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Wellness Newsletter
April 2024
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Incentive Program Attestation Forms Open This Month
Those who are $25 Monthly Wellness Incentive recipients (meaning you are using one of the university's medical insurance plans and completed the Health Risk Assessment and two of the other specified wellness activities within the qualifying period) and are working toward the additional $100-$200 in Wellness Program Incentives can begin attesting to program completion in HCM this month.
Participants must complete an attestation form within HCM to certify their active participation in a program(s) that met the university’s participation guidelines for that incentive category (Career Well-being, Community Well-being, Financial Well-being, General Wellness, Nutrition/Weight Management, Physical Activity, Sleep, Stress Management, or Tobacco Cessation) and also must have documentation of their participation should we ever need to audit incentive recipients.
The attestation forms can be found within the Wellness Tile at case.edu/hcm and will become live this month. Visit this page for a step-by-step guide on how to attest in HCM. Programs must be successfully completed, and attestation submitted by November 30, 2024, for the employee to receive the program incentive in their final December 2024 paycheck.
Share How You Have Spent Your Incentive Money
The University Wellness Program team is interested in learning how faculty and staff have spent their money earned in Wellness Program Incentives. Please respond to this survey if you have earned a Wellness Program Incentive one or more times and have put the money toward something specific. Examples might include a gym membership, wellness items like a water bottle or gratitude journal, holidays gifts, a donation to a charitable cause, etc. Thank you!
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Thursdays, April 11 - May 30, from 12-1 pm via Zoom | |
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Eldercare Series
Learning how to navigate the maze of eldercare needs for family and friends can be stressful. Topics such as insurance, dementia, communication strategies, etc. are challenging to deal with, and it can be helpful to learn from professional eldercare experts. This 8-week Zoom series will focus on important information faculty and staff may need when caring for elder loved ones. View a list of the topics here.
Those who are Monthly Wellness Incentive recipients can earn a $100 Wellness Program Incentive in the General Wellness category for this series. Participants must attend at least 7 of the 8 sessions, including via the recordings, and attest to program completion in HCM by Nov. 30.
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Physical Activity Programs on Zoom
Participation in Core and More, Body Weight HIIT, and/or Afterwork Yoga at Veale would count toward earning a Wellness Program Incentive in the Physical Activity category. Visit our Physical Activity web page for additional details on how to earn this incentive.
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Core and More
This series combines core strengthening with whole body stretching. Other than a workout mat or large towel, no equipment is necessary to participate. Over 8 weeks, instructor Mary Ann Dobbins will lead you through core exercises that will become a bit more challenging each week in addition to a thorough stretching routine.
Tuesdays, April 16 - June 4,
from 12:30-1:15 pm via Zoom
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Body Weight HIIT
Get the most from your workout time with these fast, fun, 45-minute sessions led by Mary Ann Dobbins. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has proven to be an effective way to build strength and aerobic capacity, making it anefficient workout. Over 8 weeks, participants will learn to use their body weight and common items like a chair to work their whole body.
Thursdays, April 18 - June 6,
from 12-12:45 pm via Zoom
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Afterwork Yoga at Veale
This 8-week Vinyasa Flow Yoga class, instructed by Richard Oaxaca, will provide an opportunity for participants to build strength while achieving the mental health benefits associated with regular yoga practice. This class is appropriate for those who already have some experience with yoga, as flow indicates moving quickly between poses. All sessions will occur in person, and parking validation will be available.
Wednesdays, April 17 - June 5, from 5:30-6:15 pm,
in person at the Veale Recreation Center
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A Community Care Conversation:
Take Time to Connect with Fellow Faculty and Staff
The University Wellness Team will host a community connection and care conversation this month. During our time together, we will discuss ways we are working to support our own well-being, challenges with the process, and successful strategies to support ourselves and others at this busy time of year. Please join us!
Thursday, April 25, from 3-3:45 pm, via Zoom
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Live Easy with Engagement Rx
LivingEasy is one of the Engagement Rx courses available to benefits-eligible CWRU faculty and staff through Avidon Health. This science-driven course addresses stress where it's created: in the brain. Over time, you may have developed certain false beliefs and negative thought patterns about situations that cause you stress. This has led to an emotional reaction, a sense of anxiety, and a feeling of powerlessness.
Too much stress takes a heavy toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. The good news is that while your stress originates in your brain, so does the solution! Learn how to deal with stress in healthy ways and gain a sense of control in life with LivingEasy. LivingEasy will teach you how to better manage your stress and live a happier, more carefree life.
