By Mario De Negri

Fitness Coordinator, Rebels Athletics and Recreation Services

It’s come to that time of year where most of us have not only given up on our New Years resolutions but more importantly just recalled we had some. What’s so fascinating about this is that now that we have brought it back to the forefront of our thoughts, most, and I’m saying close to all of us will still not do anything about it.

So I ask what is it that would stop me from implementing an action towards that resolution I had. I would like to think its distraction. When I am focused and I know what I want I usually do what is necessary to get it.

For example the fact I haven’t eaten anything for breakfast today, and not really a lunch that when I get home I all I can do is focus on a way to eat or better yet the urgency to have to go to the bathroom keeps me pretty focused.

I think distraction is the cause of non focus. Next time you have to go to the bathroom really bad try to get angry at something in your life that at other times makes you really angry and try to hold off on going to the bathroom. What will happen is that you might start to get the rise of anger but shortly following is the call of nature. So you can persist and keep focusing on getting angry but just around the corner is the sound of the tap being turned on. Eventually you will give in and accept and in that moment your focus won’t be of anger but of relief.

So does this work when not being forced? Try this; Start to pay attention to yourself. Watch to see how you react to things. You see something and it’s making you angry. That anger has taken over your whole body. Stop! Look at the anger. Say to yourself “I choose not to be angry” over and over and over again until one, you’ll say to yourself how stupid this is and that it doesn’t work which will keep enforcing the anger or two, you treat this mantra like the urgency of having to use the loo and you will experience change.

Anger cannot exist if the focus is on not being anger. Just as darkness cannot exist when light is focused on it. If we agree that focus will only exists if there is no distraction then we must continue to keep watching to see if we stay on track to what we want. When distractions arise like I have no time, it’s too late, I don’t know how to do it or whatever the distraction is you accept to yourself we must stop, see it for what it is, and go back to focus.

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Tessa Blaikie has her bachelors degree in sociology from the University of Winnipeg and a masters degree in Political Economy from Carleton University. She is a youth mental health promotion worker at the Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg and was Winnipeg’s official champion of the Clara Hughes events in Winnipeg during Clara’s Big Ride for Bell Let’s Talk.

Many of you probably took first aid or CPR training through school, summer camp or work, so you know what to do if someone sprains their ankle, starts choking or experiencing chest pains. But what if you came across someone having a mental health crisis? Would you know what to do?

Why Mental Health First Aid?

Unlike physical injuries, mental health issues aren’t always obvious, which can mean they get overlooked. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches us how to recognize when others are struggling with a mental health problem and equips us with tools and information so we can help. At the same time, MHFA also helps reduce mental health stigma as accurate information is shared about people with mental health issues including risk factors, symptoms and more.

MHFA is important because mental health issues are so prevalent in our society. One in three Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life. Professional help is not always on hand so even if we want to help someone in crisis, we may not know how. MHFA teaches us how.

Helping a friend

Here’s an example of how MHFA training can be useful. You notice one of your friends has been irritable lately. Then they confide in you that they’ve been drinking a lot of coffee to stay up and study and then drinking alcohol to fall asleep. From your MHFA training, you recognize that what they’re doing is not safe or sustainable. You’re training has also taught you how best to approach them with your concerns and make suggestions for how they might go about changing their behaviour. You talk to them about the different stages of change that you learned about through MHFA and direct them to the right resources.

This is the kind of aid MHFA will teach you how to provide until appropriate professional connections are made for the person in crisis or until the crisis resolved. MHFA will also give you the knowledge and skills to be able to assess the person’s safety to determine if he/she is at risk for suicide.

In this example, your friend may want to connect with a counsellor in Counselling and Accessibility Services to get help with gradually slowing down their caffeine and alcohol consumption. Or they may want to take a study skills workshop to learn how to better manage their school workload and stress.

Want more information?

If you think you might be interested in taking MHFA training or just want to learn more, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg for upcoming courses including basic MHFA and MHFA for adults who interact with youth. Check out www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca for MHFA courses offered by other organizations throughout Canada.

We have not yet reached our World Health Organization goal to be measles free and with measles outbreaks being in the news, below are a few important points to remember.

