The following is a guest blog from Laura McNaughton, Child and Youth Care student at the Notre Dame Campus.

Laura McNaughton, RRC Student

For a long time, I have felt like I’ve been living two lives. The life everyone else sees, and the life I see. These two lives are drastically different.

When I was in high school, I was known as the happiest kid in school. “She is always smiling”, “She’s so upbeat and happy”. I was sarcastic and witty and joyful, but as soon as I got home, I would sleep until the next day of school. Then I would put on my happy face again and be the other side of me. No one knew the side of me when I was alone. Even now, after I have told my story to others, they are shocked- they still always say to me “But you were so happy in high school”.

Laura’s original artwork.

Depression is like a paradox. You want the illness acknowledged, but at the same time, you also want to deny it. I guess I was in my denying stage at that time. Then I started to realize I was sinking way too far down into a hole. I was in a full blown depression, I was self harming, and to me that was my normal. I had people in my life who were there for me and helped me get through it, but it was still always there- like a friend that just won’t leave you alone. But they’re not really a friend, they’re this toxic being that helps to deteriorate you. I felt all alone, even though there were people all around me. And it took years for me to be able to look at myself and see someone who was worth being around, worth living, just worth it.

Mental health is a process….

Laura (left) helping bring therapy dogs to RRC as part of her student-led practicum in Child and Youth Care.

I am now 22 years old, and actually about to graduate the Child and Youth Care Program here at Red River College. For my last practicum in my course, I actually did this new, unique student led practicum. I was a mental health advocate, connecting with people and organizations all over the city, and helping to facilitate events. Some things I accomplished were; I helped bring therapy dogs to the college for students in exams, I joined an online peer support network, I joined the advisory committee here at the college, I went to mental health talks, created my own business cards and am currently working on my own mental health event. Basically, I did so much in this last 7 weeks that I am shocked. This is not where I thought my life would be.

Laura displaying her prescribed psychiatric medication.

I used to be anxious as all hell, and too depressed to get out of bed to come to school. I used to think I had no future, and I was not going to amount to anything. This last practicum has really helped me to flourish and become who I was meant to be. Mental health is something I am so passionate about, and because of that passion, I have seen my dream become a reality.

Don’t get me wrong- I still have my bad days, I’m still depressed and have those days where I can’t function, I am still anxious, I am on medication to help, but I have something in my life to look forward to. I have found something that gets me out of bed everyday- my passion for helping others.

Mental health is so important to understand, and I want all of us to be on the positive spectrum, but it is an everyday process. It is not something that is going to come easy for some, and that is ok. It is ok not to be ok! I want to be that support for people who feel so in the dark, they cannot see the light. I want to be that light for them.

I have and am currently struggling with a mental illness, but I am here to say, that it will not stop you from accomplishing what you want out of life. It might give you some hiccups here and there, but it is not your whole life. It is not you, it is a part of you- and you are strong and beautiful and amazing and you can do anything you set your mind to. Don’t listen to the lies your illness tells you, You can do it. I believe in you.

I used to be scared to talk about my issues openly, but if it can help someone else not feel alone then I am going to do it everyday for the rest of my life.

“I know its hard to understand, if its never happened to you, but just realize its important to talk about for someone to be able to get through

 

so lets start talking about mental illness – realize it is not a choice. these people are sick, and need more of a voice

 

We need to end the stigma around mental health, Stand up, make a change, and realize happiness is our greatest wealth”

 

-excerpt from poem by Laura McNaughton

If you would like to write a guest blog about your mental health journey, please contact Breanna, Mental Health Coordinator, at blsawatzky@rrc.ca.

Our hearts are more than a symbol for our feelings, although the heart does respond to stress, attraction, anxiety, joy and depression among many influencers. Our hearts provide a “pulse” (pun intended) for our current state of health – if the pressure is too high or too low we experience negative side effects, and the body responds through physical reactions such as sweating, “blushing”, feeling dizzy or short of breath. It’s important to listen to your heart when faced with mental and physical concerns, it will indicate the severity of the situation and if need be will override your whole system.

