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SUMMER INCENTIVE CAMPAIGN

NEWSLETTER OF THE

CITY OF TACOMA

KEEP YOUR JOURNEYS GOING!

Aug/

Sept.

2016

Confused About Journeys? Visit the Wellness Microsite and read the

comprehensive RedBrick/Journey FAQs or contact your Wellness Coordinator,

Shannon Carmody.

02 HEART WALK: Join/start

a team and vote for your

favorite t-shirt design.

03 Employee Spotlight:

Meet a Wellness Champion:

Shantel Sheppard

04 UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wellness Program

Computer Lab Assist Days

ANNUAL HEALTH COMPASS IS OPENOPENOPEN Time is of the essence if you want to save at least $240 in 2017

Go to tew.redbrickhealth.com to take your Compass TODAY!

Even if you already completed a Health Compass in 2016, you are required to take the Annual Health Compass to earn or continue receiving the Wellness Incentive/Credit in 2017.

Remember, to qualify for the 2017 Wellness Incentive/Credit, these tasks

must be completed by Sept. 30, 2016:

1. Complete two Wellness Journeys by Sept. 30, 2016.

2. Complete the Annual Health Compass (15-30 minutes online health assessment) between Aug. 1 – Sept. 30, 2016.

Here are ways to confirm that you’ve successfully completed your Annual

Health Compass:

You will see your health score and the date that it was completed at the end of the Health Compass. Please print that for your records.

You will see 500 points added to your rewards bar on the bottom of the homepage, or you can find confirmation when visiting your Rewards Page.

Congrats: There have been EIGHT winners

for a $75 Gift Card!

1. Karen Stearns, Tacoma Public Library

2. Imelda Marquez, Finance

3. Rickey Labouve, Tacoma Public Utilities

4. Margie Villanueva,

Tacoma Public Utilities

5. Ben Thurgood,

Office of Management and Budget

6. Angelica Garcia, Tacoma Public Utilities

7. Kim Bedier, Public Assembly Facilities

8. John Andersen, Tacoma Public Utilities

Drawing Dates Remaining:

Aug. 31 and Sept. 14

Disclaimer: This reward is taxable income.

Winners will need to complete the

“Employee Gifts Recorded as Taxable

Earnings” form and return it to Payroll. A

congratulatory email with instructions will be

provided to each winner.

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2016 South Sound

Heart and Stroke Walk

There is no better way to demonstrate our

commitment to health than to lead by example

and participate in this year’s South Sound Heart

and Stroke Walk on Oct. 8, 2016!

The American Heart Association’s annual

South Sound Heart and Stroke Walk is the

celebration of a season of making positive

lifestyle changes. Featuring a healthy-living

festival and a non-competitive 5K walk,

participants are invited to visit booths that

encourage healthy living and walk the 3-mile

route along Cheney Stadium.

City of Tacoma Goal

The City aims to have a great showing with at

least 150 walkers and achieve our

fundraising goal of $15,000 for the fight against

heart disease and stroke. Participating is fun

and easy, and you can invite friends and family

to join you!

How to Participate

You too can be part of the effort to save and

improve lives. Please visit the City of Tacoma

Heart and Stroke Walk Page to register for or

start your own City of Tacoma team

(registration is free):

Team Captains:

City Attorney’s Office: Cheryl Comer;

PW Director’s Office: Linnea Meredith;

Finance—Account us in!: Carly Erkers;

HR Huff and Puff: Angie Hardy & Marti Spike;

Police: Loretta Cool;

Power Generation: Jenni Allen;

Power Management: Megan Hearn

Tacoma Water: Jana Nelson

TEAM IT: Kathy Lapp

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City of Tacoma 2016 Heart Walk Shirt Designs Created By: City of Tacoma Media and Communications Office

Citywide Vote is Coming SOON!

A brief survey will be emailed from the Tacoma Employee Wellness

Program to all City of Tacoma employees on Aug. 24.

All City employees are welcome to vote!

Based on the majority vote, Wellness Coordinator Shannon Carmody will

reach out to all team captains to gather the sizes and quantities for all

employees and their family members who have registered for the

2016 Heart Walk.

We are missing SEVERAL

departments this year.

So, please create your team today!

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My name is Shantel Shepard and I am the administrative assistant for Tacoma Water Distribution Operations. I have been with Tacoma Water for more than five years. Living a healthy lifestyle has always been a good thought, but in these past couple years became an actual goal. After being inspired by friends to take up running (because who doesn’t love free shirts and shiny medals), attempting to do a race once a month became another goal. It was pretty intimidating at first, but then a friend told me, “All that matters is that you finish. It doesn’t matter how fast you’re going because you’ll always be going faster than the person sitting on the couch.” I’ve also fallen in love with hiking and exploring our amazing Pacific North-west. With my family living in Maui, I’m often asked why I wouldn’t want to live in such a beautiful place but I don’t think people realize how beautiful it is right here where we are. Of course, living a healthy lifestyle is not always the easiest route (especially when cupcakes and mac and cheese are your favorite foods) but learning to do everything in moderation, I’m beginning to see, is the key. I wanted to be a part of the Wellness Champions to help inspire and encourage those who may be dealing with the same struggles. The ultimate goal is to live a happy and healthy life with the ones that we love. The struggle is real, but the reward is worth it.

