Quoteworthy
Adding a little more play to your day not only brings happiness, it relieves stress, improves our ability to learn, and can create stronger connections to others and the world around us.
MaryAnn Young, Holly Badger

Most Recent
Is This Normal? What to Do With the Stress in Your Body

We’re all managing unprecedented stress and fear. What is “normal” right now? How do I cope? Social worker Jean Whitlock describes how our body protects us and offers some strategies to help.

Managing the Moment: When Anger Takes Over

Caring for our community has been our superpower throughout the pandemic. In this moment, however, our capacity for empathy is being challenged. Chief Wellness Officer Amy Locke shares four strategies to help keep your cool when emotions run high.

Practice Emotional PPE

We have personal protective equipment (PPE) for our body–but what about our mind? Huntsman Cancer Institute nurse manager Cassidy Kotobalavu has lead training on the concept of emotional contagion–how good (and bad) emotions spread. Here are Cassidy’s expert tips (with slides) on managing emotional contagion in health care.

How to Recover from Adverse Events

Health care workers experience trauma every day in multiple ways, making it difficult to fully recover. Jake Van Epps shares tips for recovering and supporting your colleagues through these adverse events.

Integrating Movement (or Relaxation) Breaks to Promote Well-being

Taking time throughout the day to move is a great way to add physical activity to your routine and carve out space to reflect and recover. Wellness programs manager Britta Trepp, College of Health Graduate student Karly Ackley and physical therapist Tasha Olsen walk us through the motions.

Lifestyle Medicine: There's Never Been a Better Time to Take Care of Yourself

U of U Health Lifestyle Medicine Program physician leaders Rachel Goossen and Rich Doxey provide support for care teams that empowers patients to make positive changes to their daily habits and overall well-being.

Take a Break! The Case for Prioritizing Rest Breaks

Nurses are notorious for not taking breaks—the culture of their work environment doesn’t make it easy. Katrina Emery, a MICU charge nurse working on her doctor of nursing practice (DNP), sheds light on how to change culture to prioritize breaks to improve health and wellbeing.

Mindful Leadership: New Rules for Managing Stress

In health care, stress is a given. So how does a leader manage stress in this challenging environment? Director of Behavioral Health Adult Services Tracy Farley (above left) shares several techniques, including Code Lavenders: mindfulness exercises meant to help employees in high-stress situations.

No Really, How Are You?

Emergency Medicine physician Megan Fix shares her personal story of how the simple act of a colleague asking, “No really, how are you?” changed her life.

Setting the Stage for Psychological Safety: 6 Steps for Leaders

Creating psychological safety for your team is a process that takes time, vulnerability from you as a leader, and collaboration from others. Psychiatrists Jen O’Donohoe and Kristi Kleinschmit share 6 practical next steps for when psychological safety might be a little off on your team.

Why Practice Gratitude at Work

While Americans are less likely to express gratitude at work than anywhere else, it’s sorely needed – especially in health care. Associate professor/lecturer of social work Trinh Mai explains the importance of gratitude and shares tips for incorporating it into your routine.

When Emotions Run High, Here's How to Respond

Health care is full of high emotion—especially right now. Thankfully, there’s a simple framework we can follow to de-escalate with compassion. Hospitalist and UACT co-director Claire Ciarkowski introduces NURSE: a simple mnemonic for responding with empathy.