Creating new healthy habits as you head into fall

If the end of summer took you by surprise, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with wellness resources and ideas to take you into the next season.

Build resilience

Beginning Monday, Aug. 27, “Get Gritty: A 14-Day Challenge to Build Resilience & Manage Stress” will help participants build resilience — the process of adapting in the face of adversity, trauma or significant sources of stress — through new and routine behaviors, thoughts and actions.

Join this challenge to complete daily activities to foster resilience and manage stress. Activities will be emailed to you each day of the challenge. Be sure to register by Friday, Aug. 24.

Explore the 7 Habits

Image result for courtney moon ufJoin us in person or online for September’s Wellness Wednesday presentation, “An Introduction to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” on Sept. 5 at noon in the UFHR Building (903 W. University Ave.). Courtney Moon, learning and organizational development specialist for UF Training & Organizational Development, will give an overview of the practices and principles associated with the seven habits.

In this presentation, Moon will share the common paradigms that reduce our ability to create lasting effectiveness and the strategies to help sustain our personal effectiveness, as well as our effectiveness with others. To register to attend in person, log into myTraining and search for “Wellness Wednesdays.” Can’t make it in person? You can receive the link to join in online by emailing hrs-wellness@ufl.edu to be added to the UF-UF Health Wellness listserv.

Boost your energy

A new season is also a good time to start a group “booster break” with colleagues in your area to regularly renew your energy and connect with your team. Now through Sept. 28, you can also enter a drawing for a chance to win a free lunch for your group by starting a recurring community work break in your area, such as group stretching or exercising, working on a puzzle, competing in a word search race or going for a walk.

Use the Boost Guide as a framework for getting started and visit the Boost page for additional resources. Your group can do the same activity for each of your breaks or alternate between activities. Complete the submission form to be entered into a drawing to win lunch for your group of up to 20 participants.

You can also learn more by watching GatorCare wellness coordinator Morgan Papworth’s recent Wellness Wednesday presentation, “Boost: Transform Your Energy,” about transformative work breaks to improve energy. View the recording here, or explore the media library for videos on a variety of other wellness topics.

Walk for your health — and the health of others

Lastly, join UF Health to fight heart disease and stroke at the 2018 Alachua County Heart Walk. This year’s walk will be held at Santa Fe College on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 8 a.m. Visit the Heart Walk page here to learn more or join or create a new team.