Category: Emotional Wellness

Emotional Wellness is the ability to understand ourselves and cope with the challenges life can bring. The ability to acknowledge and share feelings of anger, fear, sadness, or stress; hope, love, joy, and happiness in a productive manner contributes to our Emotional Wellness.

July Well Wisconsin Challenge – Summer Bucket List

Fill your bucket this summer by doing things that feel good to you! Our Summer Bucket List Challenge has some great ideas or create your own. Set a goal and then get to fillin’ your bucket!

Track your fun for 30 days by checking 10 days off your bucket list. Click here for the form. Email your completed form to wellness@uwgb.edu.  

Treat yo’ self!

Self-care

  • Stargaze—contemplate just how amazing life is
  • Use PTO to leave work early to do your own thing!
  • Enjoy a book or magazine at your favorite cafe
  • Tap in to your artistic side with sidewalk chalk
  • Take a nap or read in the warm shade
  • Say “no” to something that feels stressful
  • Say “yes!” to something fun and indulgent
  • Relax in the bath, pool, hot tub, lake—you choose
  • Sit outside, close your eyes, and just listen

I like to move it, move it!

Active living

  • Dance to music that moves you
  • Beat the heat—get up for an early morning walk/run
  • Start your day with yoga in the sunshine
  • Walk to do an errand or get a summer treat
  • Try a NEW activity—geocaching, paddle boarding, etc.
  • Grab a friend and go for a bike ride
  • Work in your garden or yard
  • Hand wash your car
  • Go for a hike and have a picnic

Get ‘er done!

Goals, productivity, professional development

  • Get rid of 25 items from your house
  • Organize a space—don’t forget before and after photos
  • Set one professional or personal goal for the summer
  • Don’t check work email when you are on vacation
  • Make an emergency/natural disaster plan with family
  • Aim for a no-waste week—reduce, reuse, recycle
  • Listen to a professional/personal development podcast
  • Read an article that will help you toward a goal
  • Plan a fall/winter vacation

Sunday—fun day!

Weekend ideas with friends and family

  • Go camping
  • Visit a museum—pose like an exhibit (pictures!)
  • Catch a summer blockbuster to escape the heat
  • Have fun with animals—zoo, aquarium, or your pet
  • Go to an outdoor concert, festival, fair or sports game
  • Try an outdoor ropes course or ziplining
  • Go to brunch or have a picnic in the park
  • Visit a pool, river, lake, or coast for a water adventure
  • Tour your local town or a new city you want to see

For the love of full bellies!

Food and drink

  • Make a healthy, cool summer treat—share the recipe!
  • Organize a progressive dinner with some neighbors
  • Enjoy a treat from an ice-cream truck
  • Make real homemade lemonade (no powdered stuff!)
  • Eat your favorite summer produce—savor every bite
  • Have a BBQ and snap a photo of the grill master
  • Try a cold summer soup recipe
  • Make fruit popsicles
  • Pick up fruits and veggies from a farmers’ market

You do you!

Create your own list

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Mental Health Awareness Month

There is no quick fix or magic pill for mental health issues, but I’m confident that together, as we learn and talk about them more, we’ll start to turn every month into one where mental health is a priority, both at home and at work. To your good health!

May Well Wisconsin Challenge: Explore Wisconsin State Parks

This month’s challenge is encouraging everyone to get out and explore our wonderful state parks. The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks have developed a fun event that will challenge visitors to explore the Wisconsin properties in new and fun ways to increase healthy habits, connect with family and friends, and help serve the community.

There are several activities to choose from like hiking, camping, fishing, paddling, photography, and volunteering to help clean the parks. Please go to the site to see all the challenges listed (link below under resources). There is no fee associated with the challenge except for a vehicle admission sticker. Plan to complete it with family members, friends, coworkers or just some alone time outdoors.

The challenge has started and runs through September 22, 2021. Participants need to complete at least one of the challenges in order to get credit for the Well Wisconsin Incentive. Register on the site and download the logbook. When you complete a challenge, log it and email a picture of the logbook to wellness@uwgb.edu.

Want to learn more about the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Explore Challenge? Tune in to Well Wisconsin Radio on Tuesday, May 25th from Noon-12:30. Host Morgan Meinen will be interviewing Mike McFadzen and Randall Paske from the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.

Register here or available on demand after the live air date.

Resources:

Wis. Friends Explore

WebMD: Health Benefits of Getting Outside

LinkedIn Learning for April – National Stress Awareness Month

Learn Ways to Get Your Stress Under Control During National Stress Awareness Month with LinkedIn Learning

Stress–we all have it! It’s what we do with it that determines if it’s fuel or foe. April is National Stress Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to check in with yourself and take much-needed time for you. We’re here to help with videos and courses on LinkedIn Learning.

We’re here to help you take control of your stress–today! What’s one thing you’re going to do for you this month?

Source: LinkedIn Learning

Living in Uncertain Times During COVID-19 Presentation

Presentation from Kepro, our Employee Assistance Program provider, and our UWGB Wellness Center

We are all living in unprecedented times, which fosters worry and anxiety. Heightened worry and fear can only make trigger events worse than they already are. Controlling the way that we process the events is the goal of this seminar.  Please plan to join us for this virtual presentation.

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Please sign up to attend: https://uwgreenbay.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbAE69Tz2ZDuoZ0

If you aren’t able to join us during the live presentation, a recording will be available after the presentation at https://www.uwgb.edu/UWGBCMS/media/coronavirus/Living-in-Uncertain-Times-During-Covid-19-20210310_112955-Meeting-Recording.mp4.

Questions? Please email wellness@uwgb.edu

Wellness Wednesdays in March

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

UW-Green Bay faculty and staff are invited to join the Wellness Committee on Wednesdays in March for virtual wellness activities!

Registration (you will receive a calendar invite with a link to attend)

March 3rd – Progressive Muscle Relaxation
12:15-12:30pm
Progressive muscle relaxation is a method that helps relieve tension in the body.  You tense a group of muscles as you breathe in, and you relax them as you breathe out.  For the full experience, find a comfortable position lying down to participate.

March 10th – Chair Yoga
12:15-12:30pm
Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that can be done sitting on a chair or standing on the ground while using the chair for support. Just like a regular yoga practice, chair yoga increases flexibility and body awareness.

March 24th – Meditation (Guided Imagery)
12:15-12:30pm
Guided imagery is a relaxation technique that draws on your ability to visualize and daydream. This session will take you on a mental vacation to the beach under the warm sun and ocean air.

March 31st – Stretch Break (Posture Reset)
12:15-12:30pm
This short session will help your body reset and counteract the effects of poor posture. Poor posture in any aspect of your life can exhaust muscles and lead to low back and other chronic pain if it’s not addressed.