Better Together

As part of our focus on whole person Wellness, SCCMHA created a campaign entitled, Better Together...The name Better Together for this campaign was chosen because chronic physical health conditions affect individuals regardless of age, ethnicity or socioeconomic background. This program will not only benefit the individuals we serve but also our workforce here at SCCMHA and in our provider network. Better together, we can improve our wellness!

Better Together events and activities are intended to be autonomous and enhance self-determination.

Aerobics

Aerobic exercise makes you sweat, causes you to breathe harder, and gets your heart beating faster than at rest. It strengthens your heart and lungs and trains your cardiovascular system to manage and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently throughout your body.

Benefits:

Increase confidence
Emotional stability
Memory and brain function
Strengthen your heart and lungs
Lower your cholesterol
Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
Improve your immune function
Lower your blood pressure
Burn calories
Shed excess weight
Tone muscles
Improve posture

Aerobic Videos:

Coloring for Relaxation

Adult coloring requires modest attention focused outside of self-awareness. It's a simple activity that takes us outside ourselves in the same way, cutting the lawn, knitting or taking a Sunday drive can all be relaxing.

Benefits:

Generates feelings of wellness, quietness, and calmness
Stimulates creativity
Boosts mental clarity
Elicits a relaxing mindset
Allows switching off the brain from other thoughts to focus on the moment
Replaces negative thoughts and images with pleasant ones

Guided Meditation

One of the most powerful, yet simple, self-awareness tools is Guided Meditation. It uses words and images to help move your attention away from the worry, stress and pain to help you find your own inner strength and creativity. This brings the natural powers of the mind into health and healing.

Benefits:

Has a positive effect on heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and oxygen rates, brain waves, temperature, and hormone balance.
Can help relieve symptoms caused or made worse by stress, such as: chest pain, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, headaches, digestive and breathing problems.

Meditation Videos:

Jigsaw Puzzles

Doing jigsaw puzzles is good for your mind, body and spirit. Studies show that people who do jigsaw puzzles have longer life spans with less chances of developing memory loss diseases.

Benefits:

Improved Memory
Better Problem-Solving Skills
Improved Visual-Spatial Reasoning
Meditation Tool and Stress Reliever

Knitting

The rhythmic repetitive movements of knitting tend to put us in the present moment, distracting us from mulling over the past or fear of the future. Knitting can invoke the relaxation response, which is known to bring down blood pressure, heart rate and help to prevent stress related illnesses.

How to Knit Videos:

Office Workouts

Working out while you are actually at work, not only has huge benefits for productivity, collaboration, and mood, it's also EASY!

Benefits

Reduce Absenteeism
Increase job satisfaction
Reduces stress
Increase brain power
Better sleep

Guided Video Workouts (No Equipment Needed)

Printable Worksheets

The 100 Office Workout Book is a collection of no-equipment illustrated easy-to-follow routines specifically designed for workplace conditions allowing you to exercise during work regardless of the time and space available and regardless of the office attire.

Chair-Bound Routines
60 Seconds HIIT Circuits
Lunch-Break Workouts
No-Sweat Cardio
Soreness & Tensions Relief
Step-Away Microcircuits
Stress Reduction
Upper Body Only Workouts
Stretching for Desk Job Fix
Office Yoga

Quiet Library

Reading can be a wonderful (and healthy) escape from the stress of everyday life. Simply by opening a book, you allow yourself to be invited into a literary world that distracts you from your daily stressors. Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.

Benefits:

Mental Stimulation
Stress Reduction
Knowledge
Vocabulary Expansion
Memory Improvement
Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills
Improved Focus and Concentration
Better Writing Skills
Tranquility
Free Entertainment

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is often described as "meditation in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice has value in treating or preventing many health problems.

Benefits:

Muscle Strength
Flexibility
Balance
Aerobic Conditioning

Tai Chi Videos:

TED Talks

TED is a non-profit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics, from Science to Business to Global Issues, in more than 100 languages.