CommonHealth Wellnote

December 11, 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 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 January, 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 Healthy Holidays: Holiday Safety Tips
    During the holiday season, life seems to get even busier and for some, more stressful. It may seem hard to fit in healthy habits like exercising or eating nutritious meals, but those are especially helpful in staying well! CommonHealth will be offering Finish Well, a special series of strategies and tips each week.

  • Here are some basic health and safety reminders:
    • Wash your hands often to minimize risk of illness.
    • Buckle up! Holiday season is travel season. Drive aware and sober, too.
    • Many share meals and food during the holidays. Be sure to keep hot foods hot and cold ones cold.
    • Practice fire safety. Be sure to tend to heat sources. Have an fire safety plan and practice it regularly.
  • Eating Well for the Holidays
    The holidays often revolve around food, making this a season of feasting and celebration. However, staying on track with your goals isn’t impossible. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a variety of healthy holiday resources designed to help you maintain your health objectives, plan budget-friendly meals, accommodate guests with dietary restrictions and practice safe food handling. Visit their website for more details.  
  • This Week: Plan to Eat Well and Move More
    Plan ahead for success with healthy meals and snacks by packing easy options or knowing where to find them. Half of your plate at each meal should be fruits and vegetables, and it is great for snacks, too. Convenience is possible; just choose grilled options and go easy on sauces/dressings and heavy on veggies. Moving more intentionally can be parking farther away, taking the stairs, stretching or walking at lunch or on break. You can even put it on your schedule to be sure you fit it in.

Need more strategies to help you stay on track?

    • TimelyCare offers Health Coaching to ALL employees! Develop healthy lifestyle behaviors, including nutrition, sleep habits, time management and mindfulness. Scheduled unlimited virtual visits to develop or improve healthy lifestyle behaviors. More information for TimelyCare for Employees can be found on NOVAnet. Health Insurance Providers like Anthem and Aetna also offer health coaching to eligible full-time state employees.
  • Benefits Buzz: Benefits Guide and Employee Assistance Program
    • All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents include Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). EAP offers many services, including in-person, virtual and online resources. They cover mental health, lifestyle, financial and legal content areas. Specific EAP services vary by health plan, so look into yours today!
    • The Commonwealth of Virginia Employee Health & Wellness Benefits Guide is a comprehensive guide provided by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) that outlines the various benefits available to you as a Commonwealth of Virginia employee.
  • Keep Moving for Your Health
    • 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 until  20. Complete the challenge for a chance to win a Virginia State Park Pass! Additional details and instructions can be found here! Please contact VDH Program Administrator Mona Burwell if you have any questions regarding the challenge. 
  • Turkey Trot Wrap-Up & Moving Forward!
    • Thanks for participating in the 2024 Turkey Trot! Whether you reached the 25-day activity goal or not, we hope it encouraged you to move more. Aim for at least 20 minutes daily to improve your health!
    • Completed the Challenge? Enter the prize drawing through this brief survey. Share your accomplishment on Facebook’s Engage Anywhere group (join first if needed).
    • Didn’t Complete the Challenge? Reflect on your progress in November. Did you maintain or increase activity compared to previous months? That’s a win! Share it on Facebook’s Engage Anywhere group (join first if needed).

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

Image: Bright blue swrling background with white and blue snowflakes of varying sizes falling. Band at bottom: CommonHealth Wellnote

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