Wellbeing @ Monash and Monash Sport newsletter – November 2017
Browse the Timeout newsletter for information on what’s new in Wellbeing at Monash. Read about the latest Wellbeing, Monash Sport and Team Monash events, services and activities. For information about latest events, special offers, discounts, and news, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing wellbeing@monash.edu
In the November edition:
- Wellbeing events and news
- Monash Sport news and offers
- TeamMONASH news
- Employee benefits and discounts
Join us for the Monash 10,000 Steps Celebration event
We hope you are enjoying the 2017 Monash 10,000 Steps Challenge and invite you to be part of the celebration events planned at our various campuses and sites.
To join in the fun, simply register by no later than Monday, 4th December. Individual and team awards will be presented at the events and participants will also receive a healthy lunch and go in the draw to win some great prizes.
We hope you will join us in celebrating the 2017 Monash 10,000 Steps Challenge!
The MOnash MOvember Team is MOving along!
Thank you to everyone who joined and supported the Monash MOvember Team!
So far they have raised over $6,000 to support some of the biggest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and poor mental health.
They are not far from their goal, so if you would like to support your colleagues and help support men dying young, then click here to donate. Every donation counts, big or small you can show you support.
Or why not lend your support to the cause by purchasing a Monash/Movember branded Keep-Cup from the Monash Bookshop and the Monash Merchant? Not only will you be supporting men’s health issues, but you can help to fight the #WarOnWaste.
Step into Summer and keep in shape
Its almost holiday time and what a great time to ramp up your daily exercise regime.
The summer series SWAP classes for 2018 will be available from 1 December at the wellbeing website.
Not only will you increase your fitness, but you might also keep off those unwanted and unhealthy kilos
Here are some simple tips to help you along the way:
- Set up a daily routine and enjoy a regular walk in your local park or around your neighbourhood
- Form a walking group
- Grab your family and friends, pack a picnic and the cricket set and pop down to one of the many picturesque parks and gardens around Melbourne and Victoria
- Arrange family activities that involve exercise like going for a swim, or hike
- Sign up to a fun activity like dancing or zumba
Monash White Ribbon Day- November 25th
25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day. This year, White Ribbon has a special kit you can download to equip you with the knowledge and skills to help prevent violence against women. The key themes are STOP: See, Talk, Offer Support, and Prevent.
Click here to download your STOP Kit
Mindful Relationships 
This 6-week course focuses on improving self awareness and communication, resolving conflict and cultivating intimacy, love and compassion.
It will teach you how to establish a daily mindfulness meditation practice, beginning with a sustainable amount (10 minutes a day) and building from there. It will also teach you how to apply mindfulness in your life to:
- Be more present with yourself and others
- Develop self compassion and emotional resilience
- Increase self awareness
- Communicate more effectively
- Resolve conflict
- Develop lovingkindness (unconditional friendliness) and compassion
The course will start on 30th of January 2018 at the Clayton campus, to register please click here
The Wellbeing at Monash Team and OHS aid the cancer fight
18 Wonder Women Walkers walked from Safety Beach Yacht Club to the Sorrento Hotel on Sunday 29 October, to raise more than $6200 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Organiser Helen Powell, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer four years ago, described the day’s efforts as “wonderful” and thanked her co-walkers for participating.
“There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer which means that the disease is, in most cases, not picked up until it has spread outside the ovaries,” she said. “This is why it has the highest mortality rate of all the gynaecological cancers.” Ms Powell – who only had two weeks of vague symptoms before being diagnosed – said most women sufferers were unaware of their condition until the later stages of the disease. She said the best way to improve the statistics was by raising funds for research and changing the odds for all the “friends, sisters, mums and partners”. “The Wonder Woman or man is not just the person with the disease but the community behind them,” she said. For more information, click here.
Healthy Holiday Tips
With Christmas fast approaching and family events high on the agenda, its hard to stay on track and be healthy. Here are some tips on how you can stay healthy while enjoying the festive season!
1. Beware the buffet
Buffets tend to encourage over-consumption. When faced with a wide variety of food, most of us are struck down with FOMO (fear of missing out). This means we misjudge what we actually need and tend to pile our plates with a selection of everything. Try to load your plate with salads or vegetables first, leaving less room for the fried or creamy. Remember that buffets usually include dessert, so eat what you need and leave room for a special treat.
2. How much is too much?
Portion control is difficult to judge, especially at a buffet. You don’t have to abstain from every high fat, high kilojoule option available but do try to limit your portions of foods that are really oily, creamy or fried. Try to choose a nice piece of something high kilojoule and really savour it.
3. Don’t forget to eat….
If you’ve got an evening function to attend, don’t starve yourself all day so you can enjoy the event. Being really hungry usually leads to over eating and overcompensating. Make sure you eat breakfast and lunch and have a piece of fruit for a morning or afternoon snack so you’re not absolutely starving by the time you walk into the function.
