December 15, 2016

Hello

I hope this newsletter finds you calm, relaxed and ready for the holidays! If not…stay calm and carry on, but do your best to not worry and stew over what’s not done or purchased…remember that it is not the things that matter at this time of year! It is the time spent with those who matter most to us and creating memories! Or maybe it is a difficult time and you are remembering someone you have lost. Allow yourself to miss them and cherish their memory with traditions and rituals that honour those precious memories. Find someone who understands your feelings and support each other through this difficult time. If you find yourself with a little time to relax why not brush up on your Christmas/Holiday trivia? Here are a couple of sites with fun quizzes to try at work or at home…one for adults and one for doing with the kids! http://www.christmastrivia.net/printable-general-trivia http://www.knowalot.org/christmas-kids-quiz.htm

I hope this holiday season sparkles and shines for you; may all of your wishes and dreams come true, and may

you feel this happiness all year round.

I’m sending you good thoughts of faith and hope for a beautiful holiday season and year ahead!

Sandy

The following message comes from Mary Ann Baynton Founder & Executive Director

Mindful Employer Canada

Bill Wilkerson, Co-Founder of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, began a tradition of creating his unique Christmas wish 17 years ago. This version is called The 12 Gifts of Christmas for Workplace Support and Affirmation in Stressful and Uncertain Times 2016, but is just as relevant for those who do not celebrate Christmas. It is about supporting each other in the workplace. Please have a look and give the gift of affirmation and support to each other. 1.The gift of helping out - Be observant and ask your neighbor at work if he or she could use some help. 2. The gift of sharing success - Share the work and share the credit. 3. The gift of awareness - Managers: reach out to your employees who are raising children on their own, could they use some extra time, a bit of help, some transportation support, anything at all. 4. The gift of empathy - Income tax people, bank personnel, call centre staff: be extra patient, clear and plain-spoken, not legalistic, bureaucratic or rigid in your dealings with people at this time of year. Christmas is not joyful for the isolated and vulnerable. 5. The gift of clarity - Managers, make doubly sure your people know what you expect of your them. 6. The gift of job fulfillment - A paycheck buys bread for the table. Job fulfillment buys bread for the soul. Employers, give your employees the tools and time they need to do their job – well. They want that as much as you do. 7. The gift of inclusion - More than ever, include your co-workers and employees in meetings, going to lunch, share information. Emotional isolation can actually increase at Christmas. 8. The gift of listening - The most precious gift of all in stressful and uncertain times. Give it to someone who really needs it each and every day. 9. The gift of fairness - Employers, fairness helps determine employee morale in difficult times. Employee morale is a strong predictor of good financial performance. 10. The gift of explanation - Employees are worried about a lot of things. Employers, hold holiday workshops to answer questions about pensions or health benefits, stuff that’s really close to home. 11. The gift of time to spend - Time at home. Time to do a job properly. Time to say hello. Time to reach out to co-workers. Time for here and now. Be mindful of the value of this. 12. The gift of love - As always, the greatest gift of all is love – one unto the other. But, especially now, give the gift of loving diversity, loving differences among us, loving those who suffer, loving those who are vulnerable and afraid, loving the young and the troubled, loving the older and alone

Wishing you a peaceful and mentally healthy holiday season! Mary Ann, Sarah, Tiffany and Shauna from the Mindful Employer Canada www.mindfulemployer.ca

Rethink Your Drinking – Size Matters

When it comes to alcohol…Size Matters. To help people better understand the connection between alcohol

consumption and health, the Middlesex-London Health Unit is spreading an important message – Rethink Your

Drinking.

This campaign and new website, www.rethinkyourdrinking.ca, offers information on standard drink sizes,

Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRADGs), the link between alcohol and chronic disease, how

alcohol affects men and women differently, and helpful resources.

When it comes to alcohol, remember:

The size of the drink matters because the amount of alcohol in individual alcoholic beverages can vary.

Understanding the amount of alcohol in a drink allows a person to accurately calculate how much they are drinking.

