June 2013 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
Increasing your muscular strength can reduce fractures! Include weights or bands in your workout.	Post your utility bills so that everyone in the family can see your progress to reduced energy consumption.
Posting on Facebook for 20 minutes burns approximately 30 calories, walking for 20 minutes burns 90 calories!	Retain safety information and disposal information for later use for those products that may harm the environment and require special disposal procedures when they are no longer needed..
Range of motion exercises increases body awareness, which helps with balance.	Make environmental wellness part of your social matrix and life course.
If you are not sure of what exercise to do consult your physician first.	Add at least one article a month to your environmental wellness library.
Tai Chi burns approximately 300 calories an hour and improves strength, flexibility, and balance.	Buy the right amount of chemicals for each job-reducing excess and waste.
Social	Spiritual
It is easy to make friends when you learn to like yourself and be comfortable with yourself!	Remember to pray or meditate as a community and as an individual.
Maintaining friendships may require being patient and forgiving.	Leave your heart and hands open to recieve the gifts of your spiritual practice.
Focus on the good in life more than the difficult part of life.	Consider your spirituality as a journey, and decide your course purposefully.
Focus on what you can change and collaborate for the rest of your concerns.	Meditation can improve our ability to be kind.
Don't gossip as it destroys trust.	There is strength in numbers as help and direction becomes more available.
Nutritional	Occupational
Summer alcoholic drinks may make it more difficult to stay hydrated on warm days.	Identify what enjoyment means concerning your life work.
Iced coffees and speciality drinks may contain more sugar than you think!	For one day write down everytime you smile at work.
It is not always easy for active people to find the right balance of salt intake. Talking with a dietary specialist or sports doctor can be helpful.	Does your happiness come from your surroundings at work or what you do, or both?
Find out what foods are best for you for pre- and post workout.	Make a list of things that motivate you at work.
Staying hydrated is very important before, during, and after exercise.	Your attitude impacts others at work as well as your job performance.
Intellectual	Emotional
Memory can be improved by linking the memory to laughter or other sensory sources.	Better coping strategies can improve emotinal health.
Maintaining good poster improves blood-flow to the brain!	Keep your expectations of others realistic.
Listening to music can boost the alertness of your brain!	Set goals for yourself and keep them realistic and achievable.
The size and structure of neurons can change in positive ways when you challenge your brain.	Be your own best friend.
Getting enough sleep can help the brain function and retain important facts longer.	Consider realxing and taking yourself lightly.

May 2013 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
Add muscle-strenghtening activities at least 2 days a week to your workout!	Look for appliances and technology that have a "phantom load" or use stand-by power and turn them off when possible.
Give up 2 hrs. and 30 min of movie time to do 15 ten minutes workouts throughout the week!	According to OSHA 110 decibels for 1 minute & 29 seconds is the recommended exposure time for noise at this level. Examples range from video arcades to leaf blowers!
Alternate workouts that involve the major muscles groups throughout the week.	Stress at work causes illness and injury.
The average person can burn up to 300 calories per hour just doing Tai Chi!	Being challenged at work can energize and motivate us to learn new skills!
The average person can burn up to 300 calories per hour or more during gardening activities!	Evaluate your waste production at home and at work and develop your personal plan to reduce waste and improve reuse.
Social	Spiritual
If you are shy and tend to socialize little consider ways to safely use social media to begin to socialize.	Identify and expand upon the things that give you peace and joy.
Reflect on your self-image and how you see yourself.	If doing service projects or volunteering bring your comfort then set aside time for these activities.
Consider becoming a kind and a more patient listener.	Praying, meditating, and singing with others increases your social and spiritual connections.
Try to focus  externally during social exchange to illicit a greater social response	Believing in something greater can be life affirming.
Invite someone you like at work to a function or activity outside of work.	Spiritual involvement has shown to decrease depression and debility.
Nutritional	Occupational
Cooking Strategy No.1 Focus on fresh foods rather than processed foods!	A sense of well-being at work has been known to decrease accident and injury (CDC)
Cooking Strategy No 2. Cook food to the proper serving temperature.	Become a leader that promotes a culture of safety and wellness
Cooking Strategy No. 3. Know your ingredients and the appropriate substitutes.	There is a positive relationship between disease prevention and work opportunity.
Cooking Strategy No. 4. Label food containers when opened with the current date!	Specific unhealthy lifestyle choices and risky behaviors tend to decrease work opportunities. (CDC)
Cooking Strategy No. 5. Learn how to decrease the fat and salt in your recipes with healthier herbs and sauces.	If your safety policies are looking more like safety shortcuts try having a departmental meeting to reestablish those best practices.
Intellectual	Emotional
Learn more about your favorite hobby.	Emotional well-being is the connection between physical health and holistic health (CDC).
Avoid alcohol and stimulants	Emotional well-being can improve productivity and the ability to recognize opportunities.
A balanced diet supports optimal brain function.	Socialization and a sense of connectedness can improve emotional well-being.
Spend time with challenging mental activities.	Enhancing problem solving skills and critical thinking are additional ways to improve your emotional well-being.
Exercise that involves dance and movement is healthy for the brain.	Identifying stress and emotional issues early and then seeking help is the best way to prevent further mental disability.

