Episode 23: Neal & Cristin give some spring/summer updates for the MUS Wellness program, answer a couple of your questions, and have a hypothetical playground basketball game with a couple of great ones.
The Montana Moves & Meals Wellchat is available on Itunes podcasts! Subscribe and take us with you for a walk, run, or drive!
Our MUS Campus Walk-off challenge concluded last Sunday, and we wanted to give a shout out to our champion—Helena College! Way to go! MUS Wellness program participants at Helena College will be receiving 50 bonus Incentive points as a prize. Woot Woot! Here were our Top 3 schools:
With an average step count of 399,085 over the 41 day challenge, Helena College participants averaged almost 10,000 steps a day! That’s awesome! Also kudos to Dawson Community College, our smallest college in the system, who slayed some giants for a podium finish!
Finally, for those of you who might be interested, the Griz beat the Cats this round, with UM in the 4th spot with 327,933 steps per participant, and MSU Bozeman with 299,023. MSU Billings was the top Montana State location, inches behind the Griz with 327,533 steps per participant.
Since we competed for MSU Bozeman in this challenge, Cristin and I are going to make the excuse that it was still full-on winter here in April, and therefore Missoula had an advantage. đ But perhaps our population in Butte, who came in second, would scoff at that notion. But folks in Butte are pretty tough—they are impervious to weather.
All joking aside, congrats MUS, and thanks for participating. You’re all winners! Be looking for our next step challenge to launch this summer! And of course, continue to get outside and have fun in beautiful Montana!
May is National Bike Month, and even though winter was still in full force on the last day of April, May looks promising for some more spring-like weather, so if you haven’t already, this weekend could be a great time to knock the off-season dust of your family’s bikes and make sure they’re ready to roll!
If your bike is in need of a more major overhaul, you can always head to your local bike shop for a spring tuneup!
Have fun and be safe!
We recently asked participants in the MUS Wellness Incentive Program to share on the Limeade Feed what energizes them at work, using the hashtag #energized. We wanted to know what gives our MUS employees a sense of purpose and commitment at work. Thanks to all who posted their thoughtful responses!
We identified 5 big themes in the responses, plus a few honorable mentions, and wanted to share with you all some great examples of what makes people excited to work here at MUS. Motivation and energy for work often come in waves. Days that you finish a project or help solve a problem, itâs easy to feel happy about work. But other days, perhaps you donât see any progress, maybe you have poor interactions with colleagues or students. If thatâs you right now, we share these quotes with the hope that some will resonate and remind you of why you do what you do!
âI am #energized when I see the students accomplish things they didnât think possible.â
â#Energized by building relationships with students and seeing them make progress in their goals.â
2. Great colleagues. As one person put it, “having excellent colleagues makes all the difference in how I feel about coming to work.â
âI enjoy the people that I work with. We all have the same goal…helping the students. And are willing to lend a hand to other departments if needed. We keep a sense of humor during those crazy times and it gets us through. We care for each other not only as co-workers but as people.â
âMy coworkers and management are what keep me #energized. Everyone is upbeat and positive. We all work together to solve problems and pitch in when someone needs help.â
3. Team work. Related to (#2 Great colleagues), working together for a common purpose is always nice.
â#Energized when the lab all works together to complete a project or solve a problem!â
âCoordinating and collaborating with multiple teams, to meet common goals.â
4. Learning new things – Working in higher education presents constant learning opportunities, which many of you find to be the best part about your job.
âI’m lucky because I get to see information about the amazing science our researchers are doing. Even though my job is all paperwork and compliance related, it still thrills me to see the cool, fascinating, interesting and beneficial work that our researchers do.”
âI get energized by new ideas and stimulating intellectual conversations with colleagues.â
5. Accomplishing tasks. Nothing feels better at work than being productive and seeing check marks in those To-Do list boxes!
âI am #energized by checking things off my to do list, especially when it’s a large project that I have been working on for a long time.â
“There are new challenges every day, but I feel really #energized when I am able to make progress on a project that I can actually see and feel!”
Honorable mentions:
We asked this question in Februrary/March, the time of year that winter can drag on in Montana. Not surprisingly, many of you mentioned feeling energized by the end of winter and arrival of spring. Although much of the state woke up to a blanket of snow on Monday, the sun is finally out today, at least in Bozeman. Hopefully this translates into feeling extra energized!