The illness begins with the following, which lasts for 2 to 4 days: high fever, cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, and sore red eyes (conjunctivitis or “pink eye”) .The virus can live in your nose, mouth, eyes and on your skin. It is highly contagious, meaning it spreads very easily. The measles virus spreads:                                                                                         ■through direct contact                                                                                                               ■through the air—such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes                               ■on objects that were recently exposed to infected mucus or saliva—such as shared utensils, cups and tissues

Key points to remember about measles

• measles is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus
• measles can be prevented with vaccine
• it’s very infectious – measles spreads very easily and quickly from one person to another
• it usually takes 10 – 12 days from contact with someone with measles to the first symptom
• babies,  children and young adults along with those who may be immuno-compromised are at risk for serious complications.
• if your child has measles, keep your child resting at home until they are well again
• isolate the ill person and do not allow visitors as much as possible
• your health provider will advise you about the safest time for your child to return to school or childcare
• children and adults with measles often develop complications like pneumonia, deafness or swelling of the brain
• immunization is the only way to prevent measles. Adult or child, we need two (2) doses of the MMR vaccine. (measles, mumps, rubella)

A contact is defined as any individual who has:

• spent any length of time in a room or enclosed space with a confirmed measles case during that case’s infectious period (i.e. approximately 4 days before rash onset to 4 days after rash onset);or
• spent time in a room previously occupied by a measles case, during that case’s infectious period, within 2 hours after that individual left the room/space

If you or someone at home becomes ill, contact Health Links at (204) 788-8200 or toll-free 1-888-315-9257, or your health provider as some may require hospitalization.It you think you have or have been exposed to measles, because it is highly contagious, call before going to any clinic.

If you have measles. There is no cure, so symptom control such as pain relievers (never give aspirin to a child), eating well and drinking lots of fluids, along with staying home at least 4 days after the rash appears and isolating yourself is the best plan. Call your health provider if you have any concerns.

From Health Services

Upcoming Submission Deadline!

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you to submit your 2014 claims to your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) by March 31, 2015.

2014 claims must be received by Great-West Life prior to March 31^st, 2015 to be claimed against your 2014 HCSA dollars. Any unused 2014 benefit dollars remaining after this period will be forfeited.

The HCSA can be used to cover a range of benefits not normally covered under other types of group benefits plans or by provincial medical plans.

What are covered expenses?

You are covered for 100% of eligible expenses that you incur while you and your dependents are covered, up to the total amount of dollars in your HCSA.

The Income Tax Act governs the types of expenses that can be reimbursed under the HCSA. This includes medical or dental services provided by a:

• Licensed medical practitioner;
• Dentist; or
• Public or licensed private hospital.

Please visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca and search on medical expenses for a complete list.

On January 1^st, 2015 your HCSA refreshed based on the Flex Option you have chosen and part-time/full-time status where applicable. Please visit www.greatwestlife.com to review your claims history and obtain your HCSA statement including balance.

Under the HCSA, you can carry forward claims up to 12 months from the date of service. This means if you had more 2014 expenses than you had 2014 HCS A dollars, you can carry forward those claims for reimbursement against your 2015 HCSA balance.

Supporting Your Wellness

The LifeWorks website contains useful tools and articles to help you and your family prepare for winter. You even have access to seminars at www.lifeworks.com.

This month the recommended seminar is ‘Bouncing Back: How to Stay Resilient During Life’s Challenges’. Build resilience, overcome obstacles and achieve your New Year’s goals!

Did You Know?

Through the Voluntary STRATA Select Program, you are eligible for discounts on new security systems or monitoring of existing systems through AAA Alarms?    AAA Alarms has three incentives depending on customer needs. Check it out!

• Save 15% off all equipment with the first 3 months of Basic Monitoring.*
• Get an upgraded system and a $50 credit on your account just for signing up.*
• Eligible for current market promotions when you sign up!

*based on a 3 year contract

Log on to your STRATA Select website for more information.

Login: rrc              Password: voluntary

Some people are simply more resilient than others. Whether it’s genetics or something they learned growing up, we all know of someone who takes challenges in strides, shrugs off disappointment and perseveres in the face of stress.

If you happen to be someone who is less resilient (you find yourself dwelling on problems, feeling overwhelmed or having trouble coping with stress) — know that you’re not alone. Also know that there’s good news! There are many things you can do to build your resiliency. It may take time but eventually, you can feel confident in your strengths and abilities, manage your emotions and handle stressful situations in healthy ways.


Here are our top 10 tips for building resiliency:


1. Think of stressful situations as temporary. You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you perceive these events and the way you respond to them. Try to picture several weeks or months into the future when the stressful event or crisis has passed. Are things really that bad? In most cases, probably not.

2. Accept that change is a part of living. Things change around and within us all the time. Try to accept change will happen and focus on the ways the new circumstances could be positive.

3. Identify realistic goals. Set regular goals — even if they seem like small accomplishments. This will give you motivation to work toward bigger goals. To do this, ask yourself each day what you can accomplish today that will help you move in the general direction of where you want to go.

4. Take action. If a stressful or adverse situation occurs, don’t isolate yourself or detach from the problem and hope it goes away. Think about what you can do to make the situation better and the effective action you can take as soon as possible.