April 2013 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
Have you scheduled 2 hours and 30 minutes every week for brisk exercise as recommended by the CDC? or 15 - 10 minute workout sessions?	Explore how to handle medical waste safely in your home.
Playing with children in a non-sport manner can burn 150 calories an hour!	According to the World Health Organization:  Of the total amount of waste generated by health-care activities, about 80% is general waste.
Does your workout routine include recovery and rest periods?	If everyone purchased energy efficient televisions the energy savings would be comparable to removing 1.5 million cars from the road each year!
Set goals! Make it Fun! Keep a log of your workouts!	Unwanted or disturbing noise or sounds can have a negative impact on your health!
Join a group exercise class for motivation and fun!	If you leave your video game consoles on it could cost up to $100.00 per year in energy usage.
Social	Spiritual
Increase your sense of belonging and purpose by being a friend.	Spirituality can help be a source of strength during adversity!
Socialization builds inter-professional skills and competencies.	Spiritual wellness can lower stress!
Socialization delays memory problems.	Meditation can boost your concentration abilities and lower your fatigue levels!
Socialization is good for your brain: enhances communication and critical thinking skills!	As the brain processes sensory experiences it looks for a higher meaning or power.
Open your contact or address book and make a plan to connect.	People who seek a spiritual path tend to be happier!
Nutritional	Occupational
Shopping Strategy No.1 Focus on fresh foods rather than processed foods!	Participate in a workplace wellness program.
Shopping Strategy No 2. Don't linger in the snack aisles!	Evaluate your communication style and find a way to improve this skill.
Shopping Strategy No. 3. Make a list with a budget!	Build a support network at work!
Shopping Strategy No. 4. Read the food analysis for high calorie or salty foods!	Use EAP services when your workday is just too much!
Shopping Strategy No. 5. Eat before you  go shopping!	Learn everything you can about workplace bullying.
Intellectual	Emotional
Practice weighing the pros and cons of public scenarios and forums.	Avoid drugs and alcohol when trying to cope.
Practice good financial wellness.	Take time out when you are angry.
Practice your creativity!	Identify possible solutions for your stress.
Collaborate rather than dictate.	Think before you speak.
Read something unusual that is outside of your normal interest.	Exercise, eat well, and sleep restfully for better emotional health.

