Get Moving For Good

Community Well-Being, Events, Well-being

For a good cause that is….Join the Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium team for the Step Up to Stepping Strong challenge.  Step Up for Stepping Strong is a month-long steps challenge supporting The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  Established by Boston Marathon bombing survivors, the Stepping Strong Center fuels trauma research and care to benefit civilians and military personnel worldwide who have suffered the devastation of traumatic injuries.  Cigna is proud to commit to donating $100,000 to the center when the community reaches 500 million steps through the Step Up for Stepping Strong challenge.  Registration is open until April 30th and the steps challenge is May 1-31. Check out this quick video tutorial to see how to sign up or read the FAQs here.  Invite your friends, family and coworkers to join this challenge and help us support this wonderful cause. Let’s show the community what we can do when we work together.

A little dose of prevention and screening….

Physical Well-Being, Well-being

The Covid pandemic has impacted our lives in more ways than we care to count and more ways than we may realize.   On a global scale it has posed an unprecedented challenge to public health, our food system, and the world of work as we knew it.  On an individual level it has steered many adults away from getting their annual physical and preventive screenings including colon cancer screening.  With March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month there is no better time to talk about the importance of screening. 

Continue reading A little dose of prevention and screening…. →

Managing overwhelm and enhancing our mental well-being

Social Well-Being, Well-being

It is not news that there is a mental health crisis in our county.  We have been hearing about it a lot lately.  In August of 2020, the CDC reported that among U.S. adults, symptoms of anxiety had tripled, and symptoms of depression had quadrupled since 2019.  Pandemic fatigue, job losses and loss of income, living in a constant state of uncertainty about the future, worries about the health and well-being of our loved ones, a loss of the way of life as we had known it, living in a virtual world, and being constantly connected to our screens, juggling work and parenting…. it’s no wonder that our mental well-being is suffering.

Continue reading Managing overwhelm and enhancing our mental well-being →

Living on a foundation of values

Social Well-Being, Well-being

I have been enjoying a lot of time alone in the woods lately hiking up mountains, breathing in the cold, crisp air and being in awe of the magical wintery scenery unfolding before me.  These forays into the wilderness have afforded me the opportunity to reflect on 2020 and consider what I want for 2021.  For many of us 2020 was one of the most challenging years of our lives.  We saw or experienced egregious acts of violence, unrest, and suffering.  It was a year plagued by unbelievable hardship.  But 2020 may have also given us a most precious gift, the gift of reminding us of what we most value and how we want to live our lives. 

Continue reading Living on a foundation of values →

Giving thanks

Social Well-Being, Well-being

I am about five years old and am sitting on my dad’s shoulders in my one-piece red snowsuit and big winter boots.  I’m waiting with great anticipation for the parade to start.  My dad said Santa will be here!  It is Thanksgiving and we are at the parade of all parades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.  The energy is palpable.  The crowd is thick.  I’ve never seen so many people in one place.  There are people as far as I can see.  People are clutching cups of hot chocolate to keep their hands warm.  Street vendors are selling balloons and hot pretzels.  Steam is rising from the subway grates and the noise of the crowd is almost deafening.  I hear the music of the marching band coming our way and I see clowns on roller skates and they’re throwing confetti.  The balloons are huge, and the floats are so beautiful.  My dad is grinning from ear to ear and I love to see him so happy. 

Continue reading Giving thanks →

Perseverance in the face of challenge

Uncategorized

For many of us, 2020 has been one of, if not the most challenging years of our lives.  Covid-19 is putting tremendous pressure on us all, especially on parents with children at home.  More and more parents are reporting high levels of stress, anxiety, and feelings of being on edge since the pandemic started and this distress has a ripple effect on children, families, and relationships.   Being proactive and taking action is critical during times like these to sustain our health and well-being.

Continue reading Perseverance in the face of challenge →

Flu shot season is upon us

Physical Well-Being, Well-being

It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever.  While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, there are many important benefits, such as:

  1. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death.
  2. Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19.

The CDC recommends getting vaccinated before flu viruses begin spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February so getting vaccinated in October and into early November will offer the greatest protection.

You can get your vaccine at your primary care practice and at many local pharmacies.  For a list of Cigna in-network pharmacies click here.  BCBS VT members…to find an in-network pharmacy where you may be able to get a flu vaccine, click here.  MVP members….click here.  Staying in network for your vaccine will ensure that your vaccine is covered, and you don’t incur any unexpected costs.  Most pharmacies offer flu vaccine on a walk-in basis, but it’s always a good idea to call ahead to make sure they have vaccine available and a staff person to administer the vaccine when you arrive.

This year it’s more important than ever for all of us to take action to keep ourselves and those around us safe and healthy and getting vaccinated is one of the best ways we can do that.

Congratulations are in order!

Career Well-Being, Well-being

Congratulations to Champlain College and Norwich University for being recognized with a 2020 Cigna Well-being Award.  Champlain College is being awarded with the “Outstanding Culture of Well-Being” and Norwich University will be receiving “Honorable Culture of Well-Being”.  These awards recognize organizations for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of their employees and for creating and enhancing a culture of well-being.  Applicants are evaluated on five key components of their well-being:  Leadership, foundations, program implementation, tools, and health promotion participation data. All applications are reviewed and judged by an internal, multi-departmental review committee from Cigna.  This is a wonderful achievement and one that the leadership, faculty and staff of Champlain and Norwich can be proud of.  Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.

Seasons change and so can we

Physical Well-Being, Well-being

Fall has arrived and with that means cooler temperatures, shorter days, and for many of us, more responsibilities and demands on our time.  While many of us may have been in our self-care grooves this summer, we often have a hard time maintaining these routines as we transition into fall and winter.  As a health coach, I so often hear people say, “I fell off the wagon” or “I don’t know what happened.  I was doing so good.”  Well, I might be able to shed some light on what happened.  The environment changed and instead of adapting we dug our heels in and tried to maintain the same routines under completely different circumstances.  If you’ve been on the “on the wagon/off the wagon” in the past,  I’ve got some strategies and new ways of thinking that just might help you drive the wagon exactly where you want it to go this fall and winter. 

Continue reading Seasons change and so can we →

Enhancing your financial well-being in uncertain times

Financial Well-Being, Well-being

Ninety percent of Americans recognize the impact of money and their finances on their well-being. Many of us are feeling our stress level rise with the uncertainty that Covid has brought with it. We may be experiencing a loss of family income, increased expenses due to unexpected childcare needs or we may have seen our retirement savings decrease. Whatever the cause, money woes can be overwhelming but there are things we can do to take control of the situation. Check out this resource guide for coping with financial uncertainty developed by Northwestern. In the resource guide, you will learn about how your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help, tips for coping with stress, dealing with creditors and how to address mortgage issues. To find out how to access your EAP, refer to your school’s Well-being Resource Guide.