Thrive Week, November 4-9,  is a time to focus on the importance of balance and self-care in developing positive mental health that supports success in learning and working.

We invite you to take a moment to do something that gets you active, creative, connected or relaxed – whatever it is you need for balance. All events are free and open to students and staff.

Exchange District Campus

Monday, November 4

Therapy Dogs
11:30am – 1pm in the Atrium
Come relax and pet a sweet, calm therapy dog.

Tuesday, November 5

Mental Health Workshop 
11:30am – 1:00pm in P107
Join educators from Klinic to explore the topic of mental health. Snacks provided.

Wednesday, November 6

Mindfulness Workshop
noon – 1pm in the Gym
Join Mario DeNegri to explore mental strategies for focus and peace.

Paint Party with Power of Painting
4pm – 6:30pm in the Dining Hall
Follow step-by-step instructions and a creative touch to your very own canvas.
Email blsawatzky@rrc.ca to save a prime seat, or just show up. Spaces limited. Snacks provided.

Thursday, November 7

Fresh Fruit and Resource Table
11am – 1pm in the Atrium
Grab a healthy snack and learn about mental health and wellness resources.

Yoga
4:15 – 5:15 pm in P107
Stretch, breathe and move your way to balance.

Friday, November 8

Braid and Manicure Bar
9am – 2pm in the Library Hallway
MC College students will help you relax as they pamper your hair and nails. First come, first served.

In our Wellness Weekly, mental health roundup feature we curate some of the best writing on the web related to health and wellbeing. Here is some recommended reading for this week.

Food and Mood

Ever wonder if a certain eating pattern is best for your mental health? When we make everyday food choices, many of us think first of our physical health and appearance. But there’s another factor we may want to consider in picking foods: their impact on our mental health. Read What Is The Best Diet for Mental Health by Kira M. Newman.

Creative Hobbies

If you’ve been trying to get a little more mindfulness in your life, whipping up a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies might be exactly what you need. Read more about how Research Suggests Taking Up Baking Can Help You Feel Better by Gwen Moran.

Stress and Memory

You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You’re working your way through, when you’re asked to define “ataraxia.” You know you’ve seen the word before, but your mind goes blank. What just happened? Elizabeth Cox details the complex relationship between stress and memory in her Ted-Ed animation: The Surprising Link Between Stress and Memory.

Have a favorite health and wellness related read that you think we should feature? Send it over to Breanna.

Richard LeSage, Course Developer

In May and June dozens of staff and faculty members participated in a  30 Day Mindfulness Challenge. Upon completion, those who engaged reported the following outcomes:

• 95% noticed improved mental health.
• 90% were better able to focus.
• 95% found they were managing their stress better.

And because everyone loves prizes, all who completed the challenge were entered onto a draw for one of two passes to Float.Calm or a “Take 5” prize pack. We’re pleased to announce the winners, as determined by a random number generator.

Winners!

Lisa Case, Instructor, Applied Computer Education

Float Calm Gift Certificate #1 – Richard LeSage

Float Calm Gift Certificate #2 – Lisa Case

Take 5 prize pack #1 – Debbie Donato

Take 5 prize pack #2 – CindyLou Benoit

Take 5 prize pack #3 – Lyle Dunlop

Take 5 prize pack #4 – Damien Goodridge

Take 5 prize pack #5 – Bridget Budney

Congratulations to all the prize winners. If you have not yet claimed your prize, please contact Breanna.

Congratulations as well to all those who invested the time needed to complete the challenge. In our busy schedules it can be difficult to make time to learn and practice wellbeing strategies like mindfulness. Cheers to your improved focus, sense of calm and ability to manage stress.

Debbie Donato, Employment Advisor

The 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge is available to all RRC staff, students, and faculty members. It takes 5 to 10 minutes a day and can begin any Tuesday that works for you.

Are you feeling motivated to invest 5 minutes a day in your own mental health? If so, please join fellow colleagues by participating in a 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge beginning either May 14 or 20.

This online training can be done anytime, anywhere and on any device. The Challenge teaches ‘mindfulness-in-action’ so you don’t need to stop what you’re doing to become calmer, present and more focused, all of which lead to a happier, healthier work environment.

Registration
Click here to register for the Challenge using your preferred email address. During the registration process, you’ll also be asked to input your mobile number and your ‘buddy’s’ email address (everyone in the Challenge gets to take it with a buddy of their choice, including friends or loved ones from outside of RRC).

Prizes
Complete all 30 days of the Challenge by June 25 and be entered to win some fabulous prizes, including one of two Float Calm experiences. Just scan or mail your certificate of completion to Breanna Sawatzky to be entered. If you’ve already started a challenge, jump back in and finish!

Did you miss Geoff Soloway’s RED Forum presentation on the Challenge? No worries, you can watch his recorded webinars.

If you need technical support registering, please email register@mindwellu.com. Your RRC contacts for this are Jacqueline Wood and Breanna Sawatzky.

Image courtesy of the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health

Exam period is a particularly stressful time. Consider these tips so you can take a positive approach to doing well and demonstrating your learning.

