Take Advantage: UNO's First Friday Wellness Hour

As the spring semester winds to a close, it is important to remember the impact that taking care of yourself can have on your wellbeing and success.

With warmer temperatures and more opportunities to enjoy spending time doing the things you love, please remember to take advantage of UNO's First Friday Wellness Hour.

In January, Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, announced the beginning of a new campus initiative called "First Fridays for Wellness," which encourages employees to rest and recharge in ways that help keep them rested, recharged, and ready to bring new and exciting ideas to their teams.

There are many ways you can take advantage of this hour, including painting, exercise, enjoying a walk, or just listening to music that motivates you. No matter how you choose to use your hour, we hope it helps inspire you to do the amazing work of supporting our students.

A copy of Chancellor Li's January message to campus is included below.

Colleagues,

Mental health is as important as physical health; both within our lives and our careers. When at work, there is so much to do and it can be easy to begin feeling overwhelmed.

I have had the opportunity to work with many amazing leaders over the years and discovered an innovative approach to creative thinking and wellness that I want to bring to UNO.

On the first Friday of every month, beginning Feb. 4, I would like all faculty and staff to reserve one hour to invest in your own wellness and personal development.

You could use this hour to meditate, work on a personal creative project, exercise, catch up on that book you have been meaning to read, or anything that would serve as a time to foster personal wellness and spark creativity. The goal of this hour is to build a community that embraces curiosity, discovery, and innovation. We achieve this when we allow ourselves to take a moment to seek out things that inspire us, promote our personal wellbeing, and tap into the creative side of our mind.

To reap the full benefits of this hour, we must honor our time and the time of others every month. Please work with your team members and unit leads to identify the hour that you would like to take on the first Friday of every month.

Thank you for your commitment to yourselves and your fellow Mavericks.

Sincerely,

Joanne Li, Ph.D. CFA

Chancellor