March 2013 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
March 1st is share a smile day. Smiling uses up to 22 muscles and 10 to 40 calories.	Evaluate peak stressors at work. Discuss suggestions for improvement with your team.
Get your walking shoes ready for better weather and longer walks outside.	Let someone know if you feel bullied at work.
Evaluate you winter workout progress.	Try rearranging the times of certain tasks to reduce stress.
Make changes to your workout routine for spring activity.	Consider placing more emphasis on reducing wasted processes and idle time.
Try light weighlifting as a way to build endurance and strength.	Avoid the pitfalls of responding to economic budget cuts with stressful negative knee jerk reactions. Find a way to help!
Social	Spiritual
Don't text: Call a buddy today! (The patent was granted for the phone in March of 1876)	Support your religious traditions by attending an appropriate service for you!
March is employee spirit month! Celebrate!	Explore how similar your beliefs are to the religious preferences of a friend.
March 15th is Incredible Kid Day! Send an encouragement to an IK that you know!	Practice meditating during gentle stretching or movement.
Connect with someone in your field and share a success story!	Take a mental break before you become stressed out.
March is National Words Matter Month! Find another word for friendship!	Find out how spiritual wellness can enhance your overall health and sense of well being.
Nutritional	Occupational
March is National Peanut Month! Select a healthy recipe with peanuts!	March is Workplace Eye and Safety Month! Look for eye irritants.
March is also National Sauce Month! Have a swap sauce recipe day!	March is Supply Management Month so lookout for surplus and expired supplies.
Set healthy boundaries concerning Easter candies and fatty recipes	March is National Poison Control Month. Update you MSDS!
Place a seasonal fruit bowl in your work area!	The number one reason for job injuries is physical overload. Learn how to lift safely.
American chocolate week is 3/18 through 3/23! Any Ideas!	The best way to  be happy at work is to increase your resilience and decrease your resistance to change!
Intellectual	Emotional
March is read across the U.S. month! Share a book that you have read with someone else.	March is National Ethics Awareness month!Review how your work will compliment your beliefs and values.
Sort through tax information and finalize your taxes!	March 21st is the first day of Spring! Look for signs of new life on the grounds where you work and play
All communication is 93% nonverbal. Practice listening well to nonverbals too!	Look for patterns in your day that energize you and stimulate new ideas.
Don't let yourself become bored it is not good for your immunity!	Connect with your mentor and share your personal growth.
Humor and laughter is good for the brain. Enjoy a good laugh with a friend!	March is National Mirth Month! Discover what else makes you happy!

February 2013 Employee Wellness Moments

Physical	Environmental
Make your health screening appointments for 2013.	This month is care for the birds month!
Review your 2012 biometrics.	Switch to recycled content purchasing.
Clear your schedule for fitness.	Plan your landscape with drought resistant plants
Find a friend to workout with you.	Check your water lines for small leaks.
Get serious about removing extended sedentary time periods.	Consider recycling packaging material.
Social	Spiritual
This is low vision month -Assist a person with low vision.	Reflect on why it is important to take good care of yourself.
Ride-share with someone to work or to the gym.	Add to your schedule the religious celebrations that are upcoming.
Attend a new social gathering.	Consider exploring different cultural beliefs to raise your awareness and respect.
Develop an international friendship with a member from a not-for-profit organization	Consider removing that habit or lifestyle choice that separates you from your higher power.
Set aside time for your family or significant other.	Take time to feel the benefits of gratitude.
Nutritional	Occupational
Make a list of diet liberties that you are planning for your February menus.	Discover the education requirements of a skill that you have been considering.
Pancake month! Develop a healthy pancake recipe!	Consider reworking a work-related task that you are not fond of.
Chef's day is Feb 26th! Thank your favorite chef!	Conduct mini time studies and analyze how to improve the process.
National Chili Day is Feb 28th! Have a healthy chili cook off!	Share that fantastic idea that you have been thinking about with your supervisor!
Remove one food for a day that might be undermining your diet plans.	Reflect on how you can improve your organizational culture.
Intellectual	Emotional
Research your family medical history.	Feb. 10-16 is random acts of kindness week!
Develop a prevention plan for diseases that are common in your family.	Reflect on what you have a heart for.
Learn about the latest treatments for diseases that may be common in your family.	Seek to resolve what makes you unkind to others.
Analyze what motivates you to succeed!	Instead of stuffing feelings try to make sense of them.
Investigate what is holding you back.	How would you describe your healing kindness to others.