Taking care of your heart can be as simple as what you put into your body, using recipes like these found through the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/heart-healthy-recipes/rcs-20077163/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=heart-healthy. Nutritional habits, however, are rarely as simple to identify and stick to so don’t be hesitant to ask for professional assistance.

Physical activity, particularly cardiovascular exercise, will benefit your mind and body. The heart requires exercise to strengthen it, allowing it to pump blood more efficiently throughout the body and keep all vital systems nourished. Although it is not always necessary to lost weight to improve your heart health, weight loss is often a side effect of improved nutrition and physical activity. Canadians are busier than ever, in their work and home lives, and it can be very tough to set aside time each day to exercise. The best strategy in that case is to learn how to sneak more physical activity into your already established routine, such as these examples: http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/weight-management-guide/easy-ways-to-sneak-exercise-into-your-day/

Stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure, a huge strain on your heart. Learning to cope with external stressors before your body needs to physically react to call attention to the issue will benefit your mental and physical health. Resilience is our greatest weapon against stress. Learn to improve your personal resilience through this guide: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/resilience-training/in-depth/resilience/art-20046311?pg=2

Take your total health to heart, and take care of it!

Sarasvati Productions has created a new play called Breaking Through that we think staff and students will be interested in watching at the U of W.

The world premiere of this theatrical production is a combination of perspectives on mental health after two years of research and input from almost 400 local community members.

The play runs on several dates: May 23-27 at 8 pm, May 24 at 1 pm and May 28 at 2 pm at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (400 Colony Street at the U of W).

Tickets normally run $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, but for one lucky winner, you’ll get two tickets for FREE.

Visit your Lifeworks website at www.lifeworks.comand check out what your Employee and Family Assistance Program has to offer.

In order to access Lifeworks, you need the RRC Username and Password:

Username: rrcefap
Password: efap

Then, e-mail wellness@rrc.ca and tell us one thing on the website that you didn’t realize was offered, and you’ll be entered to win! This contest closes on Friday May 5, so don’t delay!!

Note: We will do our best to accommodate your date preference.

For more information, check out sarasvati.ca

The end of term can be a very stressful period, with students experiencing added pressure to complete projects and perform well on exams. In order to help students cope with this stress, 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:

Monday, April 24 in the Cave Lounge at NDC, 11:30am-1:00pm

Tuesday, 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

The Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) is available 24/7 with access to short-term counselling and a wide range of proactive tools and resources to make your work/life balance smoother, we all know this. What isn’t as well-known is the plethora of services we can take advantage of through LifeWorks.com that simply make life easier – not necessarily more balanced, but certainly easier.

• Need to know if you can build your own Will from an online kit or if your situation calls for a Lawyer’s touch? Access the Legal Consultation through your EFAP and figure out your next steps to secure your future.
• Pretty sure you have a handle on your daily finances but could use some help with your investment choices or long-term savings? The Financial Consultation will show you where the gaps are in your financial health so you make the most of your Financial Planner’s time – they’ll even help you find one!
• Child or Elder care needs slowing down your daily grind? Allow your EFAP to help you find a provider in your area that fits in your budget.
• Trying to quit smoking and just need a few quick tips to help with cravings throughout the day? The Stop Smoking Centre will provide just that!
• Have a child or teen that seems to be struggling with their own school/life balance or a mental health concern but they want nothing less than talking to you? They can access the EFAP as well with complete confidentiality from their phone, laptop or tablet so help is always on the way even when they’re always on the go.
• First time home-buyer? Learn everything you need to know from maintenance schedules and DIY repairs to budgeting and renovations.
• Going through a major life event like a death, divorce or job loss? Find coping strategies, community resources and solutions for whatever life has thrown at you.