Meet Shantel Shepard

Wellness Champion, Administrative Assistant,

Tacoma Water

Do you know your fitness type? The variety of ways to workout is almost as diverse as our different personalities! Learn your fitness type and find which workout options might work better for you than others.

KNOW YOUR FITNESS PERSONALITY TYPE

Getting your daily 30 minutes of moderate

activity can be more enjoyable when you

connect your interests and your personality

to fitness. Consider these personality types

and activities.

Goal-oriented. Try signing up for a fitness

event like a bike ride, triathlon, 5K or

community fun run. The training provides

motivation, while the event itself provides a

final objective.

Nature lover. Hiking, kayaking, trail running,

or geocaching—and outdoor treasure

hunting activity (like Pokémon Go!)—could

be good choices for those who like to be

outside.

Competitive. Most communities offer

recreational team sports like soccer, softball,

and dodgeball leagues on weeknights.

Introvert. Swimming laps or running in less-

crowded areas, or using an exercise or yoga

DVD in your home might be the best options

if you prefer to be by yourself.

Social butterfly. Want to get to know people

and have fun? Check out dance classes like

Zumba or a group walking program through

your local parks or the community center.

Find Your Perfect

Workout

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Boosting Your

Resilience at Work

By Patrick Rice, MA, LMHC

Tips for Maintaining Personal Balance

You’re not alone in feeling a little more stressed

at work lately. The American Psychological

Association’s 2015 “Stress in America” report

indicates that 67 percent of respondents listed their

work as a significant source of stress. The World

Health Organization has even gone so far as to call

workplace stress the “global health epidemic of the

21st century". It’s becoming more and more

necessary to practice resilience at work, so that we

don’t bring work stress back home after business

hours. Research suggests that resilience in the

workplace begins with the basics of attitude, behavior

and social support – three areas that almost anyone

can build on. To get started boosting your own

resilience, below are a few practices you can begin

implementing.

Practice mindfulness by setting a positive

intention. Mindfulness is a state of mind achieved by

focusing one’s awareness on the present moment.

Before you start your work day, think ahead and ask

yourself: (1) How will I approach my work positively

today? (2) How will I interact with others? (3) How will

I handle any challenges that may arise? After your

work day ends, take a moment to mentally picture all

of your work responsibilities boxed on a shelf in the

office. Intend to arrive home free of obligations or

work stress.

Take detachment breaks. Our brains function on

circadian (daily) rhythms and pushing them beyond

the confines of these rhythms will generally hurt,

rather than help, our productivity. Take a regular

break to “reset” your brain for better mental focus and

clarity. Be sure to leave your work at the desk when

you take a break! Detaching from your stress for

even a short period will help you better focus on the

difficult things when you return.

Summer BBQs

If you’re participating in cookouts, picnics, or potlucks this

weekend, be sure to check out this week’s wellness tip for ways

to avoid foodborne illness.

Keep Foodborne Bacteria At Bay

Foodborne bacteria can stem from many sources before it

reaches your plate, but there are effective ways to combat

these germs. Follow these measures to keep food safe:

Don’t make assumptions. Organic doesn't mean bacteria-free

and locally raised products aren’t necessarily cleaner. Check

expiration dates and scrub produce thoroughly, including the

rinds of melons because your knife will come into contact with it

when you cut into the fruit.

Avoid cross-contamination. Keep meat and produce separate

during preparation. Cut produce first and then sanitize surfaces

and knives before preparing meat. In the fridge, store meat

below produce, or place it in a bowl so juices don’t leak onto

vegetables.

Cook properly. Use a thermometer to ensure that meat,

poultry and seafood are fully cooked. Proper cooking

temperatures can be found at foodsafety.gov.

Upcoming Computer Lab Assistance Days Aug. 23 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): TMB Computer Training Rm Aug. 29 (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): TPU Computer Training Rm Sept. 6 (1:00 to 8 p.m.): TPD Headquarters Sept. 14 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): TMB Computer Training Rm Sept. 21 (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): TPU Computer Training Rm Sept. 23 (1 to 8 p.m.): TPD Headquarters

Important Reminder: There are several other (all day) assistance days occurring on a monthly basis (including the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at TPU). Contact Shannon at scarmody@cityoftacoma.org for questions or appointments.