‘Make yourself a priority’

Carolina offers a variety of programs to help employees focus on a positive healthy lifestyle. The Well recently asked Jessica Pyjas, Work/Life and Wellness Program Manager, to share a few tips for getting started and finding the right resources for you.

Why is wellness such an important topic right now?

Jessica Pyjas

Wellness is always important but is especially important now because we are again being asked to pivot our lifestyle, like we did about a year and a half ago when we shifted to remote working arrangements. We have all experienced a lot, and now we’re returning back to campus to what was normal in early March 2020, but has not been our normal for the past 16 months. We’ve adjusted and gotten comfortable with the “new normal” — which, for many, was working remotely. And now we’re coming back.

Some people are filled with many questions and anxiety for a variety of reasons, but for others there is a lot of excitement. I’m truly happy to be back in the office and seeing colleagues, even if I’m just seeing their faces from the eyes up. With coming back, we’re going through another change. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you make yourself a priority as we again shift our lifestyle.

What are three things employees can do to take advantage of Carolina’s wellness resources?

Depending on how involved you want to be and where you are on your journey to wellness, we have several options. For information seekers, or those who need motivation, our virtual Wellness Wednesday webinars meet at noon almost every week. It’s easy to sign up, and conveniently occurs during the lunch hour so you can listen while you’re eating lunch or even participate through your phone while out for a walk. The webinars are live, so you can direct questions to the speaker through a chat feature, which allows questions to be addressed anonymously. Weekly topics range from strengthening your immune defenses and mental health awareness to managing personal finances and paying off debt while building wealth.

If you’re looking to be more involved, our Wellness Champions program works to foster a greater culture of health throughout the University and trains employees how to start their own wellness committee and hold wellness activities for their school, unit or department. You can volunteer to be a Champion or contact the Champion in your area to learn more. These 29 Champions take the lead to ensure that wellness is a workplace culture priority.

Outside of the Office of Human Resources, Campus Recreation and the Gillings School of Global Public Health have programs you can engage in on a regular basis. Among the offerings are live and on-demand fitness classes, weekly virtual yoga and virtual Mindfulness & Self-Compassionmeditation sessions Monday-Thursday. These programs are quick, easy and free to access throughout the week. You’ll find lots of opportunities to decompress, recenter yourself and make yourself a priority.

What are some of the most popular wellness activities?

Each year, we have more and more employees who participate in the Miles for Wellness Challenge. The challenge is a virtual, team-based walking initiative for North Carolina state employees to encourage an increase in physical activity with a goal of 10,000 steps most days of the week. That’s the equivalent of walking about five miles a day. It’s exciting for our employees who join these eight-week challenges, tracking their steps and physical activity. People find it motivating because they’re sending their team captain their steps every week and seeing their progress throughout the challenge.

With the pandemic, this year our annual wellness expo turned into a Total WellBeing Virtual Wellness Week, held in March. Overall, the most popular session was a cooking demonstration teaching employees how to prepare 30-minutes meals, Eating Well with Chef Cordell. Others enjoyed mindfulness sessions, such as Inhaling Positivity with Meenu Tewari. All of the week’s sessions are available to watch by clicking on the topic of interest in the schedule or in the on-demand library.

If employees haven’t participated in wellness activities before, what’s the best way for them to start?

Check to see if your department has a Wellness Champion. There may be activities you can join with your colleagues. Another easy thing to do is join one of the virtual Wellness Wednesday webinars.

In the past, most wellness events have focused on physical activity and nutrition, but in the past few years, there’s been a stronger focus on mental health, mindfulness and self-care. Being healthy is so much more than eating well and exercising 30 minutes a day. You need good mental health to want to make healthy diet choices and make time for physical activity. It’s important to step away from your computer during the workday to take a mental break — get a little activity instead of being sedentary all day or engage in brief mindfulness mediation session — and return feeling more refreshed and focused.

How can employees stay updated on wellness activities?

Make sure you read WorkWell, a monthly e-newsletter from the Office of Human Resources highlighting current news, work tips, wellness opportunities, upcoming webinars and trainings, and employee discounts. You can also check out our Work/Life and Wellness page that lists other programs and resources. In addition, we have a calendar on our website that includes wellness events and upcoming webinars.