Work Elevated

With many of us still working from home, our regular wellness accountability norms might have disappeared. Without gyms open, exercise classes on our calendars, personal training appointments twice per week, etc. many of you have expressed that your motivation and accountability are suffering. We would like to offer a few suggestions: 1. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time -Bound. ie: I am going to increase my cardiovascular fitness by walk 30 minutes 5 days a week. I will walk from 9:00 -9:30 am and push myself to go a little farther each day by increasing my speed. 2. Stay accountable . Once you select a goal, being accountable, even if only to yourself, can help you achieve it. Keeping a simple chart on your phone or your fridge where you can check a box for every day you work out. 3. Be a role model! We tend to do for others more than we do for ourselves. Reach out to a family member, friend, spouse, co-worker , etc. Offer a team approach to hol

I believe one of my earliest posts on this blog encouraged us all to spend time intentionally reflecting while we are working remotely. I encouraged you to think about what you learn about yourself, others, and your work. I asked you to consider what aspects of a "normal" work environment you might NOT want to go back to once we return to our physical campus.  I have spent some time reflecting on that in the last few weeks as the discussion of return to work policies, procedures, and training has been circulating more often. It has prompted me to consider what lessons I have learned during my time working remotely.  Here are a few of my lessons learned:  No commute > a commute - when we consider the process of physically travelling to work, there is a lot of time invested. I have tried to be very intentional about using that time for something worthwhile, though I am not always successful. It is possible to do most of my job remotely. I knew this before I came home, but it

I shared with my family last night that I feel like I am in a bit of a time loop. Even with a long weekend to delineate between workdays, I found myself less than excited about "reporting" to work at my home office this morning than usual. (For some people this is a regular occurrence, but not for me.) So, as with most things, I investigated some new strategies and refreshed myself with old ones.  Here are some things that I am committing to doing this week that I hope will help me break up my days.  Getting outside - even if it means just going for a drive because the weather is bad, I realize that I need to, at least once a day, get outside my four walls. If the weather is nice, I will take a walk down the road.  Scheduling my errands - It appears now that grocery shopping is a low risk activity because people inside the store are moving and, as long as people are maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings , your exposure to particles is lessened. Thus, I am s

It is possible (and necessary) for all of us to continue to stay healthy and active during the “Safer at Home” mandate, even outdoors. If you are wondering what you should do for your own personal health, below are some FAQs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Runner’s World Magazine . Is it safe to do workouts outside? Yes, but by yourself. Heavy breathing, sneezing, and coughing can get droplets into the air or on objects that people touch, and then people touch their faces. Run or work out in noncrowded areas, for others’ safety and for your own. Additionally, 30-60 minutes of moderate to brisk activity can boost your immune system. Why is it important for me to be active? Physical activity can provide immediate benefits. Physical activity can help to boost your mood, reduce stress, improve sleep, and sharpen your focus — benefits that can be especially important during stressful times. Can COVID-19 be spread through sweat? According to

Empathy, a component of emotional intelligence, is a crucial skill for navigating change. Demonstrating empathy with those experiencing difficulty deepens relationships, increases trust, and bolsters your ability to influence and lead others. Dr. Brene Brown gave an excellent Ted Talk where she broke empathy down to four attributes:  Perspective-taking Staying out of judgement Recognizing emotion in others Communicating that emotion If you are looking for opportunities to demonstrate empathy, you needn't look very far right now. Many people are struggling with repercussions of the pandemic; financial, physical, or otherwise. More than that, many people are struggling in ways that may be different than how you are struggling. That means there are ample opportunities for empathy. For example:  You manage a team of two employees. One of them is firmly in one of the high risk categories for COVID-19. They are scared of getting sick and are dealing with the isolation of living at home a

While we all are doing our part to help flatten the curve, there are many ways we can help our community and those in need, some even from our own homes! SHOP LOCAL! Boone has a multitude of local restaurants, breweries, and shops. On the Boone Chamber website, there is a list of restaurants and retail businesses from which you can purchase online. ·    GET TAKEOUT! If you are not yet comfortable dining inside your favorite eating establishment, please visit the Boone Chamber of Commerce website to see which local restaurants are offering delivery and curbside service. BUY GIFT CARDS! From beauty salons to tattoo parlors to personal training, many local businesses are offering gift card purchases to utilize once they are able to reopen. HELP SOMEONE! You can do grocery runs for the elderly, or donate to a food bank. DONATE TIME AND/OR RESOURCES! You can donate money and/or supplies to organizations helping those affected by COVID-19. Please visit the si

It's raining outside...again. We are entering day 486 of the stay at home order and I know I am not the only one whose attitude could be better. I know there are many factors and many layers to why I feel this way and why my disposition is less than rosy!  Several years ago, I created a workshop called "Attitude of Gratitude" which was based around the idea of finding ways to be grateful. I occasionally go back to the material from that workshop and use it to help me find the good in situations. So, if you are struggling with the state of the world, the weather, or fear of the unknown, here are a few lists you can make to anchor yourself in gratitude.  1) Make a list of the things that make you happy right now. Nothing is off limits.  2) List the things that you are good at.  3) Reflect on the best choices you've made in your life.  4) List the things you like to do that don't involve technology.  5) List the things in your life that you actually ARE in control of

