Today at Mines Wellness Corner

Got a crick in your neck by the end of the workday? Stiff shoulders? Bad ergonomics at your work-from-home set-up could be to blame. Here are some simple tips for improving the comfort of your home workstation—no expensive equipment required—courtesy of Barb O’Kane, environmental health and safety manager (and campus ergonomics guru).

1. Is your computer monitor at the right height?
When working on your computer, your head should be in a neutral position in relation to your neck—you shouldn’t be tilting down, tilting up or turned one way or another.

 How to fix it:

• Raise (or lower) your monitor’s stand. Still not high enough? Add a ream of paper or thick textbook underneath.
• Laptop users: Consider getting an external monitor, laptop stand or just a tall pile of books to boost your screen up to the proper height (with an external keyboard and mouse, of course).

2. Are your chair and desk at the right height?
When sitting at your workstation, your feet should be flat on the floor and your hands, wrists and forearms in a neutral position, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, forearms horizontal and no hinge at the wrist.

How to fix it:

• Raise (or lower) your chair and/or desk until you find an ideal combination.
• Feet still not quite flat on the ground? Find something around the house that will work as a footrest. Like, say, that unabridged dictionary collecting dust on your bookshelf.

For more tips, check out this article from PCMag or run through this basic self-assessment checklist. And don’t forget to take breaks—short and frequent are best. Get up from your desk, walk around and maybe try some of these easy computer and desk stretches.

Like most of us, our graduate students face uncertainty and many are far away from home while living in isolation. Here are some ideas how advisors can support the graduate students they work with, from Roel Snieder, W.M. Keck Distinguished Professor of Professional Development Education.

• Have regular Zoom meetings with each student, perhaps more frequently than your regular work meetings.
• Check in with your students at a personal level. Ask them about their personal situation, their concerns and their family.
• Have a conversation about how their progress may be affected by the current isolation and how delays and setbacks can be minimized.
• Have a regular “happy hour” with your team through Zoom in which you leave ample space for topics other than work or COVID-19.

Professors: What’s working for you? Grad students: What would you like to see? Send your ideas for supporting graduate students to rsnieder@mines.edu.

We could all use a little help when it comes to time management these days. So, Every Oredigger turned to the real experts—our amazing Mines student-athletes, who not only find time to excel on the playing field but also in the classroom. Here are some tips they recommend:

Jacob Feldman, Wrestling

Master’s student in Engineering and Technology Management

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee executive chair

Sydney Marchando, Softball

Junior in Chemical Engineering

How do you self-care? Try mindfulness TODAY with Virtual Mindful Mondays

Mindfulness meditation has tons of benefits and can be a welcome break in your routine. Lucky for us, the Counseling Center has moved its weekly session online—making it a great way to connect with our fellow Orediggers as we take care of ourselves together.

What’s mindfulness? It’s all about paying attention to your present moment experiences with openness, curiosity and a willingness to be with what is. It’s a great way to boost your concentration, feel more engaged in your life and manage stressful experiences with greater ease.

Whether you’re brand new to meditation or mindfulness or already have an established practice, all are welcome at Mindful Mondays. Come as you are!

Virtual Mindful Mondays

• 3 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays
• Join us on Zoom

TODAY: Mines Professor Roel Snieder will offer a guided meditation with music. Prefer to meditate after school/work? Dr. Snieder is also leading evening meditations for the Mines community multiple days a week on Zoom.

Looking to stay active at home? How about a virtual fitness class with one of your favorite Rec Center instructors?

Mines Rec Sports is offering live virtual fitness classes! All classes are taught by Mines Fitness instructors and are being offered via a private Facebook group.

Current Class Schedule

• Mondays at 12 p.m. | Total Body with Lisa
• Tuesdays at 5 p.m. | Barre with Lisa
• Wednesday at 12 p.m. | Yoga with Elizabeth
• Thursdays at 5 p.m. | Yoga with Cassie

To participate in a virtual class, join this Facebook page and log on during the scheduled class times.

YOU@Mines has a wealth of information and advice to help navigate whatever life throws your way – including remote learning, job/internship hunting, and managing stress and anxiety in the age of COVID-19. The online platform is free, confidential and customizable – and while it’s designed with students in mind, everyone with a Mines email address has access. Check it out today at you.mines.edu.

Getting the Most Out of Online Classes

• Practice time management. You may now have more time or flexibility than you did before due to COVID-19. Create a schedule and stick to it.
• Create a regular study space and stay organized. No matter where it is, establish a dedicated learning environment for studying and establish a routine.
• Eliminate distractions. Now that you’re responsible for completing coursework online, you’ll be faced with distractions that can derail your studies. Find strategies that work best for you to help you limit the noise of social media, the news, email and more.
• Leverage your network. In going from learning in a classroom to joining an online learning community, you may feel like you’re learning on your own. Turn your in-person study group into a virtual study group.

Find more online class tips here.