GLOBAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS MONTH

Every year in May, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month aims to improve the health of the global workforce. Through initiatives and helpful programs, the campaign encourages employers to engage their employees in healthful activities. It also provides a variety of wellness and fitness programs to complement already existing programs. Employers with wellness programs have healthier employees who are more productive. Wellness programs reduce overall healthcare costs and reduce illness and injury.

Employees who participate in wellness programs have lower stress levels, better overall health, and improved confidence, too. Challenge employees to pair up with partners to take the stairs or go for a walk on their lunch break. Take stretch breaks and eat healthy meals. Make sure to get plenty of rest and track your exercise, too. Join the movement and encourage others to join you.

GLOBAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS MONTH

The National Association for Health and Fitness launched the observance in 1989 to encourage employers to invest in their employees’ health. Each year the campaign has grown from a national observance to a now global event.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #EmployeeHealthAndFitnessMonth

Employers can participate by offering wellness programs and incentives to employees who participate. Create challenges and opportunities to encourage employees to be physically active and focus on their health. Employees, encourage your employer to join the movement. Other ways to participate include:

  • Invite other co-workers to join you for a walk on your lunch break
  • Choose the farthest parking space or walk to work
  • Take the stairs
  • Use a standing desk
  • Participate in desk exercises

Use #EmployeeHealthAndFitnessMonth to share on social media.

National Couple Appreciation Month

National Couple Appreciation Month in April reminds us to keep the flames of romance alive all year long. Don’t wait for a specific holiday to keep the spark in your relationship hot.

Let’s face it; relationships take work.  Whether they are romantic ones or not, they take effort.  When two people are in the early stages of love, the excitement and the hormones make us overlook all the flaws and potential obstacles the world throws at us. Fast forward to life. When we value the people in our lives, we take the time to do the little things to let them know. 

For the significant other in our life, those little things mean so much more. This person is the one we call when we’re going to be late coming home from work. She’s the person we talk to about big decisions. He’s the person who makes your coffee in the morning.

Whether the relationship is becoming long-term or has already endured the long-haul, National Couple Appreciation Month is a time to re-dedicate the little things we do for each other. Little things go a long way to sending the message that we a loved and cared about.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Spend time with your loved one and reconnect. 

Little Things
  • Leave a love note on your mate’s car.
  • Surprise your love with coffee or tea before they wake.
  • If your sweetheart is a selfie-loving type and you’re not, give in on occasion and take a couples’ selfie.
  • Let your significant other overhear you complimenting them. It’s one thing for you to tell them directly, but to know you tell others what you think means so much more.
  • Invite your love to go on an activity he or she enjoys. It doesn’t need to be expensive. If they are always pestering you to go for a walk or to the library, they will be pleased by the gesture.
  • Learn something new together.  Explore common interests where you both might have an opportunity to learn while spending time together.

Use #NationalCoupleAppreciationMonth to share on social media.

NATIONAL I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY DAY

National I Want You to be Happy Day on March 3rd encourages us to do something that makes others happy. It also asks us to see others’ happiness from their point of view. Putting a smile on someone’s face tends to put one on ours, too.

Genuine happiness takes effort. While we’re not individually responsible for other’s happiness, we do play a role in spreading joy and good cheer. One way to do that is to see happiness from another person’s perspective. Happiness doesn’t fit a mold. Everything from being a morning person or a night owl, a favorite season and seafood can make or break a person’s general idea of happiness. A person’s overall journey through life gives them a unique outlook on happiness, too.

Being happy may merely be about quality, not quantity.

HOW TO OBSERVE #IWantYouToBeHappyDay

National I Want You to Be Happy Day is quite limitless. Give a flower here. Tell a silly knock-knock joke there. Buy the person’s coffee standing in line behind you. Remind your kids how much you love them. Leave a sticky note for a co-worker telling them to have a spectacular day, a happy day. Draw a happy face in the snow for a stranger to come across later. Give someone a hug.

