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Wellness Program Updates

Employee Wellness Updates - 2026

January 2026

BCBS Well onTarget® Member Overview

We will learn about:

  • Getting started on the Well onTarget portal and app
  • How to create your own personal wellness journey
  • Accessing the wellness activities and helpful resources
  • How to earn and redeem Blue Points for valuable gift cards!

Date: January 14, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration: Click here to register

BCBS ONBOARDING FOR WELLNESS

We will learn:

• How to be your Best Healthcare Advocate
• How to make the most of available wellness programs for TAMUS employees and their dependents on the BCBSTX Medical Plan

Date: January 15, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration Link: Click here to register

 

BCBS CREATING LIFELONG HEALTHY HABITS

We will learn about:

• Good vs bad habits
• The habit loop
• The 4 laws of behavior change
• How to create a successful action plan

Date: January 29, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration Link: Click here to register

 

February 2026

Healthy Heart, Healthy You with Hello Heart​

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States affecting nearly 60% of the population. There are several lifestyle habits shown to reduce risk and support prevention. Join TAMUS Wellness Coordinator, Cindy Quinn, and the Hello Heart Team to learn more about the many ways to improve your heart health.

February 12 @ 2:00 PM​

Register here- Healthy Heart, Healthy You with Hello Heart | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

 

​We will learn about:​

  • What is heart disease?​
  • Risk factors for heart disease​
  • High blood pressure – know your numbers​
  • Tips for improving your heart health​
  • How Hello Heart can improve your Heart Health

 

Heart Health and Nutrition with Wondr

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting over 12% of adults. However, prevention is possible with a heart healthy diet that includes a variety of nutritious and delicious foods. Please join TAMUS Wellness Coordinator, Cindy Quinn, and the Wondr team to learn more about how healthy eating can support heart health, along with suggestions for meal planning and snacking.

February 19 @ 2:00 PM

Registration link: Heart Health and Nutrition with Wondr | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

 

We will learn about:

  • How healthier eating can help with heart health
  • Ideas for meal and snack planning
  • Tips for making healthier choices at home and while eating out
  • How the Wondr program can improve your Heart Health

 

 Heart Health: Movement is Medicine with Hinge Health

Being active is one of the most important things we can do for our overall health. It enhances our ability to function, can prevent the effects of aging, and reduces the risk of some chronic health issues, including Heart Health. Join TAMUS Wellness Coordinator, Cindy Quinn, and the Hinge Health team to discover the many benefits of movement as medicine.

February 26 @2:00 PM

Registration link: Heart Health: Movement is Medicine with Hinge Health | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

 

We will learn about:

  • Benefits of physical activity for Heart Health
  • How movement is medicine
  • How to stay strong and flexible for total physical fitness
  • How to utilize Hinge Health to improve your overall fitness

March 2026

 

Stress Isn't What You Think

I'll be the first to say it: stress gets a bad reputation. As a culture, we are obsessed with finding a food, a program, or a supplement to make the stress in our lives magically evaporate. We want our days to feel easy and smooth, free of daily trials and tribulations. And when we feel stressed out anyway, we panic. 

"Maybe I'm doing it wrong."

"I'm just no good at this."

But the difficult truth is that there is no single thing you can do to make stress disappear completely. And frankly, that's a good thing. Life moves like a heartbeat on an EKG, rising, falling, and rising again. The ups and downs are the very signs that we're alive. A flat line means the end. As long as life keeps rising and falling, we're still alive and moving forward. 

We know through research that stress itself can be positive. It can motivate us to action, encourage us to write that paper, meet that deadline, or raise a hand to share a unique viewpoint. Stress becomes problematic when it overwhelms the nervous system. Author and stress specialist Jon Kabat-Zinn is noted for saying, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf." Like a surfer learning how to ride the waves, the goal is not to try to rid ourselves of stress completely. Instead, the aim is to learn tools, techniques, and methods to ride the waves when they inevitably come, so we don't let the water pull us under. 

This week, you're invited to reflect on your experience with stress: 

  • Think of a time when stress led to something meaningful or productive in your life. What did you learn from that experience?
  • How does your body or mind signal that stress is becoming too much?
  • How do you usually notice stress showing up for you, either physically, mentally, or emotionally?

Stress may be unavoidable, but the way we respond to it is deeply personal. In the coming weeks, we'll be exploring different patterns with curiosity so we can deepen into self-study. For those who would like to explore further, the Yoga Stress Fingerprint Program launching September 2026 will offer a deeper dive into understanding your unique stress response and learning targeted practices designed to support the way your nervous system naturally operates. 

BCBS Well onTarget® Member Overview

Date: March 4, 2026

Time: 2:00 PM

Registration:Register Here

We will learn about:
• Getting started on the Well onTarget portal and app
• How to create your own personal wellness journey
• Accessing the wellness activities and helpful resources
• How to earn and redeem Blue Points for valuable gift cards!

