July 2024 BWI Spotlight

I see the Buckeye Wellness Innovator program as an opportunity to be a part of a community that cares about the health and wellness of an important population within Ohio State—our faculty and staff. I also felt that it would allow me to collaborate with and learn from like-minded peers who also have a passion for wellness. That has turned out to be true by more than tenfold. 

Your health and wellness are quite literally the center of what gives you life. My desire to help others discover and connect with resources that support wellbeing is also an homage to my mother, who from a fairly young age, taught me the importance of taking care of yourself and others in your community. After all, it’s what we do as Buckeyes. 

Our BWI team at Fisher provides monthly wellness minutes that are based upon each month’s theme and ties into the 10 dimensions of wellness. Since hearing this information via word-of-mouth can be powerful, we share the wellness minutes ourselves and also have BWI advocates throughout the college that help distribute information. We’ve organized campus activations that connect with the 10 dimensions of wellness and offer programming such as chair massage and campus walks that faculty and staff can take advantage of. 

Our team also recently benefitted from a creative wellness outing and candle-making experience thanks to a BWI grant we received. It’s important to consistently carve out time for activities like this that help restore and connect us. 

Calendar blocks, Post-it notes, and inspirational quotes are my best friend. Also, the energy of others is important so the BWI leaders who’ve been doing this work for some time have been instrumental for me. 

My approach has been to meet people where they are and learn about the types of activities that interest them. If I can build upon that, the participation naturally follows. 

My direct supervisor and our team’s leadership have encouraged and celebrated my role as a BWI as well as participated in events. I think that there has to be buy-in from leadership to model, encourage, and sustain this important work. 

Leaders need to continue to show up in the wellness space and encourage others to do the same. They set the tone for the level of engagement a department will have. Leadership behavior is everything. 

The hardest part is getting started. Once you get going, it’s a lifelong journey that will never stop.