Everyday Wellness

New year, renewed committments, and taking care of the body.

• Welcome Back! Coming Soon in 2024
• January 3rd Opportunities- SIGN UP HERE
• Wellness Wednesday Reflections
• Insurance Benefit Program
• Exercising: Taking Care of Your Body
• 9 Things Generally Happy People Do Before 9 AM Everyday
• Connection Event Coming Soon!
• Breaking the Loop: 5 Everyday Habits to Rethink
• Winter Blues First Aid Kit
• Whole30 Recipes
• Walking Meditation
• January Wellness Calendar

As we move through the energies of the new year, it's crucial to remember the importance of self care and the collective well-being. Let's take time to appreciate the hard work and dedication that we put into our purpose and acknowledge ourselves for a job well done this year, as we have carried ourselves, our students, and our school community through many challenges. In addition, may we remember that it's equally vital to take time out for ourselves and prioritize our mental and physical health.

This New Year we're excited to offer a range of wellness activities, both new and past, that you can enjoy every Wellness Wednesday. Isn't it wonderful that these opportunities are built into our workday so we don't have to choose between our wellness and time with our family, friends, and/or furbabies? Whether you're interested in mindfulness, physical fitness, or creative expression, there's something for everyone. These activities are designed to help you recharge, de-stress, and foster a positive and healthy mindset.

Here are some options coming your way in 2024:

1. Variety of Yoga Sessions: Join a rejuvenating yoga and meditation class to enhance mindfulness and reduce stress. From Chair Yoga to a gentle restorative yoga, we are offering a vareity of opportunities to try!

2. Strength Training/Fitness Classes: Break a sweat and boost your energy levels with group fitness sessions tailored to all fitness levels under the guidance of a certified personal trainer.

3. Art and Creativity Workshops: Unleash your creativity through DIY projects, pottery, crochet, art, crafts, and lego workshops that provide a relaxing and expressive outlet.

4. Candy Making Workshops: Brian Taylor, our School Board President, has graciously offered to give guided tours of the candy shop and teach candy making workshops!

5. Seaside Coffee House and Seaside Coffee Roasters will continue to provide us opportunities to connect and learn together.

6. Mindful Breathing Sessions: Learn simple yet effective breathing techniques to promote relaxation and mental clarity.

7. Gardening and more outside activities coming our way in the Spring.

8. If you would like to lead a new activity, please complete this quick survey!

Signing up for Wellness Wednesday is easy! Just click on this sign up sheet and choose the activity that resonates with you. Your well-being matters to us, and we encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to invest in your health.

Remember, a healthier and happier you positively influences our entire school community. Let's create a culture that values and supports the well-being of all educators.

Thank you for your dedication, and we look forward to seeing you at the wellness activities!

Sincerely,

Your Wellness Committee

"Wherever you are, be there totally."- Eckhart Tolle

SIGN UP HERE

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Jeff

Join Jeff in the culenary room to learn how to cook this delicious dish. It is vegetarian and we can accommodate up to one group of 4 that is also gluten free. (20)

Strength Training with James Massa

Explore strength training with resistance exercises designed to push you to your max using kettles, dumbbells, and other resistance equipment in the Sunset Gym all with a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness instructor to teach you proper alignment and safety. (10)

Chair Yoga at Community Center with Bonnie

Bonnie Cave is a Certified Yoga fit Teacher and Gentle Yoga Level 1 Instructor. With long days at your desk, learning how to practice yoga in a chair can be helpful in reducing your stress throughout the day and in between classes or to calm your students in their chairs. Poses are done in a chair and using a chair for support. Breathing techniques and guided meditation are incorporated to promote focus, mental clarity, and relaxation. (15)

Woobles Workshop with Angie

Visit Angies classroom for some tips on completing your wooble project or to troubleshoot any other crochet challenges. This is a continuation of our workshop from December. (11)

Games at PRE with Kathryn (15)

Join Kathryn and your friends at PRE for some fun games and lots of joyful laughter!

