Imagine U means small changes big rewards

“If it weren’t for the pickle on this Chick-Fil-A  sandwich, I wouldn’t know a veggie if it bit me.”
“I sleep with my cell by my pillow and checked email three times last night.”
“My stress level is through the roof — deadlines are killing me.”
“I didn’t leave my desk for five hours yesterday; if sitting is the new smoking, I’m doomed.”

Sound like you? Between work, traffic, kids, the house, the pets, it’s easy to run out of bandwidth.

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s comprehensive study, “How's Life? 2017: Measuring Well-being,” life satisfaction in the United States has declined over the past 10 years from an average of 7.3 to 6.9 on a 10-point scale. Moreover, this statistic was twice the average decline of 40 other industrialized countries.

The lack of work-life balance, the study found, plays a large role in the discontent Americans feel — long hours, job stress and not enough free time account for the malaise many feel.

In today’s fast-paced, do-more-with-less world, that applies to most working Americans. If you are among them, typically running 90 to nothing, maybe it’s time to take a minute to imagine the toll that’s taking on your health and your happiness — not to mention the happiness of those around you.

Turn it around with Imagine U

From TV’s Dr. Oz to Gwyneth Paltrow’s website Goop to MUSC’s Imagine U, “well-being” is a concept that is trending. But what is it, exactly?

A combination of being happy, healthy and comfortable, well–being is a physical, mental and psycho-social journey of sorts, the arrival at which could well be the antidote to stress, lethargy or “dis-ease” you’re longing for, said Susan Johnson, Ph.D., director of Health Promotion and co-chair of the Imagine U implementation team.

And before you say, “There is literally no time left in my schedule for me,” maybe there’s more than you think — maybe just enough to do just one thing.

The Imagine U team at MUSC went all-in to create a fun and simple MyQuest program that will guide you through a plan to achieve the well-being that matters to you.   

Last spring, phase 1 of “Imagine U: Building Well-Being Together” was launched, and employees were asked to complete a confidential health risk assessment. The response was even better than anticipated, said Janis Newton, director of the MUSC Wellness Center, who along with Johnson helped actualize Imagine U, an outcome of Imagine MUSC 2020.

More than 43 percent of the MUSC community completed the HRA — the nationwide average falls under 30 percent.

“We hoped it would be well–received,” Johnson said. “This program touches every aspect of our well-being. We’re so lucky there’s a sincere commitment from senior leadership to create a true culture of health and greatly improve the well–being of our workforce. MUSC leaders often say employees are our most important asset. A program like Imagine U truly reinforces that belief.”

Newton agreed. “We call ourselves the MUSC family, and with that comes the responsibility of caring about the health and well-being of this work family,” Newton said. That means creating a space for work-life balance — real strategies to help the MUSC family achieve real well-being.”

When phase 2 kicked off recently, the real excitement began, Newton said.

“Most people have something they want to improve in their lives, some lifestyle change that could lead to positive well-being,” she said. Imagine U is here to help. There is a whole spectrum of fun and helpful challenges designed to help people take back control and make the changes they want to see. I guarantee people will get excited about doing one challenge and want to try something else. People are trying things they’ve never done before.”

Her goal, she said, is to figure out how to use the Holy Spokes bike share program. “I’ve never done it before, but it’s time for me to get out of my comfort zone and just do it. And I’m going to feel good about it. Imagine U is about building confidence and self-efficacy — that core belief in in our ability to achieve goals. Just do one thing,” she urged. “One. If you do, you’ll be on your way.”

If you hear “well-being challenge” and think you have to eat green beans all day, or train for a 5K or never have another martini, don’t worry. That’s not what this program is about. Imagine U challenges aren’t about unrelenting deprivation or torturous exercise or even kale, unless, that is, you want to eat kale. The challenges offer tools that will help you take small but meaningful steps that become part of your day-to-day life and maybe even lead to big changes. This self-guided program can result in more energy, strength and flexibility, along with the ability to decompress, move more, eat healthier meals and get better sleep.

Say you want to train for a marathon. There’s a step-by-step challenge. Maybe you’re contemplating bariatric surgery — there’s a challenge for that, too. You want to stop smoking, unplug from the digital world or purchase local vegetables? Imagine U has ways to get you there as well, and along the way, participants earn 5 to 25 points per challenge, and incentives like stadium chairs, yoga mats and cash make it all the more rewarding. A mere 25 points qualifies a participant for a prize.

The why

The reasons for taking part in the challenges are personal and run the gamut — employees cite unplugging from social media to upping daily steps, being present, eating less salt, even getting more sleep.
Think you don’t have the bandwidth to start a challenge?

