Progress & Data
Recent Highlights
- In 2021, over 50% of participants in the Move More IU Challenge said it motivated them to move more.
- H2-Whoa! Over 900 IU employees and spouses registered for the 2020 Healthy IU Hydration Challenge.
- 5 IU experts across 3 IU campuses contributed 14 self-care activities for employees to try during the 2020 Creative Self-Care Challenge.
- And we're not done yet!
Words of Wisdom from Past Participants
Here's a slice of what IU employees have learned from Healthy IU programs and classes in 2020:
- “Mindful connection is the most important thing you can give your children: your undivided attention.” — Mindful Parenting Series participant
- “I learned some specific and very helpful exercises and stretches [for my back] that I can do without hurting myself.” — Healthy Back Series participant
- “Just a small change in perspective can make a HUGE difference in your life!” — Mindful Way to Stress Reduction participant
- “I learned how to budget and create an emergency fund.” — Fine Tuning Your Finances participant
Learn about the progress of ongoing Healthy IU initiatives below.
Gratitude Challenge
Gratitude is the appreciation of goodness in our lives and the recognition that “the sources of this goodness lies at least partially outside the self” (Emmons & Stern, 2013). Research shows that grateful people have better physical and mental health, including lower levels of blood pressure; better quality of sleep; lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety; and higher levels of happiness.
So, how do we become more grateful people? By making gratitude practices a lifelong habit! The IU Gratitude Challenge was a 6-week challenge to help participants develop long-term habits of gratitude.
Sleep Great IU! Challenge
Sleep affects just about every aspect of your life. If you aren't getting enough high-quality sleep, it can impair both your physical and mental health. Sleep is important for learning, problem solving, managing stress, and regulating mood. It also promotes a healthy immune system and helps prevent chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Despite the numerous benefits of sleep, many of us are struggling to meet our sleep needs. More than a third of Americans aren't getting enough sleep.
Sleep Great IU! was a 4-week online challenge is for IU employees. During the challenge, participants worked on 8 habits that promote better sleep. Participants used a Personal Online Tracker once a week to record which habits they successfully completed for most of the week.
View the 2022 Sleep Great IU! Summary Report.
View the 2019 Sleep Great IU! Summary Report.
View the 2016 Sleep Great IU! Summary Report.
Back to Our Roots: Plant Eating Challenge
Back to Our Roots is a 3-week challenge to add a wide variety of plant-based foods to your meals and snacks. The goal is for participants to explore new plant-based foods and enjoy more of their old favorites.
Move More IU
About the Challenge
Challenge yourself to add more movement throughout your day!
Being physically active during the day helps our minds and bodies feel great! And a little bit (even just a couple minutes here and there throughout the day) really goes a long way.
Sign up for Move More IU to:
- Receive e-mails with daily movement tips, exercises to try, and encouragement
- Experiment with adding short (1-15 minute) bouts of physical activity throughout the day
- Log and track active minutes achieved or number of times moved
Creative Self-Care Challenge
About the Challenge
Our creative pursuits can be effective in helping us express emotions, reaffirm what's important to us, and enhance well-being. "Creative Self-Care" is an online, university-wide challenge that encourages creative experiences in art, music, and writing as tools to promote self-care and mental/emotional well-being.
Each week of the challenge, participants will choose one or more of the 14 creative experiences offered — including exercises in art viewing and making, music, and writing. These experiences have been recommended or created by IU experts to benefit individual self-care and well-being. They can assist you in becoming more mindful in your daily life and can also help counteract feelings of stress, burnout, anxiety, and other mental-health related concerns.
This challenge is brought to you by Healthy IU with the generous contributions of Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, IUPUI Music Therapy Program, and Healthy IU facilitators across the university. Full-time employees and their spouses who register for the challenge are eligible to receive a set of Healthy IU mini colored pencils (first-come, first-served, while supplies last) to help them with their creative pursuits.
Note: This online challenge and the exercises included do not take the place of therapy or traditional psychotherapy sessions. They are to be utilized for wellness or self-care purposes only. Learn more about free, confidential counseling options through SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program. Services are provided at no cost to all employees, IU Residents, Graduate Appointees, Fellowship Recipients, and their household members.
