in non-judgmental and accepting ways.
  • be practiced anywhere while doing anything.

Studies show that regularly practicing mindfulness can reduce stress, increase our ability to focus, make us more resilient, increase happiness and joy, and help us cultivate self-compassion and compassion towards others.

Éva’s Experience with Mindfulness

Éva

Éva Völgyi, Human Resources Business Partner, joined L&P four years ago and regularly practices mindfulness at work and beyond. She supports L&P through a mixture of operational and strategic HR initiatives and planning activities, and she’s introduced many of our colleagues to mindfulness.

When and why did you become interested in mindfulness?

I became interested in mindfulness years ago when I realized the impact of stress on my wellbeing. Mindfulness offered a way to manage stress and improve my focus, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Practicing mindfulness can help us stay present and fully engaged in our activities. It can reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and enhance emotional resilience, making it a valuable practice for both our personal and professional lives.

How do you practice mindfulness at work?

I take regular breaks to reset, practice deep breathing exercises, use mindfulness apps for guided meditation, and stay present during meetings and tasks. This helps me maintain focus and reduce stress throughout the day.

What’s challenging about mindfulness and how do you address it?

One of the challenges is staying consistent, especially when we’re busy. To address this, I set reminders on my phone, schedule regular mindfulness sessions, and try to integrate mindfulness into daily activities – like walking, eating, or exercising.

Where can people go to learn more about mindfulness?

Here are a few helpful links that I’ve shared with colleagues:

Many thanks to Éva for sharing about mindfulness and how it can help our wellbeing!

L&P Supports Mission of Lafayette House at Annual Fundraiser

Recently, a group of L&P employees attended Ooh-La Lafayette, the annual fundraiser for Lafayette House of Joplin, Missouri.

Lafayette House is a center that provides safety and healing to those suffering from domestic violence, sexual assault, and substance abuse disorders. Annually, Lafayette House serves nearly 1,000 residents of Southwest Missouri, over half of whom are seeking refuge from domestic violence.

The night’s theme was “Disco Garden Party,” complete with sequins, flowers, and attire reminiscent of the 70s disco era. Highlights of the evening included watercolor portraits, a photo booth, a silent auction, and a fashion show spotlighting local boutiques. All money raised supports the mission of Lafayette House.

L&P Employees attend Ooh-La Lafayette.

The evening’s client spotlight featured a courageous woman named Jodie. Her journey with Lafayette House began in 2013, immediately after her son’s birth. Recognizing she needed help, she left the hospital and came straight to Lafayette House, calling it her baby’s “first home.” Her path hasn’t been easy, but each step forward has been a testament to her strength. She said, “I knew more than anything, I just had to try.”

Tammy Trent, Senior Vice President/Chief Accounting Officer and Board member of Lafayette House is thankful the House was there to help her when she was ready to take this step:

“While her story is unique, the underlying truth applies to us all. Sometimes, taking the first step and trying can be the hardest part, but if you never try, you never know what you can accomplish.”

Thank you to all of our L&P employees who attended Ooh-La Lafayette and supported the mission of Lafayette House!

Celebrating Earth Month through Photos!

In celebration of Earth Month and to raise awareness of sustainable practices, we asked employees to capture the beauty and significance of sustainability through their camera lens and share their photos with us. We received so many wonderful submissions, and chose four that spoke to our sustainability mission and will be published in this year’s sustainability report. Congratulations!

In addition, we want to share a few more of the outstanding submissions we received.

Thank you to everyone who shared their sustainability photos and celebrated Earth Month at L&P!

Checking in for Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! 🧠

Like physical health, everyone has mental health an overall state of emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. The quality of our mental health can change over time due to life experiences.

This month, consider scheduling some time to assess your mental health. If you want help deciding whether or not to speak with a health care provider about your mental health, or if you want tips for talking to a health care provider about your mental health, check out these two resources:

Celebrating our Administrative Professionals – Carolyn Stolarski

Carolyn

Administrative Professionals Day was Wednesday, April 23! The administrative professionals at Leggett & Platt are some of the most hard-working, unsung heroes of our business. They keep our departments running smoothly while wearing many hats – from managing schedules, organizing events, or ensuring our teams get paid on time, their roles are unique and dynamic.

To show our appreciation and say thank you – we’d like to introduce you to a few of the administrative professionals who epitomize our value of putting people first.

Meet Carolyn Stolarski. Carolyn joined Leggett & Platt Automotive 2.5 years ago as the Human Resources Administrator for the Global Automotive HR Team in Troy, MI.

As an HR Administrator, Carolyn wishes others understood the attention to detail required to do her job well. She spends a significant amount of time refining processes and improving the workday of their teams.

“What I enjoy most about my role is contributing to the development of more efficient processes for our HR team. By enhancing our efficiency, we can extend the same level of efficiency to our employees.”

Thank you, Carolyn, for your dedication to L&P Automotive and Leggett & Platt!