5. Learn from experience. There is potential for us to learn from every experience we go through — positive and negative. When going through a difficult time, think of how you’ve coped with hardships in the past. Try writing down what happened and how you solved a the situation. This exercise can help you identify what skills and strategies were helpful and that you should use again.

6. Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very stressful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion by reminding yourself that it will pass. Ask yourself, “Will this matter a few months or a year from now?”

7. Make every day meaningful. Do something each day that gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Try setting goals in the morning right after breakfast. Doing so can help you feel motivated and productive — a great feeling at the beginning of a new day!

8. Be proactive. Don’t ignore your problems. As hard as it can be to do, addressing situations head on will help you feel much better in the end. Know that whatever the setback or difficult situation is, it will improve if you create a plan and start taking action.

9. Make social connections. Whenever you’re dealing with a problem, it is important to have people who can offer support. Talking about the challenges you are facing can be an excellent way to gain perspective, look for new solutions, express your emotions and problem solve.

10. Take care of yourself. No matter what you’re going through, it’s important to have love and respect for yourself. If you’ve made a mistake or done something wrong, don’t beat yourself up. Try and think about your past successes or situations where you’ve done the right thing. You may want to try some stress management and relaxation techniques such as a yoga or meditation class or deep breathing. At least make sure that you’re eating regular meals and getting enough sleep.

What has helped you become more resilient? Share your tips in the comment section below!

Rebels Athletics and Recreation Services along with the Student Association are hosting three Intramural Special Events this year in a variety of sports. This is great way to meet new people, relieve stress and be active! All events cost $10.00 each, so this is an affordable way to get exercise and participate in some fun sports! Each event is open to all RRC staff and students. Door prizes and a player’s lounge are a part of every event.

To participate, print the 2015 Winter Intramurals Registration Form and take it to either The OX on Notre Dame Campus or The Mercantile in the Exchange Campus to register. Deadline to register for each event is the Wednesday prior to.

Saturday January 24- Rebels Badminton Classic
Location: North Gym
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person. Can enter as many categories as you wish
Categories: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles and Mixed Doubles

Saturday February 7th-Rebels Floor Hockey
Location: North and South Gyms
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person
Categories: Register as a team or a Free Agent. 5 players to a team including goalie.

Saturday March 21st- March Madness 3vs3 Basketball
Location: North
Time: 8am-4pm
Cost: $10 per person
Categories: Register as a team or a Free Agent. Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Max 5 players per team, 3 on the court at one time.

For further information please contact Athletics and Recreation Coordinator Cole Skinner at 632-2397 or coskinner@rrc.ca

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Last week we posted some tips on handling feelings of anger. Along with those immediate coping mechanisms, it’s also worthwhile to consider some longer-term solutions for managing anger.

Here are some things you might want to try if you’ve been feeling a lot of intense anger.

• Explore what is making you angry. Is it something you have control over or not? If your anger is related to school, keep in mind that we all have different academic abilities, but are there are things that can help you reach your goals. Connecting with Tutoring Services, talking with your instructor, developing good time management or maybe even reducing your course load may help.

• Learn your triggers. What tends to set off your anger? Do you find you are quick to anger when you are feeling time pressured, when you feel like things are unfair, when you don’t understand something, when you hear about situations of injustice or when you are feeling guilty or shameful about something. Knowing what might trigger your anger will help you prepare for it.
• Learn your warning signs. This could include a racing heart, clenching your jaw or just feeling tense. Whatever your warning signs are, try to identify what it is you feel right before your anger comes on so you can learn to manage your anger before it escalates out of control.
• Have an anger management plan. Come up with a clear plan you can put into action if your anger starts to escalate. Your plan might be as simple as 3 steps – step 1 leave the situation, step 2 take 10 deep breaths and step 3 think about something else. Other parts of your plan may involve things such as relaxation strategies to help you feel calmer or regular eating, sleeping and exercise. Let’s face it, we all cope better when we’ve moved our bodies around, eaten a good meal and had a good night’s sleep.

Chronic anger or irritability combined with other symptoms can be associated with other mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety. If you have any concerns that you might be struggling with one of these things, you may want to book an appointment with one of counsellors in Counselling and Accessibility Services.

People’s experiences with grief don’t follow orderly or predictable stages. Each of us copes with loss in our unique way and our grieving changes over time.

Sometimes our “own way” of grieving doesn’t always work and we can find ourselves overwhelmed. There are things we can do to help us work through our grief when this happens.

• Journaling
  Expressing our feelings to other people can be really hard, especially about something so personal as going through a loss. Writing about our feelings is much easier because it’s private. We don’t have to share what we write if we don’t want to.

