Employee Well-being: Mental Health Week
Mental Health Week: May 3 – 9, 2021
Mental Health Week has been a Canadian tradition for the past 70 years, with communities, schools and workplaces rallying to celebrate, protect and promote mental health. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Week is understanding our emotions. Recognizing, labeling and accepting our feelings are all part of protecting and promoting good mental health for everyone. Naming, expressing and dealing with our emotions—even when they’re uncomfortable—can make us feel better and helps to regulate them by decreasing negative responses.
The experience of “negative” emotions has traditionally been linked to physical illness and decline. However, research shows that our health is based on a complex interplay of positive and negative emotions and that good physical health is promoted when we feel both “the good with the bad.”
Some of us, though, may not be able to exactly pinpoint what our emotions are right now. The pandemic has brought about new and confusing experiences for us all. If you’ve been feeling “meh” or “blah”, or have a sense of stagnation and emptiness, the word you may be looking for is languishing. A recent article in the New York Times suggests this is the dominant emotion of 2021 and even if you’re not languishing, you probably know people who are. Understanding it better can help you help them.
Although we’re still leaning more about languishing, knowing that others have similar feelings, may help remind you that you’re not alone. The next time someone asks you how you are – instead of saying “fine”, name it to help reduce your physiological stress response and anxiety. Naming – or labelling – our emotions can help us understand and process them. It can even make us feel better. However, if your emotions are overwhelming, persistent and/or are interfering with your daily life, it is important to seek mental health supports.
Upcoming Virtual Events During Mental Health Week
Mental Health Week: Values Based Self-Care
May 4th, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
As part of Mental Health Week, this session will look at methods to practice self-care that leverage the values that are most important to us. Participants will learn four key pillars of value-based self-care, and how to implement them in a way that works best for them.
Register for values based self-care
May 6th, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
This session will help participants understand anxiety and depression and equip them with strategies for regulating their own emotions and tips for supporting others who may be experiencing difficulties.
Register for anxiety, depression and COVID-19For further ideas and resources to support your mental health visit our Employee Well-being website.
Coming Soon – Mindful Movements
Join us this spring to maximize your health through physical activity. We’re cooking up some activities that will have you sitting less and moving more. Save the dates – registration coming soon!
Exercising in Warmer Weather Webinar
May 27 from 10 – 11 a.m.
You waited all winter for summer to arrive, dreaming of all the activities you could do if only the weather was nice. But with warmer weather comes heat and humidity, which can make it difficult to exercise outdoors. While exercising in the heat is generally safe for most people, taking a few extra precautions will help you stay cool and keep you safe from experiencing problems associated with the heat.
Registration coming soon. Check our HR website for updates.
June 8 from 8 – 8:45 a.m.
Rise and shine! This high-intensity interval training class combines cardio, strength training and athletic conditioning.
Registration coming soon. Check our HR website for updates.
June 17 from 3 – 3:45 p.m.
Whether you’ve been sitting all day or on the move, this class will have you stretching and breathing to reduce the stress in your body and feel relaxed for your end of day.
Registration coming soon. Check our HR website for updates.Getting and Staying Active Webinar
June 21 from 1 – 2 p.m.
Summer is officially here and what a better way to start it off then by making plans to get or stay active! In this session, participants will learn how to apply physical activity principles to gain specific health benefits (i.e. strength, cardiovascular, flexibility) and will discuss strategies to maintain or increase physical activity levels, both in the workplace and at home. The session will also cover important concepts such as stress management through exercise and strategies for reducing barriers to increasing or maintaining physical activity levels.
Registration coming soon. Check our HR website for updates.
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