Pottery with Lauren Fisher ,Instructor and Linda Perme, Artist in Residence.

Learn the basics of clay making with this ongoing SSD wellness program various projects from ornament making, glazing, to pinch pots, and eventually using the wheel. (7)

Connection at Seaside Coffee House

Come have a chill time savoring your favorite special drink (coffee, tea, cider, or cocoa) as well as a treat while experiencing connection as you enjoy sharing books and stories. (15)

Walk On Your Own

Take a break and walk on your own- in nature, on the beach, in your neighborhood, or around the school. Get your steps in and let the tension go!

Join a health club for just $28 a month! As a Moda Health or Delta Dental member, you have access to the Active&Fit DirectTM program. For just $28 a month, you can choose from over 9,000 participating health clubs and YMCAs nationwide. They are currently running a promotion for no enrollment fees until 2/29/2024. Normally the enrollment fee would be $84. We have attached the pdf informational page from Moda and this link to the Active & Fit Direct program to sign up.

Taking care of your body is good for your mind. They’re connected!

There are lots of ways we can look after ourselves physically - exercising, moving more during the day, getting enough rest, eating nourishing food, staying hydrated and getting out into daylight. These all directly impact how well we feel and function. They can be instant mood boosters as well as being good for our mental and physical health longer term. An extensive body of scientific research is showing the many benefits of exercise for our psychological health and happiness.

1. Exercise and being physically active can help us manage, treat and even prevent depression and anxiety.

2. It can boost our confidence, help us manage stress, and help us sleep and think better too – improving how well our brain functions.

3. It’s not all about running marathons - there are simple things we can all do to be more active each day. Walk, run, dance, swim, cycle, yoga…the list is almost endless and it all can make a difference to how we feel!

4. Getting enough, good quality sleep is also vital for our physical, emotional and psychological functioning, but it’s not always easy when our minds are busy with our to-do lists and worries, or technology is tempting us to stay awake and online. Investing in your rest isn’t a luxury, it’s important to help you feel happier and there are lots of actions you can try that can help.

Woobles with Angie

"Crocheting was frustrating but fun! I’m excited to keep working on my project and start a new hobby."- Becky Seybold

"I have always wanted to learn to crochet, and thank you Angie Bice!!! She taught me how to make a Wooble penguin. It was so fun! I continued at home, and shared my new knowledge with my two children. Thank you Wellness!!!"- Melissa Rigby

Seaside Coffee House

"I love having the opportunity to visit with employees I don't connect with regularly. Sitting in the coffee house, I chatted with Erin Meyer about all sorts of things. It's fun getting to know people on a deeper level, more about their personal lives and who they are as humans, not employees. Also, it's wonderful sitting inside a cozy coffee shop while it rains outside, enjoying a cup of tea. A perfectly picturesque moment!"- Steaphanie Wheatley

"Yes, I'd do the same activity if it's available again."- Shana Giess

"It was nice to change it up. I usually do a physical activity for the sake of exercise, but with the rainy weather, it was nice to relax."- Erin Meyer

"Absolutely loved spending time with school district friends and enjoying an amazingly tasty cup of coffee from Seaside Coffee House. Thank you to Michelle for having us!"- Juliet Douglas

Oil Pastels with Jane

"Loved the class with Jane. I thought it was a disaster in the making, but Jane said it would turn out and it did. I mean better than I thought. Thanks for the opportunity!"- Melissa Munoz

Walk on Your Own

"I was so grateful to have the time to take a walk in nature on our own. It is so hard to get home when it is still light out this time of year, so it was wonderful to be able to go home and take my dog out for a walk while it was still light out!"- Megan Sparks

"It feels rejuvenating to be given the opportunity for self-care during the work day. As a counselor I hear a great many things and there are times I just want to escape into nature to relax so I can come back physically and emotionally recharged!"- Travis Cave

There’s a stark contrast between people who merely get by each day and those who radiate genuine happiness.

