At A Grade Ahead, while our day-to-day focus may be empowering students through educational enrichment in math and English, we also understand the importance of full-body health! This is why, for corporate headquarters employees, the focus of June was Mind, Body, and Soul. Organized by human resources manager, Nichole Armstrong, the month was packed to the brim with fun, healthy challenges and opportunities to either win prizes or focus on improving your overall health. Did you know that physical and mental health are both equally important facets to living a fulfilling life? Is your student interested in this or other science? Consider A Grade Ahead’s science courses for students in 3rd-5th grade!
Steps Challenge!
The overarching challenge for the month of June was a steps competition. For this, employees set goals for how many steps they would like to take each day, and they recorded their totals. Special awards were given for those who reached certain milestones, such as having the highest total in one day, or reaching 100,000 steps in a week. This was a great way for A Grade Ahead employees to challenge themselves while also boosting their mental health. Yes, walking – even moderately – can help with mental health! One morning, participants also met for an office walk and healthy breakfast snacks. It was a great way to get a head start on steps for the day, as well as to socialize with fellow participants.
Mini Goals!
At the start of the month, participants in the A Grade Ahead challenge were given an opportunity to fill out a goals sheet. They were invited to set goals for themselves including daily water consumption and nightly sleep. They were also able to create a few their own personal goals for the month. Finally, there were several mini challenges that participants could complete throughout the month. These included tasks such as “do something nice for a stranger,” “treat yourself,” or “increase your daily water consumption by 20 ounces.” This variety ensured that everyone was able to focus on their whole-body health, rather than one area.
The Grand Finale!
The month culminated in an absolutely wonderful health and wellness retreat at our founders’ – Meenal and Parag Singhal – house.
Yoga
The retreat started with a yoga session led by Meenal Singhal. It was both engaging and relaxing. Participants also got to enjoy the end of the session, in which they were paired with other participants in order to practice partner yoga.
Sound Bath
After yoga, employees were treated to a sound bath via Samantha Petroff of The Reiki Center in Columbus, Ohio. Invited to lie down and get comfortable, participants were then washed over with a variety of sounds for 30 minutes. This practice has been found to help lessen stress, improve mood, and even decrease pain, among other benefits!
Giving Back
Part of overall health and happiness can also mean giving back to others or your community. After yoga and the sound bath, while enjoying healthy snacks and make-your-own smoothies, participants were led in a seed craft by teacher manager Nicole Acevedo. Everyone was given a small shaker bottle to decorate. Then, Ohio native seeds were placed in the bottle, so that participants could sprinkle them in order to spread beauty and benefit wildlife. Nicole did a wonderful job of explaining the different seeds and their uses.
A Great Month!
While prizes were awarded at the end of the month, I think all of the A Grade Ahead employees would agree that it wasn’t about the rewards, but about the journey! It was great to bond with peers and challenge ourselves. It was beneficial to step back and reflect on full-body health goals when we can often get bogged down in the stress of work and day-to-day life.
What do you think? How do you help yourself and your family focus on both mental and physical health? Would you consider doing your own Mind, Body, and Soul challenge? We would love to hear from you in the comments!
Do you have educational goals in mind for your student? Take a free assessment with A Grade Ahead today!
Author: Emily Karth, Curriculum Manager at A Grade Ahead
