Jean Muckian knows the value of balancing life and work, and she learned the hard way. She was overdoing it in her job with a university nursing program while also finishing her dissertation. As if that weren’t enough pressure for one person, she was also caring for her ailing mother-in-law.
When Muckian learned she’d developed dangerously high blood pressure, she decided to enroll in a mindfulness-based stress-reduction course. It worked wonders, as she recounts in a Wisconsin Gazette article about the University of Wisconsin-Madison program Living Well—Today and Tomorrow.
“For those feeling overextended, overworked and outright exhausted, a new series of courses offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison may help restore much-needed balance,” Muckian writes.
Living Well—Today and Tomorrow includes mindfulness courses like the one Muckian took, along with others on planning for retirement, navigating healthcare, and managing finances. The courses’ unifying theme is living a better life.
Instructors include UW-Madison faculty members, leading researchers, and guest speakers who specialize in various stages of life’s journey.
“We’re acknowledging a great need that we see in the community, where people need a hand in getting the information necessary to better manage life’s transitions,” director Lynn Tarnoff told Muckian. “Our goal is to help you be the best person you can be today no matter which stage of life you’re in, while thinking about what tomorrow’s going to look like and how you’re going to get there.”
‘Life, at last, is good’
Living Well—Today and Tomorrow addresses a broad range of common concerns. For those thinking about retirement, there’s You’re Entitled: Make the Most of Your Retirement Benefits. For those looking for ways to feel better about their lives, there’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy. For those experiencing stress over major changes, there’s Mindfully Managing Life’s Transitions.
Muckian herself is a walking advertisement for a mindfulness course.
“My sense of peace and calm are now constant companions,” she writes. “My blood pressure is normal and I am not taking any type of medication….. Life, at last, is good. Thanks to mindfulness training, I am still around to enjoy it.”
For more information on Living Well—Today and Tomorrow, contact Lynn Tarnoff, lynn.tarnoff@wisc.edu, 608‑890-1424.