May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. It’s a great time to think more about the dimensions of wellness and how they impact our work-life balance. The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) includes eBooks and articles that can help everyone focus on their well-being and improve their quality of life.

Wellness is typically divided into seven dimensions: emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental. "Feel Better, Live Better: 7 Necessary Elements of Self-Care" in Massage Magazine from Consumer Health Complete describes each of the seven dimensions and how they benefit our lives. Regarding Occupational Wellness, the author says that those who look forward to going to work often have a good work-life balance which allows them the time and energy they need to focus on other dimensions of wellness and not their job alone.

If you’re feeling burned out at work, "You’re Fried. Stuff’s not getting done. You’re on the verge of saying, “Screw this.” But before you hit eject, serious case of AFTERBURN(OUT)" in Men’s Health from Consumer Health Complete, provides some strategies for bringing yourself back from being burnt out. This includes looking at your “2 percent”—the part of the burnout that you can control. The author also suggests taking breaks and making time to do something you will really enjoy that will help you thrive.

The Oak Park, Illinois Public Library’s well-being initiative is described in "Supporting Staff Strategically" in American Libraries from Library & Information Science Source. By forming a staff committee to discover what employees needed, they came up with ideas such as a beekeeping training program, lifestyle spending accounts to reimburse employees for expenses that support well-being, revised workplace policies, and a staff quiet room.

Another strategy one might employ to feel more satisfied and productive at work is mindfulness. "Application of Mindfulness for Work-Related Stress" in Positive Health from Alt HealthWatch suggests that being aware of the present moment can help people remain calm under pressure and increase work productivity. If you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness MeL offers several eBooks that might be helpful:

Five Good Minutes of Mindfulness: Reduce Stress, Reset, and Find Peace Right Now by Jeffrey Brantley and Wendy Millstine

Practicing Mindfulness: Finding Calm and Focus in Your Everyday Life by Jerry Braza

Mindfulness at Work: The Practice and Science of Mindfulness for Leaders, Coaches, and Facilitators by Jonathan Passmore and Samatha Amit

We hope you will use the content in the MeL eResources to gather ideas for creating work-life balance during Global Employee Health and Fitness Month that will last all year long.

If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact melerhelp@mcls.org for help.

Brought to you by Laura Warren-Gross from the MeL Team. 

Supporting Michigan Libraries by Putting You First. 

Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs,  visit http://mel.org, or sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks. 

MeL eResources are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only. 

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.

Laura Warren-Gross

MeL Engagement Specialist for Public Libraries
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services  
517-481-2022 

warren-grossl@mcls.org

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