4th Annual President’s Fun Run/Walk (Homecoming)

October 11, 2017 jguk Leave a Comment

As part of our Walktober month theme, come participate in the following event in our community!

This Saturday, October 14, 2017, with registration at 8am and the start at 9am, the 4th Annual President’s Fun Run/Walk is taking place around the three Dalhousie Halifax campuses. This event is open to families and friends of Dalhousie alumni and the community. It will involve running/jogging/walking around the three campuses, with snacks and prizes available on the Quad afterwards.

The organizers are inviting those who attend to bring gently used pairs of shoes, sneakers, boots, or socks as donations to those in need. These donations will be collected and distributed with the Runners for Runners – Walk in Our Shoes Foot Care Clinic.

This event is free of cost to participate in.

To register and for more information, click here before October 13, 2017

NS Lung Association’s “Quit Cold Turkey” Challenge

October 11, 2017 jguk Leave a Comment

The NS Lung Association has been hosting an annual FREE challenge prior to the winter holidays.

“The idea behind the contest is to quit smoking for 30 days for the period leading to Christmas,” said Mohammed Al-Hamdani, Director of Health Initiatives.

Successful participants get a hand-delivered turkey as a symbol for celebrating their accomplishment.

At the start of the contest, participants receive a registration kit with self-help materials.During the contest, weekly support emails are sent to participants to motivate them to succeed during their smoking abstinence journey.

In 2015, the contest first took place in the HRM with 122 participants and a quit rate of 25%. The Lung Association expanded the contest last year and achieved a new quit rate of 34% among participants.

Registration for 2017 opens: October 25 – November 8, 2017

Contest duration: November 8 – December 8, 2017
It is FREE of charge to participate.

A Seminar on Transitions

October 4, 2017 jguk Leave a Comment

Mount Saint Vincent University will be hosting A Seminar on Transitions on October 19th, 2017, that could be beneficial for staff and faculty who are looking into retirement plans within the next ten years. They are also offering an early registration discount for those interested. The event details are below, with the event being held in the McCain building at MSVU by Doug Wright and Maureen Farmer. E-mail shirley@wiltshirefinancial.ca or call 902-404-8410 to register.

Mental Health in the Workplace

May 5, 2017 cmhancey Leave a Comment

Rise to meet the challenges of coping with work related stress with the new book Staying Afloat: How to Survive and Thrive in the Workplace. The book is co-authored by Gillian Livingston, Globe and Mail Deputy Editor of Globe Investor and Bill Howatt who is the Chief Research and Development Officer of work force productivity with Morneau Shepell in Toronto. The book walks its readers through the many ways they can make work and life better. It is direct, user friendly, and offers an initial online questionnaire to identify your own individual stress levels and risk factors to keep in mind while navigating through coping strategies. In addition to coping mechanisms for individuals, there are also tips for employers to help staff manage stress as well.

For additional information on these and other skills, please see The Globe and Mail Micro Skills Series.

Getting Off the Rollercoaster

July 6, 2016 Angela MacMaster 1 Comment

A couple of years ago, I started with a Personal Trainer at GoodLife. My initial motivation was to reduce stress, establish a work/life balance and get my blood pressure down. Having never really been a workout person, it made for a tough go at first. But when matched with the right trainer, I learned how to eat and actually appreciate food and to have the trust to push myself (nothing like a good sweat!). It was hard work and required constant focus (and so much self talk). But in about two years, I became a label reading, sugar-slamming foodie, who you’d find more often on the elliptical machine than at a happy hour. I even ran the Blue Nose (ok, the 5K). I was strong, energetic and in control of my health, and was actually having fun with it (surprise!). During this process, the Pain was kind of a thing, but would come and go, so I was able to just work around it. I was in the Zone.

Near the end of my sessions with my amazing trainer, things took a bit of a turn – courtesy of an unusual Pain related issue. And while I knew something was different, I didn’t imagine that in just a short time I would move from an exciting, proud place to one of confusion and disruption.

The timing of these blogs is not a coincidence. I’m now trying to get off that rollercoaster and into a new kind of Zone, and writing makes it real. But the biggest part of this process is learning to let go of what was and find a new path of what can be. The cardio is being replaced by cycling and walking and the foods that crept back in are being once again replaced by better choices. I am understanding how the Pain works and how to work with it. It may be a winding road, but I still have lots of energy to fight.

I never hesistated to reach out to professionals that I thought could provide me with solid advice, and that includes the team at EFAP. In particular, health-related support. To check it out, sign-in to http://workhealthlife.com, go to MyServices. Or just give them a call at 1-800-387-4765. Or an online chat. Worked well that way too.

Take care,

Angela

Category: Uncategorized