We’re excited to welcome Karina Walker, founder of Rising Strong, to facilitate two vision board workshops for RRC staff and students.

Vision boards are visual representations of your hopes, goals and desires. They help you visually experience what you want to do, where you want to go, who you want to be and how you want to feel. With busy schedules and distractions, having a board representing everything you want in life can help reinforce daily affirmations, clarify your goals and help set intentions.

This is sure to be an empowering evening of crafting and setting goals! Check out Karina’s Instagram to get a sense of her work.

Both workshops will feature free tea and dainties as well as a door prize draw.  Karina supplies everything you need to make your vision board, so just bring yourself (and perhaps a friend).

Notre Dame Campus
Wednesday, February 6th 4-7pm in the Prairie Lights Meeting Room

Exchange District Campus
Tuesday, February 5th 4-7pm in P107, The Roblin Centre

All students and staff are welcome and can register by emailing Breanna Sawatzky.

“It’s time for you to take self-care into your hands and Love Your Mind,” urges CreComm student, Jennifer Pazdor. She, in partnership with Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, is hosting two individual days of self-care for youth and young adults in Winnipeg.

The workshops will cover five areas of self-care:

• Mindfulness
• Yoga
• Nutrition
• Expressive Art
• Music

Each topic will be taught by a skilled instructor who will explain how the technique can impact your wellbeing and help you learn to use the technique in your life.

Workshops are free to attend so choose the day or location that’s best for you and reserve your ticket on Eventbrite.

January 19 workshop: Prairie Lights Dining Room (Red River College Notre Dame Campus, 11360 Skinner Rd.)

January 20 workshop: Temple 23 Winnipeg (Exchange District, 62 Albert St.).

Food and beverage will be available. There will be door prizes and giveaways. Each attendee will receive a self-care package at the end of the workshop with some gifts and guides to self-care.

Donations to Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba are welcome.

Follow Love Your Mind on social media for more information: @loveyourmindwpg and check out their website: loveyourmindwpg.com.

In our Wellness Weekly, mental health roundup feature we curate some of the best writing on the web related to health and wellbeing. Here is some recommended reading for this week.

• On Psychology Today, David DiSalvo writes about sleep’s connections with learning, emotion regulation, and anxiety. He presents evidence that disrupted sleep derails the brain’s normal cycle, affecting memory, the nervous and immune systems, and more. He also informs readers that “sleep therapy” could be an effective method of treating anxiety disorders and goes on to give some tips for recovering from sleep loss. Read Understanding the Connection Between Sleep and Anxiety.

• Over at NPR, Maanvi Singh writes about some of the benefits of expressing gratitude. She summarizes many different forms of gratitude, including writing thank you letters and keeping a gratitude journal. In addition to the noted benefits, Singh also highlights what gratitude can’t do and some gaps in the research. For a richer understanding of gratitude and perhaps some ideas to apply personally, read If You Feel Thankful, Write it Down. It’s Good For Your Health.

• On the Harvard Business Review, Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan explore the now ubiquitous topic of resilience. They argue against what they call a “militaristic, ‘tough’ approach to resilience and grit.” Instead, they outline evidence that rest periods are the key to resilience and eventual success. Rest from work and from screens, in fact, is key to reducing accidents and other health and safety problems. They assert that the “key to resilience is trying really hard, then stopping, recovering, and then trying again.” Find this interesting? Read Resilience is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure.  

Do you have some favorite reading you’d like featured? Contact Breanna.

Can you receive difficult messages with openness? Are you able to step back from your thoughts and watch them come and go?  Can you manage to reverse the stress response and calm your nervous system? All of these skills are key to building good mental health and all are part of the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge  curriculum.

We’re pleased to invite you to participate in a 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge beginning any Monday.

This online training takes just five minutes a day, anytime, anywhere and on any device, yet there is evidence that it lowers stress, increases resilience, improves teamwork, and strengthens leadership skills.

The Challenge teaches ‘mindfulness-in-action’ so people don’t need to stop what they are doing to become calmer, present and more focused, all of which lead to a happier, healthier work environment.

Watch this short video to learn more about the Challenge.

Registration

All RRC students, staff and faculty can click on the link http://bit.ly/RRC30Day to register for the Challenge. You can even register a buddy to keep you motivated.

If you have any questions about the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge or need any help registering, please email register@mindwellu.com and the Challenge tech team will get back to you. Your RRC contacts for this are Jacqueline Wood and Breanna Sawatzky.

Curious about how you can use music to manage stress and improve your mental health? Join certified music therapist Rachel MacEwan for a Music for Wellness workshop and try out some wellness enhancing strategies, using music.

Date: Friday, December 7th
Time: 12:05 – 12:55pm
Location: Prairie Lights Meeting Room (NDC)

Bring your lunch. Free dainties and tea will be provided.

All staff and students are invited.

Guiding us through different aspects of music therapy, Rachel will invite us to listen to music, make music, and analyze lyrics, all to promote good health while relieving stress and anxiety. Come on out and give it a try!