Team Wellness: Hanna's Baby Shower!

January 2013 Employee Wellness Moments: New Year's Resolutions

Physical	Environmental
Exam your family history  for cardiac risks.	Replace Christmas decorations with something new and novel in your workspace.
Consider letting go of unhealthy family habits.	Consider helping with environmental issues.
Assess your sedentary moments.	Check noise levels and background sounds to reduce stress.
Make a list of your fitness goals for spring.	Make a floor plan of your workspace and decide one improvement for work flow in 2013.
Consider being a role model for health/fitness matters in your social circle.	Help another department with their storage spaces.
Social	Spiritual
Check on a friend who may be isolated by winter weather.	Plan a reflection or prayer moment every day.
Plan a family gathering for no reason.	Reflect on your religious beliefs and values
Attend a hobby convention and mingle with new artisans.	Practice gratitude at a higher level in 2013.
Make a list of your social goals for 2013.	Reflect on your spiritual goals for 2013.
Consider sharing your social skills by being a mentor or tutor in 2013.	Consider what the service aspect of your beliefs mean.
Nutritional	Occupational
Explore your cultural specialities.	Volunteer by sharing your talents with others.
Have a fun food carry-in.	Consider helping with fund-raising activities
Explore winter recipes together.	Plan to  acquire a new skill for work.
Make a list of your ideal menus that will compliment your fitness goals. .	Plan to be an active member of a performance committee.
Consider sharing your culinary skills with a person in need in 2013.	Make a list of ways that you can give back to your organization.
Intellectual	Emotional
Plan a vacation to someplace new this year.	Reflect on how you respond to change in your life.
Learn a new computer skill.	Build support systems for yourself.
Advocate for health care.	Seek EAP services for issues that don't resolve quickly.
Consider sharing a skill that you have mastered with someone else in 2013.	Make a list of things that make you feel mentally healthy.
Make a list of things that you would like to learn in 2013.	Consider being a helper to another person in need.

Team Bella Vita: Christmas Lunch at Brio's

Good friends and a great wellness team!

December 2012 Employee Wellness Moments: Holiday Survival!

Physical	Environmental
Create an indoor "reindeer" walking path.	Dust off holiday decorations before using
Start an "avoid the elevator" challenge.	Follow safety suggestions for outlets and extension cords.
Have a fitness equipment swap day.	Never leave candles unattended.
Make a list of your excuses for not exercising in the winter.	Keep you first aid kit stocked for minor gift wrapping paper cuts etc.
Journal your best exercise days in 2012.	Map out your destination to parties ahead of time.
Social	Spiritual
Check to see if you have made contact with all of your friends in 2012.	Remain respectful and considerate of the religious choices of others.
Plan to attend a social with at least one new 2012 friend.	Enhance your holiday season with your personal spiritual traditions.
Take time to write those gratitude notes.	Take time for meditation and /or prayer
Regift at least one new gift to another person in need.	Support a relgious leader in your community by offering to help this season.
Check your December social calendar for accuracy and possible overlap.	Make a list of your 2012 blessings.
Nutritional	Occupational
Share mocktail recipes with coworkers.	Respect the schedules of others when planning office parties.
Start each day reflecting on healthy food choices.	Wrap up your 2012 reporting early
Don't skip meals during the holiday season.	Make sure you have the necessary tools to start 2013
Skip heavy appetizers when possible.	Take time to thank employees, volunteers, and vendors for a year of support.
Limit the variety of taste treats at each social.	Change personal greetings and email signatures as needed for the holidays.
Intellectual	Emotional
Make a list of things that you would like to learn in 2013.	Encourage laughter in holiday gatherings
Show or demonstrate your hobbies to another person or group.	Acknowledge the sadness that holidays can bring to coworkers at times.
Select gifts that inspire the imagination this season.	Be extra kind and nurturing to yourself during the holidays.
Brief walks in the fresh air can boost brain power.	Seek support for your new year's resolutions.
Take moments to downsize from too much stimuli	Celebrate the holiday season using your values as a guiding light.

