While telecommuting has great advantages, it also presents a new set of daily challenges. If you live independently, with a partner, or with roommates, you may be struggling to define your own space and time for work versus downtime. Keeping momentum in the day can be difficult, and you are probably on a search for fulfilling opportunities inside your house or apartment. Anybody else reorganize the pantry twice already??

If you have little ones as your office mates, then you are probably trying to grow an extra set of hands, or duplicate yourself entirely so you can serve your constituents as mayor, teacher, colleague, principal, disciplinarian, friend, classmate, chef, housekeeper, coach, and most importantly, PARENT. We agree – part of staying sane includes bonding together over the INSANITY, but we want to focus on more than just surviving.

How do we thrive in this environment? How do we re-establish a new normal, a semblance of routine and balance with such little structure from the outside world in place? More importantly, how do we take this unprecedented time and turn it into a unique opportunity to explore new interests, learn about ourselves, and strengthen ties with those closest to us? 

This LiveWell Jefferson Blog Series is dedicated to one theme: Thriving in the Telecommute. We took a deep dive into researching practices that can make a difference, and we’ve included a few below. Over the next few days, we will be posting content to expand on each of these practices, and we’ll provide resources to give you a head start. The goal isn’t to do all of these – pick one or two that are easiest for you and make a habit out of them. Remember, it’s just practice – we aren’t training for the Olympics of working from home – we are already there!

Practices to Help You Thrive in the Telecommute:

1. 1. Explore | See the full blog post on Friday, April 3, 2020  
      1. Read or listen to audio books daily, invest in a new hobby, and take advantage of this time with activities you wouldn’t normally do.
   2. Establish a Routine | See the full blog post on Sunday, April 5, 2020 
      1. Keeping structure in your day will help you set expectations for yourself, your family, and even your pets. Schedules create a stable foundation for everyone.
   3. Prioritize Mental Health | See the full blog post on Wednesday, April 8, 2020
      1. Discuss current events openly and schedule virtual gatherings with friends and family. We all crave connection and interaction – don’t stop socializing even when you are practicing social distancing. Click Here to view behavioral health services that are available 24/7 in the Greater New Orleans Region.
   4. Kickstart a Wellness Journey | See the full blog post on Monday, April 13, 2020
      1. Boost your immune system, lower anxiety, and stay healthy with simple exercises and nutritious meals.

If you’re quarantined or spending extra time at home, it’s important to eat healthy foods.You can get creative if you’re feeling well. Keep it simple if you’re not. LiveWell Jefferson encourages you to stock up on easy ways to soak up the nutrients! READ MORE

The Jefferson Chamber’s LiveWell Jefferson campaign is pleased to announce that Humana and Ochsner Health System have been designated as LiveWell Jefferson Champions.

The LiveWell Jefferson Champion designation recognizes companies that foster a workplace focused on health and wellness. This designation is opened to all companies in Jefferson Parish, regardless of membership with the Jefferson Chamber.

Humana and Ochsner Health System met certain criteria in order to become a LiveWell Champion including:

• Becoming either a Level 3 Well-Ahead Well Spot (Click here to learn more) or receive the American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Achievement recognition (Click here to learn more)
• Completing the LiveWell Champions application with benchmarks based on 5 pillars of health: Nutrition, Physical Activity, Tobacco Cessation, Work-Life Integration and Environment. Click for the application.
• Scoring at least a 70% on the LiveWell Champion application. Each application is scored by the Chamber’s Health & Wellness Committee.

Companies selected as a LiveWell Jefferson Champion receive a window decal, logo recognition on the LiveWell Jefferson website and company’s website, and recognition at the Jefferson Chamber’s Business Leadership Awards Luncheon in May 2019.

For more information or to apply for the LiveWell Jefferson Champion designation, please visit www.livewelljefferson.org or contact Christy Marino at 504-835-3880.

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About LiveWell Jefferson
LiveWell Jefferson was formed in early 2017 as a new initiative of the Jefferson Chamber focused on creating and cultivating a culture of health and wellness among the business community and residents of Jefferson Parish. Through educating employers on the importance and implementation of health and wellness programs, the LiveWell Jefferson campaign strives to produce more productive employees, help attract and retain talent, build staff morale, combat employee absenteeism, minimize staff turnover and reduce healthcare costs for employers.

