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Quarterly Update Spring 2017
Healthiest You …moving forward for a healthier organization
Healthy employees making a
contribution to the organization within a
healthy workplace environment.
Inside this Issue
Bike to Work
Page 2 Inspiring Better
Workplaces
Page 3 Healthy Sleep
Page 4 Professional
Counselling Services
Page 5 Kindness – the gift that
keeps giving
There is no magic to achievement. It's really about hard work, choices, and persistence. Michelle Obama
Spring Tune-up
I love robins; how they burst onto the scene with their feisty red
feathers and vibrant birdsong, trilling out “spring is here!” This year,
they’ve become something more to me.
I have always considered myself a fairly active person during the
workday, with lots of walking, visiting different sites, taking the stairs.
But this winter, I noticed something had changed. I moved to a new
office, and I stopped walking as much at work. I found myself more
and more often hunched over my desk, working on a proposal or
presentation. The printer is so close; I just need to extend my reach a
little. More of my meetings are now over the phone or through a
web-ex. In a matter of months I had become much too sedentary.
And I was feeling the effects – a constant pain in my neck and
shoulder, low energy, and honestly, the more I sat, the more I just
wanted to stay that way. Yikes…time for a shake-up!
I’m a believer in the big impact of small changes. Small things, done
consistently over time can lead to sustainable, positive improvements
and a happier life. I also embrace a holistic view of health and well-
being. Mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing are deeply
interconnected and have different dimensions. Improving one
aspect of wellbeing can also benefit other areas; the key is finding a
balance and making healthy choices.
Page 7
Photo from Pixabay
Continued on Page 6
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Quarterly Update Spring 2017
inspired workplace Fresh thinking on creating a better work environment
…for champions, by champions
Inspiring BETTER WORKPLACES ideas in action for healthier work environments
CHA
Workplace wellbeing relates to all aspects of your work life from the health
and safety of your physical and psychological environment to work life
balance, to opportunities for professional growth and development.
Essentially it is how you feel about your work and your workplace
environment.
In this edition, we’re
encouraging you and your
team to take your break to
focus on improving mental
and physical health at work.
Taking a break throughout
your workday has many
proven benefits including a
chance to refocus and
unwind. Even when you are
at your busiest, a short
break can make a big
difference to your health!
The following ideas and
many more can be found
at Workplace Strategies for
Mental Health – Take Your
Break.
Post a positive message - put up a whiteboard to encourage
team members to write positive comments and messages of
thanks on the board daily.
Stretch at your desk - Paying attention to our energy levels at
work is important because it impacts our ability to stay
focused, productive and positive.
Mail Walk - Take a break during your workday to personally
deliver interoffice mail to co-workers by walking or wheeling.
This gives you the double benefit of some face-to-face time
with people you might not see every day and an energizing
break in your workday.
Take a walk in nature – leave your tunes behind for a
change and listen to the birdsong, wind, children laughing…
Break Buddies - Some of us need a gentle (or not so gentle)
push to get away from our desks for regular breaks. Work
with a buddy or partner in your office to be accountable for
each other's breaks throughout the week.
To share your team’s inspiring ideas in action
contact Healthy Workplace at
healthyworkplace@saskatoonhelathregion.ca
or call Donna at 655-6228.
Healthy Break Ideas
3
Quarterly Update Spring 2017
Healthy Sleep
“I learned the hard way the value of sleep. Two
and a half years ago, I fainted from exhaustion,
and I hit my head on my desk.”
- Arianna Huffington at TEDWomen in
2010.
A good night’s sleep isn’t just a “nice to have”
experience. It is a main ingredient in good health,
effective functioning and safety. The result of poor
sleep can include impaired performance, decreased
productivity, emotional problems, weight gain,
increased mistakes and accidents.
Suggestions to help ensure a more restful sleep:
- Keep regular hours. Keep a schedule of the same
bedtime and wake time even on weekends
- Exercise regularly. Aim for 30 minutes of physical
activity most days of the week.
- Develop a bedtime ritual. Make the transition from
wakefulness to sleep by doing the same things
each night before going to bed. For example,
take a bath, drink a mug of hot milk or chamomile
tea, or take the dog for a short walk.
