Last week RRC hosted two Anxiety Forums. For each event, we invited a prominent local Psychologist to speak about anxiety and then answer audience questions on the topic. The sessions were jammed full of thought provoking and useful information. Below are the 9 learnings that most resonated with me.

1. Anxiety is adaptive. The physiological reactions related to the feeling of being anxious helped our ancestors survive. When threatened, increased heart rate, greater blood flow to large muscles, and sweating all helped early people escape danger and survive disasters.
2. The best response to a panic attack is to “sit and breathe.” Often people feel like when they’re having a panic attack, they have to leave the situation they’re in (eg. classroom, bus), but leaving the situation is not necessary. Sit through it, breathe, and it will pass. In addition, picking something visual in your surrounding on which to focus can be helpful.
3. Facing fears gradually AND regularly is best. Just as you wouldn’t pick up a huge, heavy weight on your first visit to the gym, you shouldn’t face your worst anxiety provoking situation all at once. Start gradually, by exposing yourself to a situation that challenges you in a manageable way. For example, if you have major anxiety around public speaking, you might start raising your hand in class every day until that action no longer feels unbearable. Then you’d move on to regularly practicing another activity that gets you a little closer to your end goal of public speaking. The keys are gradual AND regular. If this process isn’t working, chances are you’re either not doing it gradually enough or not often enough.
4. Feelings are King. We tend to focus a lot on our feelings, because they’re very obvious to us. This can lead us to ignore the thoughts and behaviours that surround an anxiety provoking situation. Feelings, thoughts, physical reactions, and behaviours are all connected though, with each influencing and being influenced by the other. Starting to recognize the thoughts and behaviours that feed into anxiety can be a good beginning.
5. Realistic thoughts are better than positive thoughts. Empty positive thoughts, such as, “everything will be okay,” are not grounded in strength, and therefore are not as helpful as realistic thoughts. “I’ll do well on this test if I give myself enough time to study and get a good sleep tonight,” is more likely to be a helpful thought, decreasing anxiety, since the thought is more realistic.
6. Think through your anxious questions. If you keep saying to yourself, “what if I fail?, what if I fail?,” answer that question with what is likely to happen. Will you have to do better on the next test? Will you have to retake a course? Answer the ruminating question and then find ways to work toward success.
7. Periods of reflection are important. Take time on a regular basis to reflect on how your mental health is doing. What’s important to you? What would you like to improve? What are some habits you’d like to work on? What are some things that are going well? Make realistic plans to reach your mental health goals.
8. You will never have 100% control. As much as we’d like 100% control (so that we’d never have to feel anxious again), this is not going to happen. Instead, we have to grasp on to the little piece of control we do have and build on that.
9. Sometimes we can manage on our own and sometimes we need help. Some of the strategies both Dr. Ediger and Dr. Abdulrehman discussed required being able to create plans, assess our thought patterns, come up with healthier thoughts, and try new ways of coping. Sometimes we can manage this process on our own. Sometimes a friend or family member can help us. Other times a professional like a counsellor or psychologist can be very helpful. If you’ve tried to make a change on your own and have faced road blocks, perhaps meeting with someone would help.

RRC students can set up a counselling appointment here.

RRC staff can set up a counselling appointment here. User ID: rrcefap        Password: efap

Check out the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba for a lot of great information and resources.

These are 9 learnings from the Anxiety Forums that stood out to me. Are there any points you’d add?

Breanna

Whether you’re moving, in transition, or you’re starting over, LifeWorks is here to help you through the changes in your life.

You may be leaving home, starting a new job, getting used to a roommate, or adjusting to life as a single person. Maybe you’re coping with a health change, or the challenges of a new phase of life. Contact LifeWorks any time, 24/7, to speak with a professional consultant for confidential support and resources.

You can also log in any time to www.lifeworks.com to access helpful online resources such as these:

• A new infographic on Getting Over a Breakup.
• A new podcast: Coping with Loss. A leading expert offers guidance for those going through a death, divorce, illness, or other painful event and describes how to come out stronger and more resilient.
• Our recordings, Navigating Workplace Change and Growing Stronger Through Change.
• Booklets, articles, and audio content in our Change and Resilience Toolkit.
• Articles on Coping with Change, Growing Stronger Through Change, Deciding to Move in with Your Partner, and Thriving Through Workplace Change.

Call LifeWorks toll-free, any time: 1-877-207-8833
TTY: 1-877-371-9978
You can also visit www.lifeworks.com
(username: rrcefap; password: efap).