METAIRIE, LA — The Jefferson Chamber has been named an “Award of Excellence” winner in the Communications Excellence awards program presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). ACCE, an Alexandria, Va.-based association, represents more than 8,000 chamber of commerce professionals, and 1,300 chambers of commerce, around the world.

ACCE’s annual Awards for Communications Excellence, sponsored by Golden Openings, Inc., is designed to showcase top communications and marketing work of chambers of commerce and similar organizations. Several thousand award entries have been submitted since the launch of the organization’s Awards for Communications Excellence, which is now in its 34^th year.

The Jefferson Chamber received an Award of Excellence for its LiveWell Jefferson Campaign. LiveWell Jefferson was formed in early 2017 as a new initiative of the Jefferson Chamber focused on creating and cultivating a culture of health and wellness among the business community and residents of Jefferson Parish. The LiveWell Jefferson campaign strives to produce more productive employees, help attract and retain talent, build staff morale, combat employee absenteeism, minimize staff turnover and reduce healthcare costs for employers. More information can be found on www.livewelljefferson.org.

A panel of communications and marketing professionals from five U.S.-based chambers of commerce evaluated entries, which were organized by category — based on the chamber’s annual budget — and entry type: advertising and marketing, campaigns, digital and publications. With more than 150 entries submitted in 2018, judges recognized 13 entries as Grand Award winners and 41 as Award of Excellence winners. Three Best in Show awards will be announced July 18 at the ACCE Annual Convention in Des Moines, Iowa.

In conjunction with the LiveWell Jefferson Campaign, three members of the Jefferson Chamber team will be presenting at the “Catalysts for Healthy, Prosperous Communities” seminar at the ACCE Convention.

The LiveWell Jefferson Campaign materials were designed in partnership with Buisson Creative.

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About the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, founded in 1914, serves more than 8,000 chamber of commerce professionals, and 1,300 chambers of commerce or similar organizations, around the world. ACCE’s members come from nearly each of the largest 100 metropolitan regions in the United States. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the mission of ACCE is to support chamber professionals so they can lead their communities. Learn more about us by visiting www.ACCE.org.

About the award sponsor, Golden Openings, Inc.
Golden Openings, Inc., sponsor of the Awards for Communications Excellence, is a one-of-a kind business that offers a wide variety of products and services for grand opening, ribbon cutting, ground breaking and key to the city needs. The company has been in business over 17 years and has coordinated over 10,000 events and worked with over 8,000 chambers.  Golden Openings’ many awards include the 2017 U.S. Chamber of Commerce ‘Dream Big’ Small Business of the Year and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2017 ‘Community Champion’ award.  For more information, visit www.goldenopenings.com.

Louisiana’s health rankings are shockingly low, with Jefferson Parish falling to 12^th in overall health out of all 64 parishes. LiveWell Jefferson, a new health & wellness initiative of the Jefferson Chamber formed earlier this year, is looking to shine a light on those companies that support a culture of health and wellness in the workplace in Jefferson Parish.

LiveWell Jefferson has created two opportunities to showcase how your company is creating a healthier workforce:

LiveWell Champions is a designation through the Jefferson Chamber that recognizes companies that foster a workplace focused on health and wellness. This designation is opened to all companies in Jefferson Parish, regardless of membership with the Jefferson Chamber. In order to receive the designation of a LiveWell Champion, companies must first become a Level 3 Well-Ahead Well Spot and reach certain benchmarks based on 5 pillars of health: Nutrition, Physical Activity, Tobacco Cessation, Work-Life Integration and Environment.

The LiveWell Healthy Business Awards highlight and celebrate members of the Jefferson Chamber that are actively engaged in healthy initiatives in the workplace and provide ideas for healthy changes that can be made within the organization. In order to be eligible for a LiveWell Healthy Business Award, businesses must be members of the Jefferson Chamber.  Those organizations with representatives serving on the Chamber’s Health and Wellness Committee are not eligible to participate. Awards are given according to organization size. Winners will be recognized at the Chamber’s Business Awards Luncheon in the Spring of 2018.

For more information on the LiveWell Campaign or to apply for the LiveWell Champions and LiveWell Healthy Business Awards, contact Christy Marino at christy@jeffersonchamber.org or 504-835-3880.