TIAA Financial webinar

Date: March 11, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 8:00 AM

Registration:Register Here

Your guide to living well in retirement

Retirement is a major life transition that can be both challenging and deeply rewarding. ThisThe 
webinar will focus on the human factors that can help you add a new and exciting chapter
to your life story.
We’ll talk about how you can:
• Find your purpose
• Stay physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy
• Create a community to stay connected

 Trust Your Gut and Support a Healthy Microbiome

Date: March 19, 2026

Time: 2 pm

Registration: Register Here

A healthy gut, including our stomach, intestines, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is important for overall health. Please join TAMUS Wellness Coordinator Cindy Quinn and the Cylinder Health team to learn more about how our body digests food, details about our gut microbiome, and food and lifestyle choices to keep it healthy. 

 GLP-1s and Lifestyle Basics

Date: March 24, 2026

Time: 2 pm

Registration: Register Here

Ozempic, Wegovey, Zepbound. You’ve likely heard about these medications as “new” ways to lose weight. Glucagon-like peptide-1 medicines are being prescribed to growing numbers of patients worldwide for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. We invite you to join Dr. Mark Faries and learn more about the lifestyle basics of GLP-1s. Attendees will learn about how GLP-1s work, the role of a healthy lifestyle, and what happens when you stop.

TIAA Financial webinar

Date: March 26, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM

Registration:Register Here

Understanding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

When you make pretax contributions to your retirement account, taxes aren’t due until you
Withdraw your money in retirement. But what if you don’t withdraw the money? Well, the
IRS makes sure you do—through required minimum distributions when you turn 73. In this

Webinar you’ll get insights on:
• What RMDs are and when they apply
• Exceptions to the basic RMD rules
• How to take your RMDs
• How to avoid costly mistakes
• What you can do with your money

 

April 2026

Stress is a Personal Experience

If you’ve ever worked on a group project that is not going well, it’s easy to see that stress is a deeply personal experience. 

Imagine this: The assignment is due tomorrow, much of it is unfinished, and the group of four is scrambling. One member of the group snaps at everyone. “We should have started this earlier! I told you that, but no one listens to me!” she yells. Another seems to simply give up. He puts up his hoodie, shrugs his shoulders, and says, “It’s too late now to really do anything.” Another member looks to be on the verge of tears. The last one has her head buried in her phone, furiously texting her best friend about how frustrating this group is, hoping to get a little empathy. Each member of the group is going through the same experience externally. But internally, they are experiencing something very different. 

There are many recommendations out there for dealing with stress. You might hear experts recommending more time in nature or carving out time to meditate. You might read about letting yourself cry or protecting your alone time. If you’ve ever tried out a general recommendation for stress and found that it did absolutely nothing to help you, you’re not alone. That’s because if your response to stress is unique to you, the way you address it needs to be just as personal, or you won’t feel the shift. Stress management is not “one-size-fits-all,” and as long as we keep treating it like it is, we’ll be forever stuck in frustration, wondering why nothing seems to work. 

Let me be the first to tell you, you’re not too stressed out to be helped. You’re not too far gone. 

Self-Study:

This week, you’re invited to notice when stress feels loud. Then, reflect:

·      What is something you do that makes yourself feel even 5% better? 

·      What is something you’ve tried in the past that has no effect on your stress levels?

·      What is something you’ve done to manage your stress that makes you feel worse? 

Recognizing our preferences and patterns is the first step to understanding how we respond when stress strikes. Stress is a guaranteed part of the human experience, but we don’t have to let it take over. When we discover the techniques and tools that resonate with our unique stress response, we put ourselves back in the driver’s seat. 

If you’re ready to take charge of stress in your life, the Yoga Stress Fingerprint Program is coming to campus September 2026 to help you better understand yourself, your stress, and your nervous system. Stay tuned for campus updates as the launch gets closer. 

 

Here's a brief overview of the topics for the 14 weeks of the program

Week 1- Stress isn't what you think.

Week 2- Stress feels different for everyone.

Week 3- Your body keeps the score

Week 4- What is a "Stress Fingerprint"

Week 5- Why one-size-fits-all stress advice fails

Week 6- 12- Review/overview of the stress profiles

Week 13- What is your stress fingerprint?

Week 14- Program overview review and last push

BCBS Stress Less, Live More

Date: April 16, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration: Click here to register

We will learn about:
• Causes and effects of stress
• Stress Assessment Test
• Mood, food and stress
• Stress management tips and techniques

BCBS Better Sleep for Better Health

Date: April 23, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration: Click here to register

We will learn about:
• How much sleep is enough
• Importance of quality sleep
• Common sleep disorders
• Tips and resources for getting better sleep

BCBS Financial Wellbeing

Date: April 30 , 2026

Time: 3:00 PM

Registration: Click here to register

We will learn about:
• What is financial wellbeing
• Financial stress and risks to your health
• Tips on budgeting and saving
• Setting financial goals to help reduce stress