Albuquerque Public Schools: February 2022 Employee Wellness Newsletter

Albuquerque NM

31 January, 2022

8:13 PM

Description

Press release from Albuquerque Public Schools: January 31, 2022   Wellness Wire - Shooting Stars Most mornings, I head out for a run with my dogs around 5:30 am when it's still dark outside.  The stars are so beautiful and I'm constantly looking up as I run. This morning I was lucky to see a shooting star careen through the Little Dipper. At that moment I was actually pondering matters of the heart for February and American Heart Month. How COVID has caused this cascade of heart-centered mental and physical health issues. One of the most prevalent in our APS population is burnout. And there it was – the falling star. So bright and full of energy. The friction created by the meteor in the process of entering Earth's atmosphere heats the object to point that it glows. But that can only last so long until it disintegrates in a dwindling light sailing across the sky. I see you as that star. (Okay, technically, a meteor but you're a star in my book and that sounds nicer).  You burn bright, lighting the way for all those you serve whether it's in a classroom, in front of a computer, in the cafeteria, driving a bus, or attending to one of a thousand functions through the M&O department.   The problem is that we travel at such high speeds through life we're blindsided when a critical catalyst draws us a little too close to obstacles that can extinguish our flame. For the meteor the obstacle was Earth. For us, it's the continued pandemic and life hardships. The gravity from work, family situations, and lifestyle choices start to pull us down. Just like the meteor, we can only handle so much friction. Eventually, it takes its toll and we begin to fade – to burnout. We have an amazing opportunity to really shine like those stars in the night sky without falling victim to the gravitational pull of burnout. Through daily, intentional wellness activities - whether it's adding more movement, eating less processed/high sugar foods, or getting more sleep – we can lessen stress, boost our energy, heart health, and increase resilience!    Some APS Employee Wellness programs that can help you get started and stay engaged are listed below.  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:  Stop diabetes before it starts! Join this national pilot program External link  from the CDC and through NMSU. 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 - Check out your new Life on Mindfulness External link  portal with password APSLOM. This 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.  2022 Employee Wellness Incentive Program  - This is a voluntary wellness reward program for all full-time APS employees. The new year and program have begun for 2022. You have until January 14 to submit points for 2022. 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. If you haven't participated, take time to read more about it, log in to your Wellness@Work well-being dashboard, and get started this year.  Effective January 1, 2022, there are new APS mental health benefits with no cost/co-pays for covered employees and dependents.  All APS insurance benefits plans offer virtual and digital mental health services.  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. External link APS is joining other New Mexico education entities in 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. Registration External link is open through February 11. 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].  External link Do you want to feel better, more productive, and have a plan for your wellness that will stick? 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 started Tuesday, January 11 at 4:30 pm and run through February 15.  All sessions are recorded for on-demand viewing with recaps and slide deck information in the Employee Wellness event calendar External link . T This is an interactive program delivered by our dynamic wellness coaches from The Solutions Group.  You can still register for Mornin'  External link and 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 . If you register and can't attend, sessions are recorded and available for on-demand viewing. Look under the calendar date of the webinar series for weekly recordings and recaps.    N External link opens a new window. ews: Move More for Longer Life External link opens a new window. Even modest increases in physical activity can help to extend longevity and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to researchers. read more » External link opens a new window.     External link opens a new window. Nutrition: Plant-Based Antioxidants We Need External link opens a new window. A study found that coffee is the primary source of polyphenols in the American diet—but we would be better served by adding more colorful options. read more » External link opens a new window.    External link opens a new window. Mind-Body: Green Exercise and Urban Settings External link opens a new window. Green exercise can bring about physiological and psychological relaxation in urban environments as well as forest settings. read more » External link opens a new window.   External link opens a new window. Recipe for Health: Yogurt With Coffee-Plum Sauce External link opens a new window. Most Americans do not get the recommended number of daily fruit servings, so including shelf-stable dried fruit—like the plums in this sauce—can fill nutritional gaps. read more » External link opens a new window.   External link opens a new window. Video: Reach, Roll & Lift - Heel Sit External link opens a new window. While sitting on your heels, reach one arm forward and rotate your palm up, keeping your hips back and chest down. Feel this stretch in your upper back and shoulders. read more » External link opens a new window.     This press release was produced by Albuquerque Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.