Albuquerque Public Schools: January 2022 Employee Wellness Newsletter

Albuquerque NM

03 January, 2022

8:13 PM

Description

Press release from Albuquerque Public Schools: January 3, 2022 In one word, how would you sum up going from a year like 2021 to 2022? At first, my word was "uncertainty".   A year ago we thought we were turning the page on COVID-19 and here we are with yet another chapter to what seems to be a never-ending saga. The pandemic, and its implications, bring a level of uncertainty to our lives. Now, I want to point out that uncertainty isn't always a bad thing. It's in that state we can find strength and creativity we didn't know we had. Over the past almost two years, many of you have worked as teams to find solutions under tight deadlines and stressful circumstances. Some can roll with it...others not so much.    Ultimately, I think the stress of uncertainty is in the ambiguity of it - We just don't know what's coming next. It's easy for some of us to spiral with worry and agitation over that concept. Instead of fixating on what we can't control, we can build our tolerance for uncertainty by finding the opportunities we have on a daily basis to manage what we can control - our health and well-being. How we manage uncertainty on a daily level through wellness practices gives us the resilience to conquer the long-haul situations on the horizon.   So, after some thought, my word for 2022 is "opportunity"! Every single day we have an opportunity to take steps toward better health and enhanced well-being. It doesn't have to start in the new year or stop at any given time. It doesn't have to be perfect. You can work this wellness puppy any way you want - That's what opportunity is!     My hope for you in 2022 is that you'll find opportunities through the APS Employee Wellness programs to help you feel better, stronger, more resilient, and less stressed -every day.  APS Employee Wellness offers many free programs to help all employees (regardless of benefits coverage or full/part-time status) lower their risk for disease, attain lifestyle and weight loss goals as well as manage stress and mental health issues.   Pre-Diabetes Prevention Program: Are you one of the 1 in 3 who have pre-diabetes and don't know it? Let's just nip that diabetes risk right in the bud! Join this national pilot program External link  from the CDC and through NMSU. Learn more by attending one of the information sessions  External link on January 26 at 4:30 pm or January 27 at 6:00 pm.  Livongo:  Get your life back and manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity with this personalized program- Livongo External link . The name is short for Live On The Go! Because having a chronic illness can hinder our positive life experiences. We want you to get that back and feel better! Participants receive one on one expert coaching, integrated tools to manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight loss. *This program is free for eligible employees. Health Coaching: If you are not covered under APS Benefits and would like help with managing a chronic illness, weight loss to improve your health, or to simply feel better, APS offers free Health Coaching  External link to all APS employees. Life on Mindfulness - The Life on Mindfulness program is a free, flexible program for all employees that offers weekly drop-in meditations, new monthly content, and Saturday workshops. Links for weekly drop-ins and the Saturday sessions are in the APS Employee Wellness Calendar External link . Enroll in the Life on Mindfulness Program External link  for all content and email reminders.  2021/2022 Employee Wellness Incentive Program  - This is a voluntary wellness reward program for all full-time APS employees. We're winding down 2021 so get those points in and redeem for any number of rewards like New Mexico Sports & Wellness memberships, LesMills OnDemand, Stone Age gym passes, Wecks, Flying Star, or Sports Systems gift cards. We start fresh on Jan. 1, 2022. If you haven't participated, take time over the break to read more about it, log in to your Wellness@Work well-being dashboard, and get started for next year.  Mental Health Corner External link opens a new window.  -  We are all facing continual stress and uncertainty in our home and work lives. Burnout is the result of this ongoing, chronic stress. But we can ease this burden with wellness practices and outside support. Click on the Mental Health Corner  External link for a list of different community and APS resources for mental and behavioral well-being as well as direct resources you have under your APS health insurance plan.  Nourish Your Green Zone: What is your green zone and how can you grow it? Our capacity to manage stress and burnout in a more healthful way can improve when we Nourish our Green Zone External link opens a new window. ! Sign up for this ongoing, self-paced virtual program.  My Stress Tools: For interactive, online, and app-based resources to help manage stress and anxiety and build resilience try MyStress  External link Tools. APS EAP Program: Employees and immediate family members have access to free, confidential short-term counseling through the EAP program. Please call the EAP office at (505) 884-9738 to schedule an appointment. WeCounsel virtual sessions are available. External link opens a new window.  APS is joining other New Mexico education entities for a 12-week wellness and weight loss challenge. Teams compete in sizes of 4-9 but APS is one BIG team against UNM, CNM, and other NM school districts.  The program is open for all APS employees and departments and begins on January 28th. The registration fee is $70 however teams who lose a collective 6% of weight win back the fee plus more cash prizes based on the number of people entered. The more APS employees who get involved and lose, the more everyone has a chance to win big! *This is not a 'biggest loser' challenge. Behavior change strategies and holistic health practices are applied through the challenge. Wellness coaches are available to answer questions and give tips from start to finish. *All participant weight information is private and not published or displayed. This is a virtual challenge with a mobile app and an APS team dashboard (so you can see everyone's standings and cheer teams on) as well as a New Mexico group dashboard to see where our competitors are on the scale! Once you register External link opens a new window.  you are given instructions for the Healthy Wage app and more details on the challenge. Besides winning back what you put in plus some, the New Mexico Education entity that wins overall gets a cash donation from Healthy Wage to give to the charity of choice. APS will donate to the APS Education Foundation.  If you have questions contact Becky MacGregor at [email protected].  Do you want to feel better, more productive, and have a plan for your wellness that will stick this coming new year? Mornin' is a 6-week routine building program. It will help you start your days feeling calm, focused, and energized to meet the challenges that may lie ahead. The virtual-live sessions start Tuesday, January 11 at 4:30 pm. This is a very interactive, fun program delivered by our dynamic wellness coaches from The Solutions Group.  Register f External link or Mornin'  External link and you will receive a welcome email, zoom meeting details as well as weekly routine building emails through the 6-week program. Information is also posted in the APS Employee Wellness event calendar External link .    This press release was produced by Albuquerque Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.