December 5, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Join PCOW for a Nutrition Talk

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The President’s Council on Wellness is hosting a nutrition presentation facilitated by Giant nutritionist Lindsay Martin on Monday November 9th at 11:00 AM. Lindsay will also be providing a healthy food demo during her presentation. Monday’s topic is:

Holiday Eating Strategies

There are less than 65 days between Halloween and New Year’s but they can add up to weeks of overindulging. Join us to learn helpful tips and strategies to enjoy your holiDAYS – as a guest or as a host – with none of the guilt!”

Any faculty, staff, or student is welcome to attend via Zoom!

https://umw-sso.zoom.us/j/85464816896?pwd=SFVDMmp5UE15YXZTckY0cldyb0dKdz09

Meeting ID: 854 6481 6896

Passcode: 172557

PCOW: Committee Nominations

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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

PCOW’s Wellness Sector Explained: Mental

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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

PCOW: Walking Wednesday for Yeardley Love

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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 19th 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.

PCOW: Sleep Hygiene Workshop

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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 2nd 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.

 

PCOW: January 29th Sleep Event

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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 29th 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.

PCOW Welcome Back and The New Wash Post

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The President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW) would like to welcome everyone back from Winter Break and to the first week of classes at UMW. What does this New Year hold for you and what choices are you making to living well? Share it with us on our Facebook page: UMW Wellness or Instagram: umw_wellness.

“New year — a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.” Alex Morritt

The January/February edition of our PCOW newsletter called the Wash Post is being put across campus on bulletin boards and in campus bathrooms. This bimonthly theme of the Wash Post is “Winter is Here.” How can we cope with S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), embrace more HYGGE (quality of coziness), and getting optimal amount of sleep? For fun facts, strategies, and tips, check out the Wellness Website for the Wash Post, Volume 12.

Walking Wednesdays

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Walking Wednesdays

Join the President’s Council on Wellness and the UMW community for active socializing each Wednesday at 12:30pm. The meeting location will alternate between the front of Lee Hall and the front of the Jepson Science Center (see below for January’s schedule). Walks will last 30-45 minutes, but feel free to break off at any time. We will have a special guest walker the first Wednesday of each month, stay tuned for these announcements.

Faculty/Staff who participate in a minimum of eight Walking Wednesdays will be entered into a raffle to be drawn April 24th.  You could have the chance to win a free movie ticket, a yoga mat, or a free pass for an employee fitness program.

Follow us on Facebook (UMW Wellness) for updated information.

January 22: Meet at the Jepson Science Center at 12:30pm

January 29: Meet at Lee Hall at 12:30pm

 

Call For ‘Wellness Passport’ Event Submissions

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The President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW) is reaching out to share exciting and important updates related to the Wellness Passport this semester. We encourage you to reach out to us at wellness@umw.edu with questions or concerns as this is a work in progress. Also, please feel free to pass along this information to colleagues who may be interested.

Learn more about the Passport
Are you curious, “What is the wellness passport? What does it mean to be a passport event?” See the UMW Wellness Passport PDF for an easy to share document.

Get your events ‘Passported’
If your department is interested in submitting your events to be a part of the Wellness Passport initiative, please see the deadlines below and submit to the submission form.

  • Events happening prior to spring break, please submit by January 24.
  • Events happening post spring break, please submit by February 14.

What will happen at a ‘Wellness Passported’ event?
As a Passported event, PCOW will provide you with:

  • A Printed Flyer or Powerpoint Slide (you can choose your preference in the form)
  • Passport Stickers (delivered within a week of the event)
  • Paper Forms for tracking participation and learning

Please follow @UMW_Wellness on Facebook and Instagram, tag us in your passport event posts, and message us any event images so we can help share it as your event is approaching!

For your reference, here are UMW’s six Dimensions of Wellness:

Physical: Taking care of one’s body by partaking in healthy practices such as exercise, a nutritious diet, and getting adequate sleep. Acknowledging the importance of one’s physical surroundings and taking an active role in sustaining it.

Mental: Combining the elements of emotional well-being and intellectual curiosity, mental wellness includes being attentive to one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; positive or negative. Having the ability to approach life optimistically and with resiliency despite life’s inevitable disappointments. Seeking out ways to expand one’s knowledge and skills.

Social: Fostering a sense of connection and belonging with others. Involves using good communication skills, respecting oneself and others, and creating and maintaining a well-developed support system.

Spiritual: Taking steps to identify one’s values and beliefs in order to expand one’s sense of purpose and to find meaning in their life. Keeping an open mind and demonstrating tolerance towards others.

Financial: Striving to live a life within one’s means and taking steps to ensure one’s finances are prepared to support them in both the short and long term.

Occupational: Finding purpose and fulfillment in one’s professional journey while working to maintain balance between personal and work-life.

PCOW General Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11

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Join us for our next President Council on Wellness (PCOW) meeting on Tuesday, February 11th at 8:30am in the UC Colonnade Room 315. We will be discussing some of our exciting and upcoming events for February and March. We are always looking for more volunteers, so invite your friends and come out to join us for some great opportunities and events! For more information, please contact us at wellness@umw.edu.

PCOW Walking Wednesdays continues in February with the following dates and locations:
February 12: Jepson Science Center at 12:30pm
February 19: Lee Hall at 12:30pm – “Walking Wednesday for Yeardley Love” – look for more details next week
February 26: Jepson Science Center at 12:30pm
All Faculty/Staff who participate in a minimum of eight Walking Wednesdays will be entered into a raffle in April. Follow us on Facebook: UMW Wellness for updated information.