Wellness at a Glance: May 2022
Wellness at a Glance is a monthly summary of Employee Health and Wellbeing information for all employees of McMaster University. The month of May relates to May Mental Health Week and Mental Health Resources.
Employee Wellbeing Resources in May focuses on the topics of:
Canadian Mental Health Week: Canadian Mental Health Week runs from May 2nd to 8th, 2022. This year, the theme of Canadian Mental Health Week is Empathy. Check out our information below for resources, podcasts, and events to help promote positive mental health, and help build our empathy!
Empathy 101: What is empathy, and how do we utilize this?
Building Empathy on Teams: How do you build and practice empathy with your teammates?
Words Matter!: Reducing stigmas through inclusive language
LinkedIn Learning eCourse: Leading with Empathy: Leaders often have misconceptions about what empathy at work looks like in practice, yet it is an essential skill for anyone looking to successfully lead today. In today’s world where rapid change comes at us every single day, leaders must quickly build strong relationships with people, whether they’re employees or customers, in order to better collaborate and engage. In this course, Maria Ross helps you identify the key behaviors that make up empathy, like practicing presence, actively listening, cultivating confidence, and finding common ground.
Employee Wellbeing Events:
Positive Self-Talk: from Criticism to Compassion: May 3, 2022 9:00am-10:00am
Positive Self-Talk is a 1-hour talk designed to help managers and staff overcome negative self-talk and adopt more positive practices. Through stories, research, and tools, participants will be not only inspired but also equipped to harness the power of their self-talk.
This one-hour Zoom session will include:
- Stories about negative self-talk and why we fall into it, to heighten participants’ self awareness
and self-understanding - Teaching on key principles, including self-criticism and self-compassion
- Teaching and anecdotes about positive self-talk and how and when to apply it, to equip participants to instantly begin adopting healthier self-talk
Talking about Mental Illness: May 10, 2022, 12:00pm-1:00pm
The goal of a TAMI presentation is to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of mental health & mental illness, while providing a safe forum for participants to discuss the importance of mental health. TAMI features individuals with lived experience that share their personal story along with a facilitator who provides an overview of mental health, mental illness, the concept of stigma and the importance of talking about mental health.
Facilitated over Zoom by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Hamilton
Listen, Ask, and Be Kind: May 24th, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
Small (and big!) acts of kindness can have a profound impact of someone’s mental health. One of the best tools for supporting someone is being a good listener and letting people know you care about them. In this webinar, we focus on how to have those difficult conversations, how to have a positive impact on someone’s journey to recovery, as well as information resources locally (Hamilton) and nationally.
Facilitated by Canadian Mental Health Association Hamilton. Held over Zoom.
Building Healthy Relationships Using Technology: May 26th, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
During this one-hour Zoom session, Jeannie An, Digital Wellness Educator plans to share how using technology more intentionally can help us build better relationships. Learn about how to set healthy boundaries to balance productivity and well-being.
Goals of the session include:
- How to stay focused and grounded
- Understand digital distractions
- Set healthy boundaries
For more information about Employee Wellbeing at McMaster, please visit our webpage.
Employee Well-being, Employee Well-being Newsletter