That’s what Nancy Lemon Carney thought. A full-time graphic artist at MUSC, her second job is book illustrator/ author. She wrote and illustrated her first published children’s book recently and spent summer months at signings. This month, she’s illustrating a picture book and designing a page for Highlights Magazine. In the last few weeks, volunteer efforts saw her reading to kids at school and drawing with kids visiting the Charleston Animal Society. Her online shop offers totes, murals and bedding that feature her colorful, whimsical designs. Oh, and she’s also a wife and mother of two kids under five.

Fit and animated, she could be the poster child for perpetual motion. But looks can be deceiving. After the birth of her second child almost two years ago, it was nearly impossible for her to find time to fit in fitness or really even her own needs, she said. An athlete growing up, she excelled in many sports, and as an adult she loved to run and ride horses — soon, however, chasing kids and deadlines became her reality.

“I was grappling with how to fit more activity into my day and concentrate more on my health. I wanted to find something doable — be doing something active. I was excited to find Imagine U. It kicked my butt back into gear,” she said, laughing. “There are so many challenges to choose from, and they help me do my job better. It’s actually really validating.”

Carney read through the challenges and saw a number of small adjustments she could make in her day to be more active and present. Already, she’s earned 90 challenge points and is on track to earn 150 by the end of the first quarter. With a reminder on her computer, she stands up every 20 minutes and looks away from her computer screen for two minutes.

Every hour, she stands for 10 minutes. Sometimes she’ll stretch or do a few minutes of desk yoga or meditation. Instead of picking up the phone, she makes a special point to walk around the office and touch base with colleagues.

During her lunch hours, she walks the medical mile or indoor wellness walk. Her lunch hour is sacrosanct. She finds that working through lunch is actually counterproductive.

“I have to have that one hour to myself. If I didn’t keep that bit of time for myself, I’d go crazy. I am more creative and efficient if I walk away and walk.”

These tweaks to her workday soon lead to changes at home. She was interested in improving what her family eats and got into meal planning. She is also planning to join a community-supported farm. Her family eats a lot of produce, and it seems like a great way to try locally grown vegetables.

Imagine U is now a family affair, with Roselee, almost 5, and Gabe, not quite 2, joining in with mom to move more. “I always told myself there wasn’t enough time. The truth is there is time, you just have to make the important things like your health and well-being priorities.”

Newton is proud of what Carney has accomplished in the past months and the creative ways her challenges have spanned all four categories:

• Nutrition/Weight Management

• Physical Activity

• Preventative Care

• Psychosocial Health

“Nancy is killing it,” Newton said. “I hope people see if she can do it, they can do it and will try one challenge. With 102 challenges to choose from, there is literally something for everyone. The program is designed so everyone can be successful.”

Employees are letting them know what types of challenges they want. Newton said one mindfulness course filled up in record time and got terrific feedback. People want more of that, and so it will be offered again in October.

People are also excited that cancer researcher Sundar Balasubramanian soon will be teaching a 30-minute breathing class during lunch. For those who want to balance mind, body and spirit, this is the perfect challenge.

Rather get outside and commune with nature? A crowd favorite every year, the American H

eart Association Heart Walk offers a chance to absorb some Vitamin D and give those gluts a workout, all while earning 25 Imagine U challenge points.

Icing on the cake

Imagine U should be fun, Newton said. “This should be something that makes your life easier, not more stressful. There’s a true benefit to these challenges. The challenges are fun and house all the information you may never knew existed. There is so much health-related information in one place, just go look at it and see all there is to offer — even if you just do one challenge or don’t do a challenge. This is a choice. You’ve got choices.”

The prizes also add to the fun. From guest passes to the Wellness Center, coupons for Urban Farm crops and Sodexo Mindful Meals vouchers to padfolios, cutting boards, lunch coolers and messenger bags, there is something for everyone. Next spring, they will also offer Charleston RiverDogs tickets.

Then there are the drawings. Each quarter, everyone who earned 25 points will be entered. The winner gets $100 and the top point earner wins $100. Then, at the end of year, there will be an additional $500 drawing for everyone who earned 25 points. Again, the top point earner also wins $500. The first round of prizes and recognition begins in October. The team hopes the incentives and drawings will encourage more people to get involved.

Beginning with the new year, Imagine U will include team and departmental challenges. “This year, New Year’s resolutions can be even more enjoyable with partners and colleagues to compete alongside of and with,” Johnson said.

Carney plans to stick with Imagine U for the long haul. “I love to stay healthy, but it’s a tough job with two kids. It feels so good to accomplish these things. All I did was start one, and I had so much fun. I had no idea it would lead to three then four then more. I love that MUSC not only talks about wanting healthier employees but it’s helping us get and stay healthy by actually providing the tools, support and encouragement we need to actually do it.”

For information, visit the Office of Health Promotion's Imagine U.