Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Info on "The Healthy Librarian" Workshop

Hello Co-Workers,
I thought I would share some useful info from the workshop I went to at Metro West called "The Healthy Librarian: Cultivating Workplace Wellness" It was very informative. We discussed a few things you can do in your own library to promote wellness including:
• Celebrate success!
• HUMOR!!!
• Hold your own "Biggest Loser" program
• Start a Health Kick
• Healthy Snack options at work
• 15 min./day walk or meditation
• Cultivate Friendships

Below is the information and useful links I recieved on everything you could possibly imagine on the following topics: Nutrition,Ergonomics, Stress Management, Exercise and Fitness and Beyond the Workplace: when you have time, the links can be a great resource.

Enjoy!
Doreen :)

Nutrition
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

One of my favorite parts of spring weather is the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables. On the drive home from work I pass at least three fruit and vegetable stands, and close by my house is a seasonal market that sells vegetables from the working family farm the market is on. It’s a little easier to eat healthy when there is a plethora of tasty choices surrounding us.

MedlinePlus has an entire section of health topics related to Food and Nutrition http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodandnutrition.html
My choices of topics for making sure that you are getting the right kind of nutrition include:

* Drinking Water http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drinkingwater.html
o Have you wondered how much you really should be drinking every day?
* Nutrition http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutrition.html
o See the “Steps to A Healthier You” link to learn more about the Food Pyramid.
o I also like the link to “Nutrition: Steps for Improving Your Health”. We can never hear often enough what are the behavior changes we need to make to ensure we are eating healthy.
o The Calorie Counter will help you to determine how many calories you should be eating.

All of this can be hard enough to do when you are at home, but how do you maintain nutritiously balanced eating habits at work, or even harder, on the road at conferences and training sessions?

* Read this article from iVillage : “Restaurant Roulette: Rolling the Dice on ‘Diet’ Menus” and learn which chain restaurants really do offer healthy eating choices http://diet.ivillage.com/plans/0,,na_79f76gn9,00.html?ice=iv|df|dineout
* From AARP (I know we aren’t all card holding members, but the article is right on target) “Eating Right When Eating on the Run” gives ideas for work and on the road when you think you don’t have time to eat right. http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/eating/a2003-03-07-eatingrun.html This article also includes some interesting book titles.
* Spark People is a free online diet plan and health living community http://sparkpeople.com/ You have to register for this site, but there’s a vast amount of nutrition and exercise information. Under the Health and Wellness section, see the article on “How to Avoid On-the-Job Weight Gain”.

Fun(?) Facts about eating
Portion Distortion: See how portions have changed over the past 20 years. Download the slide sets for an interactive quiz that not only tells you how many more calories you are getting, but how much exercise you have to do to burn off those extra calories http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/index.htm

Ergonomics
If one's posture is upright, one has no need to fear a crooked shadow. ATTRIBUTION: Chinese proverb... www.bartleby.com
“ Working Americans spend about 2,000 hours a year in the workplace. Not surprisingly, all of these hours can take a toll—on your eyes, your back, your arms, and your neck.” http://www.aiha.org/Content/AccessInfo/consumer/AnErgonomicsApproachtoAvoidingWorkplaceInjury.htm

So what can we do to minimize this toll on our bodies? Ergonomics is the answer!
Check out MedlinePlus.gov’s Ergonomic health topic page:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ergonomics.html

See the NIH “Ergonomics at Work” resource for a great overview that includes stretches and exercises http://dohs.ors.od.nih.gov/ergonomics_home.htm

One of the most common work related injuries – Carpal tunnel syndrome
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000433.htm

The University of Texas at Austin Library created this wonderful resource especially for Libraries:
Library Ergonomics http://www.lib.utexas.edu/ergonomics/
The graphics are great, and the links on the left give a nice overview to what are “ergonomically correct behaviors and postures.”

Of course, you can’t talk about Ergonomics without looking at what OSHA has to offer
Ø Computer Workstation checklist http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/checklist.html

Ø Purchasing Guide Checklist http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/checklist.html#purchase

Ø Standing all day? http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/retailgrocery/images/insert8-9-all-in-one.gif

UCLA Exercises http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/exercises.html

UCLA Online self assessment http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/Seval_Gen.cfm

Quick tip : Take a mini-break! Prevent eye fatigue. Follow the 20/20/20 rule.
Take a mini-break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds and look at least 20 feet away.
This gives your eyes some much needed rest.

Stress Management
Being on the road, dealing with members’ concerns, multitasking, presenting (which is most people’s greatest fear)…. These are just a few challenges of a job at the NN/LM. As with any job, developing resilience for coping with daily challenges is essential to not just surviving, but thriving. Here are some resources to develop your emotional resiliency.

