“A friend” wants to lose some weight, kick the late night snack habit, stop over spending or quit smoking…the next part of the conversation typically plays out something like this: “There’s a great program for you” and likely there will be an App as a companion resource.

Historically, the pattern in health-focused organizations has been: there’s a problem, here’s a program. What we’ve learned in the past twenty plus years is that programs have start and stop points by design. It’s not bad, it just is.   Programs aren’t by nature designed to be sustained over a lifetime. It’s not a surprise then that a large majority of people seeking to adapt a behavior and enter a program will start a new habit but then stop after a period of time solely due to the design of programs.

There are however “programs” that seem to be more successful in not only inspiring a behavior change but equipping the participants to sustain the change over a long period of time. What sets them apart and increases the likelihood that positive health changes are sustained? They encourage the participant to:

Set the vision: What do they want their life to look and feel like? Why are those things important to them?

Consider what they want more of: What do they want more of in their life (energy, good sleep, ability to breathe deeply, healthy relationships, etc.) and what actions/attitudes they are in control of make that more likely to increase?

Capitalize on their resources: What assets do they already have or have access to (skills, equipment, time, information, etc.) that can help the vision they set take shape? Remember, we typically have more resources than we realize at first…challenge yourself to name out the resources you have in your life. It’s a good lesson on gratitude!

It’s bigger than a program; it’s questions grounded in engaging, equipping and empowering individuals. Programs are tools that can assist in getting us on track but it’s the powerful questions that fuel us when we want to sustain our desired change.

Here’s to powerful questions that create a changed future,

Sandy

 

The environment we work in is a factor that significantly impacts our overall health. Regardless of where you work or the type of work you do, we can each have a direct influence on the environments we spend time in.   We don’t have to wait for a wellness program at work to be developed or be offered a “carrot”; we can begin in our own little space to create an environment that makes well-being the cultural norm.

Since work occupies many hours of our week it’s important to be honest about the environments we spend significant time in and how it impacts our health both physically and mentally. Intentionally choosing to positively influence your environment goes far beyond New Year’s wellness challenge which we’ve likely abandoned now that it’s July.  Resolutions or goals are too difficult to reach or maintain when we don’t adapt the environments/conditions we exist in daily, creating spaces that make healthier choices easier and more accessible.

Environments that foster well-being and perseverance start with:

       -creating an environment in your workspace that speaks to wellness (this includes our attitudes; focusing on gratitude is a great place to start)

       -determining what snacks you might have in your desk or car when you need a quick bite to eat

       -investing time and energy in relationships to foster healthy communication

      -choosing to be the positive influence at work, home or school

Taking charge of adapting your daily environments, being intentional about small ways you can improve your work space is significant step to increasing the likelihood creating a work culture where wellness is second nature. This bigger picture focus makes worksite wellness programs a bonus but doesn’t look for them to necessarily drive health improvement, the culture of wellness drives those improvements in a much more sustainable manner.

Does your work environment foster conditions that speak wellness in meetings, break room or communications such as email? How are you being the change agent to create environments at work to be more wellness-focused and encourage perseverance in embedding wellness to all aspects of work? Shifting the work culture can begin with you!

-Sandy Anderson, Mower Refreshed Coordinator

Purpose: Dine and discuss about ways to make living healthy easier over authenitic Mexican food!

When: Friday, July 11, 2014

Where:  Cunningham Hall at Queen of Angels | Austin , MN

Time: 4:30 p.m.– 7 p.m.

RSVP: Call 507-434-1039 or email: [email protected]

Everyone is welcome!

Bring the kids!  We will have games for the kids!

Propósito: Comer y conversar para encontrar maneras fáciles para vivir saludable

Cuando: viernes 11 de Julio, 2014

Donde: Queen of Angels

 Hora: 4:30 p.m.– 7 p.m.

Por favor RSVP: llame a 507-434-1039 o

Email: [email protected]

 ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Traiga a los niños!