November 2012 Employee Wellness Moments: Depression Assessment

Physical	Environmental
Physical exercise can relieve the symptoms of depression.	There is a link between allergies and depression.
Depressions can be cause by certain illnesses.	Living in an abusive environment can cause depression.
Medication side-effects can cause depression.	Too much noise can lead to depression.
Sedentary behavior can lead to depression.	People feel more depressed on gloomy or cloudy days.
Sports injuries can lead to depression during the rehabilitative process.	Trauma and Stress can cause depression.
Social	Spiritual
Inability to forgive others can cause depression.	Lifestyles that conflict with your values can cause depression.
Self-isolation can cause depression.	Unresolved anger can cause depression.
Contagious diseases such as the common cold can be depressing as it interferes with socialization.	Unresolved grief can cause depression.
Depression can occur as a result of life-course changes.	Disconnecting from your spiritual life can cause depression.
Chronic family problems can lead to depression.	Loss of self-identity and personal worth can cause depression.
Nutritional	Occupational
Good nutrition can improve the symptoms of depression.	Underemployment can impact self-worth.
There are links between fast food and depression.	Poor work-life balance can cause depression.
Dehydration influences mood.	Jobs with low-control can lead to depression.
Seasonal foods can boost mood temporarily.	Lack of social support at work can lead to depression.
Over or under eating can cause depression.	Jobs with poor autonomy are depressive.
Intellectual	Emotional
New knowledge and learning can ease depressive symptoms.	Lack of sleep can cause depression
Learning can provide a sense of control.	Alcohol abuse can cause depression.
Learning boosts autonomy.	Drug addiction can cause depression.
Stereotypes and negative thinking are depressive.	Pessimism is known to cause depression.
Creativity can reduce depressive symptoms.	Lack of self-control can lead to depression.

September 2012 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
What is your preventative health plan?	Organize your day for easy entry and exit of work tasks.
What are your healthy mind-body approaches to improve your well-being?	Analyze workstation stress and manage one stress element or decide to eliminate the problem.
Do art, science, and morals impact your integrative health care decisions?	Build in time for assessment of daily interruptions.
Explore how sports massage enhances athletic performance and increases the rate of recovery.	Evaluate technology spaces and social connections for hording and clutter. Delete unnecessary or obsolete information.
Explore movement therapies such as Tai Chi and dance.	Re-evaluate your learning needs and skill development and create learning stations.
Social	Spiritual
Socialization includes mutual obligations ...follow up on a promise to spend time with someone else.	Your spiritual wellness enhances your other wellness initiatives.
Satisfying relationships may buffer the impact of stress.	Some spiritual pursuits can reduce pain and some disease processes.
Empathy is an important component of caring and it is a teachable skill.	Meditation promotes relaxation.
Socialization improves self-worth, which increases life expectancy by 1.5 years.	Spirituality can promote a sense of well-being even in the presence of disease.
Friendships tend to boost self-efficacy.	Spirituality is a key components of integrative medicine.
Nutritional	Occupational
Monitor you dietary fat intake for one week, and discuss your findings with a nutritional professional.	List your department's skills and competencies to capture recent learning events.
Talk to a dietitian about your food sensitivities.	Schedule holiday events for your staff early so that they can arrange their seasonal activities.
When adjusting your diet, consult with your health care professional.	Evaluate those job functions that create boredom and talk to your manager.
Your diet can change your health status and ability to integrate other therapies.	Take time away from sedentary job functions for get up and go exercises.
The right diet can enhance treatment and pain management.	Add into your fitness schedule your work-related activity and miles walked while on the job.
Intellectual	Emotional
Meditative breathing can enhance brain function.	Identify those somatic markers that create uncomfortable emotional responses.
Emotional events have a privileged status in memory, remembering the emotion is a quicker way to recall hidden facts.	Developing and /or improving self-regulation skills can help to regulate chronic and stress related illnesses.
Quick naps have recuperative powers concerning brain function.	Troubling emotional memories can trigger phobias and hoarding behaviors.
Addiction involves several areas of the brain and may require a combination of therapies in order to resolve the issue.	Mind-body therapies help to reduce the strain of long-term stress.
Stress is a learned response and cognitive behavioral therapy is a possible approach to unlearn this process.	Workplace stress and conflict can be reduced by discussing the situation with your manager or EAP representative.

