BWHCA

10/15/2024

Greetings to all our valued clients who helped us launch and maintain a successful business for over five years. We have enjoyed sharing new information as well as older tried and true teaching techniques to help navigate the ever changing needs of today’s students. We applaud all of you for your strength, courage, and dedication to the nursing profession as well as being an educator. The “Two Hat” position with all the challenges that we’ve encountered over the years can certainly be a test, to say the least. We feel blessed to have been a small part of your lives and hope we helped make your jobs a bit easier. With that being said, we wanted all of you to know we are officially retiring our business. We feel it’s time to slow down a bit or at least try.
Our website will remain open if you need any of our resources or to order our skills video directly thru our site. As to date nothing new as been added to the skills. Our hearts are sad for this decision but feel blessed to have our health and had such a wonderful opportunity to have worked with such outstanding leaders. ❤️
From our hearts,
Thank you for being our friends,
Bernice and Michie👋🏻

07/27/2023

We had a great time at the VAHAMSEA conference this year. It was great seeing everyone and learning new things to share with our students. Our next classes will be September, dates are on our website. Have a great summer.❤️

07/11/2023

Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement for
summer. They are essential for long term eye health. Sunglasses that block UV radiation protect the eyes, and the delicate skin that surrounds them, from being damaged. They
can prevent cataracts and discourage macular degeneration. Sunglasses also prevent accidental injury and can reduce eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue. You don't have to spend a lot to get a quality pair. You simply want lenses labeled "full
UV protection" or "protects against UVA and UVB" or "UV 400."
All of these lenses block the sun's damaging rays.
(CommonHealth
WISE EYES CommonHealth's Wise Eyes campaign is coming to a close after visiting agencies and institutions across the
Commonwealth. This interactive training shared the best ways to care for your vision. If your group missed the campaign, you can still schedule an in-person event or virtual training with your Wellness Consultant. Printed
booklet supplies are limited. Use the link below to visit the DHRM website to see what vision benefits your insurance plan
includes.
A LITTLE BIT HEALTHIER
THIS WEEK
CHECK
YOUR PLAN
BENEFITS
GET IN TOUCH WITH US Schedule a visit with
an eye care professional. Getting an eye exam is simple and painless - and it is the single best thing you can do for your eye health! Many eye diseases don't have any symptoms or warning signs, so scheduling an eye exam is
important.😎😎

05/15/2023

It’s an Emergency… Are you ready?

Having a disaster supply kit is essential to making it through a disaster safely. Be sure to have supplies on hand to last each person at least three days.

Put these essential items in your kit:
Food, at least a three-day supply that does not need electricity for storage or for preparation (remember a manual can opener)
Water, at least three gallons per person for drinking and sanitation
Battery-powered or hand crank radio, a weather alerting radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
Written family emergency plan

Once you have the essentials you should add these items to your kit:
Paper and pencil, books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Prescription medications and eyewear
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air, and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter where you are
Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

Additional items to consider adding to an emergency supply kit:
Items for special needs (infants, toddlers, pets)
Local maps
Copies of important family documents, such as insurance policies, identification, and bank account records
Cash in small denominations and change
Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person (consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate)
Complete change of clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, and sturdy shoes (consider additional layers if you live in a cold-weather climate)
Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper(when diluted in water, bleach can be used to kill germs)
Candles and matches
Personal hygiene items
Paper cups, plates and plastic knives, forks and spoons, paper towels


Source: www.readyvirginia.gov

Have a great week!

Carolyn

Carolyn R. McKann, CT(ASCP), MHA
Program Deputy for Operations
Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program

03/10/2023

Brain breaks are an excellent practice to engage in your daily work routine. Brain breaks for adults are interval breaks designed to give the brain a break from continuous work. It is especially required when our minds feel blank, incapable of finding solutions, and we have headaches. Mental effort is still effort, and the brain is not a machine.

These breaks rejuvenate the brain to work better amidst continuous workplace stress. Fun brain breaks for adults at work are helpful for reducing workplace stress, frustration at work, facilitating a crucial time-out, increasing attention, and productivity. Try these activities to give your brain the break it needs during the day.

1. Meditation
2. Walking
3. Reading
4. Stretches
5. Get Artistic
6. Cloud Gazing
7. Laugh out Loud

Try this new and immersive online experience Color Push, where you can create and download generative art hands-free!

A collaborative experiment by WeTransfer and Zach Lieberman

01/20/2023

Importance of Physical (Passive) Rest

Many Americans are caught in the grind of work, family responsibilities, and ongoing stress. However, it’s important to prioritize adequate rest and quality sleep in your everyday life. Rest and sleep are two different things, but both are equally important to your mental, emotional, and physical health. Plus, prioritizing rest can actually improve your quality of sleep.

Rest is any behavior aimed at increasing physical or mental well-being. It can be active, such as going for a walk outside, or passive, such as taking 10 minutes to sit down and breathe deeply. We will look at active rest in a future Wellnote. Today, we are going to look at passive rest, which includes sleeping and napping.

Unlike rest, sleep is something your body cannot function without. Sleep is a mind-body state in which individuals experience sensory detachment from our surroundings. It is an essential function of the body and impacts every system from our cognitive function to immune health. Quality sleep can help us reset, recover, and recharge. It’s absolutely vital to brain function, memory, concentration, immune health and metabolism. It’s recommended that adults get seven to eight hours of sleep each night, but quality is just as important as quantity. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the most restorative of the five sleep cycles. At least 1/4 of your sleep should be spent in the REM cycle.