As our country and communities begin to reopen, each of us has a responsibility to keep ourselves and those around us safe. Below are some commonly asked questions and answers, provided by writers from The Atlantic . Should we remain the six feet apart mandate? Yes! Just because businesses are opening doesn’t mean that we can be close to each other. Does this mean we can start giving hugs yet? While we can begin visiting friends and family again, we still must maintain six feet between us. Unfortunately, that means no hugs. How can I determine if restrictions in my area are loosening too soon? According to Linsey Marr, a civil- and environmental-engineering professor at Virginia Tech, there is a basic formula: “It depends on your own health, your age, preexisting conditions, how much risk you’re willing to tolerate, and the benefit that the activity could provide to you.” Can we begin traveling? Driving or flying to other cities? If there is an urgent need (to see a termina

Are you reading this sentence while sitting at your computer?  STAND UP! MOVE!!  Although there is not definitive science-based evidence why prolonged sitting has such a harmful effect on the body (Harvard Health Publishing), leading experts (NHS, healthline, MayoClinic) have determined one of the crucial effects excessive sitting has on the body is musculoskeletal imbalances. The neck/upper back pain, low-back, and leg fatigue we experience at the end of our workday may all be a result of our lack of moving.  According to Runner’s World Magazine, five of the most common muscles tension-related discomforts, from too much sitting, are chest muscles, hip flexors, spinal stabilizers, piriformis and plantar fascia. The following information identifies, states reason for the discomfort and presents ways to reduce the risk of limiting our mobility of these five major muscles from prolonged sitting. Post created by: Sherri Wilson, Health Promotion for Faculty and Staff

As North Carolina starts to move toward Phase 2 and easing more restrictions, we have decided to spend a little bit of time focusing on looking forward at ways that we can prepare for what the world will look like. One way that we can all do this is by learning something new. Take the time now to "upskill" yourself! Here are a few easy steps to consider:  What skill do you not possess that would make doing some function of your job easier? Perhaps learning more about Excel could be of benefit to you. Now is the time to take advantage of free resources to learn a new skill. What technology would you like to learn how to use? For me personally, with the rise in need for e-learning, I have had to spend some time learning more about online video recording. Yesterday I learned how to work with Adobe Premiere Pro. I am by no means a "pro" at the program yet, but I am learning the features with the help of the program itself and the myriad of resources online.  What relati

This may seem like an odd topic for our Tip of the Day, but like many of you, I spend a lot of time on Zoom. And when I'm on Zoom, I find that there are many different approaches to background and lighting, not all of which work well. I am personally really craving eye contact, which is nearly impossible with Zoom, since if you appear to be looking at someone directly, you're actually looking into the camera. However, it is even more difficult to have the appearance of eye contact if you are washed out by a window, a bright light over your head, or are fading into a virtual background that's not applied well.  While it is completely unnecessary to create a professional recording studio in your home (unless of course you're recording videos you will use on a semi-permanent basis), here are a couple of really simple do's and don'ts for having the best Zoom presence.  Consider your windows - Don't sit with your back to a window. Even on the darkest of days, th

While we are all excited about the potential that spring is going to come and stay for a while, we still have rainy cool days.  Even looming snow chances.  Here are a few tips to stay fit and sane in our unpredictable weather and “stay at home” lives. #1….Schedule it. Having trouble making time for physical activity? Set an alarm on your phone or schedule it on your calendar – and treat it like any other important appointment. (Find YOUR best time, prioritize YO-SEF)! #2...Warm up to warming up. A proper warm-up (and cool-down)  can help you improve flexibility and avoid injury. You’ll feel better after every workout and be more likely to stick with it. #3...Move anywhere. Create your own circuit workout at home! No equipment needed, just a little willpower and creativity.  (One FREE resource is fitnessblender.com) #4...Fit in walking. Being more active doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. You can walk just about anytime, anywhere, and every minute counts toward your goal of at least

For many of us at App State, we are rounding 6 weeks of working from home. 6 weeks ago feels very far away, but at the same time, like yesterday. Like many of you, I have ridden an emotional roller coaster in those 6 weeks. I have felt comforted while home with my family, gratitude for being able to continue my work, relief to be healthy, and joy to have a window in my office! I have also felt intense fear and anxiety. I often find my mind wandering, considering the options of what will happen and how I will deal with the unexpected when it comes. I have had to work through the process of adjusting to a new schedule and the isolation of not being with my community. I have had to fight letting my mind wander through all of the potential scenarios that the next few months might bring. It has not been what I expected, though I'm not sure anyone could have envisioned what this would look like. While I've ridden this roller coaster, I have found that I've learned things