The bottom line is that you don’t need a “life or death” situation to arise before you can access the EFAP, far from it! An EFAP should be used as a proactive tool as much as reactive, to help you out with life’s daily little curiosities, challenges and opportunities. This is a benefit the College wants employees to have and is paying 100% of the cost for, so take advantage and improve your life wherever you can with LifeWorks!

Click Here to visit LifeWorks

By Conor Lloyd

About four-months ago I decided to really knuckle down and focus on improving my health.

Now to couch that previous statement, I am not generally an unhealthy guy. I don’t smoke – I quit five years ago — I am not a heavy drinker, and I really don’t eat that poorly, if you don’t consider pizza, chicken fingers, steak, and hamburgers unhealthy that is.

Suffice it to say I am an expert at talking myself out of going to the gym and will – on many occasions – opt to binge watch Netflix, read a good book, go shopping for vinyl, or head out for dinner. In January of this year, I tipped the scale at what I consider a very unhealthy weight. My doctor threatened a litany of cholesterol medications, and frankly taking the stairs felt like a workout.

Needless to say, it was time to make a change.

But rather than simply setting a goal of losing 30, 50, or even 60 pounds, I focused on changing my process to achieving a healthy lifestyle, and used benchmarks along the way to track my performance. Those benchmarks provided me with valuable feedback to see how I was performing and allowed me to adjust my approach along the way.

Those benchmarks didn’t simply revolve around weight loss, albeit that was probably one of the dominant performance indicators at the start, I used a lot of different markers along the way, and that included:

• Consistent meal preparation
• Water consumption
• Weight-loss; and
• Level of activity (I aimed to visit the gym and meet with my trainer three times a week).

Read More →

Last week, on March 22nd, Red River College announced two new support services as part of the Healthy Minds Healthy College initiative aimed at enhancing mental health programming for students, staff and faculty.

The announcement coincided with a broader awareness-raising event, in which TSN’s Michael Landsberg — one of the faces of Bell Let’s Talk Day — brought his #SICKNOTWEAK talk to RRC.

L-R: Breanna Sawatzky, Mental Health Coordinator; Laureen Janzen, Manager, Counselling and Accessibility; Michael Landsberg; Adam Taplin, RRC Students’ Association President

Recording Available

We’re happy to make available the recording of the presentation, filmed by eTV.

Prizes

In addition, we had some awesome prizes available to those who were engaged by either:

1. Tweeting using #LandsbergAtRRC
2. Subscribing to the Wellness blog
3. Asking a question live or via eTV

Here are your prize winners:

If you have won a prize, please be in touch with Breanna at blsawatzky@rrc.ca to arrange pick-up. Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all who participated in person, over live stream, and on Twitter.

Students here at RRC have so much on their plates that life can easily become overwhelming. Sometimes connecting with a peer who really listens can be just what someone needs in order to feel validated, put problems in perspective, and move forward in a healthy way.

We’re happy to announce the launch of Red River ReliefLine – a confidential, anonymous, online, 24/7 peer support service that is available free of charge to students.

Students can link to the service here to connect with a trained peer listener, using their computer, tablet or smart phone.

To become a user, you’ll be asked to share your email address, date of birth and a unique username. Other users and listeners will not be able to see your email address or date of birth.

Listeners From Around the World

Listeners complete online training in active listening and providing compassionate support over chat. Listeners are not counsellor or therapists and do not give advice or conduct therapy. Listeners do, however, provide emotional support and a safe space to sort out what happening in your life.

Red River ReliefLine is a customized version of the service called 7 Cups of Tea that has users and listeners from all over the world. This means that students can access listeners who speak a wide variety of languages. We hope this feature will be particularly helpful for our refugee, immigrant, and international students.

In addition to supportive chat conversations, students can access simple therapeutic exercises through ReliefLine, using the Growth Path feature.

