Healthy Breaks Campaign
Notice Regarding Wellness Program
The Ohio University work environment can be fun - even when we're working remotely! Sometimes, it just takes a bit of time to shift your perspective and make the work day promote your wellbeing. Allowing employees the space they need to build short bursts of wellbeing into the work day can boost employee health and increase productivity.
We're encouraging University employees to view wellness as a special treat that you get to enjoy throughout any given day. Such a mindset can help make it easier to adopt lifelong healthy habits. Start small by trying out a few of the 5-, 10-, and 15-minute healthy break ideas below. All employees have specified break opportunities available based on their employment classification. Choose to use yours while doing something healthy!
Take a Healthy Break:
Ohio University values all dimensions of wellbeing! Check out our healthy break ideas below for adding short bursts of wellbeing into your work day!
5 Minute Break Ideas:
- Go for a walk.
- Fuel yourself with a healthy snack.
- Give yourself a shoulder massage.
- Schedule your next doctor or dentist appointment.
- Schedule a Counseling session.
- Visualize yourself completing your daily goals.
- Do a plank.
- Tell a loved one you love them.
- Put your phone down for a technology break.
- Fill up your water bottle and do squats while it fills up.
- Take a quick break to run up the stairs or travel around your work space to move your body.
- Practice positive self-talk by reciting positive affirmations to yourself. You are, after all, pretty darn awesome.
- Step outside and allow the sun to shine on your face.
- Pick up three pieces of litter.
- Celebrate the tiny victories of the day. Start a Teams meeting to share your victories with colleagues and celebrate with a 2 minute dance break.
- Sign up for a virtual 5K with a friend.
- Pay your credit card bill.
- Open an emergency savings account.
- Organize your receipts from the past week.
- Request that a WellWorks staff member attend your next virtual staff meeting to talk about wellbeing resources available to University employees. Use our handy dandy Wellness Presentation Request Form.
10 Minute Break Ideas:
- Call a friend and share good news.
- Write a thank you card to someone.
- Daydream or brainstorm new ideas.
- Draw a picture.
- Make a to-do list for tomorrow.
- Do a quick purse or wallet clean-out.
- Make a gratitude list.
- Is something bothering you? Get out those frustrations by writing it down on paper. Shred the evidence and say goodbye to the issue.
- Dealing with a difficult situation? Name two positive outcomes that might result from this situation.
- Reserve time for a vacation.
- Read an informational article about your profession or personal interests.
- Re-organize your calendar so all meetings end before the top of the hour, giving you space to reframe your mindset before each meeting (or, use those few minutes each hour to run in place!)
- Create a loose budget for the next week.
- Walk all the stairs in your building/home.
- Drink some green tea. (Bonus points if you use a reusable mug!)
15 Minute Break Ideas:
- Empower yourself: Listen to a motivating podcast.
- Do a puzzle or a word search.
- Go outside and experience nature.
- Do some yoga.
- Meditate.
- Feeling lonely? Research a group activity or sport that interests you and schedule time to attend a (virtual) meeting or engage in another safe space.
- Tidy up your work space - recycle papers you no longer need.
- Do some healthy meal planning for the rest of the week.
- Do you have FaceTime on your phone? Invite a colleague on a walking meeting to brainstorm on the go and energize your ideas.
- Go for a walk around the block and pick up litter along the way. Tip: Wear gloves and wash your hands afterward.
- Read a few pages of a book you've always wanted to read.
- Take a short nap.
- Rearrange the furniture in one room of your house (and do a quick room clean up while you do that).
Resources for Managers:
Looking for additional ways to support your staff?
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Try out simple wellbeing activities at the start of your staff meetings. The suggestions in the document below are appropriate for both in-person and virtual team meetings. The document below was adapted from resources compiled by Spencer Minnich, Hopewell Health.
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Print and post healthy quarterly healthy break or wellness posters around your office. Working remotely? Use screen sharing to share these ideas before your next virtual meeting.
- Contact us for a copy of our Healthy Workplace Toolkit for Managers by emailing Jenn Bennett at bennetj7@ohio.edu.
- Invite WellWorks to present at an upcoming staff meeting by filling out our Wellness Request Form.