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.

When was the last time you replaced your toothbrush? If you’re not sure, it’s probably time to swap out the old one for a new one that will do a better job of keeping your teeth and gums clean. One sign that your toothbrush has reached its lifespan is flattened, frayed or matted bristles. When bristles are flattened or misshapen, they can’t clean your teeth and gums as effectively, which could lead to dental problems. Even if bristles aren’t noticeably worn, you should replace your toothbrush every three to four months, and after having any cold or flu.

Did you know that heart disease Is the second leading causes of death in Canada? The good news is that 80 per cent of cardiovascular diseases are preventable through healthy lifestyle and diet. By adopting a healthier lifestyle, you can delay the onset of heart disease or stroke by as much as 14 years! You can further reduce your risk by considering these heart-healthy steps: • Be smoke-free • Be physically active • Control your blood pressure • Keep your blood cholesterol levels in check • Eat a healthy diet • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight • Limit alcohol use and look for healthy ways to reduce your stress.

In our modern-day environment where food is readily available it can be challenging to maintain a healthy weight. One tool that can help is the hunger-fullness scale. With this technique think of your hunger and fullness as a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is starving, the hungriest you can imagine being; and 10 is uncomfortably, painfully stuffed. Ideally you want to eat when your hunger is between a 3 and 4 and stop when your fullness is between a 7 and 8. The beauty of this tool is that no foods are off limits. Eat what you enjoy to comfortably satisfied.