EHP FYI
Newsletter from Employee Health Promotions
April 2019
Throw a Party! Why It’s So Important to Celebrate
I am the type of person that tends to think “What’s next?” after reaching a goal. Even when I have great success in work or in my personal life, somehow my mind shifts to how I can sustain it, or what the next achievement or accomplishment will be.
I used to think that success by itself would automatically make me pause and reflect. But I now know that, at least for me, it needs to be a very conscious effort to take time to enjoy and celebrate progress and milestones.
I also now realize the importance of doing so. And I’m not alone.
This past weekend I flew to Atlanta for a last-minute trip, along with 6 of my college roommates, to surprise our friend who was graduating from his medical residency after 5 long years in the program. The surprise was orchestrated by our friend’s wife who knew that nothing would mean more to her husband than the chance to spend the weekend with his family and closest friends. And we all made the trip from various locations around the country (SF, LA, Boston, NY, & Baltimore) for a weekend filled with catching up, celebrating, and reliving the old days (and perhaps a bit too much food and drink).
And it worked. I’ll spare you all the details of the weekend, but will share just this quick passage from a thank you email our friend sent right afterwards. He said, “I don’t think I have ever been that surprised! I had a great time the whole weekend and it serves as a reminder how much I want to make it a priority of mine to find time for us all to get together.”
This email is just a small example of the incredible number of benefits that come when we take the time to celebrate. Celebrations actually boost our well-being — and this is true for major milestones and daily wins alike.
One of the main reasons celebrating is so important is because it reflects an overall attitude of gratitude and enjoying what we have, instead of focusing on what we don’t have or only on what we want in the future.
According to research conducted by Professors Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Dr. Michael McCullough (University of California Davis and University of Miami, respectively), people who cultivate a daily attitude of celebration and gratitude have more energy, less stress and anxiety, are more likely to help others, exercise more frequently, sleep better, have improved physical health, and actually make greater progress toward achieving personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based). And it doesn’t take great effort to get these results — these benefits were reported by people who simply made a weekly list of things for which they were grateful.
Celebrations of milestones and goals achieved provide us the opportunity to take a much-needed break, to reset, and then to set even bigger and bolder targets. Additionally, celebrations let us reflect on the right path forward before setting out on it, and to build confidence for the future by acknowledging what we’ve been able to achieve in the past.
Celebration is important not only for individuals, but also for teams.
In fact, the best leaders in business make sure to take time to celebrate their teams’ successes before delivering the next assignment. As James Kouzes and Barry Posner say in their comprehensive book about leadership, The Leadership Challenge, “Exemplary leaders know that promoting a culture of celebration fuels the sense of unity essential for retaining and motivating today’s workforce.”
Kouzes and Posner stress time and again in their book that celebrations are critical to teamwork, trust, and shared values in an organization, and in order to create an environment of energy, rejuvenation, and fun. The proof is in the results — the book’s research shows that “People who work for leaders who more frequently celebrate rate their leaders’ effectiveness nearly one-third higher compared to those who say their leaders celebrate less.”
But perhaps David Campbell, former senior fellow with the Center for Creative Leadership, said it best: “Celebrations are the punctuation marks that make sense of the passage of time; without them, there are no beginnings and no endings. Life becomes an endless series of Wednesdays.”
So unless you live for Wednesdays, make it a point to put celebrations on the calendar, and to get together for some fun with colleagues, family, and friends. Celebrations give us something to look forward to as well as to appreciate what we have.
Besides, who doesn’t love the host of a good party?! Which brings us back to the beginning and the title of this post — Throw a party!
written by Andrew Merle Jun 30, 2015
IN PURSUIT OF LIVING WELL: Productivity, Health, Happiness, Success
Your LAST CHANCE to Register for April Active Event
- Allow yourself at least 45 minutes and join us between the hours of 4pm and 6pm.
- Cost to the employee is just $10.00.
- Advance registration is required (by clicking on link above).
- You will be billed directly by the vendor.
Employee Health Promotions is covering the rest of the cost. Maybe you will learn a new hobby, or meet someone new? Laura and Molly are passionate about helping you tap into your creative side and will guide you in creating your personal masterpiece that you are proud to show off!
Do You Know Your Benefits?
Thank You EHP Site Representatives for Increasing Staff Participation in February 10K-A-Day!
DMMS: Sarah Trott & Kari Healy 22% of building
PWMS: Patty Gappa 16% of building
WHS: Cheryl Ellstrom 16% of building
EHS: Mary Willette 16% of building
Rosa Parks: Susan Levandowski 34% of building
Bridges: Mykel Carlson 46% of building
Washington: Abby Brady & Connie Long & Becky Hebeisen 44% of building
Roosevelt: Beth Baker 39% of building
Monroe: Michelle Bridges & Daniel Blaisdell 41% of building
Franklin: Danielle Youngerberg & Angie Weir 33% of building
Jefferson: Amber Leonhardi 29% of building
Kennedy: Brittinni Lockwood 16% of building
Hoover: Jennifer Anderson 20% of building
Eagle Lake: Lee Ann Johnson & Mary Michels 20% of building
Central Office: Heather Coopman & Jan Lundquist 31% of building
CER & ECC: Anne Richardson & Mary Curtis 63% of building
FLC: Amanda Marrs 70% of building
Futures: Dane Ecker 100% of building
ABE: Angie Blackstad 61% of building
Other Resources for Your Wellness
- MAPS Community Education and Recreation classes and events are advertised in the seasonal brochure each Fall, Winter and Summer. Employees are eligible for a $10 fee reduction for a class in each brochure. Each individual must register and provide their employee email address and work site. Contact the CER office at 507-387-5501 for more information.
- READY! for Kindergarten. At the time of a requested paternity/maternity leave, an employee is entitled to two (2) years of READY! for Kindergarten Classes advertised in the seasonal Early Childhood Brochure. Registration is conducted through the Early Learning Office by calling 507-625-4620 or stopping by the Family Learning Center, 820 Hubbell in Mankato and completing the paperwork process.
- Vitals SmartShopper is another new program. It’s a health care shopping and savings program that works with your medical benefits. With SmartShopper, you and your covered family members shop for different medical procedures and tests via phone, web, or mobile device. When you choose to have your procedure at a facility on the SmartShopper list, you earn cash. You also save money on what you pay out-of-pocket for the procedure. Register by calling the SmartShopper Personal Assistance Team at 1-866-285-7452 or click on title above.
- BCBS Sharecare NEW BEGINNING JULY 1ST-to replace the gym membership program.
- BCBS Doctor on Demand
- BCBS Omada
- BCBS Learn to Live
- 2019 MAPS Employee Benefit Fair - May 16th 4-7 PM Lincoln Community Center
- 2019 MAPS Employee and Dependent Flu Shot Clinic - August 29th 11:30-5:30 PM
Vital Worklife Employee Assistance Program
Examples of services available:
Phone Coaching
Online Seminars
Chemical Dependency Assessment
Face to Face counseling
Legal and Financial discounts
Click HERE for a complete list of services offered by this provider.
Phone number is: 1-800-383-1908.
Website is: http://vitalworklife.com username-mankatoschools, password -member