New Year, New Opportunity

By Carrie Camin

Assistant Vice President, Wellness
Methodist Health System

Before you think this is another “I resolve to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight” New Year’s resolution blog, stay with me. This is about making changes to get healthier using the tools that actually help you do it. 2013 brings Methodist Health System employees a new, comprehensive approach to managing their personal well-being with the soon-to-launch, one-stop wellness web platform, Live Well, Shine Bright.

Rather than going to different websites to access information and resources, the Live Well, Shine Bright web platform will provide Methodist employees with daily health tips, wellness workshops, activity challenges, food and exercise trackers, health library, health coach support, personal health dashboard, and so much more. This secure, confidential site will also provide quick links to additional Methodist wellness services, like gym discounts, employee assistance programs, and special events. In addition, the Live Well Shine Bright site will offer behavioral management programs such as smoking cessation, diabetes management, weight management, and stress management at employees’ fingertips instantly, when and where they need it.

Methodist’s commitment to our employees’ wellness is entering its fourth year. Introduced by our president and CEO, Stephen L. Mansfield, PhD, FACHE, the system’s vision is to have the healthiest workforce by 2016. His vision and total commitment have guided our efforts to provide as many tools and resources as possible to our employees so they can take care of themselves and be able to continue to improve and save lives.

While we say we are dedicated to achieving and maintaining the healthiest workforce, we want to put our words into action, demonstrating the value of our commitment to each and every employee. That’s why we are launching a truly unique initiative in 2013 — I Am Methodist Health. We’ve asked 12 members of our Methodist family to tell us their wellness goals for the year. Then, through individual blogs, they will keep us updated on their journey to better health. These Methodist wellness ambassadors will be using all of the resources I’ve mentioned previously. We’ll be able to celebrate their achievements and learn from their tips for success. Their blogs are being posted at Blog.MethodistHealthSystem.org under the Wellness tab.

As someone who has made a career of helping others achieve their optimal state of wellness, here are some tips for the new year:

• Set short-term, achievable goals that will produce personal wins. It’s a lot easier to say “I want to lose 10 pounds in the next three months” than “I want to lose 40 pounds this year.” Staying motivated and moving forward are important to the overall success of your wellness efforts.
• Pat yourself on the back for making healthy choices, such as drinking an extra glass of water, getting eight hours of sleep, taking time out of your day to take care of yourself, exchanging fruit for chips, and climbing the stairs rather than climbing onto an elevator.
• Make the changes you’re ready to make. Remember, change is hard and old habits are tough to break. Set up a support system to help you on your wellness quest. Maybe it’s just one person, a buddy, or maybe it’s a network of friends who can hold you accountable and provide positive feedback. A great way to get started is to keep a food log and compare notes to see what’s working for each person so you can help each other out.
• Get back on track immediately. If you falter along your wellness journey, don’t beat yourself up. Forgive yourself and keep moving forward. Don’t wait a week or a month. If you have an unhealthy breakfast, think of the afternoon as a new day. Take the stairs and eat a healthy lunch.

Remember, you never get kicked out of your own life. The fact is we make choices that affect our health all day long. I applaud anyone who makes healthy choices, whatever that entails.

If you’re ready to start your journey to wellness and need support to help you along the way, then it’s time to choose Methodist Health System. Learn more by visiting Jobs.MethodistHealthSystem.org.

© Methodist Health System

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