4. Watch what you drink
Increasingly, our employers are advising us to watch what we drink over the festive season, particularly at work functions and this isn’t to limit our calorie intake! Drinking alcohol adds extra calories to our diet, increases the likelihood we’ll say something we regret and serves no real nutritional purpose. If you do drink alcohol, enjoy a glass or 2 within your limits but leave it at that. Your waist line and your brain will thank you for it.
But it’s not only alcohol. Often at social functions, the only non-alcoholic options are soft drinks. Instead of soft drink, opt for a soda and fresh lime or a shot of fresh juice with mineral water if you can.
5. If you’re catering
If you’re planning a fancy meal or catering for a crowd, spend time planning the salads as well as the meats. Cater with a variety of delicious fresh vegetable and grain salads – try freekeh, quinoa or something you’ve never tried before. Salads packed with vegetables, nuts, seeds, fresh cheeses make a delicious side dish or hearty meal on their own. Dress up the salad with a delicious dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and fresh cut herbs. A flavoured vinegar can add a new dimension too. Make sure you add the dressing just before serving so your salad doesn’t go soggy.
6. Stay on track
If you do pile your plate at the buffet and drink too many sweet or alcoholic drinks, this doesn’t mean that you should let all restraint go and continue to indulge for weeks. Stick to your normal eating and activity routine when you’re not out and about. In this way you’ll avoid the ‘all or nothing’ approach and the indulgences will be aberrations, not your holiday routine.
Monash Sport News, Events and Offers
Tanya Hetherington drafted to the Greater Western Sydney Giants
Following an impressive game in the VFL Women’s Grand Final and being named in the VFL Women’s Team of the year, our very own Tanya Hetherington has been drafted to the Greater Western Sydney Giants (GWS) at pick 17.
Read more about Tanya on our blog here.
25% OFF! End of Semester Merchandise Sale
With a new season comes new clothing! All of our Monash Sport branded apparel is now 25% off! This includes our range of hoodies, T-shirts, singlets, shorts, and sport bags. While stocks last only. Available at Monash Sport Clayton Service Desk.
November’s Monthly Personal Challenges
In November, our updated Monthly Personal Challenges are as follows:
- Dips
- Dead Hang
- 4 Minute Time Trial – Skill Mill
Speak to any Health and Fitness Instructor to join and have a chance to win 2 weeks free on your membership. The challenges all have instructional videos available for them, so take a look and get involved.
New Spin Bikes Arrive at Caulfield
A much-needed upgrade has just arrived at our Caulfield Campus! The Cycle room is now updated with new STAR TRAC NXT bikes. Come along and be the first toride these brand new pieces of equipment!
TeamMONASH News
Chancellor’s Cup Golf Day Event Wrap Up
The goal of the Chancellor’s Cup Golf Day is to raise funds for the Elite Student Performer Scheme (ESPS) as well as Monash-affiliated sporting clubs. This is a wonderful opportunity for Monash alumni and friends to join the University in this endeavour…. more information.
Jessica Au, Monash Football’s Finest
Monash University’s own Jessica Au is a rare breed, someone who thrives under the glare of bright lights. Jessica is not only an elite soccer player, but also undertaking her Medicine degree… more information.
Employee benefits and discounts
Monash staff have access to a great range of employee benefits and discounts including accommodation, travel, travel insurance, airport parking and car hire and plenty more. Read more information in the range of employee benefits and staff discounts
RACV Bike Assist
RACV are delighted to offer all Monash students and staff 50% off RACV Bike Assist.
Whether it’s an accident, mechanical issue, puncture or even exhaustion, RACV Bike Assist will come to your aid. In the case of a puncture, an RACV Service Provider will be despatched to get you going again. For everything else, we’ll organise and pay for a Maxi Taxi to take you and your bike to a destination of your choice. (Taxi ride covered up to $50 per incident.) An annual subscription gives you up to 8 call-outs a year so you can go riding anytime and know you’re covered.
Monash Students and Staff receive a 50% discount on their first year of RACV Bike Assist.
Using promo code: MONASH50
For further information or to claim this offer please visit RACV Bike Assist or by calling RACV on 13 72 28.
Novated Lease
Are you in the market for a new car? Need help getting rid of your old one, our novated lease providers are here to help.
Purchase a new car or second hand car (subject to approval) and salary package through our novated lease providers:
Novated Leasing can offer many benefits for staff:
- A Novated Lease may be both cost and tax effective. Your salary packaged vehicle costs are paid from your pre-tax income. Paying with pre-tax dollars means that you enjoy a lower rate of tax on the benefit than if you were to pay for the running costs of the vehicle using after tax income.
- Freedom to select the vehicle of your choice.
- Lease repayments are fixed for the term of the lease.
- You can select flexible lease terms from 12 to 60 months (one to five years).
- Under a Novated Lease, the financier applies an Input Tax Credit (ITC) to remove the GST from the amount financed. This means that your repayments will be lower as you finance a reduced, GST-exclusive amount.
- Under a salary packaging arrangement all finance and operating costs for the vehicle are known as a “related benefit” and are GST and income tax-exempt.
Further information about our novated lease procedure can be found here.