August 2012 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical	Environmental
Identify your unhealthy choices this month.	Establish a calm work environment. Identify stressors and create a group to brainstorm resolution.
Plan to improve or eliminate one at risk behavior.	Gather a group for early morning workouts using outdoor gyms and fitness trails.
Change one sedentary activity.	Create a team to explore land projects for environmental education.
Start tracking your health numbers.	Discuss your team's environmental stewardship.
Research the real cost of  unhealthy health numbers.	Remove heat scorched plants to reduce allergens and decay.
Social	Spiritual
Research why socialization is healthy.	Socialization and spiritual wellness are a great mix to nurture.
Choose one reason to socialize and create an activity based around that dimension of wellness.	Increasing your physical well-being deepens your spiritual journey.
Socialization improves retention, create one social event per month for your work team.	Support groups can often help remove personal barriers to meditation.
Walk to deliver a message face-to-face rather than use email.	Share with a friend how your food choices are beginning to align with your values and beliefs about healthy dining.
Join a social exercise class such as ballroom dancing.	The more your actions align with your values and beliefs, the easier it is to develop your spiritual wellness.
Nutritional	Occupational
Arrange to have dinner with a friend.	Review safety procedures in your area.
Share food preparation tasks with a coworker.	Discuss your sensory deficits with a trusted supervisor to make sure that you have the necessary adaptations for safety.
Separate meal times from stressful events.	Learn how to make sedentary jobs healthier.
Avoid working through your lunch time.	Use recommended safety practices at home too!
Join an online social food network to help make searching for healthy food recipes fun!	Find one more way to strengthen your work team.
Intellectual	Emotional
Socialization improves brain function.	Examine one unhealthy lifestyle choice that you may be harboring and its health and social costs.
Learning a new skill is easier when it is shared with someone else.	Fitness classes and sports can boost emotional wellness as people share victories and defeats.
Find out how at risk behaviors can damage your intellectual well-being.	Engaging in wellness activities together can be relaxing and provide pain relief.
Be creative! Creativity improves in the present of others.	Better moods start with a smile: research finds that a smile is more powerful than chocolate for changing moods!
Join a team! When shared with others, the benefits of exercise, socialization, and intellectual wellness are tremendous!	An energy booster can elevate your mood: being properly hydrated or a quick movement break can do wonders!

