Ten at 10
Incorporating just 10 minutes of healthy activity into your day can add up to a significant difference in your health, wellbeing and quality of life. With that in mind, Human Resources' A Healthier U Program is encouraging you to participate in our daily "Ten at 10" wellness program for faculty and professional staff. It's more important to maintain meaningful connections to our colleagues; this program addresses that need and also encourages life-sustaining activities that will promote physical and emotional wellbeing.
With the advent of remote and hybrid work schedules, it’s more important than ever to sustain creative solutions to help teams and colleagues connect with each other. Ten at 10 offers both individual and group activities to help you thrive.
Supervisors and department heads are encouraged to set a recurring Outlook invite from 10-10:10 a.m., Monday through Friday, and invite their colleagues to participate. Include a link to this website, then check back Monday through Friday to complete the scheduled activity of the day. For larger departments, you might consider organizing activities into groups of 3-10.
If 10 a.m. is a not an ideal time for you or your department, please feel free to tweak the time to meet your needs. We encourage you to participate sometime before lunch if possible, to help you set the tone for your day. And if our suggestions don't work well for you, you may invent your own 10-minute traditions within your department. What matters most is that you commit to taking a 10-minute break to recharge and reconnect.
You can also earn points toward the Wellness Incentive Program by participating in Ten at 10. To claim your points, log in to the Health Advocate Wellness Incentive Portal at healthadvocate.com/drexel then click on the purple points bar in the top right corner of the screen. Navigate into your "Well-being" program and log points in the "Ten at 10" box at the bottom of the screen. Every date that you participate and enter will earn you 1 wellness point ($1)!
Have an idea that works well for you, or a question about how to implement this initiative with your team? Please share feedback with Wellness Consultant Monica Fauble at mef55@drexel.edu.
Suggested activities and best practices are outlined below.
Mindfulness Meditation and guided breathing exercises can help you refocus and reset on a powerful cellular level. We've listed a variety of meditations for you below, ranging in length from three minutes to 15 minutes. Even taking three deep slow breaths can have a powerful effect on your cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. If you enjoy these offerings, don't forget to check out the Thursday Drexel Meditation Group on the University City Campus.
Pro Tip: Download an app like Headspace or Calm and use your smartphone as a mindful meditation aide throughout the day. If you have a Fitbit, try the "Relax" feature to synchronize your breathing.
Tuesday is Walking Club Day at the University City Campus. Participate on campus or take a virtual walk to earn wellness points. Get outside for just 10 minutes of fresh air, or take enough time to truly reset. Bring your kids or colleagues for a full reset. If you don't feel like walking outside, put on your favorite song and have an indoor dance party to get yourself moving. You will be more much more productive and ready to work when you return.
Pro Tip: Consider taking a photo of something fun from your walk (flowers, a cute dog) and share with your colleagues, encouraging them to walk and explore, too. A change of perspective will help you stay refreshed.
Taking time out of your day to destress with colleagues is actually an important component of creating a culture of care. Maybe even share some hump-day snacks to reclaim your Wednesdays! Schedule a 10 a.m. time to hop onto a Zoom/Microsoft Teams call or gather in person with your colleagues. Catch up and check in. Help cement the bonds that make your work life sweeter.
Pro Tip: Set a weekly topic for discussion to break the ice. Examples include: vacation destinations, fun tasty meals you can cook at home, work/life balance strategies, etc.
Take a few minutes to pause, take three deep breaths, and take note of what's going well for you right now. Keep a journal or even a Word doc handy where you can enter the date and write down three things you are thankful for. Be as specific and detailed as possible so that you can cement your good memories into your brain's neural network.
Pro Tip: Encourage your colleagues to practice gratitude with you. Start a channel in Microsoft Teams (called
"Thankfulness" or "Appreciation") where you can post your gratitude list. Consider listing compliments for your colleagues in this channel. When you're having a rough day or are feeling overloaded, you and your team will have an archive of the good times to help you stay strong.
You know you better than anyone else. What kind of 10-minute break will serve you best on this particular day? Maybe you want to meditate, journal, make a cup of tea slowly or take a walk. You do you, and do what will help you reset.
Pro Tip: Check in with your team on Microsoft Teams (you can easily create a "Wellness" channel to encourage your colleagues to be healthy and well) and let them know what you did on your free-for-all-Friday to take care of yourself. Self-care is infectious in the best possible way. When you take a break, it empowers other people to also take care of themselves. Let's create a culture of care together.