It can feel risky to reach out for the first time, but getting support from a kind listener can be so worth it! We encourage students to use ReliefLine whenever they need it.

If you’d like more information about ReliefLine, have comments about your experience with it, or are interested in becoming a listener, please contact Breanna at blsawatzky@rrc.ca or 204-632-2061.

STRATA Select

Have you taken advantage of the STRATA Select Program? Through our affiliation with HUB International STRATA Benefits Consulting, employees have access to voluntary products and services at discounted or preferred rates.

Travel Discounts – Take advantage of exclusive travel tour benefits, hotel discounts and preferred rates on vehicle rentals while you travel.

Direct Sellers Insurance Coverage – A unique program that provides coverage for a variety of risks and liabilities that direct sellers (e.g. Pampered Chef, Avon, Norwex, etc.) are exposed to when they are away from home, picking up or delivering products, at someone else’s home or at trade shows or other business events.

GOeVisit – Get convenient online access to medical professionals for non-emergency conditions, anywhere, anytime.

Group Home and Auto Insurance – Save up to 40% on your home and auto insurance by signing up for a group membership.

Home Phone Program – Reduce your monthly phone bill by accessing this home phone discount program which includes caller ID, voicemail and other calling features.

Home Security Systems – Through AAA, receive discounts on monitoring when you sign up for a home security system.

Hospital Cash – Receive money to assist you with unexpected costs during your hospital stay. Single or family coverage is available.

Individual Health, Dental and Travel Insurance – HUB STRATA’s Individual Insurance Specialist assists with the transition to personal insurance and provides coverage options for family members & relatives who do not have benefits in place.

Individual Life and Living Benefits – Access HUB STRATA’s Individual Life and Living Benefits Consultant to assess your coverage needs and recommend the best fit for you.

Long Distance Savings – Save on your landline or cellular long distance plans.

MyCare – In the event of a serious illness or major orthopaedic condition, MyCare provides affordable and timely access to world-renowned Mayo Clinic expertise.

Pet Health Insurance – Receive 10% off the regular monthly pet health insurance premiums through Petplan®.

Travel Health Insurance – Access to a full range of cost-effective travel insurance options through Medi-Quote Insurance Brokers.

For more information and to start using the discounts and services offered through the STRATA Select program, visit this website: http://select.hubinternational.com/selectredriver/.

Supporting Your Wellness

The LifeWorks website offers a wealth of information and resources to help you make the most of all aspects of your life. For the month of March, LifeWorks is featuring a suite of resources called Work and Career Boosters.

Work and Career Boosters features resources to help you improve your productivity and advance professionally.

Be sure to visit www.lifeworks.com to take advantage of the new 2017 content, including videos, podcasts, audio tips and much more.

Remember your EFAP User ID and Password:

User ID: rrcefap                     Password: efap

Michael Landsberg, TSN sports journalist and a face of Bell Let’s Talk Day, is bringing his #SickNotWeak talk to Red River College. Come listen to his talk, ask questions and take part in a meet & greet. Help us break down the stigma related to mental health problems.

#SickNotWeak helps people understand that mental illness is a sickness, not a weakness. Michael will speak about his own experience with mental illness and will inspire us to be a more mentally healthy community.

Details

Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Where: North Gym, Notre Dame Campus – Livestreaming will be available at all other campuses

This event is for ALL staff, faculty and students. We understand that some of you may be in class or teaching class at this time, but we hope you consider attending and allowing your students to attend as well.

Lunch and Prizes

Come early for a FREE pizza & pop lunch.

There will also be prize draws where attendees can win restaurant gift cards, movie passes and even a visit to Thermea! Details regarding how you can win will be announced at the event.

Announcements

This event is a part of the Healthy Minds Healthy College initiative. Some exciting new programs and services related to mental health at RRC will be launched at this event. Don’t miss it!

Engage in the conversation on Twitter, using #LandsbergAtRRC on March 22nd.