Those who are Monthly Wellness Incentive recipients will have the opportunity to qualify for a Stress Management Wellness Program Incentive of $100 for participating. Details will be shared with registrants ahead of the start date.
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Living Easy consists of 8 video sessions and will be completed online during the timeframe of April 8 – May 17. Registration will close on Friday, April 12. | |
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Chair Massages Available April 24
A chair massage can help relax and loosen sore muscles, as well as reduce stress, tension, and anxiety. You can experience all these benefits and more by treating yourself to a chair massage this month! Appointments are available:
Wednesday, April 24, from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Thwing Center Meeting Room 224
The chair massages, provided by One to One Fitness, last for 13 minutes and cost $15. Registration and pre-payment is required. You can see available times, reserve your appointment, and pay via the link to the left. Enjoy!
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Reflection Point
Finding ways to connect with others at work can be difficult when you’re stuck in a cubicle or limited to small talk before a meeting or in the hallways at work. When faculty and staff of varied ranks, roles, and backgrounds meet regularly to discuss narrative literature – facilitated by university professors – they share life experiences, explore diverse perspectives, shed familiar paradigms, and develop authentic connections.
The Wellness Program offers faculty and staff a unique approach to wellness through Reflection Point, which consists of the sharing of ideas based on great literature. The Reflection Point program builds community and enhances emotional and intellectual fitness. Reading groups, made up of a diverse cross-section of professors, administrators, researchers, and other staff, meet weekly for 12 weeks to discuss three books carefully chosen due to themes that inspire robust discussions on values, issues, and beliefs.
This program takes place on Zoom. The sessions are not recorded. Those seeking a Wellness Program Incentive in the Community Well-being category for Reflection Point would need to attend at least 10 of 12 sessions to meet the incentive requirements.
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Email Elizabeth Click at erc10@case.edu to express interest in participating in the summer series of Reflection Point:
Tuesdays,
May 14 - July 30
from 12-1 pm via Zoom
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Join Our Team as a Wellness Champion!
Do you share messages about well-being and university wellness programs with fellow CWRU employees? If so, you should consider becoming a Wellness Champion!
CWRU Wellness Champions, also known as Wellness Champs, are faculty and staff representatives who promote wellness opportunities among their department, colleagues, and friends at the university. Characteristics of a Wellness Champion include enthusiasm, active participation in the Wellness Program, the ability to bring wellness to life at the departmental level, consistent access to email, and a willingness to ask questions and share ideas.
If this sounds like you, learn more about this opportunity on the Wellness Champions web page. From there, you can meet your current Wellness Champs and apply to become a Wellness Champion.
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Seasons of Self-Care: Spring
The Seasons of Self-Care program consists of 4 rounds of 4-5 sessions, with each round focusing on a different season of the year. We kicked off the program earlier this year with a focus on self-care in Winter. The Spring round will consist of four sessions and be offered in a hybrid format, meaning participants can choose to attend in person at the Tinkham Veale University Center or via Zoom. Make sure to register for your preferred format.
Having participated in Seasons of Self-Care: Winter is not a requirement to participate in the Spring round, but we will encourage all participants to view the Winter recordings if they have not already. Participation in at least two rounds is necessary to earn a Stress Management Wellness Program Incentive.
Engage in this delightful season of reawakening with our program facilitator, Heidi Weiker. We've rested and readied ourselves for this: the Spring of our well-being. Now, we'll continue to learn and use self-care practices in sync with the changing of our natural world. Together, let's revitalize, renew, reset, and come alive!
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Tuesdays, April 30 -
May 21, from 12-1 pm
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Professional Development Center Wellness Series: The Impact of Burnout on Organizations
Learn more about the effect of burnout on organizations and what can be done to minimize the negative effects. Strategies will be shared to empower individuals to create working environments for their teams that maximize energy and output while minimizing burnout experiences. Join the University Wellness Program team in exploring this critical topic.
Friday, April 26, from 11 am - 12 pm via Zoom
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CWRU's Office of Equity Provides Support
All members of the Case Western Reserve University community are covered by the Office of Equity, which supports anyone on campus impacted by any type of discrimination, which includes discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, sex, religion, or any other legally protected class status. Supportive measures can look different—and be very creative—to help all study and work in a setting free of discrimination and harassment.
If you would like support from the Office of Equity, there are several ways you can get in touch. You can call 216.368.3066 or email equity@case.edu to request a same-day appointment.
Learn more about how the Office of Equity supports our community via this article in The Daily.
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CWRU Wellness Team
Elizabeth Click, Medical Director - erc10@case.edu | 216-368-5790
Deanna Duffy, Wellness Manager - dxd516@case.edu | 216-368-5997
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