This difference often boils down to routine.

How we start our day can set the tone for everything that follows.

Genuinely happy people tend to have a different approach towards their mornings.

They carry out certain tasks before 9 am that help them maintain their positive outlook.

These are not magical rituals, but simple actions anyone can adopt.

And the best part?

They’re not hard to incorporate into your own life.

Here are nine things that genuinely happy people do before 9 am every day, and how you can start doing them too.

Get ready for an evening of fun, laughter, and friendly competition! We are thrilled to offer another amazing family-friendly connection event coming your way soon! So, look out for the official sign up email coming your way soon. Don't miss this chance to strengthen bonds with your colleagues outside of the school setting. We guarantee an evening full of camaraderie, excitement, and a few surprises along the way. Your presence will make this event even more memorable, and we can't wait to see you there!

We all have little routines and habits ingrained into our daily lives. Without even thinking, we go about our mornings, workdays, meals, and workouts mainly on autopilot, doing variations of the usual things in the regular order. While some consistency gives structure, doing the same old routines day in and day out can seriously hinder creativity, productivity, and well-being over time. Repetitive thoughts and behaviors actively thwart personal growth by reinforcing stagnant patterns that fail to challenge us. Breaking free from the loops we get stuck in is critical for personal and professional progress. This interesting Case Study: Breaking Repetitive Habits Transforms Life offers us ideas on how to shift out of this loop.

Key Takeaways

• Repetitive everyday routines stagnate creativity and personal growth over time.
• Introducing more variety and flexibility into daily habits boosts mental health while unlocking forgotten interests and skills.
• Even small, gradual changes make significant impacts in the long term.
• Experiment with shaking up wake times, work patterns, social media use, nutrition, and workouts.
• Cross-training physical activities prevent plateaus and overuse injuries.
• Listen to your mind/body to determine optimal times for specific tasks based on fluctuating energy and needs.
• Schedule tech-free blocks to encourage engagement in enriching offline activities.
• Allow occasional indulgences without guilt to develop a healthy, balanced relationship with food.

All 50 of these Whole30 dinner recipes are perfect for busy weeknights, with only one pan required. This list of recipes proves healthy can be easy! All recipes ready in 30 minutes or less.

Get ready for quick and easy Whole30 recipes that are nutritious, delicious, and simple to make. Using wholesome ingredients, lots of veggies, proteins, and flavorful herbs and spices, these easy one pan meals are sure to become a hit!

As a nutritionist, I do love the Whole30 program as a reset for my body. It’s so helpful in removing inflammatory foods from the diet, and making us recognize any food sensitivities we may have! I do like to recommend it to my nutrition clients who are looking for a way to make their bodies feel better with food.

One of the most challenging aspects of Whole30, is finding compliant recipes that are simple to make. This comprehensive list gives you so many options of meals that can be made in less than 30 minutes! I’ve decided to round-up my favorite Whole30 dinner recipes, and sort them by the type of pan/pot to be used. You’ll love these Easy One Pan Whole30 Meals that can be made for an easy weeknight meal.

Below you will find each category sorted by the type of pan/pot:

1. Sheet Pan
2. Skillet
3. Instant Pot
4. Soup Pot

Wellness Coordinators

Jenn Gooch (SMS)

Kathryn Zacher (PRE)

Business Manager

Toni Vandershule

Pacific Ridge Elementary School Building Leader

Chuck Albright, Debbie Hillman

Seaside Middle School Building Leaders

Natalie Dyroff, Wendy Crozier, Shelby Gagnon, Karma Herd

Seaside High School Building Leaders

Julie Greene, Vinh Pham, Katharine Parker

District Office

Amy Santilli

Bus Barn Building Leader

Tonya Wilson

Contact us at wellness@seasidek12.org

Follow us on Instagram @ssdeverydaywellness

Join us on our SSD Facebook group