- Create a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool,
quiet, dark room on a comfortable mattress.
* Sleep problems can sometimes be associated with
physical or mental conditions, or with certain
medications. Consider visiting your doctor for a check-
up as a sensible first step.
Source: Shepell workhealthlife
Fall Asleep Faster
Luc Beaudoin, a professor at Simon Fraser University
suggests using the “cognitive shuffle” to help you fall
asleep faster. The idea is to redirect your focus away
from stressful thoughts that could be keeping you
awake.
To do the shuffle:
1. As you are lying in bed, imagine a word that
doesn’t repeat any letters (e.g. bird).
2. Think up lists of words that start with each
letter of the root word you chose.
Doing this technique keeps your brain busy and may
help shuffle your thoughts to sleep. People in a test
study often started nodding off before finishing the first
letter in their word!
Source: CBC News
Additional Resources:
Strategies for Night Shift Workers
Insomnia in Adults and Children - ebook
TED TALK: Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep.
In this short talk, Arianna Huffington shares a small idea that can awaken much bigger
ones: the power of a good night's sleep. Instead of bragging about our sleep deficits,
she urges us to shut our eyes and see the big picture: we can sleep our way to
increased productivity and happiness — and smarter decision-making.
B-I-R-D
…ball, bat, big,
banana, buffalo...
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Quarterly Update Spring 2017
Healthiest You Resources Your Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a support service that can
help you take the first step towards change. Check out what’s available to you
and your eligible dependents through your EFAP today!
Professional Counselling The heart of the Employee and Family Assistance
Program (EFAP) is the professional counselling service.
Caring professionals are dedicated to supporting you
through the issues that may be impacting your life.
Counselling services are delivered in a number of
ways to make it as easy as possible for you to connect
with the program to help resolve your issue. During
your first call, you’ll discuss learning preferences, work
schedules and other lifestyle issues in order to create a
plan of action that will work best for you.
EFAP can help with the following issues and concerns:
Relationship
Problems
Life Stages
Family Issues
Communication
Work
Relationships
Workplace Stress
Bullying
Harassment
Abuse
Depression
Addiction
Grief
Anger Issues
Parenting Advice
Conflict Resolution
Personal Growth
Stress & Coping
Techniques
Conflicts
Personal Resiliency
Work/Life Balance
Work Performance
Anxiety
Smoking Cessation
Coping with Illness or
Injury
And More
Microsite now live…. learn more.
To get started with Shepell’s Professional Counselling Services, call 1-844-336-3136 or browse
through their available services online at workhealthlife.com.
5
Quarterly Update Spring 2017
Kindness – the gift that keeps on giving
The science is overwhelming that practicing kindness and its cousins - gratitude, and compassion - offers a
wide assortment of benefits to the giver, the receiver, and often, anyone who is witness to such acts.
KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS
The positive effects of kindness are
experienced in the brain of
everyone who witnessed the act,
improving their mood and making
them significantly more likely to
“pay it forward.” This means one
good deed in a crowded area can
create a domino effect and
improve the day of dozens of
people!
Source: www.randomactsofkindness.org
Some Cool Resources:
10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy – downloadable poster
The Science of Kindness – short video (2 min.) explains how every act of kindness is a healthy one!
Kindness Boomerang – “”One Day” – watch acts of kindness passed from one individual to the next and back
***Bright Idea*** – share one of these resources at your next huddle or staff meeting. Have a discussion about ways to practice
kindness at work.
"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a
ripple with no logical end." -Scott Adams
Kindness Health Facts
Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, sometimes
referred to as the ‘love hormone’ which aids in lowering blood
pressure and improving overall heart-health. Oxytocin also
increases self-esteem and optimism.
A 2010 Harvard Business School survey of happiness in 136
countries found that people who are altruistic, such as with
charitable donations were happiest overall.
Engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins, the brain’s
natural painkiller.
Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulates the
production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your
wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy.
Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress
hormone) and age slower than the average population.
