Participaction - 5 mental health-boosting habits to adopt 🧠

5 small habits that can make a big difference to your mental health

How are you feeling? What’s your energy like? How are your moods these days? Use this Mental Health Meter from the Canadian Mental Health Association to see how you’re faring on characteristics that make up good mental health, and consider making a few small changes to your daily routine to support your mental health.

5 tips for your mental health:

1. Be present by committing to less screen time

Real life is happening right now. We’re missing more and more moments of real-life engagement with ourselves and others by constantly being distracted and tethered to a phone. Make a choice to be present. Dedicate some time at least once a week to being phone-free. Try turning your phone off from 5 p.m. on Friday until noon on Saturday and take advantage of that time to be entirely present with your friends, family, partner or yourself. You’re not missing anything online; you’re missing out on real life.

2. Get out and socialize

Call that friend to reconnect over a coffee and a walk or wheel. Wondering what to talk about? See the next tip! 

3. Get inspired

Plan your next getaway. Imagine yourself snowshoeing in the mountains or walking along a sandy beach. Where do you want to explore? What do you want to do? Planning a trip gives you something to look forward to and acts as excellent motivation to get moving now so you can be happy, strong and energized for your adventures!

4. Get a good sleep

Sleep is critical to our moods—aiming for 7-8 hours per night is best. Are you feeling well-rested? If not, try to start your nighttime routine earlier by turning off screens (tip 1) and cue your mind to relax by reading a book, listening to music or taking a bath. Can’t sleep because you have a busy mind that just won’t slow down? See tip 5.

5. Get moving

Movement clears the head. Think about movement as a tool to flush away stress and anxiety. Getting your heart rate up releases feel-good endorphins. Start small, with little bits of movement built into your day. Walk or wheel for 15 minutes by getting off public transit a few stops earlier. Take the stairs at work if possible. Add a 20-minute lunch break walk or wheel outside to your daily routine (even connect with a pal)—it will do wonders for your mental health!

This blog was written by Lindsay Somers, a Lifestyle Health Coach in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She believes in a better everyday with activity. To find inspiration to build your active life, you can follow her on Instagram.

While physical activity can be an essential mental health tool, you should always reach out for additional support and services if needed.

CAAT: November is Financial Literacy Month

November is Financial Literacy Month

Money on your mind? Let’s talk about it! This November, CAAT is empowering you to build your financial resiliency and become more financially stable.

Financial Literacy Month is underway in Canada, and this month, we’re empowering you to build financial resiliency, enjoy financial confidence, and to take control of your journey into retirement.

We get that retirement planning may not be your number one priority. Life is happening today, and with life comes expenses, challenges and opportunities.

At CAAT, we’re here to help guide you towards a financial future that is secure, predictable and sustainable. Plus, Financial Literacy Month is also a great opportunity to expand your pension knowledge and learn more about all the benefits of your membership with CAAT.

Here are just a few perks of being a CAAT member:

  • I have a defined benefit (DB) pension. This means that I will receive a regular monthly income throughout my retirement – paid for the rest of my life.
  • With CAAT’s GROWTHplus Investment Account, I can grow my tax-sheltered savings and benefit from CAAT’s investment returns. This is in addition to my secure lifetime DB pension.
  • My CAAT pension receives conditional inflation protection when I retire to help offset the negative impact of inflation. These increases help reduce the erosion of buying power caused by inflation. 1
  • My pension provides valuable survivor benefits to my surviving spouse, child or loved one after I’m gone at no extra cost.
  • CAAT’s online member portal, My Pension, is a secure and convenient way to access important details about my pension. Here, I can download my annual statement update my beneficiary information, transfer funds into GROWTHplus and more.

By taking a few minutes and familiarizing yourself with what it means to be a CAAT member, you’ll be enhancing your financial confidence, which can lead to better financial outcomes.

Whether you’re logging into My Pension and reviewing your annual statement, updating your beneficiaries or learning more about how GROWTHplus can help you achieve your saving goals, CAAT is here to help you every step of the way.

1 The most recent valuation guaranteed funding for inflation protection to at least 2027.

CAAT Pension Plan Logo

#NoStigmaNovember - Stop the Stigma

#NoStigmaNovember

#NoStigmaNovember

Student Health and Wellness is celebrating #NoStigmaNovember. To stop the stigma around struggling with mental health and to normalize help-seeking behaviour, we need a whole campus approach. We are encouraging all members of the Lakehead community to take action to support their own mental health and to create a campus culture that supports one another and encourages those to get help when needed.

