Tips for Living Well

Wellness is more than health. It is an intentional way of living fully by making choices to fuel your body, engage your mind, and nurture your spirit, giving you energy to embrace life and do what matters most to you.

To live well is to live in a way that enhances health and well-being in 8 dimensions: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, vocational, environmental, and financial. Below are some suggestions for living well while at work at the University of Maryland.

LIVE WELL IN ALL DIMENSIONS @ UMD

Take 5 at 55. Focus for 55 minutes, then get up and move around for 5 minutes every hour. Encourage your coworkers to do the same.
Try some walking meetings. Enjoy the benefits of physical activity while engaging in discussions with colleagues. Walk outside and enjoy the added benefit of being out in nature on our beautiful campus.
Work out on campus. Purchase a faculty/staff RecWell membership to use the campus recreation facilities and fitness programs.
Eat your fruits and veggies. Take advantage of easy access to locally grown fruits and vegetables at the Farmers Market at Maryland every Wednesday.
Get support to quit smoking. Check out the tobacco cessation resources at the University Health Center.
Learn tips for healthier eating. Schedule an appointment for Nutrition Coaching at the University Health Center.
Protect yourself against the flu. Get your flu vaccine every year at the University Health Center.
Sit on a stability ball. Sit on a stability ball for 20-30 minutes a few times each day instead of a regular desk chair to work your core.
Take fitness breaks. Complete as many rounds of 10 wall push-ups, 10 squats, and 10 calf raises as you can in 10 minutes.

Relax your mind. Participate in a meditation session at the University Health Center.
Leave your desk for lunch. Work out, take a walk outside, or eat with a friend - the change of scenery can boost your mood and productivity.
Get support managing stress and anger. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program through the University Health Center has worked with many employees who are experiencing stress and anger issues in their home and work lives.
Seek treatment for depression. Depression is not a personal weakness. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program offers support for individuals experiencing symptoms of depression as well as a guide for supervisors and tips for helping a depressed co-worker.

Donate to the Campus Pantry. Help members of our own community by donating good to the Campus Pantry. Even better, organize a food collection in your office and donate as a group.
Organize a faculty/staff intramural team. Playing intramural sports together is not only a great way to have fun and be active, it's also a great way to connect with your co-workers and meet new people.
Connect outside of work. Consider coordinating a happy hour or volunteering event with co-workers to connect outside of the office and get to know colleagues on a more personal level.

Learn something new. Take advantage of the hundreds of LinkedIn Learning courses offered for free to UMD faculty, staff, and students.
Explore your creative side. Register for a Studio A course of interest to you through the Stamp Student Union.
Attend a lecture, discussion, or performance. Check out the many academic, multicultural, arts, and cultural events happening on the University calendar.
Visit a campus art gallery. Take in art right here on campus - at the University of Maryland Art Gallery, the Stamp Gallery, and the David C. Driskell Center.
Take advantage of library privileges. UMD has 8 libraries and special collections - learn more about your library access and privileges as a faculty or staff.
Register for ESOL classes. University Human Resources offers English for Speakers of Other Languages classes for non-native English speaking individuals to develop proficiency in English needed to be successful in the workplace.
Consult a coach or attend a professional development training with the Center for Leadership and Organizational Change.

Walk the labyrinth. Pick a nice day and take some time for quiet reflection at the Memorial Chapel Labyrinth and and Garden of Remembrance.
Turn inward and nurture your spirit. Participate in a meditation session at the University Health Center.
Connect with a chaplain. The campus chaplaincies work collectively to serve the spiritual needs of the University of Maryland and cultivate an inclusive environment of many cultures and faiths.
Participate in an interfaith program. Engage in interfaith collaboration, spiritual development, and learning through a number of services offered through the Interfaith Programs and Spiritual Diversity initiative.
Practice office yoga. Breathe deeply and move gently for 5-10 minutes to ease stress and cultivate mindfulness.

Be a lifelong learner. Plan for the next step in your career or simply learn something new - use your tuition remission benefit to take some courses or start on a degree.
Take advantage of free professional development. LinkedIn Learning is UMD's free e-learning tool and offers hundreds of online courses available to faculty, staff, and students.
Engage actively in the PRD process. The Performance Review and Development (PRD) process is intended to facilitate expectation setting, recognize good performance, and identify opportunities for training and development.
Sign up for a training through UHR. University Human Resources offers a wealth of training classes and workshops for personal and professional enrichment.
Learn principles for effective communication at work. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program offers tips for effective communication including active listening and communicating assertively.
Negotiate conflict at work in a principled fashion. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program, Ombuds Office, and UHR Staff Relations can help settle differences and address grievances.

Become a Green Office. The Green Office Program through the Office of Sustainability engages staff, faculty, and students in a self-guided initiative that promotes best environmental practices at UMD.
Practice green purchasing. Make an effort to purchase energy efficient and environmentally friendly products. Check out UMD's Policy and Procedures for Environmentally Preferred Procurement.
Buy local at the Farmers Market at Maryland. Purchasing good directly from local farms reduces the environmental impact of bringing food to your table while providing support for the local economy. The Farmers Market at Maryland is on campus every Wednesday, March - November.
Fill up at the tap. Limit your use of bottled water while at work by filling up at one of the dozens of water filling stations on campus.
Get involved. Make a commitment to minimize your environmental impact by adopting new green habits. Review the list of opportunities for faculty, staff, and your colleagues.
Re-consider your commute. Commute by bicycle, foot, rideshare, or by public transportation for a more active day, less stressful transition to and from work, and a smaller impact on the environment. Learn more about sustainable commuting options with the UMD Smart Commute program.

Make a retirement plan. Schedule an appointment with your retirement plan advisor or take advantage of UHR retirement planning workshops to take stock of your savings for retirement. Learn more about selecting a retirement program and retirement planning.
Sign up for a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Using a FSA can save most employees 22% - 38% on the cost of out-of-pocket expenses for health and dependent care services.
Boost your financial literacy. Use UMD's iGrad interactive financial wellness tools - while it does have a focus on student loans and scholarships, many of the money management resources are applicable for non-students.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program Emergency Loan Fund is available to assist faculty and staff who are experiencing a personal financial emergency. The program provides loans up to $1,000 to pay for rent/mortgage, utilities, car repair, etc. Employees have up to six months to repay the loan.