by Mario De Negri, Fitness Coordinator For Rebel Athletics and Recreation Services

I came across this blog when I was feeling a fair bit of turbulence in my life. I personally was doing great. Everything was in line, I was working at my best, and being my best self which warrants recognition as that’s something I have failed to do in my past, and can image others feeling something similar in their lives. This was affecting my life from the outside and I had the choice to sit there and take it or stand up and step to the side. I had made some tough decisions to try to keep myself on a healthy path but I couldn’t help shake the pain in my heart. Sometimes clarity of the mind doesn’t mean you’ll find peace in the heart right away. Sometimes the aches in the heart are real but just growing pains we must endure for our own personal growth as a person. Every time I look back at times this has been true I can feel peace in my heart now, but wasn’t so in the moment at that time. This blog brings to lights some of those tough self-questions we need to be asking ourselves to see if we are on our true path. So many of the points highlight quite directly some of the fears about myself I had to face and to accept if I was to move forward on my path. Hopefully they can bring some insight onto you as they have re-affirmed in mine.

Check out the blog here;

http://www.lifebuzz.com/just-stop/

Try not.
Do or do not. There is no try.

Yes, it’s an awful pun, but this day marks my first Wellness post in a year. May 4th also happens to be my daughter’s one-year wedding anniversary, a bitter one because her marriage has since dissolved. To make things worse, the day begins with a call from the Grace hospital. Longtime cycling buddy, Wayne Ferguson, has just fallen on the hip that he had replaced last week. For some reason it reminds me of Gurdeesh Ghuman, another Rebel Rider, who had his dreams of a 2013 MS ride dashed by a heart attack . As if the day is not off to a gloomy enough start,Terry MacLeod shares on the Weekend Morning Show that he had to abandon a movie last night because an able-bodied couple occupying the only handicap seating in the theatre had refused to move. Jerks everywhere. Income taxes due tomorrow. Mine not done. And it’s still not above freezing!

Let’s get out of here before one of those things kills Guy. – Gwen DeMarco, Galaxy Quest

But you know, it is so easy to let life’s clouds obscure the sunlight beyond. I realized as I drove up Portage Avenue to drop my wife off at work that today was the Winnipeg Police Half Marathon (10th Annual to boot!). On the way back home I stopped to check it out. It was truly inspiring. Oh sure, there were hundreds (yes hundreds!) of runners zipping by, some not quite so zippy. But the people lining the curb are the ones who really gave me hope. Having parked our cars (and troubles?) on Portage Avenue, we were all clapping and cheering on total strangers as they ran past, a serendipitous breeze of shared enthusiasm that quickly sapped the chill out of the morning air. Read More →

Health Services is happy to say we have added a great newsletter to our website that includes health and safety for work, home and school. It is called the ComfortZone. It can be downloaded and has the latest Canadian information for health, safety and wellness.

This month has an interesting article on using liquid nitrogen since it has become so popular in the cooking field when before it was only used in labs. Yes I watch food network and see the icecream made with it and that fog looks so neat-but there are safety factors to consider when using this chemical.

If you are on a wellness or health and safety committee it has current safe work information as well.

Visit our site and check it out. A new one will be added each month.

Ever wonder where you can find information related to how you can participate in improving workplace approaches to wellness? Mental health is one aspect of workplace wellness and employers, employees and student bodies are gathering information on how to keep healthy. Our work and study affect our health and we want to be as best prepared for challenges as we can.

Take the plunge!

Safe Manitoba has  excellent recently posted information that includes ideas for employees and employers on how to make workplaces better from a psychological perspective. It is called the mental health toolkit.

Feeling safe, well and appreciated whether staff or student is important for today but good habits also impact our future health. Challenge yourself, co-workers and fellow students to change one habit for the better.

Be involved on a safety committee, staff or student wellness committee and help make your work/educational organization a better place. Be involved! It’s good for your health!

from Health Services

Red River College is pleased to be holding our 4th annual State of Sustainability. This is a great way to check out what mother nature has to offer and get rid of some of those “winter blues.” This annual event is an opportunity for students, staff and the community to celebrate Earth Day, recognize RRC’s sustainability accomplishments, learn a little and have a bit of fun.

