CommonHealth Wellnote

November 13, 2024 / Get Well

How can your Virginia State Employee Wellness Program help? CommonHealth’s 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 information 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 December, connect sooner rather than later to ensure you get a date that works for you.

Click here to view this week’s CommonHealth Wellnote. Check out this week’s highlights below:

Spotlight on Cultivating Connections: Embracing Gratitude
As the days grow shorter and we gather with friends and family, November offers a perfect reminder to pause and reflect on gratitude. Thanksgiving may be the season’s hallmark, but gratitude is a powerful mindset we can carry well beyond the holiday.

Studies show that practicing gratitude regularly can improve mood, reduce stress and even boost physical health. Acknowledging the positives, no matter how small, can ground us during uncertain times and make us more resilient. Whether it’s the warmth of a morning coffee, a call from a friend or simply a moment of quiet, recognizing these gifts adds richness to our daily lives.

Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated. Try starting a simple gratitude journal, noting down three things you’re thankful for each day. Or, reach out and express appreciation to someone who made a difference this year. It’s incredible how even small gestures of thanks can create ripples of positivity.

As we prepare to wrap up another year, let’s use this season to reflect on all we’ve been given and consider how we can share that joy. Embracing gratitude now can help us enter the coming months with open hearts and renewed purpose.

Try It This Week:  Start a Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal is simple and rewarding. Here’s how to get started:

  • Select a notebook or app where you will enjoy writing.
  • Pick a regular time each day to write.
  • Start small. Write down three things you are grateful for each day.
  • Be specific. For example, instead of “I am grateful for friends,” use names. Write something like, “I am grateful for Bill’s support today.”
  • Be consistent. Try to write every day, but don’t sweat it if you miss a day.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, NOVA: Join the November Fitness/Wellness Challenges! Turkey Trot, Push-up and Historic Walking Trail Challenges.

  • CommonHealth’s 2024 Turkey Trot Challenge
    Keep moving in November with the Turkey Trot Challenge!  Get 20 minutes or more of activity on at least 25 days in November to complete the challenge.  See the attached registration info for details and register here to join the challenge and receive the official activity calendar for tracking your progress. To learn more about the 2024 Turkey Trot, click here. Let’s make November a month of movement!
  • November’s Be FLY (Fit, lean you) Challenge: PUSH-UPS. You are also invited to join our college wellness partner Rec on Canvas For The Be FLY! Push-up challenge. Build strength and endurance in your chest, shoulders and triceps with push-ups, starting from five on Day One and working up to 75 by the month’s end. On Friday, November 8, at 1 p.m. and Friday, November 22nd, at 1:00, Campus Rec will lead the challenge via ZOOM. Participants are invited to log on.  To join, email “Push-ups” to campusrec@nvcc.edu.
  • VDH Offers a 6-Week Historic Walking Trail Challenge: Walk with Ease and Explore Virginia. Explore Virginia’s historic sites this fall with the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Arthritis Walk with Ease program, running from Nov. 11 to Dec. 20. Complete the six-week challenge for a chance to win a Virginia State Park Pass! Additional details and instructions can be found here! If you have any questions regarding the challenge, please reach out to VDH Program Administrator, Mona Burwell.

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

Image: Photo of a yellow sky at sunset and a hand holding wildflowers. Text: CommonHealth Wellnote.

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