During this global pandemic, the need for mental health support has increased fourfold. As an employee, the best thing you can do for your mental health is to be vocal. If you are struggling, speak up or use the Wellness Together Canada free resources. Waiting causes longer term damage impacting productivity and quality of life. If you are an employer, ask how you can support your team every day. Then, make or get a Mental Health First Aid kit and put it somewhere visible to demonstrate mental health is just as important as physical health. Include things like motivational cards, mindfulness colouring sheets, stress balls, breathing exercises and general resilience tips.
Community News
Words to Live By
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” -John Wooden
Product Review: RELEAF Stick
ACTIVE RELEAF aims to encourage active wellness through the use of nature’s most powerful ingredients. With a synergistic blend of coconut oil, shea butter, essential oils, and broad spectrum cannabinoid-rich hemp plant extract, ACTIVE RELEAF’s topicals offer a natural alternative for pain relief. Try the Original Formula RELEAF Stick as a reliable remedy to soothe everyday aches and pains. For extra stubborn discomfort associated with joint stiffness, and inflammation, the Extra Strength RELEAF+ Stick is specially formulated to soothe quickly and be long lasting. Apply liberally to affected areas 3 – 4 times a day or as needed.
Your MP’s Office Can Help!
Need help dealing with federal government departments such as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Service Canada, or Immigration? Not sure if you or your business qualify for federal COVID-19 economic response programs such as CERB, wage subsidy, or commercial rent subsidy? Need clarification on what counts as “essential” for crossing the USA border? Have a concern or point of view you’d like to talk about? Residents of the Winnipeg South Centre electoral riding can contact my office for help. While I am home recovering from cancer treatment, my staff are working hard to continue serving my constituents. Facebook.com/JimCarrWSC
Stress Handling With Biofeedback
Everyday we have an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts running through our minds. Considering that our minds can only handle 7-10 bits of information at a time, no wonder we start to feel overwhelmed, especially with what is going on in the world today. Unmanaged stress contributes to many health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, insomnia, depression, and a weak immune system. Alternative approaches such as Biofeedback testing and treatment are highly effective in handling stress. It detects imbalances, or weaknesses, in the stress handling areas of the body, and in turn, stimulates the affected areas to help the mind and body process and handle stress better.
Cultivating Calm During COVID-19
Challenging times like the pandemic can bring up many different feelings like anxiety or despair. While we don’t choose our feelings, we can choose how to move through them. An option to feel calmer is to ground your body in the present moment using your 5 senses. Perhaps you could notice where you are and ask yourself: What do you feel, hear, see, smell, and taste? How would you describe those sensations to someone? Grounding yourself can slow your heart rate, calm your breathing, focus your thoughts, and improve your mood so you can return to a more positive day!
Do You Know Your Numbers?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is associated with an increased risk of kidney damage, heart attacks and stroke. The most accurate way to measure blood pressure is at home using a home blood pressure monitor. Home blood pressure monitors are easy to use. It is important that the cuff of the blood pressure monitor fits you properly. Most home blood pressure machines will keep a record of your measurements, so you can share them with your health care provider. High blood pressure responds well to treatment so know your numbers and seek treatment if needed.
Improve Workplace Wellness with Gratitude
At work, it is easy to feel stressed, overwhelmed or confused during times of uncertainty. However, research has shown that when meetings start with intentional gratitude and a short debrief at the end, collective intelligence and productivity increase substantially. How does it work? Put a standing item of reflection/gratitude/quick win in the agenda template and assign someone to share a positive note. When the meeting is over, check-in to ensure you met your objectives, everyone was heard, and everyone is ready to move upwards and onwards. For resources to support workplace health and performance visit WellnessWorksCanada.ca.
Effects of Social Isolation
Several studies have shown social isolation can negatively affect your health. This National Institute on Aging primer notes that loneliness can lead to high blood pressure, depression, and put you at greater risk of illness. That could mean more doctor’s visits and higher health care costs. And what if you or your loved one takes a fall with no one around? Beyond the physical pain, the financial implications could be high. And then there’s the emotional toll of social isolation, which can be even more devastating. These are all things to consider when deciding whether you or your loved one spend the next chapter of life at home or in a senior living community.
Wellness Tea of the Month
Appledream Goji Chokecherry Strawberry.
Don’t let the name fool you, this tea is sweet, smooth and delicious! With a medley of berries and citrus fruits, this tea both appeals to both the sweet and tangy flavour lovers. An explosion of fresh fruit and high in vitamin C! Enjoy this tea iced on a hot summer day! This fruit infusion contains apple bits, dragon fruit bits, sea buckthorn berries, chokeberries, goji berries, kiwi bits, pineapple bits, papaya bits, cranberry bits, blueberries, flavor, and added vitamin C.
Yearly Eye Exams Make all the Difference
Most people take their vision for granted, incorrectly assuming all is well because they can see “OK.” Trouble seeing in the distance or up close are signs of vision problems. But headaches, difficulty doing paperwork or trouble reading at any distance are also signs. If you have MS, Parkinson’s or had a stroke, a correctable eye coordination and/or eye movement problem could be contributing to low energy, double or blurry vision. Eye exams monitor your health, detect high blood pressure, diabetes and eye diseases which don’t have obvious signs. Yearly eye exams are vital to the quality of your life.
