Workplace Wellness Pilot

About

The Week-by-Week Workplace Wellness pilot was created to give KU faculty and staff small daily tidbits to cultivate wellness into their work lives, with minimal time investment. Participants receive a brief email prompt every weekday morning, which they can decide to do (or not!). Each day’s action is designed to take minimal time, be integrated into everyday life and have maximum impact when adopted regularly.

The pilot aims to educate and offer activities for staff and faculty related to emotional regulation, connection to others, and finding value and meaning in our works lives (and more!). Investing in staff and faculty wellbeing is beneficial for individuals-- it reduces stress, prevents burnout, and increases job satisfaction. Furthermore, employee wellbeing is crucial to the overall success of the university. Establishing a focus on staff and faculty wellbeing will help to create a more inclusive, welcoming, and respectful workplace.

Dr. McMillan at the Workplace Wellness Launch

Dr. McMillan presenting the pilot at the initial launch event.

The pilot will take place between June 10th and August 9th. Following the initial pilot period, the pilot will resume in mid-September. For more information and to begin receiving emails, contact .

resources

  • Breathing exercises

    Breathing exercises (also referred to as breathwork) help to regulate the mind and body. Breathing exercises can also help to...

    Reduce or lower:

    • Stress levels 
    • Blood pressure 
    • Heart rate 
    • Disproportionate reactions to stimuli

    Improve:

    • Energy levels
    • Focus/concentrations 
    • Sleep quality 
    • Emotional regulation

    Some frequently used breathing exercises are: Box Breathing, Belly Breathing, and 4-7-8 breathing. 

  • Grounding exercises

    In moments of high stress, anxiety, and/or intense emotional experiences, forgetting about our immediate physical needs/physical body becomes easy to do. Utilizing grounding techniques helps to reconnect or "tune-in" with the physical body, and emphasize taking care of our basic needs. 

    Some commonly used grounding exercises are: the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, rainbow grounding, and body scan meditation.

  • Podcasts and books

    Books:

    "Unraveling Faculty Burnout" - Rebecca Pope-Ruark, Ph.D.

    "The No Club" - Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, Laurie Weingart 

    "The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It" - Jennifer Moss

    "Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers and Employees" - Gill Hasson and Donna Butler

    Podcasts:

    "The Happiness Lab Podcast" - Dr. Laurie Santos

    "WorkLife" - Adam Grant 

Contact