Have you heard of emotional intelligence? Do you know what role it plays in coping with change? Believe it or not, having good emotional intelligence skills can help you survive AND thrive in times of change and uncertainty. You can learn more about this in our Emotional Intelligence Series that kicks off on Thursday. This will be a blended format with a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning strategies. Sign up here , and read more for a short introduction on how emotional intelligence can help you in changing times.  Emotional intelligence is made up on four domains: self awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The first two domains deal with how you personally understand and process your own emotions, where the second two focus on the emotions of others.  EI or EQ can be broken down into competencies or skills that you can improve for better emotional health and relationships. There are several that are more crucial for surviving and

Remember seven weeks ago when the words “new normal” were in everyone’s vocabulary? When we all found ourselves facing unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to working from home, social distancing, wearing face masks, washing our hands exponentially more than we ever have before? SEVEN WEEKS AGO! Doesn’t seem real that it’s been that long, right? Here we are, heading into a new month, and the new normal has become, well, normal . Today’s tip gives us obstacles in the way of remaining vigilant with our vital public health behaviors, especially with the influx of plans and reports of phased reopenings. In order to maintain the good behaviors we have been practicing, we must acknowledge our own cognitive biases , as well as the strategies we can employ to overcome them. As physician-researcher Donald A. Redelmeier and behavioral scientist Eldar Shafir explain, the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has gone on for so long can lead some of us to assume that the worst of the

Have you ever wondered why an animal’s first movement after a well-deserved nap is to stretch ?  According to livescience.com, the stretching improves the animal’s blood flow to the body and helps keep their muscles limber to elude unexpected prey.  I hope that we are not having to escape an attacker, but stretching our bodies on a daily basis offers a variety of health-related benefits. Incorporating stretching into your daily routine improves blood flow and circulation, range of motion in the joints, body posture, reduces risk of injuries, increasing nutrient supply to muscles and helps to manage mental stress. Whenever we stretch, we must keep a few tips in mind in order to receive the most benefits.  First stretching is NOT a warm up activity.  Stretching is most effective when the muscles and soft tissues are warm.  Try taking a 5 minute short walk or mild jog before stretching the muscles you’re about to use.  Next, avoid bouncing whenever stretching.  Bouncing while stretchi

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Jim Rohn, the famous entrepreneur and motivational speaker: "Either you run the day or the day runs you". This quote has become something of a mantra for me during this time, a phrase I find myself repeating when I need to get my mind back on track. In the time management workshops last week, I shared strategies, tools, and techniques to help you stay focused. I ran across another one today that might be worth looking into. It's called having a "Zero-based" calendar. This strategy means that you essentially schedule all of the activities in your day and leave yourself with as little open space as possible. This prevents you from putting off the tasks you don't particularly love doing and helps keep you from getting distracted. By adding specific time blocks to your calendar, you can also get an idea of how long things actually take. It can also help you reduce the wasted "in-between" time that you m

And give yourself one too! Dan Pink is a well-known author who wrote a book entitled  When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing . When  examines research about how we make our decisions about when to do things. It focuses specifically on the timing of our work day.  Pink says that we make the erroneous assumption that our energy levels are static throughout the day. The science says otherwise: our energy levels wax and wane depending on our morning/night person orientation and the tasks we need to do. He encourages us to pay attention to how the "flow" of our day moves depending on whether we are morning people, what he calls "larks" or evening people, what he calls "owls", and to choose the right tasks to do based on our energy levels. He also discusses the science behind taking breaks. He discusses his formula for a great break in this video , but here's the short version. Breaks taken with other people are more restorative. Research sho

This week's webinars focused on work-life balance, motivation, focus, and time management. One of the things I hope I stressed enough, and will share with you today, is that we need to give ourselves grace and compassion to cope with what we are going through now. My encouragement today is to practice self-compassion. Dr. Kristen Neff is a recognized expert in self-compassion. She defines it this way: "Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. Instead of just ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “this is really difficult right now,” how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?". Many of us are very good at having compassion for others but often forget to share that same compassion with ourselves. One way to get better at this is to practice . You can access this article for 10 Self-Compassion Practices

The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented and will shape the future of our world and institutions for years to come. You can manage the present and prepare yourself for the future by continuing to develop your knowledge, skills, and abilities. One way to do that is to utilize our Educational Assistance program. If you sign up for courses within the UNC system, you can utilize up to three tuition waivers per academic year. We have updated our previous tuition waiver policy, so please review the following steps: Complete the tuition waiver application as you normally would, then email to your supervisor for review and approval. Once the waiver has been approved, your supervisor will electronically sign the waiver, then email to Blair Berry in Human Resources (berrybm@appstate.edu). If your courses are at Appalachian State, Blair will submit to Student Accounts. If the courses are at another UNC-system institution, Blair will send you the completed forms, a

Last week on the "Stay Connected" Lunch and Learn our guest presenter, Dr. Tandrea Carter, shared a grounding technique that can be used to help ease your mind in times of stress and anxiety. The infographic below and this article describe the technique. It is a coping technique that can be used to calm the mind. Your first step should be to take some long, slow, deep breaths. Then turn your mind to these 5 things to help ground you in the present moment. Image credit: destressmonday.org Comment below and let me know if you have ever tried this yourself or if you have helped an anxious friend, child, family member move through these steps.  Here's to a Hump Day with less stress and positive coping strategies!