Buy yourself a notebook that will fit in your purse or backpack. When you’re feeling some emotion bubbling up, get out your notebook and write whatever comes to mind — a letter, poem, words, random facts about the day. Many people are surprised at what comes out when they sit down to write and how therapeutic this exercise is.
• Meditation
  Find yourself a quiet and comfortable place where you can be alone with your thoughts for about ten minutes. Sit quietly or listen to your favourite music. Let your mind go and see where it leads you. It’s OK to cry or feel emotional. You’re working through the grief.
• Join a support group
  How many times have you wished you could talk to someone who would understand? Support groups are a great way to connect with people who can relate to what you’re going through. If you don’t want to commit to attending meetings, online support groups such as onlinegriefsupport.com are also a good option.
• Talking about it
  When you feel ready, open up to someone you trust. This may be your best friend, partner or classmate, or it may be a counsellor.

Allowing yourself time to grieve is very important for your overall mental health. If you want to talk to someone about what you’re going through, you can meet with one of the counsellors in Counselling and Accessibility Services. To book an appointment, complete the online intake form.

Canada’s team of dedicated consular officials assist thousands of Canadian travellers abroad each year. We provide consular assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through more than 260 points of service in 150 countries. However, there are some situations that not even a Christmas miracle can resolve. That is why Canadians need to prepare before they travel to ensure that their vacation goes off without a hitch. Here are some tips from me to you this holiday season:

1. A Canadian Passport Is Not a “Get-Out-of-Jail-Free-Card” Canadians should recognize that they are subject to the local laws of the country they are travelling, which are often different from those in Canada. Canada cannot intervene in foreign judicial processes, just as we would not accept a foreign government intervening in ours. Canadians abroad are expected to adhere to local laws, just as they would in Canada. We keep Canadians up-to-date on country-specific advice and information which can be found at: Country travel advice and advisories.
2. Say Yes to Travel Insurance Canadians are urged to always purchase travel and medical insurance before they leave Canada. In almost all circumstances, the Government of Canada—and the taxpayer—will not help pay for a ticket back to Canada or medical treatment. Don’t let unforeseen bills ruin your vacation and your wallet. For more information please visit: Travel insurance.
3. Register With Us Canadians can register their travel plans with our team of consular officials for free either online or through our mobile app. The purpose of registering is solely to ensure that if there is an emergency in the area you are travelling in, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, we can reach you quickly and provide you with guidance and assistance. This quick registration will take you two minutes but will provide us with invaluable information to help assist you when you need it most. For more information on our Registration for Canadians Abroad, please visit: Registration of Canadians Abroad.
4. Know How to Reach Us Canadian consular officials can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our call collect number (613) 996-8885 or by email sos@international.gc.ca. We staff this line with live officials at all times. Call us immediately if you are in trouble.
5. We Love to Help—But We Cannot Supply You with Maple Syrup Yes—Canadians have asked us to supply them with an emergency supply of maple syrup and have even asked us to arrange for a chauffeur for their pet poodle through the airport during their holiday travel. As much as we love a good Canadian breakfast staple and are pet lovers ourselves, unfortunately Canadians have an unrealistic expectation of what we are here to help them with. For a list of what consular officials can and cannot do, please visit: Consular Services: general.

Finally, from my family to yours, I would like to personally wish you warm wishes this holiday season and safe travels wherever it may take you.

Lynne Yelich Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular)

Remember to check with a travel clinic to ensure all immunizations are up to date. Some countries may ask about your immunization status. Keep track of your immunizations by downloading this app. It includes any health alerts.

Courtesy of Health Services

Did you know that in 2014 we had 8 “Slips and Falls” at RRC?

Not all of those were ice related, but, whether you are at an RRC Campus, or anywhere else, here are a few tips to prevent Slips and Falls on ice.

1. Walk slowly and carefully when you walk across the parking lot to your building
2. Take short, deliberate steps in which the mid-foot strikes the ground first, not the heel
3. Change direction carefully when walking on slippery surfaces
4. Be aware that black ice can look like wet pavement
5. Be cautious of new snow that may be covering icy patches
6. Ensure your footwear has good tread and is appropriate for cold or wet snow
7. Keep your hands free for balance
8. Don’t carry loads where you can’t see where you are walking
9. Watch where you are walking, don’t text and walk at the same time
10. Avoid climbing over snow banks, look for an alternate route to walk
11. Be careful when getting in or out of your vehicle, look for icy patches where you park, face the vehicle, use it for support
12. Use hand rails when available
13. Wipe / shake off snow from your shoes on the mats when you enter the building to avoid getting the floors wet
14. Be aware that stairs and floors may be wet so use caution

Our Grounds staff does a great job in keeping the parking lot and walkways cleared of snow at NDC, but, we live in a difficult climate, and weather conditions do not always make things easy for them. We need to take precautions where ever we go whether at work or somewhere else.

Do not become a statistic this winter. Avoid those Slips and Falls.

If you have any concerns, contact safety@rrc.ca