well into september
*a little this and that *on wellness
Stay Mentally Fit with these 10 Tips from the Canadian Mental Health Association!
Posted on March 26, 2013 by jeliciru
.entry-meta
Making the effort to maintain your mental health is just as important as keeping your body in shape! Need ideas? Here are 10 Mental Fitness Tips from the Canadian Mental Health Association:
- Collect positive emotional moments. – store moments in your memory when you experience positive emotions like pleasure, comfort, tenderness, or confidence, and pull them out to lift your mood or confidence when you’re feeling down, stressed, or anxious.
- Learn how to cope with negative thoughts. – When you notice negativity start invading your thoughts, interrupt it. Blocking them out probably won’t work, but you can prevent them from becoming a priority by distracting or comforting yourself if you can’t resolve the problem immediately. Talking to a friend or family member, or anyone with a positive attitude, is a good idea.
- Focus on 1 activity at a time. – When out for a walk or with friends, turn off your cell phone and don’t think about your “to do” list for the evening. Don’t forget to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells around you; enjoy your surroundings.
- Exercise. – Staying physically fit is key to being emotionally fit! Regular physical activity improves mental health and reduces the likelihood or effects of depression or anxiety. Suggestion: if you’re feeling lonely, join a fitness group, gym, or one of the many athletic intramurals/clubs at UBC to connect with positive, health-minded people with common interests!
- Don’t neglect your hobbies—or pick up some new ones. – Enjoying hobbies helps balance your life since it gives you time for yourself, free from daily pressures from school, work, or home. Hobbies are also great because they keep your brain active.
- Get personal goals. – Both large and small. It might be finishing one novel a month if you’re trying to improve your literacy skills, running a few laps around the block every day if you want to improve physical fitness, going to office hours once a week this term if you’re struggling to keep up in your classes. Setting goals provides tangible motivation for you to improve yourself, builds confidence, and brings satisfaction.
- Keep a journal. – Express your thoughts and feelings through a written journal, a diary app on your phone, or an online personal blog. Writing about a stressful time often helps put things into perspective and reduce the negative emotions that may have built up. It’s also helpful to keep a record of positive experiences that you can look back on, perhaps after a long and tiring day.
- Share humour. – When you see something that makes you smile or laugh pass it along to brighten someone else’s day! It could be as small as a funny phrase you see on a street sign or a humorous youtube video. A little humour can go a long way.
- Volunteer. – Volunteering is golden because it’s a “win-win” activity. If you want to feel better, widen your social network, gain valuable learning experiences, and bring balance to your life—and most importantly, directly improve other people’s lives—find a volunteering opportunity with a UBC club or in your community! govolunteer.ca, UBC Careers Online, and the AMS club listings are great places to start your search.
- Treat yourself. – Cook yourself a delicious meal, have a bubble bath, explore the natural beauty of your neighbourhood on a walk, see a movie with friends, hang out with your brother or sister for the afternoon…whatever you want. Take time to do something for yourself.
Source: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/mental-fitness-tips/#.UU3o-hysiSp
from dash bc
First Annual Healthy Schools Week
Kick off the school year by celebrating healthy schools
The start of the school year is fresh with possibilities, ideas and opportunities to create healthier school communities. This year we are excited to start off the school year with the first annual Healthy Schools Week from October 5th -9th, 2015 with events, resources, grants and more! Click here to read more about Healthy Schools Week and how you can get involved.
from our union
- 7) Health & Wellness - attachments
- EFAP
Here in Prince George, Walmsley & Associates is the organization that provides support under the Employee & Family Assistance Plan (EFAP). You and/or each member of your family are entitled to 8 visits to Walmsley for a single issue as part of the Employee & Family Assistance Plan. Attached is further information on the program. The newest newsletter from Walmsley is now available at: http://walmsley.ca/?newsletter=1
- starlingminds.ca
- Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in Canada. 20% of Canadians struggle with some form of mental health issues. That percentage translates to more than 8000 BC teachers.
Starling is a science based program designed for BC teachers that gives you the knowledge, tools, and skills to overcome emotional distress related to anxiety and depression.
- BCTF Health & Wellness Program
The BCTF assists teacher-members who are unable to maintain, or return to, their teaching positions due to a medical illness or disability by funding an early intervention rehabilitation program. The program is offered on a voluntary basis. I have attached a brochure outlining the program in greater detail.
what I wish my teacher knew
WHAT DO STUDENTS WISH THEIR TEACHER KNEW?