July 2012 Employee Wellness Moments

Physical	Environmental
Plan  meaningful rest breaks from the heat.	Design a cooling basket for hot work stations.
Update your on-the-go hydration plan.	During the hottest part of the day alternate work and rest periods.
Redesign your workout times around the summer heat.	Acclimate slowly to extreme temperatures.
Conduct self-assessments frequently regarding heat and humidity stressors on the body.	Instead of ditching the safety equipment in warm environments, work for shorter periods with the appropriate safety equipment.
Be flexible with your workout goals, but do not give up!	Have a heat stress prevention plan for yourself and volunteers.
Social	Spiritual
Plan cool get-togethers.	Stay hydrated during meditation and reflection.
Be patient, heat may make others less social.	Stay flexible with your summer meditation schedule
Check on a friend when temperatures are high.	Uncomfortably warm prayer environments may impact meditation.
Socialize pets in the cooler part of the day.	Begin planning your next level of spiritual wellness
When it is too hot to socialize outside, catch up on emails or send a fun greeting to another.	Reflect on your life skills and how they compliment your spiritual wellness
Nutritional	Occupational
Wash fruits and vegetables carefully.	Research ways to add one more skill.
Observe the calorie content of cool sweet treats.	Reflect on your work/life balance.
Keep picnic food at the proper temperatures.	Organize a leisure and fun event after work hours.
Change healthy recipes often to keep the menu exciting.	Make a list of all of the positive aspects of your job.
Know you food sources and their handling practices especially at roadside or farmer's markets.	Create a digital portfolio.
Intellectual	Emotional
Find out how a warm environment impacts, learning and memory.	Remember when the heat and humidity indexes are high emotions are more difficult to handle.
Take a friend to a free concert in the park.	Summer heat blues are possible in extreme heat.
Find out how you can contribute to the local art community	Take extra rest breaks and stay nutritionally balanced especially during the warm weather.
Take a TV break and read a new book instead.	Doing a good deed for another is an excellent way to relieve the heat blues.
Enhance your work environment to increase brain cell growth.	Track the good things at the end of each day .

June 2012 Employee Wellness Moments

Physical	Environmental
Run/walk in a 5k.	Check your summer sun screen plan and update as needed.
Update your on-the-go hydration plan.	Clean a cluttered area.
Add a new flexibility routine.	Clean screens and air conditioning filters
Check into a new cardio program with a friend.	Update you first aid station.
Update your strength training if it is too easy.	Look for sources of allergens in your immediate work area.
Social	Spiritual
Make special Fathers' Day plans with family.	Couple one other dimension of wellness with the spiritual dimension of wellness.
Create a father/son look-alike photo display.	Check your summer worship plans.
Volunteer to help at a Fathers' Day event,	Find one new thing each day to be thankful for.
Create a collage of fathers' using old tools.	Discover what values you hold that add purpose to your life.
Create a collage of fathers' fishing trips and fables.	What elements of a purposeful life do you need to give you peace of mind.
Nutritional	Occupational
Share favorite barbeque recipes.	Offer to train one new volunteer.
Share seasonal taste testing stations.	Go outside at least once a day.
Explore fresh gardentini recipes.	Organize your desk and desktop to save time
Start a neighbor's or family vegetable garden  urban legend list.	Evaluate how much real down time you have each day.
Share one new seasonal fruit salad.	Check your posture periodically during the day.
Intellectual	Emotional
Add one new skill to use with your favorite hobbies.	Don't let yourself get too hungry between meals
Share a hobby with a friend.	Hydrate throughout the day.
Review one in-service from a year ago.	Take stretching breaks with better breaths than shallow breathing.
Offer to help students study in summer school.	Share with a coworker something that went really well during your day.
When watching TV, read fun facts during commercials.	Search for funny moments during the day and share with two other people.

