Kimberly Barrett, Assistant Director of UNL Campus Recreation Wellness Services, and her staff are working with departments and units on campus to create an environment that supports personal wellness through culture changes. “Living a ‘well’ lifestyle doesn’t have to mean carving out two hours every morning for the gym or only eating fresh produce for lunch,” Barrett said. “In fact, a wellness centric lifestyle is built up of small, healthy habits you do throughout the day, in whichever element of wellness you choose to work on. Having the support through a worksite wellness program can be extremely helpful to see your individual goals to fruition.” The UNL Wellness Initiative is intended to assist the Chancellor’s Committee on Wellness to promote, plan, and model a balanced lifestyle.
The SNR Wellness Team is well positioned to serve the wellness needs of the department. The team is led by SNR Wellness Ambassador Crystal Stiles. Crystal is an Applied Climatologist and Postdoctoral Research Associate with the High Plains Regional Climate Center. She began her journey to better wellness in 2010 by learning how to eat balanced meals and in moderation, and incorporating regular exercise into her routine. She has been a member of UNL Campus Recreation’s Well on your Weigh program since 2011 and has made major life changes that have resulted in better health and wellness. “I believe in the importance of taking care of myself in both mind and body,” Stiles said. “I have found that making this a priority helps me be a happier and more productive person.” Other team members include Mark Mesarch, who is the SNR Web/Database Programmer, and Caroline Jezierski, who is the Nebraska Wind Energy and Wildlife Project Coordinator. Mark and Caroline both foster wellness through biking, walking their dogs, and participating in group fitness and yoga classes.
The SNR wellness plan has four goals: 1) Increase the promotion of wellness in SNR, 2) Encourage colleagues to provide healthy food options for SNR get togethers, 3) Promote walking breaks, and 4) Provide a space in Hardin Hall to encourage meditation/quiet time. (To read the plan in its entirety, please visit: http://snr.unl.edu/download/employeeinfo/wellness/SNRWellnessPlanAY2016.pdf.) Results from a wellness survey created by the SNR Wellness Team and given to SNR faculty, staff, and graduate students during the fall semester informed the plan. The plan will be revisited and possibly modified for the 2016-2017 academic year based on feedback from the department.
SNR Director John Carroll approved the wellness plan and fully supports the SNR wellness initiative. “Life balance is extremely important in our society with its ever increasing pace,” Carroll said. “SNR is fully committed to supporting and encouraging our wellness activities because it is good for the productivity of our unit, but more importantly it is good for the wellbeing of our faculty and staff.”
In order to receive information on wellness activities, please visit the SNR wellness initiative webpage at http://go.unl.edu/snrwellnessinfo. You can also subscribe to the SNR wellness listserv by entering your email address on the SNR wellness initiative webpage. Note that other than occasional, department-wide reminder emails about subscribing to the listserv, these are the only two ways you can receive wellness information from the SNR Wellness Team.
If you have feedback or suggestions for the SNR Wellness Team, we’d love to hear from you! Our contact information is below:
Crystal Stiles: cstiles3@unl.edu
Mark Mesarch: mmesarch1@unl.edu
Caroline Jezierski: cjezierski2@unl.edu
Article written by Crystal J. Stiles
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/d3q6