Knowing how much you are drinking and comparing that to the recommended LRADGs allows a person to make informed

choices about their drinking behaviours and level of risk of alcohol-related harm.

Check out this great video to help Understand Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines

We can't stop the world from turning, but perhaps a few of the articles in our annual guide will help you better manage the emotional challenges that the holidays present.

Check out our updated Holiday Survival Guide 2016 Coping with the Holidays Survival Guide

http://psychcentral.com/holidays/

Great leaders don't try to be perfect.

Great leaders try to be themselves.

And that's what makes them great." Simon Sinek

Leadership Beyond the Box

The Leadership Beyond the Box program builds leaders who want to improve themselves, empower people,

grow their organization, and succeed in the complex environment in which they operate, while enhancing

social good.

Program:

Session 1: Daring Leadership, February 15

Session 2: Insightful Leadership, March 22

Session 3: Relationship Systems Intelligence, April 12

Session 4: Disruptive Leadership and Systems Change, May 16

Session 5: Leaders Who Last: Sustainable Leadership, June 8

December is an interesting month. It can be filled with so many different feelings, emotions, expectations, and busyness. For some people this holiday season is a real celebration - they love it! And for others, this holiday season will be very challenging.

Maybe you have lost a job or a loved one; ended a relationship; you or someone you love has poor health; or you don't get along with your family.

Feelings associated with these losses can be intensified at this time of year. We have a lot of expectations of what it 'should' look that and this puts added pressure and stress on us. But it doesn't have to. One thing I do know is - we cannot control things on the outside. We can't control other people or life events. The one thing we can control is how we respond to what life brings us. I choose to start my day with a meditation. It grounds me, stills my mind and body and connects me to the gratitude and peace within. It helps me to live life on life's terms. My dad passed away this year and it will be very different for our family. The one thing that brings me comfort is knowing he is always in my heart and memories last a lifetime. So during this busy holiday season take time to stop and pause. Take time to feel what you are feeling - whether it is joy, happiness or sadness. And be gentle with yourself. The greatest gift we can give to ourselves, our loved ones and all of humanity is to connect to the peace and love within our heart.

It starts by practicing being present and compassionate with ourselves and connecting to how we are feeling and who we really are.

Team stretch

How to take this break Get your team members to contribute to a stretching "pot" by donating resistance bands, hands and ankle weights, and yoga mats. Find a place where you can stretch together in the office, a meeting room or possibly an outside green space.

Why this counts - Relaxing Regular stretch breaks can help to reduce tension and energize you for the rest of the day.

Ideas for this activity were contributed by, Sandy Richardson, Public Health Nurse, Middlesex London Health Unit; Katie Cino, Health Promoter, Niagara Public Health; Andrea Hamblin, Director - EAP Account Management, Morneau Shepell.

Go to Workplace Strategies for Mental Health for more ideas, tools and resources to help with the prevention, intervention and management of workplace mental health issues.

TakeYourBreak activities should be approved by your employer/leader prior to initiating them. TakeYourBreak activities are provided for general information only and are not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your physician or appropriate health care provider with respect to your particular circumstances.

Humor at Work ISSUE 658 - Dec 7, 2016

Thanking Your Support Team

Inspiring companies embrace the idea that employees' families are a critical part of their support team.

More and more organizations, in fact, are discovering that focusing on employees' families helps reduce

employee turnover and absenteeism rates. Here are a few ways companies are expressing their

appreciation directly to employees' families (from the book, The Best Place to Work by Ron Friedman):

Talent Plus recruiting agency invites family members to tour the company the first day an employee

starts on the job.

McMurray marketing agency sends flowers or cookies to the home of a new employee after a job offer

is accepted.

Kimpton Hotels sends a gift basket home when an employee works extra hours.

The accounting firm EKS & H sends a thank-you note and $100 gift card to spouses of employees after

the end of tax season.

Holder Construction sends teddy bears to the older siblings when a new baby arrives.

Snagajob sends chef-prepared meals for a week to an employee's home when a baby arrives.

Studer Group offers a gift certificate on every child's birthday.

Altson & Bird has a wall dedicated to the artwork of employees' children.

