Wherever You are in Life…We’re Here to Help

October is National Work and Family Month, and “Wherever You are in Life” is the University of Washington's theme, reflecting our goal to provide a healthier, more inclusive, and flexible work environment for faculty and staff.

Discover the robust offerings of programs and events designed to help you achieve success within and outside the University. Check the calendar of events for a host of activities available to all UW faculty and staff.

Below is a sampling of health and wellness events available to you at the UW during National Work and Family Month. The University's celebration is made possible through a collaboration of many campus partners. All events are free unless otherwise indicated.

Wellness Events

Free Lunchtime Blood Pressure Screenings

As a service to the UW community, the Employee Health Center is offering free blood pressure screenings to faculty and staff. This service is being offered in the Hall Health Center lobby on Thursdays (except Thanksgiving) between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. For more information, contact 206-685-1026.

Thursdays | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Hall Health Center lobby | No appointment needed

Laughter Yoga

Come and experience the health benefits of laughter and discover the truth in the old saying "laughter is the best medicine." Laughter improves immune system function, vibrates and massages internal organs, provides a good cardiovascular workout, and relieves stress and tension. It can also enhance your ability to stay in high spirits when life throws up challenges. If the smiles seem hard to find lately in your life, come to a session guaranteed to jump start your laugh muscles!

October 7 | Tuesday | Noon - 1:00 p.m.| HUB 200C | Free | Register for Section A
October 21 | Tuesday | Noon - 1:00 p.m.| HUB 200C | Free | Register for Section B

Tee Hee Hee Therapeutic Laughter Sessions

Welcome to the Harborview Laugh Club! For the past year, Harborview employees have been meeting briefly every Friday morning to laugh. The inventor of laugh clubs, Dr. Madan Kataria, an Indian physician, discovered that just the act of laughing enhances overall health.

October 3 - November 7 | Fridays | 8 - 8:45 a.m. | Harborview | Free | more information

Annual Benefits Fair

Explore your healthcare and insurance options, and other benefits available to you and your family. The Benefits Fair is especially useful to employees who are thinking of changing their medical or dental coverage for the 2009 plan year. Drop by for a free blood pressure screening too!

October 28 | Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | UW Medical Center and Health Sciences Lobbies
October 29 | Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | HUB East Ballroom
October 30 | Thursday | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Harborview Medical Center | Research & Training Building Lobby

Learn more at the Benefits Fair and Open Enrollment websites.

Managing Stress

Faced with difficult events and people? Find yourself worrying, overreacting, or tense? If so, this session offers a fresh approach. Learn tips and techniques to handle things that go wrong, and learn to manage upsetting situations more calmly. A new way of thinking may reawaken your ability to accept, appreciate, and enjoy your everyday life.

November 17 | Monday | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Roosevelt Commons | Cost: $125 | Register here

Get Fit!

Sports & Fitness Classes at the IMA

September 22 is the first day that faculty and staff can register for Fall Sports and Fitness Classes at the UW Rec Center. From aquatics to yoga—there is a wide variety of classes from which to choose. See fall schedule.

Family Fitness

September 27 is Family Health & Fitness Day USA. This national health and fitness event, which falls on the last Saturday in September, promotes family involvement in physical activity. Instead of viewing exercise as an unpleasant chore, get the whole family involved and turn exercise into a fun activity and a way to spent quality time with each other. Read these tips for fun family activities. Also visit www.fitnessday.com/family.

Puget Sound Heart Walk

Celebrate fitness and heart-healthy living at one of the largest Heart Walks in the nation. Form a team of friends, family, or co-workers to help raise money for cardiovascular research and community programs. The American Heart Association is dedicated to building healthier lives, free from cardiovascular diseases and stroke—the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in Washington.

October 4 | Saturday | 8:30 a.m. - Noon | Qwest Field | Register here

Dawg Dash

Join faculty, staff and students in a 10K run or a 5K run/walk through our scenic campus. A 23-year annual tradition, this event launches Homecoming and raises money for UW student scholarships. For more information, visit www.dawgdash.com.

October 12 | Sunday | starts at 9:30 a.m. | Husky Stadium | Register here

2008 Governor's Health Bowl

September 18 - November 1, 2008. This annual competition offers a fun opportunity for individual champions and participating organizations to build challenges around fitness and knowledge about our state's health. By registering for the Health Bowl, you will be able to track your physical activity, nutrition, weight maintenance, oral health habits, smoking cessation, and more! You can also earn bonus miles by testing your knowledge of our state’s health and health systems with our Health Q&A. Read more.

Cancer Awareness

What Men Need to Know

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. There's more to a man's cancer check-up than a prostate exam. Get the facts about some of the common cancers that affect men: prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and skin cancer. Learn how to lower your risk of cancer and early detection measures. Download this five-page Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Worksheet for Men and develop your own plan of action to help prevent or detect cancer.

What Women Need to Know

September is also National Ovarian Cancer Month. If mammograms and Pap tests are not already part of your regular health check, they should be, because some common women's cancers are much harder to detect without screenings. In addition to lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and skin cancer, women are at risk for cervical, breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Learn which symptoms to watch out for and what steps you can take to protect yourself.  Download this eight-page Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Worksheet for Women and develop your own plan of action to help prevent or detect cancer.

Source: American Cancer Society, the University of Washington's wellness partner.

Handling Grief and Loss

After a Miscarriage: Supporting Friends & Family Through Loss

Do you know someone who has recently experienced a miscarriage? Have you thought about what you should or should not say?

The loss of a child is considered one of the deepest pains, regardless of a child's age. The pain of what would have been is often the most difficult to embrace and work through. Family and friends often feel helpless when someone close to them experiences a miscarriage because no one has any control over it or can prevent it from happening. When a miscarriage occurs, society's attitude is to not talk about it, for fear that it's too upsetting. However, not talking about it only makes it harder to move on.

An excellent online resource for learning how to handle the loss of a child is right at your fingertips, through the UW faculty and staff assistance program, UW CareLink.

1. Log in at APS HelpLink, UW CareLink's online resource. Under Company Code, enter "UW."
2. Click the tabs: Emotional Well-Being, then Grief and Loss
3. You will find 12 articles on how to cope with the loss of a child and how to support someone through their loss.

Source: UW CareLink , the UW's faculty and staff assistance program