Some of you also said that you get a boost of energy from decluttering. If youâre feeling stuck, take your next break at work to clear some space from your desk or clean up a corner of your office.
Finally, several responses included something about how receiving positive feedback is motivating. We all like to be recognized for the work that we do. Help your coworkers feel energized at work and create a healthier, happier work environment by providing kind, thoughtful feedback and a pat on the back for your colleagues who deserve it!
Thanks for keeping us #energized too! —Cristin
April is Financial Literacy Month! Financial literacy is defined as the understanding of financial topics related to managing personal finance, money, and investing. Amy Berry, Associate Director of Retirement Benefits & Pension Plans for MUS, is our guest writer today, and shares the following article to help improve financial literacy when faced with the fortunate situation of having a little extra cash on hand.
Occasionally we may find ourselves with a little extra cash in our bank accounts. Maybe you just paid off a credit card or your car payment? Or you have a side hustle? Maybe you get a raise? Or your kiddo starts school and you no longer have that daunting childcare bill? There are a lot of life events that allow you to give yourself a âraise,â but finding a way to make that raise work harder for you in the long term can be a little more challenging. Instant gratification can be tempting, and sometimes we find weâre just replacing one bill with another. So when you find yourself with a bit more income, here are a few things to consider:
Make sure you know what portion is going to you before you make any big decisions. Depending on where your new-found income is coming from, your taxes and withholdings may change. Donât be caught off guard by allocating your new money before understanding your current obligations.
Before allocating money to budget categories, this is a good time to assess your budget and see if there are ways to save more. Once your budget is in place, then think about where your âraiseâ is going to do the most good. Consider starting an emergency fund (3â6 monthsâ worth of expenses), paying off debts, or increasing contributions to your retirement plan.
Lifestyle creep erodes building wealth. With an increase to your pocketbook comes the temptation to immediately increase your standard of living, but first carefully consider: “Is this new expense really necessary?” If not, then resist the urge to spend your money now and save it to grow its value and provide financial resources for your future. The key to savings and retirement readiness is continuing to live below your means; i.e. pay yourself and your future first.
Getting a âraiseâ is a good time to accelerate your efforts to reduce debt. Consider increasing your monthly payment to pay your balance off quicker and avoid increased debt due to interest. Attacking your high interest debt is the easiest way to begin building positive net worth.
Everyone needs an emergency fund. Life is full of unexpected events so be prepared to deal with the loss of a job, a medical emergency, or a car repair by saving 3â6 monthsâ worth of expenses. Once you have a little more income, use either split direct deposit (if you employer offers it) to fund different accounts or set an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings until you reach your goal. Automation is your friend when saving!
Once your daily expenses have been addressed, itâs time to examine your retirement plan. Consider that you have been living on your pre-raise salary and your âraiseâ could go to helping you be retirement ready. Increased contributions to your retirement plan mean more retirement income in your portfolio.  Consider the options available to you through your employer or a personal IRA.
Celebrate or allow yourself to scratch that âIâve got money to spendâ itch by rewarding yourself with a one-time purchase. Buy tickets to a concert or sporting event, new clothing, or meal out. A one-time purchase allows for a reward without increasing your future expenses.
Remember, one of the best things you can do is pay yourself first: before you pay your bills, your groceries, pay other expenses, set aside a portion of your income to save. The first bill every month should be to pay yourself and your future self. Prioritizing your savings helps you to develop the mindset that you and your future are important and develops good financial habits. The most important step is to just start. Starting small is a good start. Continue to increase over time. And just like a diet, if you have a set-back forgive yourself, move on, and start again to create your best financial future.
Developed from Money Crashers, Business Insider, Discover, Personal Finance for Beginners, and Get Rich Slowly.
Episode 22: Neal and Cristin catch up on all things MUS Wellness on their first Wellchat of 2019, plus Neal gives some tips about keeping indoor exercise fresh as we transition through winter into spring.
The Montana Moves & Meals Wellchat is available on Itunes podcasts! Subscribe and take us with you for a walk, run, or drive!
Spring is around the corner? March is days away but winter is digging in her heels. Nevertheless, your fearless Wellness Exercise Specialist is making travel plans, and will be visiting several MUS campuses during March and April. As we plan and populate workshops, check out the calendar on the Events and Media tab to see what’s being added, and be on the lookout for announcements from your campus.