How can you ensure that you get enough quality sleep each night? Here are a few tips:

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends.
Set your thermostat between 60 and 70 degrees at night.
At least one hour before bed, swap screen time for a relaxing activity such as reading, bedtime yoga, or a relaxing bath.

12/25/2022

Merry Christmas to all, May you have a Blessed Holiday Season❤️Bernice and Michie🎄❤️🙏🏻😊

11/10/2022

Subject: CommonHealth Weekly Wellnote: Processed Food Gets a Bad Rap. Should It?

​Good Morning!

Processed Food Gets a Bad Rap. Should It?

Can processed foods fit into a healthy diet? Processed foods can make our lives more convenient and healthful, but they’re not all created equally. Here are a few tips from WW on how to sort out the more healthful choices:

· Minimally processed foods - Fresh fruits and vegetables, bagged salad, quinoa, brown rice, eggs, and raw nuts

Thumbs-up - Fresh foods and whole grains from the farm to your table may require washing, trimming, and packaging. These can be the foundation of a healthy diet.

· Lightly processed foods - Canned tuna, salmon, beans, and frozen and canned fruits and vegetables

Thumbs-up - Frozen veggies and fruits are picked when ripe and frozen for optimal nutrition. Choose canned, water-packed tuna and salmon, beans, veggies, and fruits packed in either juice or water. Watch for salt by checking ingredient lists for preservatives like sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate, or sodium benzoate.

· Moderately processed foods - Pasta sauce in a jar, salad dressing, and rice, quinoa, or pasta mixes.

Proceed with caution – May have some healthful choices, but compare labels for ingredients like salt, sugar, and fat.

· Highly processed foods - Crackers, granola, cereal, deli meats, creamy nut butters, cheese, and almond, rice and soy milks

Proceed with caution – Compare for the best ready-made picks like unsweetened cereals, nut butters, and milk alternatives. Skip the sugar-heavy granola, but include enriched whole grains with folate and iron.

· Ultra-processed foods - Cakes, cookies, chips, ice cream, French fries, chicken nuggets, and frozen meals

Consume sparingly - Ultra-processed foods contain emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial flavors and colors. Compare labels and choose ones with lower saturated fat, sugar, and sodium

09/08/2022

Try the “Talk Test” to Exercise at the Right Intensity

So, you want to develop a healthy and active lifestyle, but how do we know if we are exercising vigorously enough to achieve those benefits?

As you are warming up to your activity the pace of your breath, which correlates with your usage of oxygen, will begin to quicken and deepen. In this phase, move slowly enough that you should be able to talk easily and you can reply comfortably with 3 words to a brief question.

Then, pick up the pace until you are comfortably uncomfortable: breathing is heavier and you can manage to say 2 words or so. This level of intensity develops your ability to use oxygen efficiently benefitting overall health.

If you find yourself uncomfortable, unable to catch enough breath to even say 1 word, your exercise intensity has reached maximum. It is difficult to sustain this level of intensity for long.

Aim to spend 5-10 minutes warming up in the comfortable zone; 10-20 minutes in the comfortably uncomfortable zone; and cool down for 5-10 minutes in the comfortable zone.

There are many devices that track intensity but the most reliable and portable is our breath. So next time you head for a workout try the “talk test” and see how your exercise measures up!

Maria Caselli, Group Fitness Instructor for Integrative Medicine & Health, Mayo AZ

08/26/2022

Anxiety is something most of us have experienced during a public speaking event, performance review, or taking on new job responsibilities. There are personal and work-related situations that can cause the calmest person to feel a little stressed.

This five-step exercise can be very helpful during periods of anxiety or panic by helping build the technique to ground yourself in the present moment. First, pay attention to your breathing, with slow, deep breaths, then go through the following steps to help ground yourself:

5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you.

4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you.

3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear.

2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell.

1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.

Use this video as a step-by-step guide to help you ground yourself in the present moment when your mind is bouncing
between anxious thoughts.

Have a great week!

08/09/2022

Spine Support

Sitting all day can take a toll on your body, and having bad posture can make things worse. To avoid chronic neck and back pain, it's important to maintain good posture while you're sitting at your desk or other workspace. If just reading that line just made you sit up a little straighter, here are three things you can try to help support your spine:

1. Stretch regularly – Keeping your chest and shoulders open can help you feel less muscle tension and realign your posture. Try this chair yoga session from the Engage Anywhere team to hit a reset button for your body and loosen up your tight spots.

2. Walk when you are on break – Getting up and moving your body breaks up bouts of sitting and relieves tightness from staying in the same position too long. Even if you can’t walk outside, try walking the perimeter of your work location or doing some movement in place if space is limited.

3. Set up your workplace – Revisit CommonHealth’s ergonomics program to check your workspace arrangement. The positioning of your chair, monitor, keyboard, mouse, or other tools can have dramatic effects on how your body interacts with them. Check your spacing to minimize the impacts on your body.

Good posture means less pain, so make spine support part of every workday to feel your best!

Have a great week!

08/02/2022

Hello Everyone, Happy August!! Wow have we been busy, Train the Trainer plus Refresher courses, Personal Care Aide courses, HOSA conference along with Training courses for the DOE. Thank you for your support and recommendations. Together, we keep learning and sharing!❤️ “Seriously” this is fun!! 🙋🏼‍♀️👍🏻❤️