Resources:
MedlinePlus - Stress
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stress.html

Mayo Clinic, Coping with stress
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/coping-with-stress/SR00030/METHOD=print


Relaxation Response
http://www.mbmi.org/basics/whatis_rresponse.asp

The Road to Resilience – APA
http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=6

Test yourself!
Stress Assessment – Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-assessment/SR00029

Interesting facts about stress management:
•A broken heart can actually “break” your heart.
•Cardiomyopathy is the result of sudden stress.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/broken-heart-syndrome/HB00088

Expressing gratitude is a proven way to increase happiness according to Martin Seligman, APA president, author of the book “Authentic Happiness.” http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/TimeMagazine/Time-Happiness.pdf

Take home message:
Stress is unavoidable. We can’t control stress, but we can cope more effectively with it.
1. Take a few deep breaths.

2. Exercise – take a walk during the day.

3. Think positive. Remember the good things in your life.

4. Count to ten. This make you stop and relax before you react to the stressful situation.

5. Take a good stretch. Stretching makes muscles relax and helps you feel less tense.

Source: National Center for Farmworker Health
http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/en-stress.htm

Exercise and Fitnesst
Learning how to incorporate fitness into our daily routines can greatly enhance the quality of our lives and our overall health. The current government standards recommend 30 minutes a day for exercise. This may be a challenge, but is well worth it. Benefits include a healthy heart, healthy breathing, stronger bones and muscles, weight loss, a decreased risk for diabetes and cancer and a better night’s sleep. If there was a pill that could do all this, we would all be taking it.

Resources:
MedlinePlus - Exercise and Physical Fitness http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html

Exercise: A Healthy Habit to Start and Keep (AAFP)
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/basics/059.html

Traveling for Work: Work in a Workout (Mayo Clinic)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01556_D

Slide Show – Stretches You Can Do At the Office (Mayo Clinic)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/WL00030&slide=1

Test yourself!
Steps to a Healthier You (US Dept of Agriculture)
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Exercise Counts: How Many Calories Will You Activity Burn? (American Cancer Society)
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Exercise_Counts.asp

Fitness Quiz: Test Your Fitness Awareness (Mayo Clinic)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/QZ00057

Target Heart Rate Calculator (American Cancer Society)
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Target_Heart_Rate_Calculator.asp

Interesting facts about fitness:
See how your state ranks with the prevalence of physical activity! http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/PASurveillance/StateSumV.asp?Year=2005

(CDC – US Physical Activity Statistics)

“62% of adults do not engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity”
(CDC National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/exercise.htm)

Summing it up:
“Exercise and application produce order in our affairs, health of body, cheerfulness of mind, and these make us precious to our friends.” -Thomas Jefferson, from a letter to his daughter / Source: Bartleby.com

Beyond the Workplace (and Beyond Spring!)
“Summer’s here
That suits me fine
It may rain today
But I don’t mind
It’s my favorite time of the year
And I’m glad that I’m here”
– James Taylor “Summer’s Here”

My favorite time of the year is certainly summer. It brings to mind days spent on the beach, hanging out with friends, listening to the James Taylor or the Beach Boys. But as we head into summer, we should be thinking about staying healthy outdoors whether we are doing yard work, playing tennis or golf, or of course my favorite, laying on a warm towel on the sandy beach, listening to great music and enjoying the rays of the summer sun.

Resources:
MedlinePlus Health Topics:
Sun Exposure: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sunexposure.html

Insect Bites and Stings: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/insectbitesandstings.html

Water Safety: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/watersafetyrecreational.html

Car Safety: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/motorvehiclesafety.html

Sports Safety: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sportssafety.html

First Aid: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/firstaid.html

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has a great set of Injury Prevention resources around all kinds of recreational activities http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/category.cfm?topcategory=Injury%20Prevention

NLM’s Household Products Database http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/ Don’t forget to check the storage information and health hazards of the materials you are using out in the yard, or for those home maintenance chores you have been putting off for better weather.

Emergency Physicians Summer Travel Tips http://tinyurl.com/ywomzr Learn what should be in your traveler’s first aid kit, how to prepare before going on the road, and once on the road, how to be a safe driver. See other Seasonal Safety and Wellness tips from the Emergency Physicians at http://tinyurl.com/2g7qpg

Family Health!
Are you getting together with family this summer? Take time to fill out your family’s health history at the U.S. Surgeon General’s “My Family Health Portrait” web site https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/

Have fun this summer. Remember, it “won’t be long til summer time is through”* so stay healthy and enjoy the season while it lasts! (*Beach Boys “All Summer Long”)

This program was created as a model workplace wellness program for librarians.Inspired by ALA's Workplace wellness series which libraries can adapt for their own uses.
Authors:
Siobhan Champ-Blackwell | siobhan@creighton.edu
Michelle Eberle | michelle.eberle@umassmed.edu