How often do you take a break for your mental health? With Whil, taking that break is right at your fingertips and all you’ll need is an internet-enabled device (mobile and web versions are available) and 5 minutes of free time. Whil, a service available to you through Your Plan for Health powered by Virgin Pulse, can help employees reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being.

Whil has 3 different programs, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Yoga. The Emotional Intelligence program has 17 5-minute sessions that both educate and provide the opportunity to practice emotional intelligence skills. The Mindfulness program has 9 calming and energizing 5-minute sessions that teach the basics of mindfulness practice. The Yoga program is video-based and has 9 20-minute yoga videos offering basics to get started and the videos include modifications for both experienced and novice yoga practices.

When your work day becomes overwhelming or stressful or if you are having difficulty calming your mind down for sleep, use that as an opportunity to earn some YP4H points and practice giving your mind a break. I like to listen to Whil sessions as I am falling asleep at night. I play the clip and place my phone beside my bed and listen as I practice deep breathing. I love Whil! What ways that you can practice mindfulness in your life that can provide a quiet opportunity for your mind?

To use Whil, access through the web through Virgin Pulse. You call log in by navigating to https://yp4h.osu.edu/, click ‘log in to YP4H’ in the top right corner – the red button. After you’ve logged in, and authenticated using Duo, click on ‘programs’ at the top. Next, click ‘all programs’ and scroll to the bottom to find the 3 different Whil programs. To access Whil on mobile, follow the same steps and for easier access, download the Whil app and log in to connect it with your YP4H account.

The OSU Health Plan has partnered with the Ohio State S.M.A.R.T Lab to work with faculty and staff on stress-management training. Through a pilot program in 2017, significant improvements in participants’ state and trait anxiety levels were identified after completion of a six-week series utilizing a combination of relaxation skills and training at the S.M.A.R.T Lab. The program also showed that 96% of the participants felt the S.M.A.R.T Lab sessions reduced their level of stress. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to work on stress management or are interested in joining one of our upcoming sessions, please visit LinktoHealth to register by selecting "Educational Program" and look for 'Give Biofeedback a Try!" We hope to see you in the lab!