Here’s the line-up…

Pipe Ceremony, Mother Earth Teachings & Feast –Tuesday, April 22, 10:00am – 2:00pm, Aboriginal Student Support Centre, F209 (NDC).                                           

RRC Elder May Louise will lead a pipe ceremony and will share her personal experiences and observations on how Mother Earth is changing and its impacts. Participants will be invited to share their experiences too.

This event will help participants to learn how the Aboriginal worldview and sustainability are inextricably linked. All are welcome. **Traditionally, women wear long skirts for ceremonies. ** Times may vary.

E-waste Drop Off (from work and home) Tuesday, April 22 – Thursday April 24, 11:00am – 1:00pm daily, Library Hallway (NDC) & William Building near Print Services (EDC)    

Time for Spring cleaning! Get rid of that broken Nintendo in your basement, the old calculator on your desk, or the old microwave in the lunch room. All materials will be sent to a licensed recycling facility.

Sustainability Office Year-in-Review Wednesday, April 23, 12:05pm – 12:55pm, eTV Studio B, GM33 (live and streamed)

Learn about how we’ve advanced our sustainability journey this year. In addition to the Sustainability Office, hear from Food Services, Applied Research & Commercialization  & the Bookstore.

Lunch will be served. Registration is limited to 40 people, so don’t delay! Read More →

Miniature Garden, See yourself on the bench?

A friend sent this video connection and an often said phrase “out of the mouth of babes” came to mind. A child explains how much better our imagination is than TV and how our mind can take us to beautiful places. We can help our mind focus on little things of the day and create positive energy and that can physically relax us. This is one of many ways we can improve our mental health. Take a moment to listen to the advice and comments as you watch the changing screens.

Health Services

The Holstee Manifesto was developed by two people who decided how they wanted to approach life and business. It bascially offers some options to be fully engaged in our life experience. The six steps below are taken from an article by Amber Rae.

If you wish to watch a great little video about these steps click here and remember to always wear your bike helmet!

We don’t have to do huge things in our life to make changes but as workers or employers, we could look at ways of developing a healthier work and life balance. Personally I have a rule of no shop talk on breaks and most times I am able to keep it. Even in a demanding and busy day, we can change our own little world. Reframing our view can have a very postive impact on our mental, spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.

1. Presence                                                                                                                      When in conversation, give someone your fullest attention. Put the computer away, turn your phone on silent, and get lost in the moment with that person. Be fully interested, rather than interesting.

2. Architect your life.
Be considerate and intentional with your life decisions. Rather than let life happen to you, author the story of your life. Author and philosopher Howard Thurman says it best with, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

3. Personal time.
Taking time for yourself creates clarity and renewed energy. At Holstee, they strongly suggest all teammates take their birthday day off each month. In a startup culture where personal and working hours tend to get blurred, this creates space and perspective.

4. Ask “Why?”
Why am I doing this? Why are we creating this product? Why is this a design principle? Asking “why” encourages you to go deeper and become more aware of what’s driving you, and whether or not you want it to be driving you.

5. Know your food and appreciate meals.
What are you eating and where did it come from? As a society, over the last 50 years, we’ve created a knowledge and geographic gap as we’ve distanced ourselves from our food. To stay aware, the team at Holstee cooks in the office almost every day, and meal times are savored without work.

6. Understand the impact of what you buy.
Transparency is slowly being built into the operations of many forward-thinking companies. This movement is a direct result of the increasing number of people asking questions about the clothes they buy, where their electronics come from, and brands they choose to support. Before buying, understand the impact.

From Health Services

Get as relaxed as this cat.

Sometimes we plan our weekends to rush around and get caught up on chores. It seems like we never stop even on break time. This fellow has the right idea. We need to stop and take a look at the view, no matter where we are.

