July Employee Wellness Opportunities

Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 9:45am

TO: Sonoma State Employees
FR: Wellness Program, Payroll and Benefits

We want to thank everyone who participated in last month’s Hydration Campaign and who took the time to share their tips and tricks for making hydration a priority. Below are some of the great responses we received:

  • Using an app to track my water
  • Adding lemon or a splash of lemonade to my water to switch it up!
  • Setting goals throughout the day - 30 oz when I wake up, 20 oz mid-morning, 20 oz mid- afternoon, 20 oz early evening
  • One tip that I've found successful to remind me to drink water throughout the day is by starting out the day drinking water! Right after my morning ablutions and before breakfast I drink a glass of water and fill a 64 oz bottle for the day to remind me to drink water. Has become a habit now! 
  • I keep a dedicated water bottle in multiple locations- my car, my desk and my bedside.
  • Set a timer as a reminder.
  • Bring water with you to meetings - listen and sip
  • My tip comes from my work at the South Pole. In addition to the extreme cold, it is also one of the driest places on Earth and hydration is critical to health and survival. I picked up the habit of watering down any juice, lemonade, iced tea etc, with about 1/3 to 1/2 water by volume. These make these drinks more like “sports drinks”, but became second nature. I never really drink these drinks full-strength anymore, if I ever do choose them over water. I can’t convince my kids to do this though, it is an acquired taste!
  • I love a good Starbucks passion iced tea, no sweetener. It’s a nice pick-me-up in the afternoon and keeps me hydrated.

We would also like to congratulate Yave Guzman Valdez who is the raffle winner. Please reach out to employeewellness@sonoma.edu to schedule a time to come by and collect your prize.

Yoga Classes
Lunchtime yoga classes continue to be offered and are open to all experience levels. Please consider taking advantage of this midday reset which is a great opportunity to meet employees from other units, while also taking a break to stretch.

  • Mondays and Thursdays (12:05 - 12:55pm, Ives 80): Meditative Yoga with Jeanne Janae 
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays (12:05 - 12:55pm, Ives 80): Yoga Flow with Kim Purdy

Wellness Webinars
We are excited to share this month’s Wellness Webinar line-up offered by Kaiser Permanente. These webinars are open to all employees regardless of your health plan election. Registration is required, with the webinar remaining available on-demand for six months after the live stream.

Sun Safety: Love the Skin You’re In
Learn how to protect your skin from sun damage. Includes a testimony from a skin cancer survivor.
July 19, 2023 (Noon - 1pm)
Register

Health Talk: Autism
Learn about autism spectrum disorder, signs and diagnosis, interventions, and neurodiversity.
July 27, 2023 (12:30 - 1:30pm)
Register

Additional information regarding our SSU Employee Wellness programs can be found here: https://hr.sonoma.edu/payroll/employee-wellness