Residence Life

Well we did it! We sucessfully completed the program and you should be getting your final incentives on Monday.

Thank you for being willing participants and for working so hard toward your goals.

Last chance to share your favorite goal, favorite incentive and/or final thoughts about the program etc...

We wish you much luck as Term 3 gets going into full swing!

From Amy:

Is anyone listening to their relaxation CD or does anyone use sound therapy to relax? I have been investigating this recently and soothing sounds, images (there is a TV station on demand that shows pictures of tranquil scenes and plays music), music is really doing a lot for me mentally. Thoughts to share, CDs or music to share, would be great!

An positive comment from someone who is feeling pretty good about the program...this person wanted to remain anonymous because of the self proclaimed 'cheesy factor'.

"I have completed a spiritual goal -- all 6 weeks of it and will probably continue because now it's become a habit. And I wouldn't have done this without the motivation of the fit in 5 program, so thanks!"

Any success stories on your end?

There is an old saying advising that we never discuss religion or politics. But how about spirituality? Is it the same thing? It is the focus of this two week stretch of our wellness program, so perhaps it deserves some discussion.

Do you separate religion and spirituality or are they are linked? Is spirituality one of your basic needs? Why or why not?

Do you think morality or a sense of right/wrong are related in any way to spirituality or religion?

Amy Uecke passed this along. I hope you will find time to go to this site. It's from our friend Paul Wesselmann...

http://www.theripplesproject.org/pond

Are there any sites that inspire you which you'd like to share?

Our focus this week is on intellectual/career wellness. We all know that it is important for student affairs professionals to stay current in the field. Are you making time in your life to read current literature?

Please share names of professional journals, articles, websites or other reading material that you regularly peruse to stay informed about the world of higher education. Are there other ways that you make time for professional development opportunities?

Studies show that sleep can have an effect on our mental and emotional health. Check out some information about how sleep patterns might change your life. (From: WebMD, by Helene Emsellem, MD - http://www.webmd.com/content/chat_transcripts/2/111280.htm)

Question: How does a lack of quality sleep affect a person physically and emotionally?

EMSELLEM:
In order to wake up in the morning feeling well rested, you not only have to sleep an adequate amount of time, but you need to cycle through the five stages of sleep in an orderly sequence and to spend enough time in each stage.

Disruption of the quality by episodes of breathing disturbance, reflux, joint pain, the cat in the bed, can all affect and negatively impact how you feel the next day. You may wake up tired and achy; you may also be less mentally sharp and more irritable.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night in order to wake up feeling their best.

Question:
Yet so many people swear they only need 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Are they fooling themselves?

EMSELLEM:
Yes. Many people will say that they only need five to six hours of sleep per night, but they are usually not doing this on a regular sustained basis. Studies have repeatedly showed we need a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night in order to function optimally.

Question:
How does stress affect sleep?

EMSELLEM:
Stress affects sleep very negatively. When we're under stress, we have trouble initiating sleep. After a stressful day it's not only hard to unwind mentally, but we may be tense and it may be hard to unwind physically enough to initiate sleep.

In addition to the problems getting to sleep, when we're under stress we may not be able to sleep continuously through the night. Particularly, early morning awakenings at 3:00 in the morning or between 2 to 5 in the morning may occur during periods of stress.

I would encourage everyone to take time for sleep. It's a process that restores us physically and mentally. We believe the learning takes place during sleep and particularly during REM sleep. The old adage -- when you're dealing with a problem and say "Let me sleep on that" -- is turning out to be very, very true.

Sleep is a vital part of our lives. We learn, we physically restore ourselves, we reset our mood, we metabolize properly so we're not obese, and we just need to take the time to do it. I encourage you to take the time to do it. Give sleep a chance.

So, how much sleep are you getting each night? Do you have an evening ritual to help you fall asleep?

Research shows that avid readers:

~ read better, write better and concentrate better
~ are quicker to see subtleties
~ have an easier time processing new information
~ have many interests and do well with many endeavors
~ develop an ability to understand how other people think and feel
~ tend to be more flexible in their thinking and more open to new ideas
~ weather personal problems better

What are some of your favorite books that you could recommend to others on our staff?