Employee Whole Health
Employee Whole Health is essential to our health and resiliency as an organization and represents a proactive model of well-being that is protective against stressors and challenges we face in our day to day lives. Focusing on “ME” through mindful awareness and self-discovery allows us to reflect on what matters most, and brings connection to our meaning, aspiration, and purpose to support true work-life integration. Below, find resources developed to assist you in giving attention to your health and wellbeing journey!
Employee Whole Health Monthly Highlights
August: Family, Friends & Co-Workers
Relationships and health:
Studies have shown that people who have supportive relationships live longer. Relationships can affect our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Positive connections to family, friends, co-workers, community and even animals can reduce stress and improve both our physical and emotional well-being. Because relationships have such a big impact on our health it is important to surround ourselves with people we care about. The quality of our relationships matters much more than the number of relationships we have. In other words, it may be better to have a few people we are really close with and can share the details of our lives with rather than a lot of people we only know fairly well.
Ways to form stronger relationships
While every relationship is different, studies show we can better connect with people around us if we do the following:
- Stay Positive – Staying positive decreases the number of disagreements between people.
- Share New Experiences – This helps relationships last longer.
- Be Present – Being present for the people who are important to you is a big part of forming relationships.
- Help Others – Research shows that helping others makes us even happier than when they help us.
Healthy relationships start with self-compassion
Self-compassion is not something that you either have or don’t have. Like many other skills it takes practice. Practicing self-compassion is not a selfish practice. In fact, self-compassion lays the foundation for us to have deeper and more meaningful connections with others. Self-compassion involves three parts:
- Self-Kindness – give yourself the same grace and understanding you would provide to others.
- A Sense of Common Humanity – the understanding that we are all connected not only by joy but also by pain.
- Mindful Awareness – observing our own thoughts and feelings without judgement.
An easy way to think about this is to treat yourself as you would a dear friend.
New Quick Break Series
Join us Mondays from 12pm-12:30pm for our brand new virtual book club series. Each book we select, will focus on wellbeing and/or personal development. Join the EK Wellness Spot Teams Channel for book club details or reach out to us at vhaekhwholehealthconsultants@va.gov for more details and the calendar invite!
Employee Wellbeing and Yoga
Employee Whole Health is here to support your wellbeing! Whether it be through quick breaks during the day or offering additional resources to help foster a resilient and connected workplace, there is something for everyone! Check out additional resources available to help support your wellbeing by clicking on the link below.
Employee Wellbeing | VA Eastern Kansas Health Care | Veterans Affairs
Check out our Yoga Quick Breaks we offer on Teams Wednesdays at 10am and Friday at noon. Let us know if you need a calendar invite or if you have any questions at vhaekhwholehealthconsultants@va.gov. Namaste!
Begin Your Personal Journey Today
The Personal Health Inventory is a tool created to walk you through the Circle of Health and assist you in identifying your mission, aspiration, and purpose (MAP). Once your MAP is clearly identified, you can use this tool to help evaluate where you are and where you'd like to be in your health and wellbeing journey, and consider how your personal goals might best align with the things you value most. Click the link below to access this resource!
Health Coaching for Employees
Are you ready to prioritize your health and wellbeing, but not sure where to start? VA Eastern Kansas is proud to offer you individualized health coaching to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Our coaches will work with your schedule to find a convenient time to provide accountability, identify proactive goals, and help problem-solve barriers. Coaching can be offered virtually to all staff or face-to-face on the Topeka and Leavenworth campuses. Simply email vhaekhwholehealthconsultants@va.gov to get started!
VAEK Employee Whole Health Classes
Here are just a few of the classes that are available locally and from VISN and National Whole Health. These classes can be a part of rediscovering what is important to you and what you want your health and wellbeing to look like.
Whole Health for You & Me
Job Crafting: Finding Fulfillment in Your Work Life
Well-Being for Leaders: Walking the Talk of Self Care
Whole Health for Pain and Suffering
Eating for Whole Health
Whole Health for All: Social and Structural Determinants of Health
Whole Health for Mental Well-being: Bridging the Mind-Body Divide
Whole Health for Emergency Medicine
Whole Health for Nurses: Inpatient Care
59 Minutes of Whole Health and many more….
For registration and more information on additional local, VISN and National Whole Health classes, visit the EK Whole Health SharePoint or reach out to VHAEKHWholeHealthconsultants@va.gov .
Whole Health Coaching Skills for Clinicians
Whole Health Coaching for Clinicians occurs in 2 hour segments over a 4-week period and is designed to be highly experiential, with an emphasis on taking coaching skills back to your clinical practice. The focus of this virtual course is on meeting Veterans where they are in readiness for change, providing information in a Veteran-centered fashion ( a ‘coach’ approach), and supporting actionable steps toward improving their health and wellbeing. Please reach out to VHAEKHWholeHealthconsultants@va.gov if you are interested in taking this class!
VISN 15 Offerings
Visit our VISN 15 Sharepoint to explore whole health classes that allow you to engage and learn with your peers from other organizations throughout our VISN. Through these courses, you'll have the opportunity to learn about and explore your own Whole Health as well as how Whole Health fits within your clinical or work practice!
National Offerings
Visit the National Whole Health Education Sharepoint to explore whole health classes that allow you to engage and learn with your peers from other organizations throughout the country. You'll have the opportunity to learn anything from Eating for Whole Health, to Empowering and Equipping staff, to using Whole Health principles to Lead Change in your organization!
Whole Health Minute
A Whole Health Minute involves taking 60 seconds prior to the start of a meeting or huddle to engage in an activity as a team that supports employee health and wellness components within the circle of health.
Activities can be anything from mindfulness or breathing exercises, riddles or jokes, to stretching or gratitude practices.
The goal is simply to come together as a team, pause and take a moment to kick off autopilot and connect.
Benefits of a 1-minute mindfulness exercise:
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- Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system dissolving stress and anxiety
- Slows down and calms the mind
- Activates and strengthens the prefrontal cortex, enhances mindfulness
- Allows us a moment in our day to consider and prioritize our self-care
- Creates and strengthens our sense of community together
Ready to get started? Reach out to vhaekhwholehealthconsultants@va.gov and our team would love to support you!
Facility Resources
Employee Gym
Pursue your health and physical fitness goals by utilizing the VAEK 24-hour employee fitness center! Enjoy the use of our cardio equipment, free weights, circuit machines, and resistance trainings. If you'd like to gain access to the employee gym, please email vhaekhwholehealthconsultants@va.gov to get started. Employee Fitness Centers are located at the following locations:
Topeka: Building 3, Ground floor at the end of the hall
Leavenworth: Building 90, T150
Employee Whole Health Relaxation Rooms
In the midst of a busy work day, please remember that YOU matter! Our Employee Whole Health Relaxation Rooms are designed to give you protected space away from your duty station to engage in a mindful moment and rejuvenate. In these rooms, please enjoy the use of massage chairs, essential oils, yoga mats, exercise bands, and more! Relaxation rooms can be found in the following locations:
Topeka: Building 2, Room A2; Building 1, C519, G1 Key
Leavenworth: Main hospital, Room 404B, Building 122, Room 240, any VA key will give you access
