Category: Wellness

Well Wisconsin Activity for April: Better without Booze

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, so you are encouraged to participate in a one-week challenge called Better without Booze. The purpose of the challenge is to go one week without drinking alcohol. Hopefully to bring awareness to the fact that you can feel so much better and healthier without consuming alcohol.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide there are around 3 million deaths every year as a result from harmful use of alcohol. Additionally, the use of alcohol can be a causal factor for more than 200 disease and injury conditions. It is okay to consume alcohol every once and a while, but in moderation.

To get credit for this employer sponsored activity, eliminate alcohol for one week. Complete the drink tracker and email it to wellness@uwgb.edu.  After completing the first week, we encourage you to continue limiting alcohol. It’s recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention not to exceed 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.

Alcohol and the Effects on Health:

  • Excessive alcohol use can lead to cancer of the breast, liver, colon, throat, mouth, and esophagus
  • Can weaken your immune system and increase your risk of getting sick
  • Increase chance of getting in a motor vehicle crash
  • Learning and memory problems
  • Mental health problems including depression and anxiety

Additional Resources:

Source: Well Wisconsin

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

Take the ETF Challenge: Build Your Financial Security

Take the Challenge: Build Your Financial Security

The Wisconsin Strong Financial Fitness Challenge is under way for all Wisconsin Retirement System members and their families. The challenge offers participants free access to financial wellness education, resources, and tools to build financial security.

Take the challenge now! Go to https://financialfitnessgroup.com/wi-strong/.

  • Start with a five-minute Financial Fitness Checkup, and then take advantage of hundreds of interactive courses, articles, and videos (a $1,000 value).
  • Complete and pass at least five Financial Fitness Academy courses with a score of 70% or higher to earn points and certificates of completion.

Challenge participants will receive a personalized playlist of courses on topics such as debt management, budgeting, investments, estate planning, and retirement planning. Courses and quizzes take about 15 minutes to complete.

“This program is a great way to learn about strengthening your personal and family finances,” said Robert J. Conlin, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds. “I encourage public employees, retirees, and their families to take the challenge.”

“We are thrilled to introduce this new comprehensive financial wellness program,” said Kathy Blumenfeld, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. “This program will encourage and support healthy financial practices on an ongoing basis, not just in times of need or emergency, and it will help participants increase their preparedness for unexpected expenses and important financial decisions ahead.”

The Challenge: The Wisconsin Strong Financial Fitness Challenge is anonymous and only requires an email address and password to participate. Participants login to access the self-assessment checkup and academy courses anytime during the duration of the challenge beginning today and continuing through 2021. The secure site is powered by the Financial Fitness Group and will reach the entire Wisconsin Retirement System, including 260,000 employees and 215,000 retirees.

Wisconsin Strong: The Wisconsin Strong Financial Fitness Challenge is a part of the Wisconsin Strong: Your Financial Security™ program to empower members and their families to build financial security and achieve financial wellness at any age. Visit etf.wi.gov/wi-strong and follow along at #WIStrongSecurity.

ETF and DFI were awarded a one-year grant, funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, to establish the Wisconsin Strong financial wellness program for state and local government employees, retirees, and their families. The grant is structured as a collaboration between the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, the International Public Management Association for Human Resources, the National Association of State Treasurers Foundation, and Wells Fargo.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds

Bellin Run 2021

It’s time to register for the 45th Annual Bellin Run!  The Bellin Run will be a virtual event from June 12 – 21, 2021.  This 10K (6.2 mile) event is for runners and walkers of all participation levels, and can be completed between June 12 and 21.

Employees, students, family and friends are encouraged to sign up to participate as part of the UW-Green Bay Corporate team!

To register on our team, click on our Company Link:  https://runsignup.com/Race/Register?raceId=53110&corpTeamId=21152&corpToken=2siG8IcoaV0QS3xnwAdzZSOgqAftAgIM

Team password: Phoenix

This will take you directly to our team registration page.  You can register your entire family in this cart.

UW-Green Bay is part of the Bellin Run Corporate Challenge, and being part of this program gets you these perks:

  • You will receive an early incentive gift with the Bellin Run logo on it
  • If you register by May 15th, your race packet (bib and race shirt) will be delivered directly to the Green Bay campus about a week before the event. *NOTE: If you are not regularly on the Green Bay campus, there will be an option to have your packet mailed directly to your home for a $10 shipping & handling fee.*

Friends and family can be registered on our team so that they receive these benefits as well.

Also, due to a wellness grant from the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF), employees will receive $10 off of their registration fees. This discount will automatically be calculated when you register on our team as an employee.  *NOTE:  This discount is only for use by UWGB employees and does not apply to students, friends & family members.  If you are registering family members or friends, please note that the $10 discount is only applicable to employee’s registration fees.*

NOTE:  in the event you don’t have this link handy – to register, go to www.bellinrun.com and click on “Register Today”. At the registration page, you will click on “Register on a Corporate Team”, search for “UW-Green Bay,” input our password (see above) and continue through the registration process.  There are options for both the 10K and the Children’s Run.

Check out their helpful training guide!

Questions? Please contact:

Kaitlyn O’Claire
oclairek@uwgb.edu 
(715) 735-4331

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

March Wellness Activity: 60 Second Challenge

Get set, go, your 60 seconds begins now!!

We have an exciting new opportunity for you to participate in called the 60 Second Challenge to encourage movement throughout the day and get you away from the computer for a minute. It is proven that those who take breaks throughout the workday are to be more productive.

The 60 Second Challenge encourages you to be physically active for 60 seconds every hour of the workday. The exercises are predetermined with modifications and variations that can be completed in any order throughout the day and at any point within the hour.

The unique aspect of the challenge is that you will have completed 8 minutes, of the recommended 30 minutes, of physical activity each day by incorporating it into your workday.

To participate you can use the tracking sheet and the exercise resource sheets (links below). The tracking sheet allows you to track your completed exercises throughout the day and how many reps if you choose to do so. The exercise resource sheets will provide you with descriptions and pictures on how to properly perform each exercise along with modifications and variations. When you have completed the 2-week tracking sheet you can email wellness@uwgb.edu a picture of it to receive a code to self-report your participation in this employer sponsored well-being activity for Well Wisconsin at webmdhealth.com/wellwisconsin.

It is helpful to set hourly reminders for yourself or you can set a daily reminder and snooze it every hour, so it keeps coming up throughout the day.

Following the challenge, you can do another two-week challenge with new exercises which is also included (please see “Round 2” tab on tracking sheet). You are not required to do this to earn credit – it would be an option to benefit yourself and your health.

Source: Well Wisconsin