CU Wellness Reset

Happy New Year and Hello 2024!

A new year often brings with it a sense of hope, the excitement of a fresh start, and the motivation to start something new. Closing the chapter on one year and welcoming the next might also bring up feelings of uncertainty about what’s to come or an increased pressure to have this year feel better than the last. Oftentimes, we find ourselves experiencing a mix of emotions as we work to navigate this inspiring time of the year.

The feeling of a fresh start provides a unique opportunity to better connect with ourselves and to explore and experiment with new behaviours. We might feel compelled to incorporate more movement into our routines or inspired to begin a new art project or creative hobby. Or maybe we are simply motivated to finally establish a consistent sleep schedule.

Introducing CU Wellness Reset: A wellness challenge created to support Carleton University faculty & staff in building sustainable habits and creating meaningful changes that will positively impact their overall health and wellness.

CU Wellness Reset is an 8-Week Challenge that provides participants with a holistic and evidence-based approach to health behaviour change. This challenge allows the unique opportunity to focus on your health and explore new habits while also connecting with colleagues from across the university who are motivated to do the same. This challenge is meant for anyone who is curious about forming new habits, motivated to focus on their health, or determined to feel their best this year.   

When does the CU Wellness Reset challenge begin and how long is it? 

CU Wellness Reset officially begins on Sunday, January 21, 2024, and will run for 8 weeks. The final day of the challenge is Saturday, March 16, 2024 

What is the CU Wellness Reset 8-Week Challenge?  

CU Wellness Reset was created as a useful tool for members of the faculty and staff community who are curious about implementing new health habits and eager to make meaningful changes. The challenge includes five main categories of wellness: 

Movement: Fitness and exercise practices that require energy expenditure and that support improved mental and physical health. 

Nutrition: Behaviours that involve fueling and hydrating our bodies as well as organization around food and eating. 

Mindfulness: Small but intentional behaviours that allow you to better experience the present moment and that encourage self-reflection, calmness, and slowing down. 

Connection: Behaviours that support your social well-being and that encourage positive relationships and meaningful connections with others. 

Self-Care: Habits, hobbies, and practices that promote and maintain health. Self-care includes any behaviour that will directly impact your personal wellness. 

The goal of this challenge is to incorporate one behaviour from each of the five categories into your daily/weekly routine for 8 weeks.

We’ve compiled a list of behaviours and targets for each of the five categories for you to choose from. While you are welcome to select from the list provided, the ideas are simply there for inspiration. Should there be another habit or activity you wish to incorporate into this challenge that falls under one of the five categories, we encourage you to do so!  

Here are five examples of behaviors someone might select for the challenge: 

• Movement:  Roll out yoga mat and flow for at least 15 minutes 
• Nutrition: Add a fruit or vegetable to every meal 
• Mindfulness: End your day with a reflection or journal entry 
• Connection: Be fully present in your interactions with others today 
• Self-Care: Read at least 1 chapter 

What if I’d only like to focus on incorporating one or two behaviours as opposed to choosing five? 

The intention behind CU Wellness Reset is to provide an opportunity for Carleton’s faculty and staff to begin exploring small behaviour changes that will have a positive impact on their overall health and wellness. We understand that many people feel motivated and excited about the opportunity to challenge themselves and their colleagues, to hold each other accountable. and to engage in some friendly competition. For this reason, we’ve included a “challenge” component.  

With that being said, it’s also true that implementing any new health behaviours, regardless of how small they might be, is a major accomplishment! If focusing on five behaviours feels too challenging, we invite you to engage in the challenge in whatever way makes the most sense for you. Choose the categories that resonate best and leave the rest.  

What does the CU Wellness Reset Challenge entail?  

Once you’ve registered for the challenge, you will be added to the CU Wellness Reset Team on Microsoft Teams. This is a space for you to connect with other participants, track your progress, and stay up to date with any CU Wellness Reset workshops, webinars, and meet-ups. 

The next step is to select the five behaviours you plan to consistently do throughout the 8-week challenge. Once the challenge begins, you can track your progress using the Tracker. This tracker has been created using Excel and has been pinned to the top of the Team. Update the tracker daily, leaving notes and comments along the way. If you’d like to remain anonymous, feel free to use a nickname when filling in the tracker or download the existing tracker to use on your own.  

Should you wish to document your progress in more detail, a few ideas you might choose to implement include: 

• Keeping a personal journal and paper habit tracker throughout the challenge. 
• Sharing your progress, learning moments, and weekly wins with the CU Wellness Reset community by posting on Team by starting a new conversation. 
• Celebrating your progress at work with your team and colleagues. Challenge your team members throughout the 8-weeks to create a fun, competitive, and accountable work environment throughout the challenge.  

Throughout the 8-week period, there will be several opportunities to learn, connect, and reflect. Pinned to the top of the CU Wellness Reset Team is a shared Calendar which will highlight all important dates associated with the challenge as well as additional Healthy Workplace offerings you might be interested in. A few important items include:
 

• CU Wellness Reset: Kick Off: Join us on Friday, January 19, 2024, from 12:30pm – 1:30pm to kick off this exciting challenge. This is a great opportunity to learn more about CU Wellness Reset, ask any questions you might have before the challenge begins, and reflect on your motivation as you begin this journey. 
  
   
• Virtual Webinars and Workshops: Working in collaboration with subject experts in the Carleton University community, Healthy Workplace will be hosting a series of information sessions focused on topics such as goal setting, habit formation, nutrition and change.
  
   
• CU Wellness Reset Fitness Classes: Athletics will be hosting three CU Wellness Reset Fitness Classes that have been created specifically for those participating in this challenge. These classes will take place on Thursdays from 12:00pm – 1:00pm on the following dates: January 25, February 15 and March 7.  This is the perfect way to add movement to your day while also connecting with others in the community who have also committed to this challenge.
  
   
• Lunchtime Meet-Ups: Join the CU Wellness Reset community for an in-person meet-up on select Fridays in Tory Building – Room 506.  A great opportunity to step away from your desk, connect with colleagues, meet new people, and share your experiences as you work to build new habits and focus on your health. 

Who can participate in this challenge? 

CU Wellness Reset is open to the Carleton University faculty and staff community. It is our hope that this challenge will create a sense of community among those who participate, allowing for encouragement and motivation to be spread across campus and among the various teams, departments and divisions that make up
Carleton University.  

LET’S DO THIS!! How do I register? 

We couldn’t be more excited to have you as part of the CU Wellness Reset Challenge! Please complete the registration form below. Once you’ve registered, you will be added to the CU Wellness Reset Team on Microsoft Teams. You will also receive a welcome email with the next steps. 

Questions about CU Wellness Reset? 

Email Healthy Workplace at healthyworkplace@cunet.carleton.ca