The Healthy Librarian: Cultivating Wellness in the Workplace

1
The Healthy Librarian Cultivating Wellness in
the Workplace

• Michelle Eberle
• Consumer Health Information Coordinator
• michelle.eberle_at_umassmed.edu

2
Educational Objectives

1. Know why workplace wellness matters
2. Learn the difference between workplace wellness
   and a health promoting work culture
3. Gain valuable tools to enhance workplace wellness
   in the following areas nutrition, ergonomics,
   stress management, exercise, and fitness
4. Leave feeling rejuvenated with creative ideas to
   make your library a health promoting workplace

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
Brainstorming Exercise

• Pair up.
• With your partner, brainstorm the following
• What can we do on an organizational level to
  create a health promoting work place?
• What can we do on an individual level to create a
  health promoting work place?

6
Nashoba Valley Chronicle Friday, June 8, 2007
7
Question

• Why does workplace wellness matter?

8
Cost of unhealthy workplace

• Absenteeism
• Accidents
• Rising drug costs
• Turnover
• Reduced job commitment and satisfaction
• Higher healthcare and health related costs
• Lost productivity

9
A healthy workplace

• Increased productivity
• Fewer sick/ personal days
• Higher job satisfaction and morale
• Better staff retention

10
Tips for a healthy workplace

• Help connect people with what matters most to
  them
• Create a sense of purpose, competition and
  camaraderie
• Make sure your initiatives are highly visible
• Remember leaders need to be role models
• (Harvey 2005)

11
What makes a health promoting workplace?

• Good coworker communication
• Work family balance
• Job security
• Good supervision
• Friendly helpful coworkers
• Trust
• (Lowe 2004)

12
Guiding Principles for Healthy Workplace

• Supportive culture and values trust based!
• Leadership
• Broad definition of health
• Participative team approach
• Customized plan
• Link to strategic goals
• Ongoing support
• Evaluation and communication
• (Lowe 2004)

13
Example of a small scale workplace wellness
initiative
14
Nutrition / health check tools
Portion Distortion Calculator / NHLBI
15
Library Ergonomics

• Guidelines
• Head / neck basics
• Eye basics
• Monitor
• Hand / wrist basics
• Keyboard / mouse
• Chair
• Work surface
• Leg room / footrest
• Exercise/ breaks

http//www.lib.utexas.edu/ergonomics/
16
UCLA Ergonomics
http//ergonomics.ucla.edu/Ex_Office.html

• Highlights

Neck stretch Overhead reach Shoulder pinch
Chair rotation Back stretch
Others neck rolls, shoulder rolls, wrist
circles, front bend Variation on the chair
rotation cross leg for an added stretch
17
Quick tip

• Take a mini-break..
• 20/20/20 rule
• Every 20 minutes for 20 seconds look at least 20
  feet away.
• Give you eyes some much needed rest!

18
tips

• the reference interview

19
The four step approach

• Step one STOP
• Step two BREATHE
• Step three REFLECT
• Step four CHOOSE
• Spatz, Michele. Answering Consumer Health
  Questions. New York Neal Schuman Publishers,
  Inc. 2008.

20
Stress in the workplace

• Dealing with emotional patrons/coworkers
• Present a calm appearance
• Speak softly
• Speak in a non-provocative manner
• Put space between yourself and the other
• Show respect
• Avoid intense eye contact and authoritarian
  stance
• Facilitate talking
• Listen carefully
• Avoid early interpretation
• Do not make promises you can not keep.
• Tips from Library Services in Mental Health
  Settings (Johnson ME 1997)

21
Relaxation Response

• Process
• Two steps
• Repetition of a word, sound, phrase, prayer or
  muscular activity
• Passive disregard of everyday thoughts that
  inevitably come to mind and the return to your
  repetition.
• For more information
• http//mbmi.org

22

• Relaxation Exercise

23
Resilience

• What is it? How can we cultivate it?
• How can it help us in our professional lives?
• American Psychological Association
• The road to resilience

24
10 ways to build resilience

• Make connections
• Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems
• Accept that change is a part of living
• Move towards your goals
• Take decisive action
• Look for opportunities for self discovery

• Nurture a positive view of yourself
• Keep things in perspective
• Maintain a hopeful outlook
• Take care of yourself
• Source APA, The Road to Resilience

25
Exercise

• Quick tip
• Promise yourself at least 15 minutes a day!
• Thats the least you can do!
• Take mini-breaks/stretch!
• Recommended guidelines for exercise
• At least 30- 60 minutes a day!

26
Exercise health check tools.
27
Know your benefits/ rights

• Human Resources Benefits
• Employee Assistance Programs
• American with Disabilities Act
• Family Medical Leave Act
• US Equal Opportunity Commission

28
Roles for librarians

• Develop a workplace wellness collection for your
  staff / institution
• Offer workplace wellness and health information
  programs
• Set the example for a well workplace with healthy
  habits, behaviors and communication

29
Resources to explore
30
http//medlineplus.gov
31
(No Transcript)
32
http//healthhotlines.nlm.nih.gov
33
http//hazmap.nlm.nih.gov
34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
http//hpd.nlm.nih.gov/
37
Work / Life Balance

• At work
• Set manageable goals each day.
• Be efficient with your time at work
• Ask for flexibility
• Take five
• Tune in
• Communicate effectively
• Give yourself a break

• At home
• Turn off you PDA
• Divide and conquer
• Dont over commit
• Get support
• Take advantage of the EAP
• Stay active
• Treat your body right
• Get help if you need it.

Source Mental Health America Finding Your
Balance At Work and Home
38
Set a workplace wellness goal

• I will contribute to making my workplace a health
  promoting workplace by..
• __________________________________________________
  ___________________
• __________________________________________________
  ___________________

39
Reflection

• What was the most useful piece of information you
  learned today?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _

40

• 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

41

• Far and away the best prize that life offers is
  to work hard at work worth doing.
• Theodore Roosevelt

42

• There is no joy in living with out joy in work.
  
• St Thomas Aquinas

43

• People rarely succeed unless they are having fun
  at what they are doing.
• Dale Carnegie

44

• Opportunity
• ISNOWHERE

45

• Opportunity
• ISNOWHERE

46
Thank You!!!

• Michelle Eberle
• Consumer Health Information Coordinator
• National Network of Libraries of Medicine
• New England Region
• University of Massachusetts Medical School
• Michelle.eberle_at_umassmed.edu
• [phone] / [phone]