Workplace Wellness Survey
Work and health are related. The more we know, the better our chances of being healthy ourselves and making our workplaces healthier. That's why Healthy IU supports the Fairbanks School of Public Health Workplace Wellness Survey.
The survey helps us:
- Understand how well IU workplaces are supporting the health of employees,
- Recognize strengths and challenges to health in our university community,
- Identify opportunities for change that are actionable from an organizational standpoint,
- Gauge progress toward a healthier IU.
Healthy IU 2020 Plan & Objectives
Where are we going, and where have we been?
Healthy IU's 2020 Plan & Objectives are a guiding document for Healthy IU services, and are based on a gap analysis using the Fairbanks School of Public Health Survey Data and CDC Scorecard.
Read the Healthy IU 2020 Plan & Objectives.
Updated May 2018
Healthy IU Hydration Challenge
Did you know? More than half of your body is WATER! With that in mind, it's easy to understand why being properly hydrated helps our bodies and minds feel good. The purpose of the Healthy IU Hydration Challenge was to learn about and practice healthy hydration habits! Daily emails with hydration information and tips were sent to participants during the 7-day challenge, and participants tracked their water intake.
Money Mindset: Financial Wellness Challenge
The Money Mindset: Financial Wellness Challenge was a 3-week online challenge aimed at addressing the financial wellbeing of IU employees and their spouses. This challenge helped participants learn more about their current spending habits, financial values, and goals for the future. After this challenge, participants had the chance to access helpful resources and programs from IU MoneySmarts, centered around debt, credit, budgeting, and savings.
Sustain & Move IU! Challenge
Many activities that are good for us are also good for the environment! That’s why Healthy IU and Sustain IU are partnering for the 3-week “Sustain and Move IU!” Challenge to promote walking, bicycling, and using public transportation or carpooling. Join us as we stay active and lower our carbon footprint.
Ready to Move
Ready to Move pairs upper-level or graduate students enrolled in an exercise leadership class with full-time staff and faculty who the students coach on how to utilize activity trackers to move more throughout the day. The students gain valuable coaching experience while the staff and faculty gain important knowledge about physical activity and the use of activity trackers.
Healthy IU Scholarly Activity with the IU Bloomington School of Public Health (2019).
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers was chosen as an evidence-based weight management program that supports life-long behavior changes. Those that participated in the program were offered a 12-week series of community vouchers (off-site meetings) or at-work meetings for larger campuses. All participants also received 14-week access to Weight Watcher’s online e-tools.
Climb IU Challenge
Climb IU is an online challenge to encourage IU employees and their spouses to move more throughout the workday! Moving throughout the day re-energizes our minds and bodies, and it’s important to our health. Participants can create a Climb IU team or register as an individual.
Taking the stairs can be fun and convenient, and it's one of many ways to accomplish workday movement! For Climb IU, there are two options for participation:
- Participate by climbing stairs: Those who will participate in Climb IU by taking the stairs will count every 12 stairs climbed as a flight.
- Participate by active minutes: Those who will participate in Climb IU by active minutes will count every 3 minutes of physical activity (stretching, walking, moving as able) as a flight.
Feel Great IU! Challenge
Through this test pilot program, Healthy IU seeks to:
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Create fun and build camaraderie around the common goal of a healthy weight, whether you are working toward maintenance or weight loss.
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Find out which educational resources are most desirable to IU employees and their spouses/partners, so that we can continue to offer programs that employees and their spouses/partners truly want.
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Find out which educational resources are the most effective in helping IU employees and their spouses attain and maintain a healthy weight.
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Gather feedback to learn, grow, and make future offerings even better.
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Common Good
This 4-week online practice will help participants tap into their powerful skills of:
- Gratitude
- Purpose
- Effective Communication
- and Self-Compassion
Studies show a strong connection between these skills and our mental and physical well-being at work and home. Each week, participants will be introduced to a research-based practice that will help deepen these skills and your well-being.
All IU employees, and their spouses, are invited to join us on this journey! Practicing is always better together, so consider inviting your spouse and co-workers to join you, too!