Program Spotlight: 3rd Annual SFBAC SMPS Wellness Workshop
Written By Phillip Gangan
Health is our most valuable asset. Yet, in the flurry of deadlines, conference calls, meal prep, kids fighting over the ipad, a year-long pandemic, and all the other things that make up our busy lives, caring for our well-being tends to fall to the wayside. Cue the 3rd Annual SFBAC SMPS Wellness Workshop—a practical, hands-on experience for all things health and wellness. In anticipation of this event, the Shortlist sat down with our experts to ask how we can keep wellness at the top of our minds!
Sound Mind, Sound Body Exercise and meditation have always been linked to good health. But, more often than not, it quickly becomes one more thing on our to-do list that we rarely get to accomplish. As it turns out, quality over quantity goes a long way, especially when we practice mindfulness.
“Anyone can do anything for five minutes a day,” says Yoga + Wellness Instructor Brittany Fulks, “There is always a way if you want to make wellness a priority. And if you don’t want to live in stress and anxiety, you can do something about it. If you want to see change, you have to change.”
According to Brittany, being mindful of our thoughts, emotions, and our bodies helps alleviate stress and anxiety, allowing us to be present in the moment and away from the noise that tends to overwhelm us.
Healthy Choices Make For Healthy Habits
Wellness is all about the choices we make, which incrementally build better habits and a healthy lifestyle. But where to start?
“Start with one thing that is manageable that you can change,” says Integrative Nutritionist + Registered Dietitian Angela Stanford, “What one thing can you start doing today that is a step towards your vision of a healthier you?”
Angela believes that small steps lead to large strides later. Trying to do everything at once is a recipe for failure. But if we focus on one thing—say, what’s at the end of our fork—these healthy choices become second-nature and form life-long habits.
Your Happy Place
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our physical environment has a huge impact on our health and well-being. We typically spend nearly 90 percent of our time indoors (even more so this past year) and working in a suboptimal space can definitely take its toll.
“If you put yourself in an environment where you’re unhappy, you don’t want to be in that space,” says Webcor Sustainability Director Jennelle Shapiro, “It’s all about finding a place where you can be most productive and get into an environment that is more nurturing to your health and wellness.”
“Our environments have always affected us, and perhaps now, after a year where many of us have worked from home, that is more obvious than ever,” says Blitz Design Director + Architect Justin Beadle, “Successful environments lead to gains across the spectrum from performance to wellness. What we are finding more and more is that when we start with wellness we also see gains in productivity, as happy humans do the best work.”
As our experts will tell you, wellness is a mindset and the more cognizant we are about what exactly impacts our health, the better we can make it our priority.
Want to learn more? Join us on the 21st of April for the 3rd Annual SFBAC SMSP Wellness Workshop. Registration is still open and free for chapter members.
Register now!
