RRC’s 2018 Ride Don’t Hide Team

You’re invited to participate in CMHA’s ‘Ride Don’t Hide’ – Canada’s largest bike ride for mental health.  The event is held on Sunday June 23^rd in 25 communities across the country with 4 and 20 kilometer route options. CMHA’s Manitoba and Winnipeg division is starting recruit bike riders for the event and RRC is excited to participate.

According to CMHA, Ride Don’t Hide is a nationwide fundraising bike ride that brings mental health out into the open. With almost 10,000 riders and hundreds more family members, friends and volunteers across Canada taking part, the ride raises more than $2 million each year for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Get on your bike and join the movement. Ride. Don’t hide.

CMHA is a community partner, helping RRC with our Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative. This makes participating in Ride Don’t Hide an ideal opportunity for us to show support in return.

In 2018, our team had a wonderful time participating in this meaningful and well organized event.

If you’d like to be part of the RRC team for Ride Don’t Hide, please contact Breanna Sawatzky or 204-632-2061. Participants can chose to raise funds, or just ride. Students, staff and faculty are welcome.

Image courtesy of the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health

Exam period is a particularly stressful time. Consider these tips so you can take a positive approach to doing well and demonstrating your learning.

1. Exercise. Take some time from your exam preparation to move and be active. Some experts recommend concentrating on your material for approximately 50 minutes, then taking a ten minute break to walk and give your attention a rest.
2. Relax. Maybe you relax my meditating, deep breathing, petting your dog, drawing or getting lost in a good song. Take time each day to this kind of true relaxation.
3. Eat well. Feed your brain with high quality foods that give you energy to do your best. Notice foods that make you feel drowsy or sluggish and avoid those.
4. Recognize your achievements. Remind yourself of your successes over the term, including things you’ve learned and skills you’ve developed. Keeping this positive mindset will help you remain focused.
5. Sleep. It’s tempting to stay up all night, cramming, but sleep allows your memories to consolidate and better prepares you for your exam. Sometimes, you may even dream about the material, which is pretty neat.
6. Reward yourself. If you stick to your study schedule and get some good work done, reward yourself with something that will boost your mood and motivation. Choose your rewards wisely to ensure they don’t derail your schedule and budget!
7. Plan time away. Schedule your breaks to you can enjoy them guilt free, knowing that they are part of your plan. Work hard and rest. Work hard again and rest again. Repeat as needed, keeping that positive cycle going.

These strategies will help you stay on-track and perform your best on upcoming exams. Good luck!

On April 16 we hosted the first of two dialogues to help the Mental Health Commission of Canada develop a National Post-Secondary Mental Health Standard.

Students and Employees shared their thoughts about what works well to support student mental health and what institutions can do better. All of our ideas will be forwarded to the technical committee who writes the Standard.

The standard will act as a voluntary process guideline to help Canada’s academic institutions promote and support students’ psychological health and safety, and support students’ success.

Do you want to have your say? A second dialogue will be held Thursday the 18^th from 2-4pm in room A137 of the Notre Dame Campus. Contact Breanna for more information and to register.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), in collaboration with CSA Group (standards organization), is developing a Standard on Psychological Health and Safety for Post-Secondary Students (PSS Standard).

Like the Standard developed for the workplace, the PSS Standard will act as a voluntary process guideline to help Canada’s academic institutions promote and support students’ psychological health and safety, and support students’ success.

You can influence the development of this standard in two ways:

1. Attend a Dialogue. All feedback gathered during these facilitated discussions will be forwarded to the technical committee who writes the Standard.  Choose one of the dates below and RSVP to Breanna.

Dialogues will be held in room A137 of Notre Dame Campus on Tuesday, April 16 from 9-11 am and Thursday April 18 from 2-4 pm. Refreshments will be served.

All staff and students are welcome. During small group discussions, students will be grouped with other students and staff will be grouped with other staff to enhance comfort and facilitate open and honest sharing.

2. Complete this survey; it’s anonymous and no personal identifying information will be gathered.

The Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative is pleased that RRC can support this important work. Be sure to have your say.

You’re invited to attend a lunch and talk featuring Waneek Horn-Miller – Mohawk woman, activist, and Olympian. She’ll be speaking about turning trauma into motivation and reclaiming well-being. All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend.

Date: March 26

Time: Noon – 1:30pm

Location: South Gym

Come early for a free pizza lunch. If you have accessibility needs, please contact Breanna.

ASL interpretation will be provided. If you can’t make it in person, catch the livestream at rrc.ca/streaming.

Throughout her life, Waneek Horn-Miller has always stood up for what was right—as a mother, an activist, an athlete, and an entrepreneur. This has entailed hard choices, pain, and sacrifice. But this commitment has also made her one of Canada’s most inspiring figures.

Horn-Miller’s public life began in 1990 at the age of 14. During the Oka Crisis, she protested the planned development of condos and a golf course on traditional Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) lands and burial grounds near Montreal. After nearly 80 days of stand-off with the RCMP and armed forces, she was stabbed in the chest by a Canadian soldier wielding a bayonet.

This near-death experience marked a turning point in her life. Instead of succumbing to very real traumas, including PTSD, she found the strength to pursue, and achieve, incredible things. “I come from people who have gone through horrific things in history,” she says. “War, death, famine, genocide. How many times did my ancestors want to give up, lay down, and die? But they didn’t. They fought to continue. You have to keep going forward.”