Celebrating Our Administrative Professionals – Fran Liu

Fran

Administrative Professionals Day was Wednesday, April 23! The administrative professionals at Leggett & Platt are some of the most hard-working, unsung heroes of our business. They keep our departments running smoothly while wearing many hats – from managing schedules, organizing events, or ensuring our teams get paid on time, their roles are unique and dynamic.

To show our appreciation and say thank you – we’d like to introduce you to a few of the administrative professionals who epitomize our value of putting people first.

Meet Fran Liu. Fran joined Leggett & Platt Hydraulics 1.5 years ago as Finance Manager at Pacoma in Ningbo, China.

As a Finance Manager, Fran enjoys data-driven decision-making and working with cross-functional teams to align financial plans with business objectives.

“Finance provides a numerical foundation for business department decision-making, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of these decisions.”

Fran believes that in today’s dynamic business environment, the role of finance extends beyond traditional boundaries.

“Finance is not merely a recorder and supervisor but a partner and supporter. The more finance is involved in the design and optimization of business processes, the greater the efficiency and higher the quality of decisions.”

Thank you, Fran, for your dedication to your team and Leggett & Platt!

Celebrating our Administrative Professionals – Mariana Fermin Gomez

Administrative Professionals Day was Wednesday, April 23! The administrative professionals at Leggett & Platt are some of the most hard-working, unsung heroes of our business. They keep our departments running smoothly while wearing many hats – from managing schedules, organizing events, or ensuring our teams get paid on time, their roles are unique and dynamic.

Mariana

To show our appreciation and say thank you – we’d like to introduce you to a few of the administrative professionals who epitomize our value of putting people first.

Meet Mariana Fermin Gomez. Mariana joined Leggett & Platt in September as a Routing Coordinator at Leggett & Platt Flooring Products – Aurora but soon transitioned to Payroll/Receptionist.

Initially, the transition and changes in responsibility scared Mariana, but with time and determination, she grew more confident and is proud of her accomplishments. She credits her supportive coworkers with helping her significantly improve her English, even though her primary language is Spanish.

“Working with people from different nationalities and cultures, all united by the same goal of personal and company growth makes me proud to be part of Leggett & Platt.”

Kim Dolder, Regional Human Resource Manager, calls Mariana “a rising star” of Aurora.

Thank you, Mariana, for all you do for Leggett & Platt!

L&P Sustainability’s Eco-Friendly Tips for Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day!

Looking for easy ways to help create a more sustainable future? In honor of Earth Day, our L&P Sustainability team shared a few ideas:

🔋Unplug chargers after use. Phone, laptop, tablet, and other charging cables still draw power, even when devices aren’t connected.
Justine Kimbel, Sustainability Coordinator

💧Wash clothes in cold water and take meat off the menu one or two days per week.
Barry Haubner, Energy Manager

🚲 For a few days per week, consider walking, biking, or taking public transportation instead of driving.
Alex Delmore, Sustainability Intern

🍎 Purchase in-season produce at the grocery store and turn off the sink while brushing teeth.
Melanie Koenig, ESG Governance Specialist

🌱 Plant native or adaptive plants that need less water and compost your food scraps.
Tamara Cook, Sustainability Director

Celebrating Administrative Professionals Day – Vaishak Unnikrishnan

Vaishak

Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 23! The administrative professionals at Leggett & Platt are some of the most hard-working, unsung heroes of our business. They keep our departments running smoothly while wearing many hats – from managing schedules, organizing events, or ensuring our teams get paid on time, their roles are unique and dynamic.

To show our appreciation and say thank you, we’d like to introduce you to a few of the administrative professionals who epitomize our value of putting people first.

Meet Vaishak Unnikrishnan! Vaishak joined Leggett & Platt Hydraulics 4.5 years ago as Senior Executive – Human Resources Generalist at Precision Hydraulic Cylinders in Chennai, India.

One of the most enjoyable parts of Vaishak’s role is the opportunity to interact with employees and understand their professional wants and needs.

Reflecting on his role, Vaishak shared, “Every day, I face new challenges that help me develop my problem-solving skills. I have learned more than I could have imagined. It’s been a great ride, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”

Thank you, Vaishak, for your dedication to Leggett & Platt. We appreciate you!

Celebrating our Administrative Professionals – Louetta Hanson

Louetta

Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 23! The administrative professionals at Leggett & Platt are some of the most hard-working, unsung heroes of our business. They keep our departments running smoothly while wearing many hats – from managing schedules, organizing events, or ensuring our teams get paid on time, their roles are unique and dynamic.

To show our appreciation and say thank you – we’d like to introduce you to a few of the administrative professionals who epitomize our value of putting people first.

Meet Louetta Hanson. Louetta joined Leggett & Platt Hydraulics in 2023 as an Executive Administrative Assistant at Precision Hydraulic Cylinders in Wilmington, NC.

As an Executive Administrative Assistant, Louetta enjoys every aspect of her role but especially collaborating with and helping her colleagues.

“I wish everyone understood the dynamic nature of my role and how rewarding it is to assist my colleagues with a variety of tasks. It brings a great sense of accomplishment.”

Thank you, Louetta, for your dedication to Leggett & Platt. We appreciate you!