Source: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/facts-about-kindness
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Quarterly Update Spring 2017
Continued from page 1…
With this in mind, I’ve made a number of small
changes, and they are starting to add up! I was
gifted with a Fitbit recently which has helped to
remind me to get up at least once an hour and
go for a quick walk, outside if possible. I use a
washroom on a different floor to clock in a few
more steps and get away from my chair. Most
days I go for a walk at lunchtime – if it’s raining,
I try to run over to City Hospital and climb a few
stairs. I’m adding in some other things as well –
packing a lunch, drinking more water, regular
yoga, using my massage benefits. I’m feeling
better, have more energy and I’m more
positive too!
So where do the robins come in? I see them
everywhere now as the weather gets warmer
and I’m outside walking more each day. They
remind me of the interconnected nature of all
things, how good it is to move, to be mindful
and appreciative of the moment, and to be
grateful for things such as the budding trees
and beautiful walking paths to explore.
small steps…
BIG changes
Holistic Approach to Wellbeing
Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of
our choices and making decisions that will help us to live a
more balanced and fulfilling life.
Many factors have a bearing on how an individual
perceives or experiences their own state of health and well-
being. Our sense of wellbeing at work is affected by each
of these factors, and each of these factors is affected by
our work environment and work relationships.
https://www.samhsa.gov
Interested in stories about creating positive and lasting change? Check out Possibility of
Change, a community blog which publishes stories from people of all ages and backgrounds
from across the globe.
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Quarterly Update Spring 2017
In motion News
As part of the in motion Healthy Workplace Evaluation (HWE)
free learning sessions were offered at each of the six (6)
participating worksites. All individuals who participated in the
first part of the HWE were invited to attend one of the Healthy
Workplace Learning Sessions. Each Learning Session was
facilitated by a qualified coach who worked with participants to
identify challenges that hinder/stop participation in healthy
behaviours as well as identify what is working and other
solutions to overcome the challenges.
Multiple holistic actions were identified to help promote a
healthy workplace culture within SHR. The summary of
participant feedback from the Learning Sessions suggested that
supporting champions throughout SHR who are helping to
transform the workplace experience by coordinating and
conducting training sessions and advocating for healthy
workspaces is one way to start. Click here to read some of the
other ideas your colleagues came up with during the Learning
Sessions to promote a healthy workplace.
Contact Cora Janzen to learn more about supporting physical
activity in the workplace and/or discuss the SHR in motion
Champions. cora.janzen@saskatoonhealthregion.ca; (306) 655-
4696
May 15-19 is Bike to Work Week!
Pull that bike out of winter
hibernation and tune it up for
spring!
The mission of Bike To Work YXE:
May 15 — 19 is to attract new
cyclists to commuting while
celebrating the efforts of those
who already use their bikes to get
to and from work and other
commitments. This is a great way
to stay active throughout the
year while being more
environmentally friendly.
Saskatoon has events planned all
week, including daily commuter
stations, BBQ and scavenger
hunts. If you’re not in Saskatoon,
you can participate by riding
your bike to work, or taking a
leisurely ride each evening.
For More Information Visit: https://biketoworksaskatoon.com/
“Meet the future; the future mode of transportation for this weary Western world. Now I’m not
gonna make a lot of extravagant claims for this little machine. Sure, it’ll change your whole life for
the better, but that’s all.” Bicycle salesman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
Quarterly Update Spring 2016
WE WANT YOU! Are you enthusiastic?
Do you enjoy connecting with colleagues?
Are you a positive role model?
Do you want to be part of creating a Better Place to
Work?
Why not become a Healthy
Workplace Champion?
Join the Network! We are looking for champions in all areas of Saskatoon Health
Region. For more information and to register, visit us at
http://shrhealthyworkplace.ca/ or email
healthyworkplace@saskatoonhealthregion.ca.
This is a big place which makes
communication and connection
two very large challenges.
Champions are a key part of
reaching people where they are
and helping to keep us all in the
loop! The commitment is small, the
rewards are big.
Healthiest You Update is published quarterly.
If you would like help planning for a healthier workplace in your area, contact:
Donna Chalifoux, Healthy Workplace Consultant, or Mimi Lodoen, Healthy Workplace Educator
at healthyworkplace@saskatoonhealthregion.ca
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