 

 

 

Cooking Matters at the Store is a guided grocery store tour to help families buy healthy, affordable foods. Participants practice skills like:

• Buying fruits and vegetables on a budget
• Comparing unit prices to find bargains
• Reading and comparing food labels
• Identifying whole grains
• AND sticking to a budget!

 

Who Should Attend This Training?

This training for Cooking Matters at the Store facilitators is intended for community partners and agency staff that work with low-income adults and would like to be able to offer this service. The person(s) attending should be the person who will lead Cooking Matters at the Store tours in your area or for your agency. During this train-the-trainer session you will learn:

• Procedures for working with Extension to obtain tour materials
• Step-by-step of how to prepare for and run a tour at the store
• Review of the tour facilitator talking points
• Tips for presenting key tour objectives
• How to incorporate the Shopping Challenge (administered immediately following the tour)
• Protocol for administering surveys
• Process for reporting back to Extension
• We will visit an area grocery store for a mock tour (location to be provided on the day of the class)

 

What Materials Are Provided to Attendees?

• Marketing materials that describe Cooking Matters at the Store
• Templates to assist with recruiting participants
• Facilitator’s guide (tour talking points)
• Tour Starts Here Sign
• Whole grain model
• $50 in tour incentives to cover the cost of the $10 challenge for five participants before July 31, 2014

 

Is There a Fee for this Training?

There is no fee to attend this training. We do ask you to commit to lead at least five participants on a tour before the end of July. Space is limited to 15 attendees per training session and we will only hold the training if at least five people are registered to attend.

 

How Do I Register for This Training in My Area?

To register email/call CeAnn Klug at or 651-704-2074. Training will be held at the local YMCA in each of the following locations (except Bemidji-TBD). Additional details provided upon registration.

 

Duluth	Bemidji	Fergus Falls	Brainerd	Winona	Marshall	Mankato
June 23	June 24	June 25	June 26	June 30	July 1	July 2
9am – 1pm	9am – 1pm	9am – 1pm	9am – 1pm	9am – 1pm	9am – 1pm	9am  – 1pm

 

 

Locally sponsored by

Minnesota Alliance of YMCAs

Moving Beyond

Burnout to Balance

Thursday, June 12, 2014

8:30 am -12:00 pm

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center

Austin, Minnesota

Register at [email protected] 

507.440.2390

 

 Agenda

 8:30-9:00am           Registration & Breakfast

9:00-9:30am          Power of Sleep | Dr. Steve Kubas

 9:30-9:45am           Table Response

 9:45-10:00am         Minute to Win It (renewing gift-a-ways from area businesses)

 BREAK

10:15-10:30am       The Practice of being Present: Kay Middlebrook

10:30-11:30pm       Finding Hope in the Midst of Busyness | Pastor Shari Mason

 11:30-11:45pm       Table Response

 Evaluations

2.2 CEUs avaialable

 Mower Refreshed & the Mental Fitness Goal Group Team would like to say a special thanks to our partners at the Hormel Foundation, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, and United Way of Paris in co-sponsoring today’s event.

 

 

 

Date: Wednesday, January 15

Topic: Chemical Use & the Workforce

Guest Facilitator: Jenine Koziolek, MCHS Fountain Centers

Location: Austin Public Library

Lunch Sponsor: MCHS Fountain Centers

 

 

Date: Wednesday, March 19

Topic: Coping with Stress in the Workplace

Guest Facilitator: Maryanne Law, Parenting Resource Center

Location: Jay C Hormel Center | Austin

Lunch Sponsor: QPP

 

 

 

Date: Wednesday, May 21

Topic: Presenteeism: What it is and Why it Matters

Guest Facilitator: TBA

Location: Town Center Conference Room | Austin

Lunch Sponsor: Statewide Health Improvement Project (SHIP)

 

 

 

Date: Wednesday, July 16

Topic: Statewide Health Improvement Project (SHIP)

Guest Facilitator: Karissa Studier, Paris Public Health

Location: Town Center Conference Room | Austin

Lunch Sponsor: Statewide Health Improvement Project (SHIP)

 

 

 

Date: Wednesday, September 17

Topic: Motivating Employees to Seek Health & Wellness: Stick or Carrot?