A third grade teacher in Denver, Colorado asked her students to respond to the prompt, "I wish my teacher knew" and shared the results:
How much I miss my dad because he got deported.
I love school.
Vietnamese because then she could say words that I forget.
I want to go to college.
Sometimes my reading log is not signed because my mom is not around a lot.
from helpguide
1. Reader's Digest was right: Laughter really is the best medicine
If you’re looking to let off steam, bond with others, and boost your mood, there’s nothing better than having a good laugh. Laughter relaxes the whole body, lowers stress hormones, and triggers the release of feel-good endorphins. What’s more, it comes with tons of social benefits. Laughing together is a powerful way to bond, enhance teamwork, and work through relationship problems.
To learn more, see Laughter is the Best Medicine.
2. Are you afraid of conflict? Overcome your fear today.
Does conflict freak you out? It doesn’t have to. When handled in a calm, respectful way, conflict can actually strengthen your personal and work relationships. The key to successful conflict resolution is to keep stress in check. If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t be able to resolve conflict successfully.
To learn more, see Conflict Resolution Skills.
*****pour mon amies - please watch this s'il vous plait!*******
Mme. Linda
conseille
ecole-franconord
Email: linda_campbell@csf.bc.ca
Location: Prince George, BC, Canada
Twitter: @weaselwe
well being survey, heart math
Dear Linda,
Considering the mental, emotional and physical health problems excessive stress can cause, monitoring stress is as important as a healthy diet, exercise and getting plenty of rest.
A good way to begin managing stress is to determine your current level of stress.
This is why the HeartMath Institute, a longtime leader in stress research and solutions, developed the Stress & Well-being Survey.
It is a scientific tool you can use as often as you like to assess the state of your emotions, heart and mind in relation to your home life, work, relationships, finances and more.
The survey measures your risk and adaptability to stress through the lens of what it calls – your 5 Aspects of Well-Being:
1.Physical Vitality
2.Emotional Vitality
3.Social Connectedness
4.Spiritual Connectedness
5.Overall Well-Being
The Stress & Well-Being Survey comprises a series of 72 simple questions that HeartMath has found typically take around 10 minutes to answer. Your answers give you immediate insight about you and provide data that enables HeartMath to suggest easy-to-follow, personalized recommendations.The results of your survey are private; no one but you can see them.
Take the HeartMath Stress & Well-being Survey to get a window into your current stress level and discover simple tools you can use to live a healthy, more vibrant life.
With care,
Sara Childre,
President, HeartMath Institute
P.S. All of your answers and personal information are kept completely private. HeartMath uses this strictly to compile data, report results and provide suggestions for you and you alone.
Hello everyone For the last 5 weeks of the session we'll be learning about developing confidence. You can attend what ever you are able to - each class stands on its own. I look forward to seeing you. Please let me know if you want to be removed from this list. Sarahx
dealing with high conflict people
include walmsley newsletter
Dear Linda,
Following an exhausting day working, taking care of the house and family or laboring over final exams, most of us want to relax and recover.† Recuperating and reenergizing is important not only for the remainder of the day, but the next as well, and especially before the start of a new week.
All of us have access to a variety of interventions for physical discomfort or pain, including massage, sauna, yoga, topical applications or pain relievers. What about the emotional stress and imbalance that builds up some days and sometimes seems overwhelming? Those days when we experience negative emotions like anger and anxiety can be especially exhausting and draining.
It is as important to regenerate and find renewed emotional balance as it is to care for physical injury and pain. The symptoms of emotional stress and imbalance may not be alarming initially: slight irritability and anxiousness over little things, uncharacteristic inattentiveness to family, friends or work, less-than-normal clarity in decision-making. Eventually, however, the effects on performance, relationships and even health become more noticeable and frequent.
Is there an effective strategy for addressing emotional stress and imbalance?
The Institute of HeartMath has developed a number of techniques and one of the most effective and popular is the Soft Heart Tool.
Your "soft heart" is an easygoing, warm place of compassion for you, a place of ease and self-care, like a warm blanket or bath. Practicing HeartMath’s Soft Heart Tool 2 or 3 times a week can help you recuperate and reenergize from the emotional stress of daily life.