One of Horn-Miller’s greatest achievements has been in athletics. “Sport in the Native world is more than just something to be physically active,” she says. “It’s a suicide preventer. It’s a self-esteem creator. It’s a leadership developer.” She was the first woman to be named Carleton University’s Athlete of the Year, which she won four years in a row. After winning gold with her water polo team at the Pan Am Games in 1999, she became the first Mohawk woman from this country to ever compete in the Olympic games, co-captaining Team Canada in Sydney in 2000. That same year, she appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.

As one of Canada’s few Aboriginal Olympians, Waneek has used her passion and experiences in sport to influence Aboriginal and non-aboriginal leadership towards making Sport and Wellness a community building priority.

RRC’s Healthy Minds Healthy College Initiative, along with the Students’ Association and School of Indigenous Education are so pleased to welcome Waneek.

February is Psychology Month; a time when Psychologists engage the public, educating us on how psychology works to help people live healthy and happy lives. (Canadian Psychology Association)

To celebrate Psychology Month, the Manitoba Psychological Society has organized a variety of educational seminars for the public on a wide variety of psychology-related topics. RRC is fortunate to be hosting two such events. We’ve called them “Anxiety Forums.”

Each forum will include a talk by a prominent Psychologist as well as audience Q & A. Free pizza lunch is provided during both forums!

What is Anxiety?

According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM), everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It’s completely normal and can even be helpful. For example, if you’re anxious about an upcoming test, your anxiety can motivate you to study well. However, anxiety can sometimes become severe and negatively affect your life. If your anxiety has reached this point, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Here at RRC we see many students who are experiencing problems with anxiety. These problems affect academic success and overall well-being.

Anxiety Forum Details

During the two forums, the speakers will share helpful coping strategies related to managing anxiety in a College setting. Although the primary target audience is students, staff and faculty will no doubt benefit from the material presented and discussion to follow.

Registration is not required. All are welcome.

EDC: Tuesday, February 12th, noon-1pm in the Great West Life Lecture Theatre with Dr. Elizabeth Hebert

NDC: Thursday, February 14th, noon-1pm in the Black Lecture Theatre with Dr. Jason Ediger

The NDC forum will also be recorded and streamed by eTV for the benefit of regional campuses.

Follow the link below to view the Anxiety Forum live streaming presentation: rrc.ca/etv/streaming/

Click on the ‘Live Stream’ image to play. No username or password is required. The stream will go live shortly before the presentation begins.

During the live presentation, you are encouraged to ask questions or add comments. To do so, please click on the “word bubble” icon found on the bottom right of the player. Please include your name, email address (if you require a follow-up response), and a subject heading.

Note: You can also use the “word bubble” to report any technical issues.

More About the Presenters

Dr. Jason Ediger, C. Psych.

Dr. Ediger has a special interest in blending cognitive behaviour therapy with mindfulness based approaches to change and coping. His practice focuses on anxiety, mood difficulties, chronic pain and health concerns in adults and adolescents. He has extensive experience with disability claims and return to work issues. Read his full bio here.

Dr. Elizabeth Hebert

Dr. Elizabeth Hebert is a psychologist in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology and an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Her research focuses on anxiety and worry and the factors that drive them, including difficulty tolerating uncertainty in daily life. Dr. Hebert is the psychologist for the Shared Care Program in Winnipeg. Her clinical work focuses on primary care settings, and includes evidence-based psychological treatments for anxiety, mood, and ADHD; psychodiagnostic and cognitive assessments; and interdisciplinary consultation.

RRC’s Recreation Services is hosting this year’s Get Movin’ Challenge. Those who are involved are trying to log 7,000 steps per day, through a variety of activities. Sign up to join the fun. The prizes are fantastic this year!

Since physical activity contributes to a healthy mind, we’re supporting the Challenge with three group walks outdoors at the Notre Dame Campus. These walks are a perfect opportunity to connect with friends or colleagues, meet new people, get fresh air and sunshine, while logging 3000 steps.

Walks will start at 12:15 outside the Campus Store (NDC) and will return to the same place by 12:50.

Bring your warm gear; walks will go ahead unless the Environment Canada website indicates a temperature of -27 C or lower with the wind chill factor.

Dates

Wednesday February 6, 13, and 27

All students, staff and faculty are welcome to join; there is no need to register.

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.

On January 30th RRC will be observing Bell Let’s Talk Day with a day full of supportive conversations and stigma-busting activities.

We know that each year one in five Canadians will experience mental illness. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma. It is the number one reason why two-thirds of those living with mental illness do not seek help. So, get involved and help bring positive change.

Paint on our giant canvas
Join us for tea, cookies, and conversations. Paint supportive words or images on a giant art canvas.

Notre Dame Campus: Library Hallway and SSTC Lobby, 11am – 2pm
Exchange District Campus: Atrium 11am – 2 pm

Workshop
Attend a workshop where you’ll learn how to start helpful conversations about mental health. Registration is not required.
Notre Dame Campus: Room F210, 12:05 – 12:55pm

Drew Dudley Talk
Drew Dudley, keynote speaker, founder of Day One Leadership and author of This is Day One, will be talking about his personal experience with Bipolar Disorder.
Exchange District Campus: Room A104 The Roblin Centre, 12 – 1pm

Visit the Bell Let’s Talk website
At https://letstalk.bell.ca/en/ you’ll find several insightful videos where people with lived experience of mental illness share their stories. You’ll also find information about ways to contribute to fundraising efforts by participating in the social media campaign.

“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.