April 2012 Employee Wellness Moments

Physical Environment Consider limiting alcohol or additive substances during team functions. List the respectful things that your department does for the earth List the signs of over or under training. As a team discover what are the environmental issues within the local community. Check out the best buy ratings for fitness equipment by Consumer Reports. As a team, evaluate your celebrations and cultural events to see if they are environmentally friendly. What is your definition of fit and unfit? As a team, do you binge trash when you do not have time to separate recyclables? Does your fitness program contain cardio, flexibility, strength, and endurance training? As a team, define your relationship with the environment. Social Spiritual After your work day, how do you manage your free time? As a team or department, reflect on why you exist. Concerning after work, how does your team balance time with friends and family? As a team, evaluate how your values are supported by the work that you do. As a team, how do your members define the social process? Evaluate the growth of your team spiritually. As a team, have you begun to build a strong social network? How can your team increase their comfort level concerning sharing and reducing conflict through successfully reflecting on the issues first? As a team, how do you help new members gain a sense of belonging to your social network? Create gratitude and appreciation moments to inspire and coach others. Nutritional Occupational As a team, how do you support the healthy choices of others? As you prepare for work each day, how can you make this period of the day less stressful? Have a team discussion on how what we eat impacts our other dimensions of wellness. As a team, how can you stay socially connected between social events? As a team, decide what self-imposed food restrictions are nearly impossible to follow. As a team, swap payoffs or advantages of individual career choices Develop a healthy menu evaluation for off-site lunches. Find ten things in a day that makes a positive difference in another individual or team's work day Develop a diet choice network so others can find each other for support. As a team, redesign dreaded tasks Intellectual Emotional As a group identify boring routines. Strive for performance improvement and not perfection By design, help your group become excited about something new. Accept that healthy conflict can be beneficial Goal setting is a form of intellectual wellness, as a team set a new goal. Micro-manage less and promote autonomy. Better time management leaves time for new ideas and creativity. What can your team do with this idea? Share thoughts of happiness and joy often. As a team develop a curiosity for a novel idea in your industry. As a team, realize that your team's emotional wellness is a process that should be nurtured. The employee wellness ideas listed above are low cost/no cost activities that you and your employees can mix or match with previously submitted monthly wellness ideas. The ideas can be used to create wellness moments that focus on the eight dimensions of wellness to enhance your Vital Life Community!

Team Wellness: Lunch and Learn!

Team Wellness enjoy hand and shoulder massages from Tim, Kristen, and Sharon! We also took a little extra time and celebrated staff birthdays with cake!

March 2012 Employee Wellness Moments!

Physical Environment Learn a new dance step to increase brain neuroplasticity Evaluate the biodiversity of your office space (what thrives well together) Make a list of footwork patterns that you use during your daily work and evaluate your poster, stance, and forward momentum Plant ½ of your garden space in native plants to save on watering and care Make a list of your workout social support system Pack your lunch waste-free…no throw away bags, cartons, or cups. Volunteer to be the social workout support system for someone else Lighten all terrain or other vehicle loads when possible to save resources Remember to celebrate incrementally reaching or getting close to your fitness goals If you are working outside this summer refresh your sun safety supplies Social Spiritual Upload a free social or game application to your cell phone to share with others Plan for a regular time of meditation or devotion Learn a new social media program or try Skype with a friend Study something specific about your beliefs and values Create a murder mystery virtual team Keep a notebook of positive spiritual experiences Create a social innovation team for public/private sector diversity issues Support your spiritual growth and enhance your intuition Lunch and Learn with mobile desktop options Take a mini break and feel the awe of nature or the feeling of being or having a good friend Nutritional Occupational Plan a team garden for your summer veggies Take responsibility for new events at work (find a way to contribute) Have a healthy snack or appetizer shortcut competition Ask for feedback on an assignment or performance March is berries and cherries month! Celebrate by featuring this in a dessert Be a BFW (Best friend at work) Organize your food prep area; updating cleaning supplies too Find a sense of purpose in everything that you do at work Check food storage and prep temperatures Prioritize you work depending on the fun factor…do the most difficult tasks first Intellectual Emotional Place a doodle pad by the phone to boost neuron growth! Try reducing your need to win in a conflict Deep breath slow and gently to reactivate the brain! Build a network of social support Find a topic to debate with a coworker to strengthen critical thinking Draw a cartoon of your typical workday Listening to music bolsters emotional intelligence! Each day do a couple of laughter exercises with a coworker Play a game of mimicking famous people to activate several areas of the brain With a coworker do something totally different on your work break (helps to fuel creativity) The employee wellness ideas listed above are low cost/no cost activities that you and your employees can mix or match with previously submitted wellness ideas. These ideas can be used to create wellness moments that focus on the eight dimensions of wellness to enhance your Vital Life Community!