Lakehead Staff and Faculty can take part by:

  • Supporting their well-being by practicing self-care. Faculty/staff well-being is integral to overall campus health as well as the capacity to engage others in well-being practices. There are many actions you can take to make your mental health a priority and resources are available to you as a Lakehead staff or faculty member.
  • Boost your mental health literacy by completing Supporting Students in Distress training, or by taking SafeTalk.
  • Promote mental health resources in your spaces, meetings, websites, email signatures, etc.
  • Making a personal pledge to support mental health and reducing stigma on campus on our padlet 
  • Encourage students to use the WellU Key to learn more about areas of well-being that may be affecting them and resources for support
  • Download the Stop the Stigma toolkit for resources and strategies that Lakehead faculty and staff can adopt and practice in their own spaces or request the Stop the Stigma workshop for your team.

Students can take part by:

Any Lakehead community member can support student mental health initiatives by purchasing a "Stronger as Pack" T-shirt before November 15.

Thrive Week 2024 - Employees Thrived!

Thrive logo with text reading January 22-26, 2024

For the 5th year, Lakehead University celebrated Thrive Week, from January 22 to 26, by hosting a week-long series of events helping all members of our community to explore their pathways to better mental health, well-being and resilience.

It was our biggest Thrive Week yet, and it really felt like a campus initiative with so many Lakehead departments, LUSU and student groups taking part.

Check out some #EmployeesThrive highlights from Thrive Week 2024 below:

Thrive Week Challenge Card Winner

Thrive Week 2024 aimed to increase mental health literacy, build healthy habits and self-care skills, and help foster a community of wellness at Lakehead University.

We challenged Lakehead employees to Thrive at Your Own Pace by completing different healthy habits throughout the week.

Congratulations to Vanessa Nichols (Project Coordinator with EPID@Work Research Institute) for having their card randomly drawn from the employee submissions. She won a basket of self-care items sponsered by LU Human Resources.

 

Digital Wall of Champions

As part of Thrive Week 2024 we asked employees to share a positive message or story about a colleague who makes a difference in our Lakehead community.

Check out all the messages on our Digital Wall of Champions!

If you didn't already add your message you still have time, CLICK HERE and add yours before submissions close.

 

 

HR Employee Benefits Thrive Basket Winner

Congratulations to JerriLynn Orr (Indigenous Curriculum Specialist in Teaching Commons) for winning the HR Employee Benefits Thrive basket which included Lakehead swag donated by the LU Bookstore, and $25 gift card sponsored by Green Shield Canada.

She stopped by the employee benefits information table last week during Thunderwolves Thrive and entered into the draw.

Check out the Resources for Staff page for information regarding employee Benefits, Workplace Standards, HR related Policies, the Employee & Family Assistance Program, Staff Award Nominations, Wellness resources, and much, much more.

  

Alumni’s The Resiliency Project

During Thrive Week 2024, Lakehead University Alumni launched The Resiliency Project, extending a warm welcome to all students and graduates!

This platform serves as a dedicated safe space for mental health discussions, fostering connections, and actively participating in events.

Come join us as we host a number of workshops and events during 2024!

 

Thrive Week 2024 Feedback

Feedback Form

Did you attend an event or participate in Thrive Week 2024 and want to share your thoughts?

Use our Thrive Week 2024 Feedback Form so we can continue to improve our offerings and will look to incorporate them in planning for next year's Thrive Week.

Thrive is an initiative that began at UBC as a conversation between colleagues about the importance of reducing the stigma associated with mental health. It has since grown into a movement celebrated at campuses across Canada, providing opportunities for important conversations about mental health to take place. 

Thank you all for taking part and supporting Thrive Week!!!

Thrive Week 2024, January 22-26, 2024 - Lakehead University
#ThriveWeek2024 #EmployeesThrive #LakeheadThrives #ThunderwolvesThrive

Complete your health risk assessment (HRA) for a chance to win!

Don’t miss out on the Change4Life® HRA Challenge!

Complete your health risk assessment (HRA) between October 1 and December 31, and you will be entered into a random draw to win a $200 gift card!*

You have until December 31 (at 11:59 p.m. ET, to be exact) to complete your HRA for the chance to win.

* Maximum one entry for HRA completion between October 1 and December 31.

If you’re interested in a chance to win a $500 gift card all you need to do is earn 2,500 points this quarter for an automatic entry. And by the way, we are still offering 1,000 bonus points for completing your HRA.

From,
Your friends at GSC

Green Shield Canada, P.O. Box 1606, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6W1 | www.greenshield.ca

Keywords: 
CAAT Pension Plan
Change4Life
Health Risk Assessment

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