04.15.20 Mental Health Wellness Update

While we all are telecommuting, OSFA will be sharing some ideas to boost your mental health during these difficult times. If you know of any videos, podcasts, articles, events, ideas, etc. that would be perfect to include in these emails, please send them along to Erica Tisdale at erica.tisdale@wisc.edu.   One Way to Improve Your Day: Get up and stretch. Stretching can reduce the pressures of co-existing conditions between mental health and chronic physical pain and obviously just helps your body when you are sitting at home all day! Studies also show that your body releases endorphins when you stretch which trigger a positive feeling in your mind and body. Consider working time to stretch into your daily routine. Need some stretch ideas? Here is a quick three minute video with 4 Easy Stretches for Working From Home – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoOCM7pd9aA. Campus/Community Resource: Kamps Fitness (a local gym) is providing free daily HIIT workouts. You can sign up for their newsletter and get daily emails with workout details here: http://kampsfit.com/kampslive/. While the workouts are free, they are taking donations with 50% of donations going to Feeding America to combat hunger during COVID-19. Cute Video of the Week: Cute Baby Elephant Falls Over – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofj_fRkRGAc. West Midland Safari Park has a bunch of cute animal videos if you go to their YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVuRQ7zw-ZTHG7tF_Ej39w. Podcast of the Week: Beat Your Isolation Loneliness a The Happiness Lab podcast – https://www.happinesslab.fm/coronavirus-bonus-episodes/beat-your-isolation-loneliness. The Happiness Lab has several COVID-19 specific podcasts that may be helpful to listen to right now.