“I have kids.”
“Exercise isn’t fun.”
“There’s not enough time.”

Excuses. Well, not for wellness champions Terra and David O’Brien. This couple has made their health and well-being a priority and found a balance between work and home.  Terra, coming from Financial & Accounting Services, became a champion to create a healthy environment at work and to be accountable for her own health. “Leading by example is a great way to inspire others. It’s easy to get caught up in what we’re doing & put our own wellness on the back burner. Everyone gets busy and that ends up being our excuse. We’re all in this together so let’s be accountable and motivate one another to reach our goals.”  Whether it’s meeting at the DAHLC Cycle Studio, having a guest speaker come to the work group, or participating in friendly competition with their Fitbit trackers— her hands-on approach has been successful. Husband, David, from Management Engineering & Internal Consulting, has a different approach to reaching his colleagues. “Everyone at Mayo seems to be busier than ever…  With my work group, it’s challenging to get more than a few people in the same place at the same time. I try to understand where people are in their own wellness, and what barriers they may have in their way.  I rely heavily on using the WellSpace to get information out to people. Keeping others motivated keeps me motivated!”

Although having a healthy work environment is important to the O’Brien’s, what truly motivates these two to be healthier, is their family. “Since we have young kids it was important for us to allot time dedicated to our own health & wellness as well as incorporating things we can do as a family. I go to the gym or for a run in the morning before kids wake up and Dave goes after bedtime. We have family game nights and movie nights that we all look forward to every week. Our kids love to bowl, so that is a fun and easy way to get out and moving, as a family,” says Terra. “It has been tremendously helpful for the entire family to support each other.  Frequently, one of us participates in an event while the other watches the kids, but we always make sure to attend to cheer each other on. This is especially meaningful for me, as my family is my primary motivation in my pursuit of overall wellness,” David adds.

What's your excuse? Don't let barriers keep you from making your health a priority.

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