From Health Services

Christine Crowe joined RRC from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she served as Dean, Faculty of Academic and Career Advancement. Christine now leads RRC’s Schools of Indigenous Education, International Education and Continuing Education, while also overseeing the College’s regional campuses, Language Training Centre and community outreach (full bio here).

Mike Krywy (Chair of the Wellness Committee) went for a leisurely walk with Christine to get her thoughts about wellness.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts about Wellness. To start with, who are some of the people in your life that you look up to as Wellness role models?

My mom was a dancer, choreographer and a teacher who danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. One of my most powerful memories was watching her sit on the floor listening to music, and picking something for her next routine. She could sit on the floor for hours, but you could tell that she wasn’t in the room — she was creating that piece of choreography. Afterwards, I’d watch the choreography come to life during the practices with her dancers. I was her pianist for a while, and it was fantastic observing her in the creative process and seeing the beauty that came from it.

My mom suffered from depression through much of her life, and she used her creativity to bring herself out of her depression and back to the light. A year after she retired, she passed away. During that time I think she grieved because so much of her life was tied to that creation, and she didn’t know what to do when she was no longer creating. From her life I learned there is power of doing what you love, and how those actions can sustain and feed you.

I know you have a couple of young children. Are they also wellness role models for you?

They are amazing role models for me.

First of all, I’ve learned from them that “not knowing” is okay. “Not knowing” is a place of curiosity and a source of great adventure. It is not something to hide or be afraid of. It speaks to humility. As an administrator, I’m someone who people often come to looking for answers. And that’s a scary place to be sometimes. However, if you’re able to admit that you don’t know something but are willing to explore finding an answer together, you’re able to move forward.

The other thing is “Being present”. I have learned a great deal from putting down my iPad and playing with my kids. The other day my kids were jumping on the trampoline and said, “Mom, come join us.” I hesitated. For one thing, I am terrified about jumping on the trampoline, as I haven’t done it for years. So I told them, “I just need a minute — can’t you do something on your own?” Then I stopped and said to myself, “Wait a minute, they want to do something with me. They want to play with me.” So I went and jumped on the trampoline…and it was terrifying! But it was also very fun.

I’ve had many of the same experiences with my own children, such as when they ask me to go for a swim and I make excuses about the water being too cold. Once I drop the excuses and jump in with them, I never regret it. Is there anything else that your children taught you? Read More →

Red River College’s VP Academic and Research Stan Sae-Hoon Chung joined RRC in 2012 because of its reputation as a global leader in advanced learning. Stan is an award-winning writer, visionary advocate for life-changing learning, and passionate believer in the college as an engine for social and economic transformation (full bio here). Mike Krywy (Chair of the Wellness Committee) sat down with Stan to get his thoughts about wellness.

Q: Wellness is sometimes broken up into physical, mental and spiritual aspects. What are your thoughts on this way of thinking?

I agree with that breakdown, as all those aspects are important. But I also think of wellness in terms of individual wellness, organizational wellness and global wellness. And those same three principles – physical, mental and spiritual – would apply to all three.

Take individual wellness. If we are not well as individuals, how can we be well as a community or as a people? So if individual wellness is not connected to the workplace or we fail to see the connection, you CAN end up with challenges. Then you have to ask, “What is the missing ingredient? Why are people not well or unhappy at work? What can we do to sustain and support individual wellness?” For me, the answer resides in a uniting sense of purpose.

Q: What are the key components of organizational wellness?

Organizational wellness can be defined in many ways. One way to understand it is through the strength of social bonds. We are all individuals linked in a network or community, and it is important to be socially connected, whether that’s at home or at work.

A simple question to ask is “Do you have a best friend at work?” Someone who – if you had a question as simple as “where’s the mail room?” – would provide you with directions. Research has shown that strong friendships can help make people more resilient and adaptable. When you have those social supports at work, you’re more likely to want to come to work, make a contribution, and enjoy it.

Q: As an organization, is there anything the College can do to help develop these social bonds and strengthen personal networks?

Read More →