Wellness app

If you are looking for a way to get healthy and save money, check out the UMN Employee Wellbeing Program. It offers tailored programming in six areas: financial, social, career, emotional, community, and physical health. Programming opportunities range from webinars, to guided meditations, to biometric screenings. Program participants can also save money on their health insurance by earning points throughout the calendar year.

Program’s upcoming events:

• The Mindful Monday series
• Invest Confidently in Your Future
• Working With Challenging People
• Health Coaching: Know Your Numbers

Interested employees and spouses can sign up for the program through the Virgin Pulse wellbeing app. This app is an easy way to track your progress, sign up for webinars and events, and see your rewards in one place. The app also offers a video library, fitness classes, recipes and cooking suggestions, wellness ideas, and creative tips to start a fitness routine. Sign up in the Virgin Pulse Portal to start taking advantage of these wellbeing opportunities.

ASR Wellness day

 On Thursday, December 15, all ASR staff are encouraged to use the second half of your work day to do a wellness-related activity of your choice. Whether it’s spending some time outside or getting cozy on your couch, you can do whatever sounds good to you! You should expect your normal pay for this day. This is considered a work day, and your work will be to pursue wellness activities. You do not need to submit this time as a vacation day or personal day. Directors will provide more information to their respective units.

The Importance of Resilience

Resilience (or resiliency) is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don't go as planned. Resilient people don't wallow or dwell on failures; they acknowledge the situation, learn from their mistakes, and then move forward.

According to the research of leading psychologist, Susan Kobasa, there are three elements that are essential to resilience:

• Challenge – Resilient people view a difficulty as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth. They don't view them as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.
• Commitment – Resilient people are committed to their lives and their goals, and they have a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning. Commitment isn't just restricted to their work – they commit to their relationships, their friendships, the causes they care about, and their religious or spiritual beliefs.
• Personal Control – Resilient people spend their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. Because they put their efforts where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident. Those who spend time worrying about uncontrollable events can often feel lost, helpless, and powerless to take action.

Read more at MindTools.com or check out this article from the New Yorker. 

Reminder to earn Wellness Points before September

In order to save either $400 or $600 on your 2016 UPlan premiums, you must earn your full wellness points by August 31, 2015. As noted by the Wellness Program there’s still time to earn points with:

• A Biometric Screening - 150 points 
• Non-tobacco User Pledge - 25 points 
• Flu Shot Pledge - 25 points 
• Self-reported Wellness Activity - 50 points 

 You can check your wellness points balance in your StayWell Online profile.

Upcoming Wellbeing and Engagement Showcase

The Project and Change Management group will be hosting a Wellbeing and Engagement Showcase on June 30th. The event will consist of a series of facilitated small group discussions that will allow participants to become familiar with some efforts and to collectively notice common themes and opportunities for cooperative partnerships and personal action around the closely aligned topics of wellbeing and engagement.

Find out more »

Get your walk on

Looking for a way to stay fit while you work? The Walkstation in 160 Williamson Hall might be your answer. You can sign-up on a sheet located right at the station, or contact Debbie Henderson and she can sign you up for a half-hour walk.

(Robert Bode, hard at work.)