June 2022 Spotlight

How long have you been a Buckeye Wellness Innovator?

One year to less than two years

Approximately how many people are in your department, unit, building, or college?

There are approximately 23 staff members

Regarding your department or unit's wellness efforts, which of the nine dimensions of wellness has your team addressed?

• Physical
• Emotional
• Environmental
• Social
• Creative
• Spiritual

Describe a successful activity that your team planned around the nine dimensions of wellness.

Planned a Best D*** Band Activity with the assistance of Brenda Buffington to teach resistance band use for stretching and muscle toning while at work. This was a fun and engaging activity that brought everyone out of their offices and from behind their desks to laugh and exercise together. 

To help address the emotional, spiritual, and physical domains, I created a "Zen Den" that holds a sand zen garden, white noise machine, adult coloring books and colored pencils, mindfulness cards, intention cards, essential oils with cotton pads and recipes to make personal diffusers, resistance bands, and yoga mats with posters on the wall with yoga poses, stretches, and body weight exercises. The goal of this space was to create an accessible space for staff to take a break away from the daily stressors of work, to encourage physical fitness, and to help with improving daily purposeful attitudes. 

If you could accomplish anything as a Buckeye Wellness Innovator, what would your dream be?

If I could accomplish anything as a Buckeye Wellness Innovator, it would be to create a sustainable, engaging program that pulls the staff together as a unit but also inspires and excites them about striving to achieve their personal health and wellness. I would love to be able to do a "Meal-Prep Monday" Program in which we would focus on how to shop on a budget, how to meal prep, and how to make easy, healthy weeknight meals to help with supporting and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. 

Describe how a manager or supervisor in your unit/department/building/college has shown support for your role as a Buckeye Wellness Innovator.

My direct manager/supervisor is a BWI herself and actively participates in the programming I have done as well as enables me to have the time to participate in BWI meetings. 

What has your lead administrator/dean/vice president/department chair specifically done to show support?

My lead administrator is a BWI herself and actively participates in the programming I have done as well as enables me to have the time to participate in BWI meetings. Whenever I have an idea she encourages me to run with it. Having that kind of support has helped me to develop a deeper passion for wellness initiative development, promotion, and implementation.

Please share how your team has overcome barriers to engaging your colleagues and/or students in your wellness efforts.

When considering a program, I ask for feedback from my colleagues and input regarding things they would like, times of day, and in person versus virtual. I make fliers, send emails, and will go door to door or desk to desk to personal invite my colleagues to participate. I also ask for feedback following a program--especially if it is one that is not well attended--to figure out how to improve the activity in the future. There are no barriers, only opportunities for new paths.