Wellness Newsletter

As March approaches, we're excited for National Nutrition Month®. This year's theme, "Beyond the Table," reminds us that nutrition affects more than just what we eat. In our school district, we're passionate about promoting healthy habits in all areas of life.

Nutrition isn't just about food – it's about the choices we make every day that impact our well-being. From how we move to how we handle stress, our lifestyle plays a big role in our health.

This March, we're taking a holistic approach to nutrition, looking at how it affects our physical, mental, and emotional health. We're encouraging everyone to think beyond meals and find new ways to take care of themselves.

Here are some simple ways we can embrace nutrition beyond the table:

• Stay Active: Have fun moving, like playing games or going for walks.
• Eat Mindfully: Pay attention to when we're hungry and full, and enjoy our meals.
• Manage Stress: Learn relaxation techniques and spend time outdoors.
• Support Each Other: Cheer on friends and family as we all work on being healthy.
• Think Sustainability: Talk about how our food choices impact the environment and choose eco-friendly options.
• Celebrate Diversity: Try new foods from different cultures.

Let's make this National Nutrition Month® about more than just food. Together, we'll find new ways to stay healthy and happy.

Did you know that Friday, March 22nd is World Water Day? Water is one of the planet’s most precious resources. World Water Day is observed each year on March 22 to promote the responsible use of water and access to safe water for everyone. To learn more about World Water Day, click here.

Everything is made of energy, and it's very easy for that energy to build up and bring you down. You're likely already clearing your home of physical clutter, so why not tend to its energetic clutter? Getting in the habit of removing the negative, chaotic energy that surrounds you could make your space feel lighter, brighter, and more creative.

How to detect negative energy at home:

• Frequent negative thoughts or unusual, unpredictable or irrational behaviour by a family member.
• A chronic health problem of a family member who may not be responding to treatment.
• Lost opportunities or opportunities repeatedly getting stuck in the final stages.
• Not achieving desired results despite making efforts.
• Lack of motivation or focus on life despite the availability of ample opportunities.
• Disputes with family members or colleagues at the workplace.
• Unprecedented or illogical events occurring in the house, possibly due to the presence of negative supernatural forces or black magic being deployed.

Times when it’s essential to clear your home’s energy:

• After a disagreement
  
• Illness
• Major life transitions
• Feeling stuck
• Breakup or loss

Simple ways to remove negative energy from your home:

• Declutter and tidy up the home
• Burn sage, incense, or camphor
• Spray aroma oil around the house
• Rearrange furniture
• Display healing crystals
• Allow sunlight and fresh air in by opening the windows

S.T.A.R. (Strength Tone Aerobic Repeat )

This workout is designed to provide anyone a full body workout from head to toe using a variety of fitness styles and equipment with energizing music to keep the class for all ages and levels.

Dates: Feb 27-April 18 (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Time: 4:45-5:30 p.m.

Location: Cooper Gym

Instructor: Terrie M.

This month's featured fitness class has started this week, but you can make up the missed (two) classes in the April session to satisfy the attendance requirements! The next session begins on April 23-June 6 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) at 4:45-5:30 p.m. located in the Cooper Gym.

If you attend 75% of the sessions, you receive a $25 voucher to roll over into your next Featured Fitness Class! You may roll your $25 fitness voucher into a non-Featured Fitness Class, but you would be responsible for the remaining balance. "Featured Fitness Classes" are highlighted in the monthly Wellness Newsletter.

For more information or to register, please contact Stacy at shayon@sasd.net or 920-459-3776.

Have you ever wanted to try meditating, but not sure how?

One kind of meditation technique that’s good for beginners is a body scan meditation, which helps us check in with our bodies by mentally scanning each part.

Imagine a photocopier slowly moving over us, from our head to our toes, detecting any sensations in the body. As we scan down, we notice which parts feel relaxed or tense, comfortable or uncomfortable, light or heavy. And we do our best to recognize how we’re feeling without judging ourselves or trying to change what we feel. Research shows that practicing regular body scans can help reduce stress-induced hormones.

Want to give it a try? With our eyes closed, bring our focus to the top of our heads. Slowly, begin to scan down. Spend about 20 seconds noticing how each body part feels, then move on to the next. Move from the head to the eyebrows, eyes and ears, our nose, mouth, and throat. Keep scanning down the neck and shoulders, the chest and arms, down to the toes.

When we get distracted by a thought, notice it, let it go, and return our focus to the area of the body we last left off. When we finish the body scan, open the eyes.

The Headspace app has hundreds of guided exercises to help you build your practice. A happier, healthier you is a few breaths away.

Suffering from back pain can be one of the most debilitating conditions a person can experience. When considering your treatment options for back pain, consider physical therapy to help ensure:

• Faster recovery time following surgery or injury
• Improved function and mobility
• Reduction of pain
• Improved strength
• Improved balance
• Reduction in need for surgery
• Reduction in need for prescription drugs
• Decreased medical costs

Employees and dependents on the Sheboygan Area School District medical plan are covered at a $0 copay per visit at ATI Physical Therapy or for a small copay fee of $10 per visit with the chiropractor at InHealth Clinic by Solidaritus.

Visit the SASD Wellness website to learn how you can schedule an appointment.

The randomly selected winners from last month's newsletter quiz are Monica Alvarez (Teacher at Jefferson) and Hannah Koechel (Teacher at South High)! Congratulations and thank you for participating! Your prize will be sent to you within the next few days.

The wellness program runs from November 1 - October 31 each year. It is your responsibility to maintain your points during each cycle within the Wellworks For You portal. Anything reported after the deadline will not count.

“In the month of March, let positivity be the sunshine that lights up your every day.”