But no matter what, consider someone else’s happiness from their point of view.

Use #IWantYouToBeHappyDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH

Every March, National Athletic Training Month focuses on the impact Athletic Trainers (ATs) have on the safety and well-being of their clients and patients. All month long, participants celebrate ATs dedication to their profession.

Athletic Trainers offer expert care and are trained, medical professionals. They work in a variety of settings, providing preventative services, rehabilitative, and emergency services.

ATs serve in some of the following settings:

  • clinics/hospitals
  • colleges/universities
  • secondary schools
  • military
  • police force
  • fire departments
  • performing arts

ATs develop programs to prevent injury. They evaluate their patients and ensure they receive necessary screenings. In the event of injury, ATs develop rehabilitation plans designed to return their patient safely to the level of performance before the injury. ATs are also able to asses and refer patients for specialized care.

NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING MONTH HISTORY

National Athletic Trainers Association promotes National Athletic Training Month to spread the importance of ATs and the valuable work they do all over the country. In previous years, the organization has sponsored a theme with the promotion. Past themes have included:

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalAthleticTrainingMonth

Give an athletic trainer you know a shout out. Thank them for their care, professional knowledge, and support. If you’re an athletic trainer, encourage someone interested in the profession. Attend a career fair and share your experience. Thank someone who supported you in your career path. If you’re interested in becoming an athletic trainer, explore career options and education. Learn more about the profession and where to begin.  Use #NationalAlthleticTrainingMonth to share on social media.

NATIONAL USE YOUR GIFT CARD DAY

National Use Your Gift Card Day reminds Americans to use the $1 billion in gift cards left unused each year. On the third Saturday in January, take stock of the gift cards you received over the holidays. Make the most of each one of them before they’re forgotten for good!

Amazon Top 100 gifts
Amazon Top 100 Gifts

We all do it. Stash away gift cards thinking we will have more time later to use them. They collect dust and disappear into an abyss somewhere. We discover them as we clean and often don’t remember how much was on the card or if we used a portion of it. Those partial balances add up, too!  The first step is to collect the cards together and see what you have. You know where to look.

  • Every pocket of every purse and wallet you have
  • The infamous junk drawer
  • Glove compartment of the car
  • Bottom of the toy box (it may have been used to scrape goo off a toy)
  • The other junk drawer
  • A gift bag with the tissue paper still in it
  • The toolbox (we know what happens when a flathead screwdriver can’t be found)

Once you have your gift cards, get organized. Where do the gift cards work? Restaurants, retail, and services all offer gift cards. Some gift cards are designed to be used just about anywhere.

Maximizing Your Gift
  • Check for deals to maximize your gift cards. In most cases, gift cards work just like cash and can be used with coupons. There are exceptions, however, so it’s always good to check first.
  • Is the card to a place you don’t shop? You have a few options:
    • See if the card is good at a companion location
    • Check to see if the gift card can be cashed out
    • Have a gift card swap party or sell your gift card for cash
    • Donate your gift card to a charity fundraiser like a silent auction
  • Plan to overspend the amount of the gift card to avoid having small balances lying around. Even if you add a small useful item (lip balm is always handy) to go a penny over the amount, you’ll be able to hand the card over to the retailer to recycle the card.

NATIONAL USE YOUR GIFT CARD DAY HISTORY

Tilson PR founded National Use Your Gift Card Day in 2020 to make sure everyone gets the most out of their gift cards. Leave no gift card unturned and find tips, ideas, and deals by visiting useyourgiftcard.com, too.

HOW TO OBSERVE #UseYourGiftCardDay

Collect your gift cards. It’s time to use them. Don’t let them sit for a year and risk losing your gift altogether. Maximize your gift cards with deals and get the most out of your gift cards, too. Have a shopping spree or a spa day with your gift cards. Don’t let those gifts and savings pass you by! Use #UseYourGiftCardDay to share on social media.

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