Health Tips

In our busy world, it is easy to get stuck on auto-pilot and focus on getting as much checked off on your “to-do” list. This can lead to burnout, mental fatigue, stress, and a host of other problems. Mindfulness is a type of meditation and is an effective tool to help slow yourself down and live in the moment without judgement. Mindfulness has shown to help decrease depression, increase emotion regulation, reduce stress and anxiety, increase cognitive improvements, strengthen relationships, and better physical health. Ultimately, mindfulness does not change the stressor, but it allows you to help create a more positive outcome. Try adopting some of the mindfulness techniques below and incorporate them in your daily life.

Breathing Methods – By concentrating on the flow of your breath you can slow your heart rate while reducing the feelings of stress, anxiety, or anger. Simply focus as you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Try to let thoughts leave the mind and remain focused on your breathing.

Guided Imagery/Sensations – Focus on your 5 senses, sight, smells, sounds, tastes, and touch. This allows you to be in the present moment and can help quiet or calm disruptive or negative thinking.

Thoughts and Feelings – This is focusing on emotions and thoughts but without judgement and allowing the feelings to fall away. This put you in control of where to focus your energy and attention, but not ignoring the emotion itself exist.

Movement – Mindful movement is the act of brining awareness to the body to relive stress, improve focus, and burn energy. Don’t mistake this for a workout, but a way to strengthen the mind-body connection – mindful walking, guided stretching, yoga, tai-chi, etc.

CLICK HERE FOR SPECIFIC MINDFULNESS EXERCISES TO PRACTICE

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. Knowing your risk factors while being proactive by practicing self car tips can help protect your back and keep you feeling your best.

Risk Factors

Age: Back is more common with age, especially after you turn 45. Be Proactive!

Inactivity: Weak or inactive back and stomach (“core”) muscle can attribute to back pain over time.

Weight Gain: Excess body weight puts extra stress on your back and joints.

Job-Related: Jobs requiring heavy lifting, twisting, or pulling may put undue stress on the back and put on at a higher risk to experience an injury. Also, Desk jobs or jobs with prolonged sitting (driving) can also cause problems due to inactivity and poor posture.

Self Care Tips

Movement Breaks: Avoid staying in the same position for prolonged periods. Take breaks to stand, move around, or stretch. This will help to keep blood flow moving throughout the body. Ideally, you should move for three minutes every hours.

Muscle Activation: Muscular imbalances can cause certain muscles to be overactive and other muscles to be inactive which can lead to pain over time. Click here for a reference sheet of muscular activation exercises.

Stretch: Stretching is a simple technique to help promote blood flow to the muscles, relieve tension built up over time, and elongate muscles that are overactive. Click here for a reference sheet of stretches.

Posture: Maintaining proper body alignment is vital for your back health. Be mindful of your posture throughout your day when you are standing and sitting. Click here for a reference sheet on posture.

When it comes to one’s health, individuals typically are reactive instead of proactive which can lead to negative outcomes – undiagnosed medical conditions, increased medical costs, and untreated health risks. The single biggest action one can do is to take ownership of their health by participating in preventive health screenings. This participation will equip you and your medical providers with the knowledge to better understand your health and develop a plan for a better you.

Why participate in preventive screenings?
By participating in preventive care, individuals detect medical conditions early, lower their health risks, and develop a plan to help keep a potential issue under control.

What screenings should I participate in?
There are a wide range of screening guidelines based on gender, age, and health history. Consult with your doctor to develop a strategy tailored to your unique needs.

Did you know many preventive screenings are covered at 100%?
If you are enrolled in a medical insurance plan offered through Crown and are unsure if a preventive screening is covered in full, please reach out to your insurance provider:

Kickstart 2023 by having a discussion with your doctor on what preventive screenings could be beneficial for you!

Take Charge. Live Well!

 

 

June 2023 – Power of Physical Activity

Being active has significant health benefits for our bodies, mind, and spirit! Participating in recreational activity, active living, play, dance, sport, or exercise all add up to moving more. Don’t limit yourself to believing it has to be exercise or nothing.

Healthy Body

Physical activity can lead to a healthier heart and stronger bones, muscles, and lungs. It lowers your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and 8 different types of cancers. Also, it helps with balance and coordination and reduces the risk of falls.

Healthy Mind

Daily activity has a profound effect on your mind. It has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression while increasing your self confidence. Also, according to the CDC, it reduces your risk of developing dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease).

Healthy Spirit

Daily physical activity can help improve your sleep quality leading to higher energy levels and productivity. Also, physical activity can be a great avenue to do in a group and help with connectivity by bringing people together.

Start Small: If regular physical activity is new to you, challenge yourself to see how many consecutive days you can fit in at least 15 minutes of activity. From there, slowly build your duration or intensity – Consistency is Key!

Take Charge. Live Well!

May 2023 – Mental Health Awareness

Mental health includes out emotional, psychological and social well-being. It determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It effects how we think, feel, and act, and can shift from good, to not so good, to poor. Mental Health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. We need to continuously be aware of the state of our mental health and develop coping strategies when we are overloaded with stressors. Ignoring your mental health will not improve it.

