BeWell 2023

Happy New Year! 

We hope everyone had a good holiday break, with healthy boundaries and some time for self-care. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Winter Wellness Trees – they have been tucked away until the next holiday season. In the meantime, we welcome you to remember that you can always pause and take a moment for wellness and positive affirmations.

As we launch into the new year, we invite you to take a moment to think about physical wellness, staying active in the winter, making SMART goals, and joining us for ‘Wellness Wednesday’ activities throughout the month to go on walks, add movement into your day, and share recipes. Happy 2023, everyone!

Live:Well – Physical Wellness

Women holding weight, apple, water bottle and scalePhysical wellness has many definitions – essentially, it is about strengthening and taking care of our bodies. It is engaging in activities and making healthy lifestyle decisions that allow us to navigate our lives without causing undue stress to our bodies.

Physical wellness isn’t limited to physical activity. It also incorporates other wellness components such as healthy eating, emotional wellness, mental health, healthy weight, and metabolism.

Physical Wellness Resources:

  • My Canopy (ESD 112 Employee Assistance Program) provides many wellness articles and resources. They also offer a discount on gym memberships. See ‘my EAP benefits’ on the Canopy website for more information.
  • The National Institute of Health has a robust Physical Wellness Toolkit with resources on the various components of physical wellness.
  • Active People, Healthy Nation campaign offered by the CDC highlights the short- and long-term benefits of physical activity and provides tips & tricks for being more active.

Newsletter content written by Be:Well members, Jodi Wall & Melissa Kreuder

Staying Active in Winter

Woman jogging on snow

The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Finding time to be active, especially when the days are short and the weather is difficult, can be a challenge. Here are six tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to help you get your minutes:

1. Take nature walks
2. Monitor the weather and plan ahead
3. Wear layers
4. Workout online
5. Do some chores
6. Volunteer in active ways while maintaining social distance

New Year’s SMART Resolutions

Many of us start our new year on a quest to start new healthy habits, yet data shows that most of us abandon our resolutions within the year, and one-third of us give up before the end of January. Click here for an article from the NY Times about setting SMART resolutions to help achieve your goals.

SMART resolutions/goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reachable, and Time-bound.

Take a break, take a walk

Join us this month for Wellness Wednesdays

January 11 – Take a Break, Take a Walk! Meet Samantha Leonard in the ESD 112 lobby at 3:45pm to take a stroll outside. We plan to walk, rain or shine, so please plan accordingly.

January 18 – Focus on Movement! On your own time and at your own pace, we welcome you to try out some of the ‘Move More Together at Home’ workouts from the American Heart Association Youtube page. And if you want to catch up on your favorite show, here are some tips on how to add movement while you watch.

January 25 – Recipe Exchange! Share a new or favorite recipe by posting on this interactive Padlet. We are looking for all types of recipes to support all types of wellness. Healthy, timesaving, money-saving, food-allergy friendly – feel free to post and browse for them all!