Welcome back to the new semester! Be Well is ramping up to help make UT the healthiest place to be in 2019. For the month of January, you can meet Be Well’s new Employee Wellness Coordinator, Danielle Bohn at the HR Roadshow! At various locations throughout the month, Danielle will be promoting new and exciting Be Well programs planned for 2019. Visit HR’s website to find a date and location that is near you. Additionally the Center for Health Education and Wellness is ringing in the new year on January 11th at New Year, New Vol! Students, faculty, and staff are invited to visit the TRECS lobby from 11am-2pm for food, fun, and giveaways.

Be Well strives to approach wellness holistically and provide programming that meets the needs of all UT faculty and staff members. If you have a program request, innovative idea, or feedback about current programming, please email:bewell@utk.edu.

In 2019, Be Well will continue working to create a University of Tennessee campus that supports positive lifestyle choices.

Move More

New Exercise Guidelines

New guidelines from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urge people to move more and sit less. HHS released new physical activity recommendations in mid-November focusing more on health, rather than weight loss. This is only the second time that the department has released these types of recommendations. New evidence has shown a strong relationship between inactivity and higher odds of death for any reason including cardiovascular death, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

The new guidelines emphasize that all physical activity now counts; however you get it. Previous guidelines said onl

Adults should be meeting the minimum activity recommendations of at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes per week of moderate aerobic physical activity (i.e brisk walking, heavy cleaning, lawn mowing, cycling); or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity (i.e hiking, jogging, fast cycling, swimming laps).To learn more about the new guidelines which include changes for older adults and children, click this link to the WebMD’s Health News Article. 

Join Team UT

Be Well is teaming up with the Covenant Health 

Eat Smarter

Setting SMART Goals for 2019

Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions revolve around eating better and losing weight. However, many people do not stick with their resolutions past the end of January. Why is this the case? Resolutions are goals and if goals are not SMART, they can be hard to achieve. SMART goals are:

• Specific: The resolution should be detailed. “I want to lose weight” is vague. How much weight? By when? “I want to lose 5 pounds by the end of February” is more clear and in turn, is going to be more effective.
• Measurable: Be sure the resolution contains language that can be measured. Being able to track progress over time is important and will help you stay accountable. Regardless of the resolution there are plenty of ways to record your progress; writing in a journal, utilizing an app, or making notes in your phone are all great visual reminders.
• Achievable: Set yourself up for success. Your resolutions should not frustrate you or negatively affect other areas of your life. Resolutions should be well balanced meaning that they challenge you, but are not so far out of reach that they are impossible to stick with. Creating an action plan to help you if you get off track can also be a great tool for long-term goals.
• Relevant: Resolutions have to have meaning and purpose. Why do you want to make this change? Developing a “why” will help you remain committed and remind you why you chose this resolution in the first place.
• Time-bound: Having a realistic timeline towards reaching your goals is critical. Lifestyle changes take time and breaking your large goal up into smaller goals can help you be successful in the long run.

The next most important thing to do when creating your SMART resolution is to write it down. Write your goals frequently and visualize them often. People who describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to be successful. Visualization not only serves as a powerful reminder of a goal, but it can also create positive feelings about progress. There’s truth in the saying “if you can dream it, you can do it.” Set yourself up for success this 2019 by investing time to craft your resolution and celebrating small successes along the way.

Personal Development Opportunities

The University of Tennessee offers a variety of non-credit courses, some of which include health and nutrition. Beginning this month through May, there will be 9 courses offered varying from clean eating to detoxing the body. Check out the 2019 course catalog to take advantage of all of the great course offerings.

Recipe of the Month

A Healthy & Savory Post-Holiday Season Meal: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Be Mindful

A Little Self-Care Goes a Long Way

Self-care; making sure that you are being cared for by you. In today’s fast-paced society, many of us are asked to give a lot day in and day out. Whether it is in a professional role, a parental role, or a care-giving role; the toll of constantly giving without taking the time to recharge your own batteries can lead to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. The following activity will help you create a plan to incorporate the time you need to take for yourself to unwind, de-stress, and recharge.

• Take a few minutes to make a list of things that you enjoy doing. The list can include a range of activities such as reading a book, cooking a new recipe, traveling, hiking, etc.
• Once you have your list put together (about 25-30 items), put a star next to all of the things you have done in the past month. For most individuals, only a small portion of activities will end up getting a start next to them. However, if this entire list contains activities that bring you joy and make you happy, try to include them frequently in your life.
• The next thing is to go through the list and circle the items that do not require much preparation (reading, cooking, drawing, having a cup of your favorite tea, etc.). Try to find time to do one of these activities at least once a week. If you are a planner, scheduling this time in your calendar will ensure that you save this time for you.

Self-care should not be stressful or something you have to force yourself into doing. Self-care means being able to recognize your limits and having strategies in place that give you time to decompress. These can be activities of all shapes and sizes, but regardless of what it may be, it leaves you feeling re-energized and healthy.

Wellness Warrior

The Wellness Warrior Award is given to individuals across campus who are nominated by their peers for leading by example and inspiring through action as they work to create a healthier lifestyle.     

The Wellness Warrior for January is awarded to Lindsey Miller, who serves as a sergeant with the UT Police Department. Lindsey has been a part of the UT family for eight years. Some of her favorite hobbies include running, weight training, hiking, gardening, and reading.

What inspires Lindsey to live a healthy lifestyle is her drive to be the best version of herself. Lindsey never wants to hold herself back from an opportunity, so she chooses to make the healthier choice. She used to hate running and working out because she viewed it as something she was not good at. Due to a chronic illness, Lindsey was told as a child that she would never be a runner, so she would workout sporadically, but never found enjoyment in it. Twelve years ago, after a friend convinced her to run the St. Jude half-marathon in Memphis, she dedicated three months to training. Between running, weight-lifting, walking, cycling, and more, she found exercise to be re-energizing and therapeutic. Lindsey explains, “During this time I had a realization that I was doing this for me…I’m not going to say it was fun, but I began seeing the benefits in my everyday life.”

“I wanted to prove to myself 

that I could do it.”
 

While she knows she can’t control everything in life, Lindsey makes the decision to be healthy. She approaches her health holistically, looking at her entire well-being. And while she may not be running as much anymore, she approaches everyday as an opportunity to better herself and influence others to do the same.

Congratulations, Lindsey, for your nomination and thank you for being model of health and wellness on UT’s campus. 

Do you know someone who you feel is deserving of the Wellness Warrior award? Please fill out a nomination form to have their story told.

The HealthyUT Newsletter is a monthly publication where events, information, and resource to support healthy lifestyles will be shared with the UT Knoxville Community.  It will serve as the communication with the campus community as Be Well aims to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Be Well.