With summer upon us, we are keeping this month’s challenge simple . . . DRINK WATER. 

You know you’re supposed to drink water. You’ve been lectured about it since you were a kid. But sometimes it can be difficult to make sure you’re drinking enough water. 

Drinking more water can increase energy, relieve fatigue, promote weight loss, flush out toxins in your body, improve skin complexion, boost your immune system, naturally relieve headaches, and even prevent muscle cramps and sprains. The amazing health benefits of water are endless! 

This challenge is designed to help you make a daily habit of drinking enough water by challenging you to drink eight cups of water (8oz = 1 cup) each day this month. 

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

• Sign up on the June tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log. 

• HERE are the instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Resources:

• Print the 30 Day Water Challenge Log to make tracking your daily water intake a little easier. 

• If you prefer using an app to track your progress, check out this list of highest rated Hydration Apps from 2020

• We’re keeping this challenge simple with 8 cups of water/ day, but every body is different.  Check out the Water Intake Calculator to get a daily intake recommendation tailored to you.

The aim of May’s Wellness Challenge is to reduce stress and anxiety caused by the over-use of technology. By taking time to reflect on our use of technology, and consciously change our habits, we will create more space for meaningful connection (to ourselves, the people around us, and our environment).

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

• Sign up on the April tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log. 

• HERE are the instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Resources:

• Recommended Reading: Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport

• Videos: What I Learned From My Social Media Fast- Amber Quinney

• Article: Is Mobile Phone Use Bad for Your Mental Health?

The Challenge:

In case you were wondering, plant-based eating is exactly what it sounds like, eating a diet that is made up of food that comes mostly from plants, including whole grains, fruits, veggies, oils and legumes. So, why plant-based eating? Incorporating more plants into your diet supports your physical health in many ways- it reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers cholesterol, is beneficial for your gut health and may even increase longevity. 

To help kick off this challenge, we are partnering with Farm Fresh to You, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that brings fresh produce and groceries to your doorstep. There is no commitment, no contract, no delivery fee, and you can pick which items you want. 

Special offer for COE employees- receive 20% off on your 1st 5 Produce and Grocery Boxes (no requirement to order more than 1 box) using the code: PLANTBASED. 

See what a farmbox looks like or learn how to customize your box. Please see the attached flyer for more details. Also attached is the plant-based recipe of the week. Each recipe will be shared again every week so collect them all!

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

• Sign up on the April tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log. Those who sign up by April 13th will be entered into a raffle to win a $35 farm box! 

• HERE are the instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Recipes:

• Vegetable Ramen

• Radish & Mandarin Quinoa Salad

Resources and Events:

• Earth Day Event - Sustainable Bodies, Sustainable Planet

• Climate Action: Food for health and planet

• Food Waste Webinar Series hosted by the City of Santa Cruz

For this month’s Wellness Challenge our goal is to actively engage in our community. 

We invite you to use this opportunity to help serve our community’s most vulnerable who are facing hunger in Santa Cruz. Please participate in raising funds to provide 4 meals for every dollar donated to Second Harvest of Santa Cruz. Go to www.thefoodbank.org/wellness to donate.

People are fulfilled and “engaged when they play a meaningful role in the deliberations, discussions, decision-making and/or implementation of projects or programs affecting them.” We also see that engaging in random acts of kindness benefits our wellbeing.  

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

· Sign up on the March tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log, and remember to log your daily reflections or goals.  

· HERE are the instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

· For this month there is no raffle prize but rather an extra challenge! Set aside a mason jar on your kitchen table and every time you drink water, or your dog barks at the UPS person delivering your Amazon purchase, or after your yoga session with Phoenix, or mindfulness session with Bruce - put a quarter in the jar. At the end of the month, donate the amount collected to Second Harvest. Please share a picture of your Giving Jar with us!!

Something for the whole family:

· The Arts Council of Santa Cruz 

· Students Rebuild - encourage young students to take the challenge of helping others with their creativity.

· Volunteer to help at Community Bridges sites

The aim of this month’s Wellness Challenge is . . . 

to get outside! Fall is here, and with it, colder weather. Wouldn’t it be nice to just sit inside all day? The truth of the matter is that getting outside, even when it’s chilly, is beneficial to our overall health and wellbeing by improving memory, reducing stress, and boosting our immune systems. Need an energy boost? Get outside for a quick walk, run, or even just eat your lunch on the porch.  Now . . . let’s get outside!

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

• Sign up on the DECEMBER tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log, and remember to update your daily progress.  

• HERE are the instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

• The GRAND PRIZE for this month will be an hour SUP rental, including a free lesson!

RESOURCES to enhance your challenge:

• The Powerful Health Benefits of Being Outside in Nature!

• 12 Outdoor Activities for When You Need to Get Out of the House

The aim of this month’s Wellness Challenge is to either start a mindfulness practice or incorporate more mindfulness into your daily or weekly routine. Research shows that having a regular meditation practice helps reduce stress, increase self awareness, promotes emotional health, focus on the present, and increase creativity and patience. As we head into the holiday season, a regular mindfulness practice can support our well-being during this sometimes stressful time of year. It’s also a nice month to focus on gratitude and “taking in the good”, which is related to mindfulness.

Here are some examples of goals for this month:

• I will start a daily mindfulness practice of 5 minutes a day

• I will attend the weekly mindfulness offering with Bruce through the COE

• I will add a short evening meditation to supplement my daily morning meditation

• I will take a daily lunch break and mindfully eat my food, noticing my surroundings and body sensations

• I will create my own goals...

 TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

• Sign up on the November tab of the Wellness Challenge Accountability Log, and remember to update your weekly progress.  

• HERE are the week-by-week  instructions for the challenge. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

• The GRAND RAFFLE PRIZE winner - all November Mindfulness Challenge participants will have an opportunity to win a $50 gift card to Home/Work!