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Try This!
Workplace Wellness Tip
Lunch Getaways
How do you spend your lunch break? Fast food runs? Hectic meals out with co-workers? Working straight through? This week, take more than lunch. Give yourself a mental health break. Get your mind off of work with a quick workout at the gym, a good book at a quiet coffee shop, exploring a new mobile phone app, or surprising the kids at school with smoothies during recess. Start slowly - aim for one day a week and gradually increase to three or four if you can. You'll find your stress level dropping as you give yourself these mental mini-vacations on a regular basis. |
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New
Affinity Providers
Affinity Health System invites you to experience personalized care from our newest providers.
Cathleen Brueckner, AuD
Audiology
Oshkosh, Neenah, Appleton, Chilton
Zulfigar Ali, MD
Internal Medicine
Chilton
Abbey Maraka, CNM
OB/GYN
Oshkosh
For more information on all of our providers, visit us online.
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Greetings!
Congratulations to Deb Brill of Dental Associates, the winner of our November prize drawing! We appreciate all of our readers and thank you for welcoming Health e-News into your inbox each month. Want to see a specific topic explored in an upcoming edition? Tell us about it! We invite your feedback.
Affinity Occupational Health is here to help make 2011 your healthiest year yet. Happy New Year!
In good health,
Lisa Kogan-Praska
Director, Employer Solutions and Urgent Care |
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What's Happening at Affinity?
Welcome, UnitedHealthcare patients!
Exciting news! Effective January 1, United insurance holders can now access Affinity hospitals, clinics and providers, thanks to an agreement signed recently between Affinity Health System and UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, Inc. This is the next step in Affinity's plan to open the marketplace and give you - our community - the power to truly choose.
For more details on the recent announcement, click here.
We promise to provide personalized care by listening, treating you with respect, and putting your needs and interests first. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in your personal and occupational health care needs.
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 Have a Hobby
Is holiday stress lingering on your shoulders? Or in your living room, where the tree is now crispy and the empty boxes lay stacked in a corner... you get the picture. We think December is stressful, then comes January when on top of the usual to-do list and holiday clean-up, there's the pressure of having goals for the New Year - losing 10 pounds, calling your mother more often, going on that bi-monthly date you've been talking about since your teenager was born. It's enough to tip anybody over the edge. Unless... you have an outlet. Something you LIKE to do, rather than yet another thing you HAVE to do. For some of us, we haven't explored this concept since our Scratch-n-Sniff sticker collection in third grade. Folks, the time has come. Get a hobby!
"Having a hobby is not only beneficial to our personal well-being, but it is therapeutic," says Donna Schmitz, Affinity EAP counselor. She explains that hobbies decrease stress and provide a sense of personal control that is often lost when a person is distracted by worries. "Hobbies bring out the kid in us and that feeling of playfulness that makes us feel alive!" It's true - the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who engaged in cognitive leisure activities had a lower chance of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Furthermore, artistic hobbies were found to reduce the likelihood of anxiety and depression because they provide a healthy expression of inner thoughts and feelings. "Having personal interests can fulfill a creative, mechanical or other talent that you are otherwise unable to express in other facets of your life," Donna says. These healthy outlets foster a positive attitude, increase self-esteem and lift the inner spirit by giving life a sense of meaning. So what hobby should you choose? "Whatever it is, it should inspire you," Donna says. The best hobby is one that's more appealing than flopping on the couch at the end of a long and exhausting day. In other words, you should look forward to it. "A good hobby doesn't drain the life out of you; it gives you energy and perspective," she adds. Hobbies can be anything from volunteering at a local soup kitchen to tracing your ancestry or restoring a classic automobile. Here's a list of ideas that may spark your interest. - Photography
- Scrapbooking
- Woodworking
- Hiking, biking or mountain climbing
- Reading
- Writing, blogging
- Volunteering
- Music, theater
- Painting, drawing
- Traveling
- Cooking
- Gardening
- Bird watching
- Water sports
- Knitting
- Pottery, stained glass
- Flying, parachuting or bungee jumping
- Family genealogy
If you're struggling with post-holiday stress, call your Employee Assistance Program counselors for help. |
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Get to Know Our Physicians
Jennifer Norden, MD, is an experienced physician with Affinity's Mary Kimball Anhaltzer Center for Integrative Medicine in Oshkosh. She is passionate about helping patients find their path to healing, including lifestyle approaches to preventing and treating chronic illness. "The American way of life with fast food, too many activities yet not enough physical activity has led to an epidemic of weight issues, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, most of which would be prevented with a lifestyle more consistent with the Mediterranean way of life," Dr. Norden says. This approach includes cooking with whole foods, eating together as a family, and getting daily physical activity.
What is integrative medicine?
Integrative medicine involves caring for the whole person: physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual sides. The goal is to help patients find the most effective, least invasive treatment possible. While Dr. Norden still uses conventional medicine approaches when appropriate, she looks beyond symptoms to the root of the problem. "So many medical problems have their roots in unhealthy lifestyles, especially too much stress, which often leads to poor eating and other unhealthy choices," Dr. Norden says.
Addressing stress
People suffering from stress-related conditions can benefit from Dr. Norden's approach. "In integrative medicine, we teach patients how to manage their stress more effectively," she says, through techniques such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, tai chi, acupuncture and supplements. "We help patients find the mind-body techniques that are best for them."
Relating on a personal level
As a busy working mom of three children, ages 8, 10 and 13, Dr. Norden certainly understands the pressures of daily life. She and her husband, Affinity pediatrician Chris Laufer, maintain balance through quality family time and recreational activities. Dr. Norden enjoys gardening, cooking, yoga and outdoor sports, "Especially skate skiing, which makes the winter more enjoyable," she says.
For more information on Affinity's Integrative Medicine program, visit us online or call (920) 223-7366 to schedule a consultation.
For a list of Integrative Medicine classes offered through Affinity Health System, click here.
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Winter Safety Reminders
Ah, winter. The warm cozy fires, the sparkling holiday lights, the first fresh flakes of snow... followed by a foot of the nasty stuff that doesn't seem to let up until June. Safety should be our top concern when we're faced with snow-piled parking lots and ice-glazed sidewalks. Here are some handy tips for avoiding winter wonderland injuries.
Be Heart (and Muscle) Smart - If shoveling and plowing duties fall to you, make sure you're in good enough shape to handle the physical activity. Poor ergonomics or overexertion can lead to muscle strain and even heart attacks. Push the snow in front of you and lift with the legs, not the back.
Be Salt and Light - Keep steps and walkways well-lit and clear of ice and snow. Sprinkle rock salt or sand to melt what the shovel missed. Maintain an ample supply of de-icing compounds on site.
Stick with It - Never leave a snow blower or snow plow unattended. Make sure all people are out of the path of the blowing snow, and if the blower becomes stuck with packed ice or snow, NEVER try to clear it by putting your hand in the machine while it's running.
Lend a Glove - Keep a few shovels, ice scrapers, gloves and boots on hand for yourself or co-workers who are caught unaware. One Wisconsin employer recalls a new employee from South Carolina resorted to using his briefcase to shovel snow from his tires when a daytime snowstorm left the workers' cars steeped six inches deep. Keep your car equipped with snow- and ice-removal tools for the drive home from work.
For more information, see this YouTube video of safe shoveling and ice safety tips from St. Elizabeth Hospital physical therapist, Brian Borchardt. |
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