Earlier this year I had the pleasure of introducing mindfulness at Lender Toolkit. It began with a weekly guided mindfulness meditation, which soon turned into bi-weekly per popular demand, and has now turned into a full-blown wellness program with cooking nights, mindfulness coaching, company step challenges, and more. I recently received this message from a coworker about her wellness success story and thought it illustrated just how powerful implementing some of these strategies can be. Here’s what she had to say:
Mindfulness, Health & Goals
This past summer I made a well check with my provider which I was not looking forward to. In the past my lab work had shown high A1C (sugar) levels and high cholesterol levels across the board. I knew I had not changed anything and that results would probably be the same. When I went in to meet with my provider I was correct in my thinking but levels were much worse. I was also vitamin D deficient and high levels of Cortisol. Leaving the doctor and his advice to make changes was overwhelming and seemed difficult. I needed to cut down on cholesterol, sugar, alcohol and carbs due to sugar. My lab appointment was already set for November so I needed to start right away.
LTK was providing mindfulness and health surveys which made me feel like I wasn’t alone. The mindfulness helps with the stress, anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed. The diet changes I knew needed to be a lifestyle change. This wasn’t a diet or temporary changes I was facing. I had to immediately cut back on the carbs, sugar, animal proteins, and foods high in saturated fat. I also cut back on portions, eating out and snacking in between meals. Instead of focusing on the negative or feeling deprived I had to focus on the goal and the challenge. My goal was not to have to be prescribed medications.
My changes resulted in weight loss which was encouraging. With the mindfulness and the LTK focus on cooking night and healthy alternatives I became a little more aware of possibilities with healthy eating.
Fast forward to my November lab results my A1C is normal and cholesterol levels have all dropped. Not in the normal range but much closer. My D level is normal and Thyroid level is below normal meaning they need to adjust my meds (reduce my medication). What?? I have been on thyroid meds for 25 years and the only adjustments in the past was increase not decrease.
I felt like celebrating and eating normal (unhealthy) with the good news. While I did have a weekend of not being so mindful I am ready for the next challenge and will be tested again in January.
Next changes for me will be to add one to two plant-based days in my week as well as adding fish to the menu weekly. I look forward to our cooking night monthly, and Kendyl’s informative dialog during the session. I need to continue to be non- judgmental with myself and think positive when things seem to be overwhelming. Take the small wins each day and have patience.”
From One of Our Digital Mortgage Team Leads
Given the number of hours people spend at their jobs in a lifetime, we at Lender Toolkit feel it is imperative to offer our team tools for greater well-being. This is just one of many success stories that have unfolded as a result of introducing tools like mindfulness in our workplace. It’s the reason why companies like Google, General Millls, and Target have invested time and money into mindfulness programs for their employees. It’s an obvious win-win, and is why we’re seeing more and more companies begin to offer similar tools to cope with the inevitable stress of life.
We just wrapped up our first (optional) company step-challenge and the team is already asking for another one. Here’s to stepping into 2022 more mindful than last year!