Why not try it right now –
Soft Heart Tool
1.Recognize that you are feeling disturbed, overwhelmed, depressed or some other depleting or negative emotion.
2.Acknowledge that it is not these or other emotions that cause you to feel drained or out of sorts as much as it is the significance you give them.
3.Find your Soft Heart attitude by intentionally feeling love, care or appreciation for a person, pet or something you truly care about. This helps take you to a soft place in your heart and increases your ability to feel care and compassion for yourself.
4.Soak and relax any unwanted feelings in the compassion of your heart, letting the significance dissolve a little at a time. Take your time.
My wish is that you will take some time to regenerate and find renewed emotional balance by going into your soft heart.With care,
Sara Childre,
President, HeartMath Institute
† The information in this discussion was adapted from the HeartMath e-booklet, The Power of Emotion. Click on the link to learn more.
HeartMath Institute
14700 West Park Ave., Boulder Creek, California 95006
(831) 338-8500 | www.heartmath.org
Working Through It
Things to Consider Before Disclosing
Awareness of Mental Health at Work
Disclosure can mean sharing information about an illness or condition. It is a personal choice, but can be very stressful when we do not know how such a disclosure would be received by those at work. For some, it opens up helpful diaglogue to address concerns and find solutions. Others may worry that it could lead to discrimination or exclusion. The suggestions provided in this article include some practical considerations for those in a position of wanting or needing to disclose pertinent details of an illness to someone at work. Read this article to consider how we may impact how 'safe' someone feels to disclose in our workplace. See Things to consider before disclosing for more information.
Working Through It is a registered trademark of The Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario carrying on business as a joint venture.
northern health has a pinterest page
About Us
Northern Health wants to help everyone live a happy and healthy lifestyle. That's why it's our goal to give residents of Northern British Columbia the ideas, tools and services they need to make good health an attainable goal. Read more.
The world loves a smile
How to take this break
Get up from your desk and smile at your co-workers as you walk around your office.
Why this counts - Relaxing
Smiling feels good, can lift your mood and is sure to help lift the spirits of others as well. There is also some evidence that smiling can provide a number of health benefits including relieving stress, lowering blood pressure and even improving the immune system.
Go to Workplace Strategies for Mental Health for more ideas, tools and resources to help with the prevention, intervention and management of workplace mental health issues.
Ideas for this activity were contributed by
Kelly Seymour, Director of Human Resources, New Path Youth & Family Services; Andrea Frustaci, GIS Analyst II, Teck Resources Limited.
Improve your health, connect to others, and take charge of your life.
3 tips for a happier & healthier life
1. Reader's Digest was right: Laughter really is the best medicine
If you’re looking to let off steam, bond with others, and boost your mood, there’s nothing better than having a good laugh. Laughter relaxes the whole body, lowers stress hormones, and triggers the release of feel-good endorphins. What’s more, it comes with tons of social benefits. Laughing together is a powerful way to bond, enhance teamwork, and work through relationship problems.
To learn more, see Laughter is the Best Medicine.
2. Are you afraid of conflict? Overcome your fear today.
Does conflict freak you out? It doesn’t have to. When handled in a calm, respectful way, conflict can actually strengthen your personal and work relationships. The key to successful conflict resolution is to keep stress in check. If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t be able to resolve conflict successfully.
To learn more, see Conflict Resolution Skills.
Mental Illness Can Zap Motivation
You can also read the HealthyPlace Mental Health Newsletter online.
Mental Illness Can Zap Motivation
Mental health difficulties can make life challenging, and they can zap our motivation and zest for life. Motivation is a force within us that can inspire and energize. Motivation can also be the opposite; it can be an unreachable concept that zaps and deflates. When we're dealing with a mental illness, be it depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, or any other condition, we can find it hard to be enthusiastic about doing anything. (When Depression Causes A Lack of Motivation) Then, to add insult to injury, we know that we "should" be motivated to excel or even get out of bed. We want to, but we just can't.
As if the loss of motivation and drive weren't hard enough, people who don't realize the scope of mental health challenges sometimes use labels like "lazy" or "unwilling to try." That can make us feel even worse about ourselves. (The Effects of Mental Health Stigma)
Know that a loss of motivation is a side effect of many different mental illnesses. Remain focused on those things you used to love, that you would do if you could. As you recover, you'll find that your motivation begins to return.
Related Articles Dealing with Motivation and Mental Illness