National Women's Health Week

Every year the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Offices on Women’s Health lead a nation-wide observance focused on the health of women. This observance begins on Mother’s Day and lasts for a week. During this week, communities and individuals are asked to help spread information to women which involve ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This year, National Women’s Health Week is May 11-17 so let’s get out there and start spreading the news!

Being a “Well Woman”

What does it mean to be a “well woman”? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, being a well woman consists of a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. A well woman makes her physical and mental lifestyles a priority in her life and National Women’s Health Week seeks to empower women to do just that. So do yourself a favor and make the pledge to become a well woman this week!

How to be a Well Woman

One part of being a well woman is having a healthy physical lifestyle. This lifestyle can involve different attributes such as getting check-ups and having preventative screenings

performed. Other aspects of this lifestyle include being active so make sure to take some time out of your day to exercise in any way that you enjoy. Physical activity should not be something you dread, but something that you enjoy. Not only is it important to be physically active, it is also important to eat healthy. Whether it is exercising or eating healthy, a well woman pledges to make physical health a priority in her life.

The other side of being a well woman is having an awareness of your mental health. Often stigmatized, mental health is not meant to be a negative aspect of life, but it is an important part of having a holistic healthy lifestyle. It is vital in a well woman’s lifestyle to be mindful of her mental state. One example of this mindfulness is understanding how stress can play a role in your life. Taking steps to deal with this stress can lead to overall better mental health. Another tip to improve a healthy mental lifestyle is to make sleep a priority. Getting enough sleep is an easy change that can be made to any lifestyle and is an excellent way to improve mental health. More than just the physical, mental health is also priority in a well woman’s lifestyle.

Spread the Word!

One of the main reasons for National Women’s Health Week is to spread awareness of a healthy lifestyle to women across the nation. Everyone has a role to play in the spread of awareness and you can help too! Start spreading the news by posting a well woman status on social media. Get active and pledge to be a well woman. Invite your friends to partake in a healthy physical and mental lifestyle with you. By spreading information and getting involved, we can improve women’s health nation-wide. 

Written by Amelia Garza

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http://twuhealthstudies.blogspot.com/2014/05/caring-for-your-mind-and-body.html

Do It, Dump It, Delegate It

http://twuhealthstudies.blogspot.com/2013/06/guest-post-do-it-dump-it-or-delegate-it.html

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http://twuhealthstudies.blogspot.com/2014/05/got-stress.html

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References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/features/NWHW/

National Women’s Health Week Fact Sheet

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/files/NWHW-fact-sheet-2014.pdf

Women’s Health

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/

Guest Post: Get Involved! by Laura Valentino

Let me begin with a call to action: Get involved! It does not matter where you are in your professional journey. Whether you are an undergraduate student, graduate student, new or seasoned professional, you should get involved immediately. Why? Quite simply, it benefits you and the profession. Do you want to network with emerging and veteran professionals? Do you want to learn about the newest research being done in your area of interest? Do you want to give back to others? Do you want to strengthen the health education and promotion profession? If you answered yes to any of the questions, then you should find out how to get involved with the professional association of your choice.

I recently attended my first national professional association conference. I was privileged to be able

to present at the SOPHE 2014 Annual Meeting in Baltimore in March. What an exciting time! I was able to present my research in poster and oral sessions and making lasting connections. Additionally, I received a SOPHE 21st century meeting scholarship to help defray some of the costs of attending. This honor meant that I got to participate in an awards ceremony and experience a night of private viewing at the National Aquarium. Turtles, alligators and sharks, oh my!
 

Laura's helpful hints for attending your first national professional association conference:

Come prepared! Bring your business card, have your resume on hand, and make handouts of your research. *Side note-Yes, undergraduate and graduate students should have business cards made. They can be as simple as stating your name and contact information, university affiliation and degree status, and area(s) of interest. You may want consider a Linked In profile style business card.* **Second side note-I was note told to bring my business card. The thought never even occurred to me. It will be much easier next year to gather contact information when I just pass someone my business card.**

Seek out new connections and mentors! Step out of your comfort zone! Smile and say hello. Strike up conversations. Pay attention to presenters' names. Seek out people you are interested in connecting with. Attend sessions that you are interested in and take notes. Introduce yourself-these may be your future employers.

Be an active participant! Sign up for and participate in mentor activities, get to know those in the same committees as you, ask questions during presentations, visit exhibitors, and befriend board members. You only get what you put in to the experience.

Professional associations you may want to consider depending on interests:

SOPHE, APHA, TSOPHE, TAPHA, ASHA, ACHA, ASA (if you don't know these acronyms, I
challenge you to find out what they mean).

