The Munroe-Meyer Institute’s Severe Behavior Department includes a team of exceptionally dedicated faculty, staff, students and volunteers. The day-to-day responsibilities of this team include the direct care of children and adolescents who exhibit prohibitive levels of self-injury, aggression and destruction. As you might imagine, seeing our patients make progress in our clinic, their homes, their schools and the community by learning new ways to navigate everyday life free of harmful behavior is extremely rewarding. However, despite the immense passion each team member has for their work, no member of our team is immune to the stressors and fatigue commonly seen in work settings like ours.
Our department prioritizes wellbeing by organizing additional outlets for wellness and team building on a regular basis. One of those outlets, the Run/Walk/Roll Club, is open to all of you, too!
The Run/Walk/Roll Club is a collective of individuals eager to take advantage of the beauty of Aksarben mornings in the summer and fall. Beginning on June 7, we will meet each Friday morning at 7 a.m. outside of the Severe Behavior Department entrance and embark on a 30-minute out-and-back run, walk or roll along the bike path near the building. We start together and end together, but we allow for a variety of paces along the route. This means that you need not be fast, competitive or particularly social to join us. We strive for an inclusive and welcoming club.
In the hustle and bustle of modern office life, making time to enjoy the Omaha sunshine might be an essential key to personal wellbeing. Outdoor activity is shown to improve not only physical health but also cognitive function and mood — who doesn’t want these benefits each week? Moreover, joining this club offers a unique opportunity for networking and relationship-building in the workplace. The setting is casual, the stakes are low and the opportunities for camaraderie are plenty.
If you find yourself attempting to commit to the club, but struggling to follow through, consider these three tips:
- Make your commitment more public — add it to your calendar, email me to let me know you are coming or share a social media post about your intent to join the club.
- Gather some social support and invite a coworker to join you.
- Do something extra nice for yourself when you follow through. An initial self-reward can jump start your commitment, which will ultimately be supported by the natural rewards that come with being a part of this club. I hope to see you there!