Check-In with yourself

Pause and do a pulse check with how you are doing. Ask yourself?

How am I feeling today?

What is taking up most of my headspace?

How have I been sleeping?

What did I do today that made me feel good?

Recognition and self care is crucial

Take time to rest, exercise, and engage in activities you enjoy to maintain good mental health. This can help you unwind, reboot your brain, improve concentration, and make you more productive.

Seek help when needed

Seeking support from friends, family, or mental health professional is a sign of strength.

Did You Know? Crown’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, Behavioral Health Systems (BHS) is available to all Crown Employees. This resource allows employees and their eligible depends 5 annual visits each at no cost to the employee. BHS takes an individualized approach and their care coordinator connects you with doctors, counselors, an/or advisors to best fit your needs. They can help with behavioral, mental health, substance abuse, and life situations such as marriage, family, stress, financial, legal, and life balance. The BHS care coordinator is available Monday-Friday from 8:30a to 6:00p ET by calling 1-800-245-1150.

Take Charge. Live Well!

April 2023 – Rethink Your Drink

Sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet.  According to the CDC, frequently drinking sugary drinks is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis.

Added Sugar

Next time you grab a drink, look at the nutrition label.  You may be shocked at the amount of added sugar your drink contains.  It is recommended we get less than 10% of our daily calories through added sugar.  Each gam of sugar is equivalent to 4 calories.

Energy Drinks

Use caution when drinking energy drinks, especially multiple in 1 day.  Large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and increases in heart rate and blood pressure.  A 16 oz. energy drink may contain 54 to 62 grams of added sugar. 

Drink Substitutions

• The best choice is choosing water over sugary drinks

• Lacking Flavor? Try infusing water to introduce different flavors (lemon, lime, berries, cucumbers, mint, etc.)

• Need something besides water?  Reach for drinks containing important nutrients such as fat-free/low fat milk or 100% fruit juice (in moderation)

• Drinking coffee? Try to skip flavored syrups or whipped cream and use a low fat or fat free milk

Individuals looking for more information, please reach out to the HealthWise Department at healthwise@crown.com or 419-629-2220 ext. 12302

Take Charge. Live Well!

February is recognized as American Heart Month to bring awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic group in the United States.

With cardiovascular health there are certain risk factors that are out of our control: age, gender, ethnicity, and family history. However, there are many risk factors we can control:

• High Blood Pressure – The higher your blood pressure, the harder your heart must work to pump blood. This causes your heart muscle to thicken and become stiff causing the heart to function abnormally.  Normal blood pressure is below 120/80.
• High Blood Cholesterol – If too much bad cholesterol (LDL) is circulating in your blood, it can build up on the artery walls. This buildup can cause blood clots to get trapped leading to a heart attack or stroke.  LDL levels should be below 100 mg/dl or lower.
• Smoking – Nicotine, one of the chemicals in cigarettes and e-cigarettes, causes your heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise. Smoking also promotes buildup of plaque in your arteries making it more likely for clots to form.
• Physical Inactivity – Being active can help control blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity. Adults should aim for a least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity – such as brisk walking.
• Obesity/being overweight – Individuals are more likely to develop heart disease if they have excess body fat, especially if the weight is at the waist. A 3% to 5% reduction in weight may lead to significant reduction in some risk factors.  Using a combination of nutrition and physical activity is the most effective way to lose weight effectively.

Individuals looking for more information about cardiovascular health, please reach out to the HealthWise department at healthwise@crown.com or 419-629-2220 ext. 12302

Take Charge. Live Well!

Crown is pleased to announce that the HealthWise Screening Program is returning this fall. This program is voluntary, confidential, and available at no cost to all regular, full-time Crown employees.

The program includes a wellness screening and online health questionnaire. By participating in the program, you will gain an understanding of your current health status and learn your potential risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Knowing important heart health numbers and understanding how lifestyle choices impact health is vital to maintaining good health.

The wellness screening includes a blood pressure check and a blood draw for a lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides) and Hemoglobin A1C.

The online health questionnaire is administered by Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness and asks questions about your general health habits.

If you choose to participate in the program, you will be eligible to earn the HealthWise Credit (HWC) of $130 ($5 per pay period) in 2023 by completing both the wellness screening and online health questionnaire by 12/31/2022.

Visit the HealthWise website at healthwise.employee.crown for additional information on the HealthWise Screening Program.

 

Take Charge. Live Well!

 

 

Take Care of You

All during August, National Wellness Month focuses on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. Create wholesome habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel.

Research has shown self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. Whether you challenge yourself to begin an exercise program or try a new stretch, make a small change and impact your health in positive ways.

There are numerous ways to make those small changes, too.

• Increase your water intake
• Monitor your sleep and make adjustments for better sleep habits
• Join a yoga, walking, or aerobics class
• Learn to meditate

These small steps can lead to many more healthy habits in your lifestyle.

Take Charge. Live Well