Are you interested in educating and engaging others about wellness programs and events? If so, then the President Council on Wellness needs your help! Our committee is accepting and looking for new members to join us in creating a campus environment where wellness is encouraged and understood.

To self-nominate or nominate a colleague for the school year of 2020 to 2021, please fill out the PCOW Nomination Form.

The nominations are due by Friday, April 3rd and voting will occur among our current council members at our April 7 meeting.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please visit our Facebook page: UMW Wellness or email us at wellness@umw.edu

Last fall we introduced the PCOW’s Wellness Wheel and the six dimensions of wellness: Occupational, Social, Mental, Physical, Financial, and Spiritual. Previous PCOW articles in the Eagle Eye explained the Physical and Social dimensions. Today we will introduce and explain another dimension: Mental.

Mental wellness combines the aspects of “emotional well-being and intellectual curiosity.” This wellness dimension includes “being attentive to one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors,” whether they are “positive or negative.” It also includes “the ability to approach life optimistically and with resiliency despite life’s inevitable disappointments.” How do we approach our day or individual tasks, do we know why we are thinking a certain way? And more importantly do we know how to change those thoughts and emotions? Let’s start looking at our stumbling blocks as stepping stones in our lives! UMW faculty and staff have access to mental health services via the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and CommonHealth. More information about those services can be found at this link for UMW Work – Life Balance/Wellness.

How can we define Mental Wellness in our lives every day? One avenue is to look for “ways to expand one’s knowledge and skills.” Try a new hobby, mix it up with reading different genres, or in terms of intellectual curiosity take a class. UMW employees can audit UMW classes, or receive reimbursement benefits for UMW college courses after working at UMW for one year. For more information visit the HR website: Tuition Assistance.

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Put on your walking shoes and join the President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW), in collaboration with UMW Athletics and the Center for Prevention & Education, and show your support for Yeardley Love during our Walking Wednesday on February 19^th at 12:30pm in front of Lee Hall. We will be walking for about 30-45 minutes in memory of Yeardley, who was a college lacrosse student at UVA, and was a victim of domestic violence. Please come out and support UMW Athletics “Yards for Yeardley” initiative and win some OneLove swag and UMW gear that will be raffled off during the walk. For more information, please check out our Facebook event at UMWWalking Wednesdays.

The President Council on Wellness (PCOW) is sponsoring a Sleep Hygiene Workshop facilitated by Dr. Wang and Dr. Zukor on Thursday, February 6th at 4:00pm on the 2^nd Floor of the University Center. Our discussion will be on the importance of sleep, what can help us with sleep and what can interfere with our sleep. What do you do when you can’t sleep? Come join us for some great information and helpful tips. For more information, please contact us at wellness@umw.edu.

The President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW) is sponsoring a Faculty and Staff CommonHealth of Virginia event this month called, Getting Your ZZZs on Wednesday, January 29^th from 11am to Noon in the UC Capital Room 314.

A goodnight’s rest can be determined by many different aspects and circumstances. The CommonHealth program (which is a free-state employee wellness program) mentions that “Our bodies have a powerful internal drive to sleep, and sleep is critical to our heart health and well-being.  Not only does sleep give our hearts a break by reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, it also boosts learning, memory, and our immune system. NIH (National Institute of Health) recommends 7-8 hours of sleep daily for adults, and studies suggest that sleep is just as important for survival as eating, drinking, and breathing.” Come join us as we find out tips for good sleep hygiene, getting the best night’s sleep, and what signs might show up for sleeping disorders. If you have any questions, please contact us at wellness@umw.edu.

As the holidays are approaching, we are focusing this week on the Social dimension of the PCOW Wellness Wheel. Social wellness is defined as “fostering a sense of connection and belonging with others. This involves using good communication skills, respecting yourself and others, and creating and maintaining a well-developed support system.” The positive effects of building and cultivating healthy relationships with family and friends are infinite. We respond better to stress, form better habits, are more at peace and boost our self-esteem to be comfortable in ourselves and more at ease in different social settings.

UMW offers many ways for its employees to practice social wellness on campus: eat lunch with a colleague, attend a UMW-sponsored event with your family, or cheer on your students at UMW sports event with a friend! What will you do to practice good social wellness this week and during the holiday break? Share it with us on our Facebook page: UMW Wellness or Instagram: umw_wellness.

The President’s Council on Wellness has a social media challenge for the month of November: “Savor the Moment.” Take some time and stop and appreciate each moment in your life. Snap a photo of one of those moments, whether you are enjoying a walk outside with the falling leaves, a cup of hot chocolate/coffee, or having a good time with friends and family. Post your photo on Instagram or Facebook and tag @UMW_Wellness with #UMWSavorthemoment. Everyone who posts a photo will be entered into a raffle and we will draw one prize winner each week to win a gratitude journal during the month of November!

“Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer