Recognizing that the sustainability of self is a critical component of our efforts to build a sustainable campus, Harvard's Executive Vice President Katie Lapp outlined some useful tips about how you might increase your personal well-being this summer. Her “Re-Charge Initiative” seeks to begin a thoughtful discussion among staff about how to cultivate healthy work habits at Harvard.
- Go on a meeting diet. Consider meeting-less Mondays or consider taking back an hour and canceling one staff meeting this summer. Another idea is to identify multiple recurring meetings on your calendar that have similar agendas/topics and combine them into one meeting (cancel the others).
- Go on an email diet. Consider an office-wide policy of not sending emails, unless necessary for an emergency or business continuity, between certain hours or pick up the phone and talk with a colleague instead of emailing them.
- Take a break. Take a vacation day to do something new or explore a new place you’ve always wanted to visit. Every Tuesday this summer, take a 20-minute break during the day to visit a food truck or sample the Farmer’s Market on the Science Center Plaza or visit the Harvard Allston Farmer’s Market.
- Take a free mindfulness course. Mindfulness at Work is part of the larger University-wide Healthy Harvard initiative to provide employees with new tools to manage stress and increase personal resilience.
- Get on the move. Participate in weekly runs as part of the Harvard on the Move initiative or take a short bike ride using the Hubway bike share (pick up the bike at one of 12 Harvard-sponsored stations). Harvard affiliates are eligible for a deeply discounted Hubway annual membership rate.