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

Seven brave riders, eleven great rides, one worthy cause

One month from today, your intrepid Red River Rebel Riders will be back in Riding Mountain National Park with a goal of raising $5,000 for MS in this, their 11th year! The only change in the team for 2014 is the addition of Deron Warkentin from the Roblin Campus, replacing Wayne Ferguson who is recovering from hip surgery.

Yes, 2014 marks 11 years! How can you help to make it a perfect ride?

• Donate securely online by clicking on any team member’s name at this site. All monies raised go to supporting those suffering with MS or to MS research.
• Join the 2014 team. As already mentioned, we are currently 7 riders: Marnie Boulet, Guy Dugas, Dayna Graham, Miguel Guzman, Mar-Zeus Macasieb, Michael Poitras, and Deron Warkentin. Train with us through August to get in shape for the big ride Sept. 6-7. Email Captain Marnie for details or simply click here and then click on the Join team button.

Together we can end MS. Help make 2014 a perfect ride!

Ever wonder where you can find information related to how you can participate in improving workplace approaches to wellness? Mental health is one aspect of workplace wellness and employers, employees and student bodies are gathering information on how to keep healthy. Our work and study affect our health and we want to be as best prepared for challenges as we can.

Take the plunge!

Safe Manitoba has  excellent recently posted information that includes ideas for employees and employers on how to make workplaces better from a psychological perspective. It is called the mental health toolkit.

Feeling safe, well and appreciated whether staff or student is important for today but good habits also impact our future health. Challenge yourself, co-workers and fellow students to change one habit for the better.

Be involved on a safety committee, staff or student wellness committee and help make your work/educational organization a better place. Be involved! It’s good for your health!

from Health Services

A brave team of 8, the ‘United Colors of RRC’, braved a hostile territory of pink, blue, green, purple,and yellow this past Sunday at the Color Me Rad race at Red River Exhibition Park.

We had a great time and while most plan to take part again next year, one runner and her husband plan on taking part in Rad Runs in Vegas and Fresno later this year too!

Please enjoy our before and after pics below and we hope to have you on our team next year!

To learn more about the race, please read the wellness post from June 27th and various articles in the news as well!

Sixty percent of all skateboard injuries happen to children under 15 years old and are predictable and preventable. Make sure your child has a good helmet and all the other safety equipment.  After watching the incredible display by Tony Hawk at Polo Park and the great example they showed in wearing all their safety gear, it is important to reinforce safety habits. The height of the ramp was breathtaking. After it was over and as I was picking up my son, I could not help but notice the number of skateboarders trying out their skills. Some had safety gear, some did not. We can use professionals’ habits of safety to reinforce that it is the right thing to do. In our  communities do we ask skate parks to post signs that encourage wearing of safety gear?

Did you know we have a fantastic kids safety resource at our fingertips? A number of Canadian child safety groups got together and now you can connect to them under Parachute!

They have free downloads on many topics from a quick reference on how to spot a concussion in sports to home and recreational (don’t forget about summer water safety!) activities for kids and their parents.

There is a volunteer group called ThinkFirst you should check out. Chapters are across Canada and they support child safety and could likely use some more volunteers to spread the word about child safety.

From Health Services

Want to get into shape? Want to make a difference? How you approach the later may actually help you to achieve both.

As raising money for charity is becoming increasingly difficult, taking on extreme challenges for charity can both capture potential donors’ attention and drive your motivation to work out like never before. After all, those adrenaline fueled stunts and epic, unforgettable, adventures do demand a certain level of endurance and physical prowess, non?

What can better capture the imagination than a six day multi-terrain race across the great, stony Gobi desert in China? Or perhaps eleven days whitewater rafting down the Zambezi into the depths of Victoria Falls, wrestling with the biggest commercial white water rapids in the world? Read More →

As the weather improves, we get inspired and anxious to work in the garden, get rid of the old left overs from the fall and start planting for the summer. It is important to realize that Tetanus lies in soil and dirt and is a toxin that can enter our system in even the smallest scrape. If unprotected it makes you very ill. Children get protection from tetanus with their childhood immunization programs. Did you know as an adult (young or old) we need a Tetanus booster every 10 years? That is not often, but very necessary to keep us protected from this toxin.

Here’s a short video on the importance of tetanus.

Just let your health provider or clinic know it has been 10 years since your last shot.

Whether for work, or play, be protected.

Be wise Immunize!

Health Services