That being said, I wanted to go ahead and put out some early opportunities to register, especially for all my Missoula friends. I’ll be spending some time next week with you, and we’re offering four workshops, which can be found in the PDF link below:
For Bozeman folks, we have an Intro to Mindfulness Workshop the week of Wellcheck, hosted by one of our friends at MSU Counseling and Psychological Services. For more information, and to register, click here.
Again, more info will be coming soon regarding live workshops this spring across the state! For now, be safe and stay warm!
Neal
The latest Montana Moves video is featured this month in our online Incentive Program, but we also wanted to post it here in case anyone missed it!
Lack of time is often used as an excuse for missing exercise.
“Just too busy today.” “I meant to get to the gym, but I just ran out of time.” “The day just got away from me.”
Sound familiar? We’ve all said things like this, and your Exercise Specialist is no exception. In fact, the time in my life when I probably missed workouts most often due to a hectic schedule is when I actually worked in a gym! Ironic.
I won’t steal too much thunder from the video, but researchers have shown that with high intensity circuits, you can actually get a pretty good workout in a very short amount of time—in our case, just nine minutes! So next time you’re short on time, just remember that “Something is better than nothing!”
The format goes something like this:
The advantages of this style of workout include:
Enjoy!
Neal
P.S. As a final disclaimer, I’m not suggesting you ditch your existing routine in favor of doing only 9 or 10 minutes of exercise per day! But it is nice to know that when we’re short on time, we can still get in an effective workout.
Although itâs too early to draw conclusions, data suggests that the 2018/2019 flu vaccine has been a good match against the main strains going around, and this yearâs season is shaping out to be milder than lastâs. Even so, the latest reports from the CDC show that the flu is still widespread across the U.S., and the season could extend until May. So weâre not quite out of the woods yet. Although my household has avoided the flu so far, weâve still had our share of colds and stomach bugs in the past few months. Ugh.
That being said, weâre doing everything in our power to stay healthy, and eating well plays a significant role! While consuming a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables and protein is the best strategy for getting the nutrients you need, research has shown us that some nutrients in particular are important for a strong immune system. These immune-boosting nutrients include zinc, selenium, iron, copper, and vitamins A, C, E, B-6, and B-9 (folic acid). Probiotics have also been identified as potentially immune-boosting.
While it may be tempting to pop a multi-vitamin and call it good, the research is clear that when it comes to nutrients, whole food sources are best. So here is a list of 10 foods to include in your diet to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need to stay healthy during these long, cold winter months!
In addition to the nutrients we should be eating, there are also a couple that we should limit if we want our immune system in top form: sugar and alcohol. While saying that sugar suppresses the immune system may be an oversimplification, itâs still a good idea to moderate your intake. The same goes for alcohol. So if youâre getting low on sick days, consider skipping that drink or dessert and eating an extra handful of broccoli instead!
Finally, while nutrition is important, letâs not forget the power of frequent handwashing, adequate sleep, and physical activity. Itâs also not too late to get a flu shot. Getting vaccinated is still proven to be the best way to prevent the flu.
Be Well!
Cristin
Our environment plays a critical role in influencing so many of the choices we make daily. Given the choice between easy and difficult, we most often choose easy. More complicated, or simple? We’ll take simple please. When it comes to exercise, I’ve heard a fitness expert say, “The best gym is the one that’s closest to your house.” My gym at MSU is steps from my office, and even on the coldest, iciest winter days I know I can make there. Having a convenient healthy space at home or at the office also makes it easy to take a few minutes to stretch, meditate, or break a sweat when we need to.
Our first Montana Moves challenge this year was to create (or upgrade) a healthy space at home or work, so we thought we’d check in to see some of the great ideas you guys came up with! Here is a sampling of what you shared:
A few theme’s emerged from reading through people’s comments. First, you don’t need a lot of equipment or a huge space. Most of you kept it simple: yoga mat, roller, maybe a few free weights or resistance bands. Second, many of you mentioned your workout entertainment to go along with the space, whether it was music or a television. For me personally, I gotta have my music going during a workout! Finally, it seemed like a lot of people already had the equipment they needed, it was just a matter of getting it all together and organized. It’s possible there may be a life lesson somewhere in that last observation. đ
As usual, super job MUS! Keep making the healthy choices the easiest ones to do, and enjoy all your new spaces!
Neal
