Work Break Workshops – All About Memory

Sign up for the first workshop in our Work Break Workshops Series: All About Memory.   

The Non-Instructional Academic Staff (NIAS) Subcommittee is holding Work Break Workshops every other month during the 2023-2024 fiscal year for academic staff members.

Every job performed on campus has some level of stress that goes with it. Our seminars will give employees opportunities to step away from their work for 60 minutes every other month and focus on a topic that is not their job. These workshops are designed with a variety of themes and topics in mind, ranging from stress reduction, learning about gardening, doing office Zumba, or engaging in a new meaningful relationship. The hope is to improve job performance, happiness and job satisfaction in both professional and personal lives.

These events will be held over the lunch hour via Teams and in person if the activity allows. Sessions will be recorded when possible.

Each session is planned for 100 attendees and is open first to academic staff. If the sessions are not full, we will open registration to other UWM employment classifications at on a first come, first served basis.

Our August meeting is open for sign-up:

Theme: All About Memory

Overview: How memory works, how we store things, how the mind distorts memory, how to improve memory, how memory changes as we age.

Speaker: Nancy Smuckler.

Date: Tuesday Aug. 23

Time: Noon-1 p.m.

Location: Architecture and Urban Planning, Room 170

Sign Up: All About Memory – Event sign-up link

Watch for announcements on future sessions in the UWM Events calendar, the Provost’s Office and Secretary of the University emails.

Upcoming events include:  

October: Theme: Fall; Activity: Physical activity and a discussion about health (half-hour of Zumba followed by half-hour of nutrition talks) for 4 weeks.

December: Theme: Holiday/ Relax/ Stress Reduction; Activity: An hour of stress reduction. (20 min. with essential oils, followed by 40 min. of follow-along painting on canvas.)

February: Theme: Putting winter behind you and looking forward to spring; Activity: Indoor herb garden with sustainability and composition speaker; virtual or in person tour of hoop house with composting in action.

 April: Theme: Heart Healthy and Lifestyle; Activity: Lunch break for 4 weeks (30 min. yoga, 30 min. lecture on different topics, travel, history, weather, etc.)

 June: Theme: Plants and Butterflies; Activity: Greenhouse tour/ lecture on butterflies and plants that attract them.