Badger Mining offers a scholarship to high-achieving students.

Integrity Applications Incorporated invites employees' children to help them design their holiday

greeting card.

www.cmhamiddlesex.ca

We offer dozens of educational opportunities each year. To learn about what is available, please visit

our Winter 2016 Program Guide.

It's packed with opportunities for personal development and growth. Also this winter we implemented

an online registration system, allowing you to register yourself for both our free and fee-for-service

programs. You can visit this site at www.cmhamiddlesex.ca/learn

New this fall….

Eating Disorders Transitional Supportive Housing

The transition from treatment back to home, school or work can be a difficult one. This residential

program offers you a supportive environment in which to use the

skills you have learned in treatment. The Eating Disorders Transitional Supportive Housing

Residence gives you a safe place for the life skills development and healthy

self-care that promotes recovery. It is a safe space for a gradual return to independent living. Read

More.

Support Line Launched!

The Support Line provides confidential listening and support to individuals 16 and older at any

time of day or night for people needing support.

Whether you are anxious, depressed, lonely, overwhelmed or just need to talk something through

with someone, you will find a supportive and caring person at our end of the line.

The number is 519-601-8055. The toll-free number is 1 (844) 360-8055. Read More.

P.S.Confused about which crisis or distress number to refer someone to? We've

got three great options.

Follow this link to a one page overview that explains the different 24 hour options -

and when to contact each one.

Just released the Canadian Index of Wellbeing – linked here for your

information!

This is the second time the Ontario Trillium Foundation has commissioned the Canadian Index of

Wellbeing to help answer the question, "How are we really doing?"

The CIW uses research to determine whether Canadians are making progress towards sustainable

wellbeing in eight inter-connected domains, or categories - Health, Living Standards, Community Vitality,

Environment, Leisure and Culture, Education, Time Use, and Democratic Engagement.

As a public agency, the Ontario Trillium Foundation wants to ensure we are directing our resources to

where there is the most need, so that we can have the greatest impact. We wanted to take an evidence-

based approach, so that we could demonstrate the value of our investments. Using an index like the

Canadian Index of Wellbeing allows us to make granting decisions that will make the biggest positive

change to individuals and to communities.

Watch OTF's CIW explainer video: How are we really doing?

RESOURCES: A Profile of Wellbeing in Ontario

The North Region

The West Region

The East Region

The Central Region

Toronto

Backgrounder & Quick Facts

This weeks’ MLHU hot topics! find them and so much more here….

www.healthunit.com

View the Health Unit’s holiday hours (December 23, 2016 - January 3, 2017). Happy holidays!

Learn More →

Are you sick of being sick this time of year? Find 5 simple steps you should take to prevent the flu.

Learn More →

2,000 Londoners don't have the resources or support to live with dignity. Be a part of the solution.

Learn More →

$15.53/hr is what Londoners need to make so that their household can meet its basic needs. #LivingWage

Learn More →

Educate yourself about a growing and very important issue in London and elsewhere…

Fentanyl Patch Return Program https://www.healthunit.com/fentanyl-patch-return-

program

Fentanyl patches have been linked to an increasing number of overdoses in Ontario.

The Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner reports that from 2009-2013, 549 deaths have been associated

with fentanyl in Ontario and that over 30 of those deaths have been in Middlesex-London.

Please note - Your next Health at Work4 All! e-update will not arrive in your inbox until

January 12, 2017.

Over the holidays I will be …

away from work Dec. 22- 27th inclusive

working December 28th and 29th

away from work Dec. 30th – January 3rd/17 inclusive. If you require my assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or

phone.

I will respond to you when I am in the office.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Sandy Richardson R.N. B.Sc.N. CCHN (c) Public Health Nurse Health at Work 4 All! program lead Healthy Communities and Injury Prevention Team Middlesex London Health Unit 50 King Street, London Ontario N6A 5L7 Tel: (519) 663-5317 ext. 2412 Fax: (519) 663-9276 Email sandy.richardson@mlhu.on.ca

www.healthunit.com/workplace-health