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.