Campus News

(Re)Discovering Your Spark: Opportunities to Cultivate a More Joyful Life

Employees can enjoy online workshops, in-person events and on-demand content that can help you (re)discover your spark, from May 9 to 27.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 4, 2022) — UK Human Resources has expanded their annual Well-being Week to three weeks this year to accommodate more of our staff and faculty schedules, and focus on three elements — playfulness, connection and flow. Employees can enjoy online workshops, in-person events and on-demand content that can help you (re)discover your spark, from May 9 to 27.

Why playfulness, connection and flow?  Author Catherine Price recently detailed these three elements in her book, “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.” Playfulness, connection and flow create experiences that are good for our physical, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about these elements and how to cultivate them, plus explore additional opportunities during the well-being weeks by visiting the website here.

Daily virtual and in-person events This series of events will give you the opportunity to feel more engaged, connected and focused through activities such as:

  • A virtual Spark Retreat on creating a personal plan to feel more alive
  • The return of “Relax with Rover” with dogs from the Lexington Humane Society
  • A creative writing workshop on self-exploration
  • A campus scavenger hunt

If you are unable to attend one of the in-person or online events, you can enjoy on-demand videos, blog posts and our podcast series “Becoming Wildly Resilient” which will also feature playfulness, connection and flow.

(Re)Discovering Your Spark will culminate in a family movie night screening of Disney-Pixar’s “Soul” on Friday, May 27, at the Gatton Student Center’s Worsham Theater.

“We are excited to offer more opportunities this year to explore your well-being,” said Jody Ensman, program manager of HR Health and Wellness “We recognize that these past few years have been challenging and you may have felt a little stagnant, joyless and even a little more aimless than usual. I invite you to join us if you have felt this way or would just like to find a little more joy in your days.”

Year-round well-being resources “Well-being” addresses multiple aspects of your life. UK Human Resources has an in-house team of dietitians, exercise specialists, health coaches, mental health clinicians and an elder care specialist ready to meet you wherever you are. You can learn more about the ways we can support you and your family at our website.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.