1. Exercise. Take some time from your exam preparation to move and be active. Some experts recommend concentrating on your material for approximately 50 minutes, then taking a ten minute break to walk and give your attention a rest.
2. Relax. Maybe you relax my meditating, deep breathing, petting your dog, drawing or getting lost in a good song. Take time each day to this kind of true relaxation.
3. Eat well. Feed your brain with high quality foods that give you energy to do your best. Notice foods that make you feel drowsy or sluggish and avoid those.
4. Recognize your achievements. Remind yourself of your successes over the term, including things you’ve learned and skills you’ve developed. Keeping this positive mindset will help you remain focused.
5. Sleep. It’s tempting to stay up all night, cramming, but sleep allows your memories to consolidate and better prepares you for your exam. Sometimes, you may even dream about the material, which is pretty neat.
6. Reward yourself. If you stick to your study schedule and get some good work done, reward yourself with something that will boost your mood and motivation. Choose your rewards wisely to ensure they don’t derail your schedule and budget!
7. Plan time away. Schedule your breaks to you can enjoy them guilt free, knowing that they are part of your plan. Work hard and rest. Work hard again and rest again. Repeat as needed, keeping that positive cycle going.

These strategies will help you stay on-track and perform your best on upcoming exams. Good luck!

The end of term can be a very stressful period, with students experiencing added pressure to complete projects and perform well on exams. Taking a break to relax can help students cope with this stress so we’re welcoming the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program to campus. Students will be encouraged to sit with, feel, touch and pet a trained dog, enjoying the relaxing effect this can have on their mind, body, and emotions.

According to St. John Ambulance, the nation-wide program boasts 3,354 volunteer teams who assisted more than 120,000 clients throughout 2015. Therapy dog teams visit hospitals, retirement residences, care facilities, schools and universities.

Therapy dogs have been on campus in the past, and many students have genuinely enjoyed the visits.

Please join us at the following times/locations:

Tuesday, April 23 in the Cave Lounge at NDC, 11:30am-1:00pm

Thursday, April 25 in the Atrium of Roblin Centre, 11:30am-1:00pm

For more information, please contact Breanna Sawatzky at 204-632-2061 or blsawatzky@rrc.ca

“It’s time for you to take self-care into your hands and Love Your Mind,” urges CreComm student, Jennifer Pazdor. She, in partnership with Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, is hosting two individual days of self-care for youth and young adults in Winnipeg.

The workshops will cover five areas of self-care:

• Mindfulness
• Yoga
• Nutrition
• Expressive Art
• Music

Each topic will be taught by a skilled instructor who will explain how the technique can impact your wellbeing and help you learn to use the technique in your life.

Workshops are free to attend so choose the day or location that’s best for you and reserve your ticket on Eventbrite.

January 19 workshop: Prairie Lights Dining Room (Red River College Notre Dame Campus, 11360 Skinner Rd.)

January 20 workshop: Temple 23 Winnipeg (Exchange District, 62 Albert St.).

Food and beverage will be available. There will be door prizes and giveaways. Each attendee will receive a self-care package at the end of the workshop with some gifts and guides to self-care.

Donations to Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba are welcome.

Follow Love Your Mind on social media for more information: @loveyourmindwpg and check out their website: loveyourmindwpg.com.

Can you receive difficult messages with openness? Are you able to step back from your thoughts and watch them come and go?  Can you manage to reverse the stress response and calm your nervous system? All of these skills are key to building good mental health and all are part of the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge  curriculum.

We’re pleased to invite you to participate in a 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge beginning any Monday.

This online training takes just five minutes a day, anytime, anywhere and on any device, yet there is evidence that it lowers stress, increases resilience, improves teamwork, and strengthens leadership skills.

The Challenge teaches ‘mindfulness-in-action’ so people don’t need to stop what they are doing to become calmer, present and more focused, all of which lead to a happier, healthier work environment.

Watch this short video to learn more about the Challenge.

Registration

All RRC students, staff and faculty can click on the link http://bit.ly/RRC30Day to register for the Challenge. You can even register a buddy to keep you motivated.

If you have any questions about the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge or need any help registering, please email register@mindwellu.com and the Challenge tech team will get back to you. Your RRC contacts for this are Jacqueline Wood and Breanna Sawatzky.

Curious about how you can use music to manage stress and improve your mental health? Join certified music therapist Rachel MacEwan for a Music for Wellness workshop and try out some wellness enhancing strategies, using music.

Date: Friday, December 7th
Time: 12:05 – 12:55pm
Location: Prairie Lights Meeting Room (NDC)

Bring your lunch. Free dainties and tea will be provided.

All staff and students are invited.

Guiding us through different aspects of music therapy, Rachel will invite us to listen to music, make music, and analyze lyrics, all to promote good health while relieving stress and anxiety. Come on out and give it a try!

For questions or accessibility needs, please contact Breanna.

Painting on the Prairies is returning to RRC to instruct our annual THRIVE Week Paint Party! All staff and students are welcome to join us for 2 hours of step-by-step painting. No experience is necessary, and you will take home your very own painted canvas.

The therapeutic benefits of painting are both mental and physical; it helps you to cope with stress you have in your life while you explore your creative side. Owner and Artist of Painting on the Prairies, Amber Van Ma’iingan has been leading paint parties for three and a half years and she will give you all her best tips and tricks so that your painting will turn out it’s best!

Notre Dame Campus
Date: Tuesday, November 6th
Time: 4:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: The Cave Lounge

Exchange District Campus
Date: Wednesday, November 7th
Time: 4:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: Dining Hall, Roblin Centre

Snacks will be provided. Register with Breanna to secure a spot, or just show up (seats are first come first served).

During THRIVE Week we take time to reflect on the role of self-care and balance on developing positive mental health that supports academic and career success. This year, THRIVE will be held November 5-9.

Events and activities provide an opportunity for rest, social connection, physical activity, fun, personal growth, and learning.

The week long series of events is a partnership between the RRC Students’ Association and the Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative.

Check out the NDC Thrive Guide and EDC Thrive Guide to see the full slate of activities.