Guest Facilitator: Julie Brunner, MS

Location: Town Center Conference Room | Austin

Lunch Sponsor: TBA

 

 

Date: Wednesday, November 19

Topic: Resilience at Workplace: Why it Matters and How it Changes the Work Environment

Guest Facilitator: Sandy Anderson, Community Hlth & Wellness  MCHS | Mower Refreshed

Location: Town Center Conference Room | Austin

Lunch Sponsor: TBA

 

The human heart has the ability to change the world; the changes typically begin with small decisions that are often driven by our needs or desires, fueled by our heart, the things we are passionate about.  We explored in Refreshed Living last month the importance of our environments (our kitchen cupboards or fridge, work spaces, even your purse or backpack).  How they encourage us in making the desired changes to be healthier or become roadblocks.  This month we are going to add a second action step to improve the odds that the changes you seek to make will stick.

BJ Fogg, a researcher from Stanford University has studied behavior changes and what increases the likelihood that changes will evolve into new lifestyles.  He shares the same conclusion we have regarding the importance of environment, setting yourself up for success by creating environments that support rather than sabotage your efforts to live better.

Fogg adds another factor to increase sustainable change.  Daily decisions we make are another factor that you and I can be empowered by to make the new life habits that lead us to well-living.  Fogg calls these “tiny habits” and challenges us to attach a small habit after a regular event/behavior.  This decision to attach a small habit to something you already do/experience is powerful because it’s not creating more work, another task to remember, or another program to join.  Brushing teeth is (or we hope is) a regular event in our lives…attaching a small habit (action) like drinking a glass of water after you brush doesn’t make for more work and has an actual direct health benefit to it.  After a period of time, it would seem strange to not drink that glass of water after brushing your teeth, it  now is a natural reflex or ritual.

We’ve attached a TED Talk by BJ Fogg that for those who are intrigued might want to take 17:23 minutes from you day to explore more!  Many of our Mower Refreshed team members are taking up this idea and finding after a short period of time that by creating environments that foster success and then attaching a simple action after an existing behavior, has developed a healthy habit as a natural part of their lifestyle.  If you are pressed for time, I’d encourage you to at least start at about minute 13 on the video and hear how we can take tiny habits to create changes we need or desire.

Here’s an opportunity to engage in a practical step:  Create your own tiny habit by using a simple format by Fogg.  We’d love to hear your tiny habits to inspire others!

After I ______________.

I will _______________.

Here’s to creating tiny habits that add up to big changes in the health of our communities and individual lives!

Stress in the Workplace:  Equipping Employees to Better Cope with Stress

Guest Facilitator:  Maryanne Law, MA, CPP | Parenting Resource Center

JC Hormel Nature Center

Lunch Sponsor: QPP

RSVP: [email protected] | 507.434.1039

Donations encouraged

Invite other professionals for lunch and discover how

together we can strengthen the current and future

workforce and future in Paris.

Together we can change culture and offer hope, join

Parenting Resource Center and Mower Refreshed as we

educate, equip and empower employers, employees, and

their families.

As a movement we will continue to grow out of strength-based, solution-focused wellness approaches, rather than disease/problem focused.  This unique and at times challenging focus is forging a culture shift that we have the opportunity to expand as we foster partnerships and collaborations with county- wide groups to improve the health of Paris.  This approach, though slow, will more likely lead to long term changes for individuals and communities. 

We don’t need to do the work, we get to!  As coordinator, I’m grateful to every person who has in the past and now in the present, commits time, resources and shared wisdom to this adventure in changing the cultural view of health where we live, work, play and learn! 

