We hope you had a great summer! While some of us were enjoying a much needed, and well-deserved, summer vacation, the Be:Well team decided to take a break in August from our newsletters. But did you know that August was National Wellness Month?
In honor of National Wellness Month, we want to take a moment to reflect on general wellness, as we dive into the new school year, and before the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holidays. What is wellness? Why is it important? How can we practice it? What wellness activities can you participate in with Be:Well? Keep reading and you’ll find out!
Newsletter content prepared by Be:Well members Alissa Jolly & Carie Bishop-Sanders
Live:Well – General Wellness
What is wellness? You might have also heard it referred to as wellbeing, health, welfare, or wholeness. Below are some definitions of wellness:
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as, “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”
In an article from the National Library of Medicine, ‘Dimensions of Wellness: Change your habits, change your life’, wellness is described as “…a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit (1). Although it always includes striving for health, it’s more about living life fully.”
The Global Wellness Day website summarizes wellness as “…the conscious development of the whole self. Embarking on a wellness journey is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to make you a healthier and happier human being, plus discovering your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development. As there is a great variety on all aspects of life, there are also countless ways to cultivate yourself on an ever-changing path of wellness.”
There are a variety of online wellness quizzes you can take – a couple that we found helpful were the Wellness Wheel Quiz and Princeton U-Matter Wellness Self-Assessment. If you take a quiz, you might notice that wellness is often divided into multiple categories. The Be:Well committee focuses on physical, emotional, social, and mental wellness. Other categories of personal wellness can include financial, spiritual, and environmental wellness.
Be:Well Committee: What We Do
The Be:Well committee supports and provides for opportunities for ESD 112 employees to engage in holistic and inclusive approaches to wellness, with a focus on mental, physical, social, and emotional health.
Physical Wellness: Consists of physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and preventing injury/illness. Some goals for physical wellness might include understanding how your body works, well-balanced and healthy eating habits, engage in regular movement activities, and being aware how lack of sleep, stress and non-activity affect your body (northwestern.edu).
Emotional Wellness: The ability to handle the stresses of life, adapt to change, and manage difficult times. Some strategies for improving emotional wellness include building resilience, reducing stress, getting good sleep, strengthening your social connections, and practicing mindfulness (nih.gov).
Social Wellness: Involves developing a sense of connection, feeling like you belong, and developing a good support system. Examples of social wellness include reflecting on yourself and your social needs, keeping in touch with friends and family, joining groups/clubs, and volunteering in the community (nnva.gov).
Mental Wellness: A state of wellbeing where you realize your own abilities, can cope with life’s normal stresses, can work productively and successfully, and can contribute to your community. Some ways to improve mental wellness include staying connected with friends and family, engaging in physical exercise, helping others, developing individualized coping skills, and seeking professional help, if needed (voasw.org).
Be:Well Committee: Wellness Activities
Brain Breaks
For a weekly dose of mindfulness, join us every Friday at 12:00pm for the Be:Well Brain Break on Zoom hosted by Gahlya Auel, the ESD 112 Inclusionary Practices Coordinator. Gahlya leads participants in simple practices for 5-15 minutes to calm and refresh your brain. In this brief time together, you will learn and practice new strategies that can be utilized and implemented throughout your day so that you can be as comfortable and productive as possible. Keep an eye out in your email on Fridays for a reminder and a Zoom link.
Not able to join the Brain Break on Fridays at noon? No problem! Our amazing and talented Communications team has created a Be:Well YouTube Channel, where you can view recordings of Brain Breaks whenever it works best for you. There are several videos already on the channel, and we’ll be adding more as we continue. Check out the Brain Breaks playlist!
Wellness Walks
Come socialize with us during a weekly wellness walk! We are rotating the days and times to accommodate as many different schedules as we can. Meet in the ESD 112 lobby at the times listed on the monthly Wellness Walk schedule to take a stroll outside. We plan to walk, rain or shine, so please plan accordingly.
First Tues of the month @ 10:00am
Second Wed of the month @ 3:45pm
Third Thurs of the month @ 10:00am
Fourth Fri of the month @ 3:45pm
If you aren’t at the ESD 112 Vancouver campus, we welcome you to get a group together and take a walk at your location, at a time that works best for you. We’d love for you to share any pics and email to bewell@esd112.org.
Recipes for Wellness Padlet
Share a new or favorite recipe by posting on the Recipes for Wellness Padlet. We are looking for all types of recipes to support all types of wellness. Healthy, timesaving, money-saving, food-allergy friendly, comfort-food – feel free to post and browse for them all!
Coming Soon!
Monthly Movement Moments
Calendar of local, community walks/runs
Collaboration with other committees
Want to Join the Be:Well Team?
We are looking for folks who are passionate (or just plain curious) about wellness. Feel free to fill out this Quick Form to submit your Be:Well committee member application. We meet virtually, and we welcome individuals who work remotely, in the field, and/or at the ESD 112 main campus.
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