We hope you enjoyed embracing your social wellness last month! Maybe you participated in the ESD Hootenanny, had a Halloween gathering with friends or family, or joined one of the Be:Well events. As we continue to dive into the holiday season, we’d like to focus on a couple other important priorities for this time of year – emotional wellness and practicing gratitude.
Newsletter content prepared by Be:Well members Samantha Leonard & Alissa Jolly
Live:Well – Emotional Wellness
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), emotional wellness is “the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.” The NIH provides an Emotional Wellness Toolkit that provides six strategies for improving your emotional health, including:
- Building resilience
- Reducing stress
- Getting quality sleep
- Strengthening social connections
- Coping with loss
- Being mindful
Practicing Gratitude
Taking time to practice gratitude and noting what you are thankful for each day is a great step towards improving your emotional health. Be:Well will be offering activities this month where you can reflect on what you’re thankful for, and we invite you to check out the links below for more ideas:
- Wellbeing Benefits – Learn about the benefits of practicing gratitude from Kaiser: Practicing Gratitude
- Meditation – practice gratitude through meditation. You can find gratitude meditations online, through YouTube or through many different fitness apps. Here is a free gratitude mediation through Headspace.
- Gratitude Journal – another way to practice gratitude is by creating a gratitude journal. Not sure where to start? Here are some prompts.
The Gratitude Chain: What are you thankful for?
Let’s share what we are grateful for this year by making a Gratitude Chain. The Be:Well team will have supplies in the ESD 112 breakroom from Monday, November 13 to Wednesday, November 22. We invite you to take a piece of the chain, write something you are grateful for, then link it with the prior person’s chain. Together we can create a display in our breakroom of all that we are thankful for this year!
Kudos: Who are you thankful for?
Send a coworker a KUDOS! Has someone gone out of their way to help you with a project? Or is there someone you work with who you’d like to show your gratitude for? Use this link to submit a Kudos to them! Or fill out a Kudos card in the breakroom and stick it in the box labeled KUDOS. Let’s recognize those who make our days better!
World Kindness Day on November 13: How can you show gratitude to yourself and others?
Starting on World Kindness Day on Monday, November 13, and until Wednesday, November 22 (Thanksgiving “Eve”), we will be offering a ‘Take What You Need, Give What You Can’ activity. In the ESD 112 breakroom, Be:Well will provide a variety of quotes and messages in envelopes of different categories, like Hope, Motivation, and Kindness. We invite you to take a message from the envelopes to give yourself whatever boost you may need, and also to take a message to share with someone you appreciate.
Upcoming Be:Well Events
Gratitude Activities in the Breakroom
Monday, November 13 – Wednesday, November 22
- Gratitude Chain
- Kudos
- Take What You Need, Give What You Can
Monthly Movement Break (NEW!) – Featured Wellness Walk
Tuesday, November 21, 10:00am
Be:Well will host a Monthly Movement Break in partnership with rotating ESD staff members to share a specialty skill (ex: yoga, dance, self-defense, etc.) and take a 15-30 minute break and get our bodies moving! This month we are combining our Monthly Movement Break with our regular Wellness Walks.
On Tuesday, November 21 at 10:00am, Be:Well team members will lead participants on a wellness walk. Usually, we walk on the third Thursday of the month, however since that will be Thanksgiving, we decided to have it a couple days early!
Wellness Walks
Come join us for 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 (This month will be on Tues 11/21)
- 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.
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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