• Scappoose School District Employee Wellness

  • Healthy and Wellness

Wellness Wednesday Tips from Nurse Brenda:

  • Self-Massage

    Posted by Brenda VanDomelen on 6/9/2021 10:00:00 AM
    Self-Massage
    If you've ever had a massage, you've probably experienced the stress-relieving benefits firsthand.  But if you need any convincing, research on massage therapy has demonstrated that massage has a positive effect on health and that people report less stress and anxiety and improved mood after receiving massage.  Massage has also been shown to reduce fatigue and insomnia and to relieve muscle pain.  In a study conducted on people with dementia, a simple hand massage reduced anxiety and agitation and lowered physiological markers of stress, like cortisol levels.
        While a day in the spa is always welcome, you can receive the stress-relieving benefits of massage on your own. You can intuitively self-massage any area of your body where you feel tension by applying pressure to that area in any manner that feels restorative.  Otherwise, here are a few quick self-massage exercises to get you started.
     
    To Soothe Aching Feet
    1. Sitting down resting one of your feet on your other knee.
    2. Cradle your foot in both of your hands
    3.Using your thumbs, apply pressure in a circular motion.
    4.Fold one of your hands over your toes and move your foot in a circular motion.
     
    To Relieve Back Tension
    1. Sitting or standing, place your hands on your hips so that your thumbs are pressing into your low back on either side of your spine.
    2. Making small circular motions with your thumbs move your hands up and down your back.
    3. When you find particularly tense areas of your back, increase your pressure or spend more time massaging that area.
     
    To Release Tight Shoulders
    1. Stand with your back up against a wall and place a tennis ball between your shoulders.
    2.Move your body up and down by bending and straightening your legs to move the ball up and down your spine.
    3. If you find particularly tight places along your spine, focus your movement so that the ball makes small movements around it to release the tension.
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  • Summer Reading List

    Scappoose School District Employee Wellness Program

     

    Emotional Well-being

    Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators – Elena Aguilar

    Overwhelm: Strategies for the Long Haul – Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky

    Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier – Robert Emmons

    Trauma Stewardship – Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, Connie Burk

    21 Days to Resilience – Zelana Montminy

    10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works – Dan Harris

    Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy – Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant

    Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Brene Brown

    Emotional First Aid – Guy Winch

    The Happiness Advantage – Shawn Achor

    The Upside of Stress – Kelly McGonigal

    Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence – Rick Hanson

     

    Social Well-being

    The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People – Gary Chapman

    Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t – Simon Sinek

    Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships – Daniel Goleman

    Mindful Relationships – Dr. B Grace Bullock

    Dare to Lead – Brené Brown

    Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success – Adam Grant

    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain

    Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking with People Who Think Differently – Dawna Markova

    Strengths Finder 2.0 – Tom Rath (Gallup)

     

    Physical Well-being

    Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams – Matthew Walker

    The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer – Elizabeth Blackburn

    The Joy of Movement: How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage – Kelly McGonigal

    Are You Fully Charged? The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life – Tom Rath

    Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan

    The Wellness Project – Phoebe Lapine

    Summer Podcasts

    Scappoose School District Employee Wellness Program

     

    Emotional Well-being

    Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

    10% Happier with Dan Harris

    The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

    Good Life Project

    Meditation with Tara Brach

    Mindfulness Meditation Podcast

    The Hilarious World of Depression

     

    Social Well-being

    Dear Sugars

    The Greater Good Podcast

    Modern Love – originally printed in the New York Times

     

    Physical Well-being

    Kaiser Permanente Podcasts

    BBC Health Check

    You Bet Your Garden

    The Splendid Table

    America’s Test Kitchen Radio