For questions or accessibility needs, please contact Breanna.

Painting on the Prairies is returning to RRC to instruct our annual THRIVE Week Paint Party! All staff and students are welcome to join us for 2 hours of step-by-step painting. No experience is necessary, and you will take home your very own painted canvas.

The therapeutic benefits of painting are both mental and physical; it helps you to cope with stress you have in your life while you explore your creative side. Owner and Artist of Painting on the Prairies, Amber Van Ma’iingan has been leading paint parties for three and a half years and she will give you all her best tips and tricks so that your painting will turn out it’s best!

Notre Dame Campus
Date: Tuesday, November 6th
Time: 4:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: The Cave Lounge

Exchange District Campus
Date: Wednesday, November 7th
Time: 4:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: Dining Hall, Roblin Centre

Snacks will be provided. Register with Breanna to secure a spot, or just show up (seats are first come first served).

During THRIVE Week we take time to reflect on the role of self-care and balance on developing positive mental health that supports academic and career success. This year, THRIVE will be held November 5-9.

Events and activities provide an opportunity for rest, social connection, physical activity, fun, personal growth, and learning.

The week long series of events is a partnership between the RRC Students’ Association and the Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative.

Check out the NDC Thrive Guide and EDC Thrive Guide to see the full slate of activities.

The THRIVE Week planning group is pleased to announce that musician Robb Nash  will be delivering the keynote talk and musical performance. All staff and students are invited and free pizza lunch is provided. 

The award-winning Robb Nash Project is a registered Canadian charity that engages young people through the power of music and storytelling to inspire hope and encourage positive life choices. He sensitively tackles serious issues like addiction, self-harm, and suicide while exuding positive energy.

According to Robb, “We help people discover their gifts, rather than focus on their failings. We help them to learn not just to survive, but to lead a life of significance.”

Check out a short video of Robb’s story here: https://www.robbnash.com/who-we-are/

Date: Wednesday, November 7th

Time: Noon-1pm

Location: The Cave Lounge, Notre Dame Campus

Free pizza lunch will be provided to all who attend, while supplies last.

During THRIVE Week we take time to reflect on the role of self-care and balance on developing positive mental health that supports academic and career success. This year, THRIVE will be held November 5-9.

Events and activities provide an opportunity for rest, social connection, physical activity, fun, personal growth, and learning.

The week long series of events is a partnership between the RRC Students’ Association and the Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative.

Check out the NDC Thrive Guide and EDC Thrive Guide to see the full slate of activities.

Registration

Please click on the link http://bit.ly/RRC30Day to register for the Challenge using your preferred email address. During the registration process, you’ll also be asked to input your mobile number and your ‘buddy’s’ email address (everyone in the Challenge gets to take it with a buddy of their choice, including friends or loved ones from outside the organization).

If you have any questions about the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge or need any help registering, please email register@mindwellu.com and the Challenge tech team will get back to you. Your RRC contacts for this are Jacqueline Wood and Breanna Sawatzky.

The infographic below demonstrates how mindfulness can help us handle emotions at work (or at school) in a way that supports our success and wellbeing.

During THRIVE Week we take time to reflect on the role of self-care and balance on developing positive mental health that supports academic and career success. This year, THRIVE will be held November 5-9 at all RRC campuses.

Events and activities provide an opportunity for rest, social connection, physical activity, fun, personal growth, and learning. All students, staff, and faculty members are invited to participate.

Some events to look forward to are:

• paint night
• yoga
• therapy dogs
• board game night
• tour of the sweat lodge
• visit from Rob Nash
• mindfulness workshop and much more!

Check out the NDC Thrive Guide and EDC Thrive Guide to see the slate of activities.

Subscribe for updates to ensure you receive all THRIVE related information.

The weeklong series of events is a partnership between the RRC Students’ Association and the Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative.

In our Wellness Weekly, mental health roundup feature we curate some of the best writing on the web related to health and wellbeing. Here is some recommended reading for this week.

• Whit Honea writes about the role of fathers in opening conversations about mental health. In this Washington Post article, Whit argues that “dads are shaping modern conversations about masculinity and men’s mental health”, and that doing so challenges the definition of masculinity as “detached stoicism.” Read Why Fathers Must Talk About their Mental Health.

• Dr. Christine Carter, Sociologist and author writes about the effects of being surrounded by interpersonal drama. She argues that “the 24/7 drama isn’t pointing us towards meaningful lives. And it keeps us from the stillness and reflection and deep conversation that make our lives meaningful.” Dr. Carter also outlines the three typical roles in a conflict (victim, persecutor, rescuer) and presents three tips to avoid taking on these dysfunctional roles. Check out, How to Ditch the Drama in Your Relationships.

• Have you ever interacted with a new person and left with the impression that they didn’t like you? Perhaps you felt you didn’t present yourself well. Or that the other person was being highly critical. Dr. Alice Walton writes in Forbes about some new research around the “liking gap”; a phenomenon were people almost always feel that their conversation mate’s opinion of them is lower that it actually is. Read, People Like You More Than You Think.