CommonHealth Weekly Wellnote

June 18, 2024 / Get Well

How can your Virginia State Employee Wellness Program help? The CommonHealth programs and campaigns cover a variety of health topics and are available in a range of formats to meet the needs of different workplaces. Highly skilled wellness consultants provide the latest on stress, sleep, nutrition, exercise and more for faculty/staff meetings, special events, conferences, benefit fairs, safety meetings, lunch and learns, etc. They provide traditional, in-person presentations and displays as well as virtual presentations, on-demand videos and seasonal health-related challenges that are fun and engaging. Visit the website to see how CommonHealth can help you. If you’re looking to book an event in July or August, connect sooner rather than later to ensure you get a date that works for you. 

Check out this week’s updates from CommonHealth.

  • June is all about the brain, the command center for our bodies. It’s small — weighing just around 3 pounds — but mighty! Brain health is important because once brain cells (neurons) are damaged or destroyed, they can’t be replaced. There are many ways to take care of our brain health:
    • Regular exercise has been shown to increase development of new brain cells and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
    • Limiting sugar intake can reduce brain fog.
    • Learning new activities stimulates our minds, which leads to better brain health!

Click here for a Kaiser handout that includes even more ways to boost brain health.

  • Getting out and moving is an excellent way to improve your overall health and wellbeing. And Virginia is the perfect state to get active outdoors! We have several state parks in Northern Virginia, including:
    • Frying Pan Farm Park (Herndon)
    • Great Falls Park (Great Falls)
    • Balls Bluff Battlefield Park (Leesburg)
    • Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve (Alexandria)
    • Mason Neck State Park (Lorton)
    • Seneca Regional Park (Great Falls)
    • Shenandoah National Park (Luray)
    • Theodore Roosevelt Island (Arlington)

Visit this site for more information on parks, beaches and outdoor adventures in the great state of Virginia.  

  • Summer is the perfect time for professional development, and learning more about wellness can benefit you both at work and beyond. CommonHealth is still scheduling presentations through the summer; these can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours. We also have digital lunch and learn webinars presented by Sentara. 
    • Audio on the go: Maintaining Mental Agility
    • Live webinar: Social Media: Is It Time to Take a Break?
      • Date: Wednesday, July 17
      • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
      • Register here.
    • Live webinar: Running vs. Walking: Find Your Stride
      • Date: Wednesday, August 21
      • Time: 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
      • Register here.

CommonHealth Newsletter: Black band with rainbow swish and grey and blue text: CommonHealth Weekly Wellnote Below header: commonhealth dot virginia dot gov. Top panel, centered: Brain Health Awareness (with cartoon drawing of a pink brain smiling and lifting weights) Both Brain Injury Awareness Month and Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month are observed in June, making it a great time to think about brain health. While the average adult human brain weighs only about three pounds, it has some big responsibilities, such as helping us to think, feel, and move. It’s important to take care of our brain cells (neurons) because they can’t be replaced once they’re damaged or destroyed. This can lead to difficulty with thinking, memory, completing everyday tasks, and more.  Luckily, many healthy lifestyle behaviors that help protect our physical and mental health also boost our brain health. These include exercising regularly and eating nutritious foods. See the attachment from Kaiser for more information on simple steps we can take to improve our brain health today and beyond.  Three shorter columns below: Book CommonHealth Today (with stock photo of a blank calendar and a white alarm clock against a bright pink background) Many agencies have retreats, all-staff meetings, and staff development days. Add a CommonHealth presentation or training to those agendas to help your employees feel better and be more engaged, present, and productive. We tailor to your agency’s needs, whether it is a 30-minute or a 2-hour session. Contact your CommonHealth agency coordinator (or HR benefits administrator) to schedule your training today! Virginia Is for Outdoor Lovers (against translucent background that is a photograph of a nature scene) Virginia offers outdoor activities galore: mountain biking, hiking, hunting, rafting, horse riding, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, running, kayaking, fishing, boating, and more. It’s home to 41 beautiful state parks, 66 state natural area preserves, many national parks and wildlife refuges, state and national forests, and countless historic sites. June is Great Outdoors Month. Check out virginia dot org forward slash things hyphen to hyphen do forward slash outdoors or click here for adventure ideas, and go outside today and every day! (Followed by pink button labeled "Things to Do Outdoors") A Little Bit Healthier This Week (with cartoon drawing of a woman in pink pajamas sleeping on her side) Make the switch to side sleeping to reduce back pain — and possibly heartburn and snoring too. Choose a pillow with a thickness that matches the distance between your neck and shoulder to help your neck and spine stay aligned while you sleep. Place a pillow or blanket between your knees to keep your hips aligned also. Already a side sleeper? Boost the benefits by opting to sleep on the left side to put less pressure on internal organs. In footer: Contact CommonHealth: wellness at dhrm dot virginia dot gov 

For questions regarding this week’s communication or the CommonHealth program, please reach out to your respective campus coordinator below:

Submitted by:
Faith Redd-Walker, Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing, employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu