Inside this issue… Social media useMonthly book clubWorking out at homeHealthy holiday spendingWellness benefitSocial well-beingCrockpot soup

Dakota Wellness ProgramOctober 2019

Book ClubDigital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

Digital minimalists are all around you. These are the happy and focused people who can hold a long conversation without glancing at their phones. They can pay attention to their work, read a book and go for a long walk without thinking about what they are missing online. Enjoying friends and family is easy for them without having to document the experience for others to see.

This book will help you learn which digital experiences contribute value to your life and those that don’t. Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It’s the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. Using real life experiences from the Amish to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport reveals the practices of digital minimalists, their relationships with technology and how to reconnect with others and ourselves offline.

Discussion questions1. What do you think of the concept of digital

minimalism?

2. What would you like to prioritize over passive technology consumption?

3. How would you reclaim leisure time in your own life?

4. What technology guidelines would you like to implement?

Social media is designed to be addictingSocial media can be an enjoyable pastime for leisure and a helpful tool for work. But as technology has gotten smarter and more research is being done, it is increasingly becoming connected to social media addiction and social isolation.

You may relate to author Cal Newport’s observation that the urge to pick up our phones every few minutes has become a nervous twitch. It’s important to know that phones and applications have been purposely designed to be this way.

The goal of a social media platform is for users to spend as much time on it as possible; the like button and the infinite scroll are two examples of how this is accomplished. The like button was created to bring users back to the site to check the popularity of a post, and the infinite scroll is designed to keep users on the site by not giving the brain time to pause and leave. Tech designers have compared this functionality to a slot machine.

High social media use, often resulting in social comparison, can lead to loneliness and depression, which is increasing across all ages in the U.S., with nearly half of Americans stating that they are lonely. People who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to ten times more likely to get sick and die prematurely from virtually all causes when compared to those who have strong feelings of love, connection, and community.

“Your world is the outcome of what you pay attention to,” Newport states. Be mindful of this when deciding how to best use social media to influence your life. Check out the activate section of this newsletter for tips on how you can improve your social media use for your well-being.

Financing your holidaysWith the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to start thinking about your financial plan. Starting with a plan and budget can help you to stay within your means and not create financial worry or debt in the new year.

Getting started• Make a list of all persons that you need to purchase a gift for and assign

a dollar amount• Review your holiday traditions like cards, entertainment, food and travel

and assign a spending amount

Saving moneyHaving an assigned amount related to an expense usually helps you to spend less. But, if your total is more than you can afford or save for in the coming months, then it is time to reduce how much you spend.

• Give the gift of time together instead of a material good• Use homemade or DIY gifts• Have a gift exchange to buy just one gift

for an assigned person, instead of buying for everyone at a celebration

• Ask family what their most important experiences and traditions are, cut out those that others don’t cherish as much

• Host a potluck gathering instead of supplying all of the food and party needs

Get fit at homeBuilding a space at home for exercising is a great way to eliminate one of the most common barriers to exercise, time. When it comes to creating the space, there are items to consider to create a workout space and regimen that suits you.

1. Find a space for your home gym- whether it’s the attic, basement, or office room- make sure the space feels separate from distractions and clutter.

2. Make sure you have enough space for the types of exercises you will be performing (i.e. ceiling height for jumping).

3. Keep a list of workouts on hand. Create a binder with a few workouts or have a few posted on the wall to save on time and to stay motivated.

Lastly, give yourself permission to focus on your health. It is easy to let your own wellness slip to the wayside when other obligations come up. Remember that your health and wellness is important, and for you to be able to cope and handle tasks related to work or family, you must first take care of yourself.

Give it a try…Redeem your wellness benefit by December 31, 2019The 2019 Dakota Wellness Program benefit year is ending soon. Get started at sanfordhealthplan.com/memberlogin.

To earn up to $250 in rewards, login to your mySanfordHealthPlan account, select the Wellness tab from the top, then click Wellness Portal from the quick links. You’ll take your required annual health assessment, then:

• Check out the trophy icon on the left menu to discover how you can earn points towards your 2019 benefit

• Enroll in the fitness center reimbursement program at nihcarewards.org and visit your gym 12 times a month to receive up to $20 per month reimbursement

• Redeem your voucher activity points for worksite events

To redeem your points earned in the online wellness portal and through voucher activities, visit the Redemption Center in the Wellness tab quick links in your secure member account. Voucher points for worksite events that took place from July 2018 to June 2019 will be available for redemption after November 1, 2019

Sample workout10 repetitions of EACH exercise

Repeat 3 times• Squats• Pushups• Reverse Crunches• Triceps Dips• Lunges • Plank (30)

Monthly ObservancesBreast CancerDomestic violenceDental hygieneHealth literacyHealthy lungSudden infant death

6-12—Mental illness11—Depression screeningFind a complete list of observances at healthfinder.gov/NHO

Chicken Enchilada SoupServes: 6

Total Time: 4-6 hours | Prep: 15 min

Ingredients:

6 green onion stalks, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 15 ounce can black beans

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups frozen corn

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder or

chili in adobo, add more to taste

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 pound of chicken breast

Optional toppings:

Plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Directions:

Chop onion and cilantro. Open can of black beans and rinse. Add onion, cilantro, beans,

diced tomatoes with juice, corn, broth, tomato sauce and spices to crockpot. Stir

ingredients. Place whole chicken breasts in the broth mixture. Cook on high for four hours,

low for 6 hours until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred. Add back to the

broth mixture and serve with optional toppings.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 429 Total Fat: 15g Sodium: 714mg Total Carbohydrates: 55g

Dietary Fiber: 10g Total Protein: 24g

Nutrition information compiled using nutritiondata.com

Activate!IMPROVE YOUR SOCIAL WELL-BEING

The latest research suggests limiting social media use to 30 minutes a day for improved health and well-being. Use time saved to reconnect with others in the real world instead of connecting only online.

1. Track your phone and app usage Some phones provide this information, but there are also apps that do this. Try the Moment Screentime Tracker to discover how you are spending your time on your phone and receive guided coaching to help you rethink your phone usage.

2. Limit the noise Daily guidelines can include a timeframe for when you will check platforms and which apps, games and/or websites this includes.

• Set your phone to do not disturb and allow only certain callers through for an emergency

• Turn off all home screen notifications for social media apps

3. Challenge yourself• Reduce 1 hour of usage per day

• Take 1 day away from social media each week

• Challenge yourself to be offline for 1 week a month

SVHP-3452 Rev. 9/19

QUICK LINKSsanfordhealthplan.com/ndpers

SET-UP A mySanfordHealthPlan ONLINE ACCOUNTsanfordhealthplan.com/ memberlogin

CONTACT USNDPERSwellness@ sanfordhealthplan.com (844) 742-0014

This information should not be considered medical advice and is not a substitute for individual patient care and treatment decisions.