Healthy Challenge Events

Health & Wellness Fair
Tuesday, January 30, 10 am - 2 pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Increase your awareness about health and wellness and the community resources available.

Learn a New Sport Fair
Tuesday, February 6, 12-2pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Have you always wanted to try a new sport but always felt daunted by everything you need to know? Come and talk to other Fred Hutchinson staff about their favorite sports and get started today!

Labyrinth - Open Walks
Mondays, Feb 5, March 5, March 19, April 2, 1:15 - 4:00 pm, SCCA Rooms 1006/1008
Want to nourish your spirit? Seeking stress or anxiety reduction? Have a major decision about which you need discernment? Feeling accumulated grief? Needing a moment of quiet? Open to explore something new to you? Come and walk the labyrinth. A labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool that involves walking a path as it winds in a circular pattern toward the middle of the circle and then out again. In many ways the walk is a walking meditation, a symbolic pilgrimage, the journey being as important as the destination. A facilitator is always present to answer your questions

Finding Balance
Friday, February 9, 12 - 1 pm, Sze Conference Room
Does your life feel out of balance? What happens when our lives are out of balance? During this workshop participants will take the time to more specifically identify what areas of their life need more or less activity, time or attention. Participants will be given time during the session to create a 3 week plan with the goal of changing a specific behavior that will contribute to a more balanced life. Discover what practices are helping you and which you might desire to let go of. Those who would like to create a 3 week accountability group (email or personal) will be given the opportunity at the end of the session.

Mental Illness/Mental Health
Wednesday, February 21, 12-1 pm, Weintraub B1-072/076
Psychiatrist Eamonn Swords, MD will provide an overview of the five disorders in psychiatry: psychosis, mood disorder, cognitive disorder, alcohol and other substance abuse, and anxiety. He will also provide information on how to increase our resilience, discuss various treatment modalities and debunk common myths.

Blood Pressure Screening
Provided by FHCRC Environmental Health & Safety

When was the last time you sat still?
Tuesday, March 6, 12 - 1 pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Goal: To explore the value of developing a discipline of quiet reflection/meditation time. Are you harried? Too busy? Feeling scattered, reactive or just plain spent? Has meditation been on your "to do" list, but you just don't know where to start? This session will introduce a variety of conventional and unconventional tools one can use to explore daily meditation. There are many ways one can find a place of peace or center throughout the day. It can be as routine as setting aside 15 minutes or more sporadic. Learn a variety of things to try as you search for a way to enter a meditative or centering practice. Requirement: Must like dark chocolate. :)

Healthy Challenge Improvisation Workshop
Tuesday, March 13, 11-12 and 12-1pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Presented by John Kaufmann
Step into an unconventional learning experience and discover a healthier sense of self as you explore new ways to interact with others. Participants will learn basic improvisational skills as they practice and play with others in the group. Goals of the workshops are to connect participants with their own impulses, and leave them with tools to raise self awareness, confidence and perspective. Performance anxieties drift away as we focus on listening and responding rather than creating or being funny. By leaning on others, releasing the ego and saying yes to the experience, participants unblock creative energy as they become one with The Big Story. New to improv? Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisation to learn more.

John Kaufmann has taught acting and improvisation to many different ages and levels of experience. He developed and teaches Improvisation for the Chaplain at Harborview Medical Center. He works to create a safe environment for creativity, joy and failure without putting participants on the spot.

Mindful Eating
Wednesday, March 21, 12 - 1pm, Pelton Auditorium
We will discuss 25 ways to engage your brain power when you shop for food, in food preparation and when you eat. Discover how your brain power can improve your food choices and influence your food intake.

The Continuum of Mental Health and Illness: The Impact of Stress
Thursday, March 29, 12-1pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Psychiatrist Jesse Fann, an Associate Professor at UW will define the boundary between mental health and mental illness. Dr. Fann will describe the contribution of stress to altered mental health, discuss common causes of stress and what can be done about it and describe the treatment options available and when to seek help. Most of the information in this presentation will be different from Dr. Swords' presentation last month.

Keep on Moving: How exercise keeps you fit - physically and mentally
Tuesday, April 10, 12-1pm, Arnold M1-A303/307
Dr. Jonathan Knight, Group Health orthopaedic surgeon and athlete extraordinaire, talks about what happens to our bodies as we age, what's normal, and what isn't. He will also discuss the importance of exercise and physical activity to overall physical and mental health.