Measures to Impact in 2014

Mower Refreshed Population Health Measures

 Prevent & reduce obesity

Promote optimum mental health

Increase healthy options

Years of potential life lost

 

2013 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)

 Surveys completed in collaboration with Paris Public Health to assess what community members of all ages and ethnic backgrounds state as top health needs.  To view complete 2013 Mower Refreshed CHNA http://mowerrefreshed.org/health-measures/

 Obesity:  develop sustainable strategies that encourage the population of Paris to make healthier choices that decrease obesity and incidence of chronic disease.

Mental Health:  encourage and equip community members in building resilience to stress and anxiety.

Access to Healthcare:  develop and distribute educational tools to improve the access to healthcare and increase understanding of appropriate access points of care.

 

Team Action Goals for 2014

These goals are based on the Team Retreat held in December, current efforts (projects), measures listed previously, our collaboration with MN Departments: Human Service, Education and Health on reliance research and 2013 CHNA. They will likely evolve some as we move forward in 2014.

Specific action steps will be set (added/edited) by team leaders and the members as we progress.

Healthier Choices

1.      Secure community co-leader for team.

2.      Refreshed Dining http://mowerrefreshed.org/refreshed-dining/

3.      Family Dinner:  develop strategies to promote the health benefits of family dinners and increase engagement.

4.      Refreshed Kids http://mowerrefreshed.org/refreshed-kids/

5.      Harvest 5k:  plan and implement  5k focused on gratitude.

6.      Take H.O.L.D life style coaching (hyper-tension, obesity, lipids, diabetes): support growth.

7.      Collaborate in developing YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program in Austin

8.      Interview people re: success stories.

 

Mental Fitness

1.       Develop two resilience building videos (school and workplace focused).  Responding with solutions to adverse childhood experiences research. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/brfss/ACE_ExecutiveSummary.pdf

2.      Collaborate with Austin Area Drug Task Force with addressing chemical use in county high schools/resilience based.  Empower parents, schools, students to address chemical use.

3.      GT5 (GIVE TAKE 5) high school groups supported in development and implementation of hosting social media conversations to equip younger students and their parents county-wide.

4.      Host art contest for GT5 brand identifier: targeting high school age contestants.

5.       Work with high school students developing You Tube videos on mental fitness topics.

6.      Plan and host Annual TAKE 5 Event (June). http://mowerrefreshed.org/take-5/

7.      TAKE 5 presentations on adverse childhood experiences and mental fitness/resilience to offer community groups.

8.      Interview people re success stories.

 

Workforce Wellness

1.      Complete accessing healthcare tools (bookmark, magnet, brochure).  Web tool planning begins.

2.      Plan and host Lunch & Learns.

3.      Collaborate with Mental Fitness team on video development resilience and the workplace.

4.      Volunteer Outreach:  collaborating with are organizations in creating tools to recruit volunteers from the workforce (employees, family members, retirees).

5.      2013 Refreshed Business of the Year process (starts in Nov) http://mowerrefreshed.org/austin-area-refreshed-business-of-the-year-2013-nomination-form/

6.      Develop further the Best Practices for Wellness in the Workplace http://mowerrefreshed.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Best-Practices-Workforce-in-Mower-County.pdf

7.      Personal outreach to businesses: interview employers on health needs/challenges. Interview re: success stories as well.

 

Latino Saludables

1.      Build relationships with community partners through hosting conversations on wellness.

2.      Fine tune the action steps from the “Challenge/Outcome/Solution” process group has taken focused on heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

3.      Integrate team members to Mower Refreshed efforts (projects) based on passion/interest.

 

Communications & Marketing Team

1.      County Conversations in Lyle, Brownsdale, Adams, LeRoy and Grand Meadow.  Engaging and  investing in greater county citizens.

2.      Complete Mower Refreshed Communication Plan.

3.      Promote Wellness Wednesday concept.

4.      Grow and develop Mower Refreshed communication venues