A special note for undergraduate and graduate students:

Undergraduates- Do not wait to start doing research. Research is not only for graduate students and professors. Ask a graduate student or professor about research opportunities and attend conferences. The sooner you make connections in the field, the better prepared you are.

Graduates- Submit that research. Professional associations want student submissions. We are emerging professionals after all. Take the time to pay it forward and volunteer for the association of your choice. Together, we can infuse health education and promotion with renewed passion and enthusiasm. 

________________________________________________________________

About Laura: Laura Valentino is a soon-to-be second year doctoral student. She is the 2014-2015 recipient of the Janice C. Williams Health Education Teaching Fellowship. She currently teaches HS 4121, Internship Preparation. She is the President-Elect of TSOPHE and actively involved in APHA, SOPHE, and ASA as well as Pioneer Power Speakers (Toastmasters International). She is always looking for research collaboration opportunities. Feel free to email her at lvalentino@twu.edu. 

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Caring for Your Mind and Body

May is Mental Health Month

We all know about the importance about taking care of our health—eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising. Healthy habits positively influence how a person feels and how their body functions.

But good health involves not only caring for our body, but also our mind.

The fact is our mental health is integral to our overall health. Far too many Americans fail to incorporate a principal component into their health choices. Yet overall health and wellness are not possible without it.

What is mental health? If you were to ask your office mate, spouse or neighbor, they may respond that it is a “state of mind,” “being content with life” or “feeling good about yourself.”  Simply put, mental health is the ability to cope with daily life and the challenges it brings.

When a person has “good” mental health, they deal better with what comes their way. By contrast, “poor” mental health—such as feeling overwhelmed by stress —can make even day-to-day life difficult.

Poor mental health can also significantly harm a person’s physical health. For instance, research shows that stress is closely linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. It also shows that people who feel depressed or chronically stressed may have a greater risk of physical illnesses.

The good news is there are many healthy choices and steps that individuals can adopt to promote and strengthen mental health—and overall health and well-being.

A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset or worsening of depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions, as well as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems.  It can also help people recover from these conditions.

This May is Mental Health Month; TWU Health Studies is raising awareness of the role mental health plays in our lives and providing tips and resources so anyone can take steps to promote good mental health.

These include building social support, eating with your mental health in mind, recognizing the signs of stress, and knowing when to reach out for help.

Just as Americans have learned there are things they can do to reduce their risk of heart disease and other illnesses, TWU Health Studies wants to help people learn what they can do both to protect their mental health in tough times and also to improve their mental well-being throughout their lives.

We need to care for both our body and mind.

Be sure to follow our Facebook page for mental health tips and ideas this month.

This post is provided by Mental Health America as part of Mental Health Month. 

Resources:

TWU Counseling Center
 Online Resources - http://www.twu.edu/counseling/online-resources.asp

TWU Student Health Services

 

Laura Valentino Selected as 2nd Recipient of the Williams Health Education Teaching Fellowship

Laura Valentino with Dr. Roger Shipley
at the Spring 2014 Internship Fair

On behalf of TWU Health Studies and the Fellowship Committee, we would like to announce the recipient of the 2^nd Janice Williams Health Education Teaching Fellowship is Laura Valentino.  She will receive $7500.00 for the 2014-2015 academic year.  Laura is part of the Fall 2013 doctoral cohort. In addition to teaching HS 4121 Internship Preparation, Laura currently serves as Vice President Public Relations for the Pioneer Power Speakers (Toastmasters International) club, is the president-elect for TSOPHE (Texas Society for Public Health Education), a member of the TWU Graduate Student Council, and is the founding president of the TWU chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda.

Laura had this to say:

I was excited to open my mail recently and find that I had been awarded the Janice C. Williams Fellowship for the 2014-2015 school year. I had to read the letter twice to make doubly sure of what it said. I am so grateful to have received the fellowship because it gives me a chance to teach a variety of courses and to prepare for my career as a tenured professor in health studies. Receiving the fellowship is a great honor as I know it was highly competitive. I am grateful to Dr. Janice C. Williams for the opportunity to be able to teach while completing my doctorate and for my mentors who have encouraged me along the way.  

Dr. Janice C. Williams graduated from Texas Woman's University with a Ph.D. in Health Studies in 1973. After she graduated, she taught public school in Texas and Louisiana. She developed health teaching programs for Texas State University, Virginia Tech University and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Dr. Williams passed away in 2011. She generously left $340,000 to the Department of Health Studies and Dance Department to develop fellowships. The Williams Health Education Endowed Teaching Fellowship supports doctoral students in the TWU Health Studies Department with a teaching fellowship.

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