quarterly update summer 2017 healthiest...
TRANSCRIPT
Quarterly Update Summer 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
Giving as a Path to
Happiness
Page 2 Inspiring Better
Workplaces
Page 3 Being vs Doing
Page 3 Schwartz Rounds
Page 4 Resilience – Strengthen
Your Skills
Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. - Henry L. Doherty
Learning for the Health of it
Do you ever get the urge to shake things up? Not in any big, “make
over your whole life” kind of way, but more as a craving to try
something new?
That’s happened to me recently.
I’m a proponent of life-long learning of new things, ideas, skills, and
approaches. Learning something new has often allowed me to
challenge and develop my perspective and see things in fresh ways.
It’s helped me be able to move though change, feed my innovative
and creative spirit, and at times, even encouraged me to be a little
more daring and open to opportunities. New challenges often force
us to slow down and pay more attention; to focus on the moment in
front of us. In short, it is an opportunity to be mindful and reflective in
our approach.
New research indicates that picking up a challenging hobby or
pursuing a new skill may keep your brain sharper. Learning something
that is unfamiliar and challenging and that provides broad
stimulation mentally and socially, are likely to improve cognitive
functioning. It’s important to get out of your comfort zone to help
maintain a healthy mind.
Learning new things has the potential to help us be healthier in many
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Photo from Pixabay
Continued on Page 6
Page 7 Canada 150
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Quarterly Update Summer 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.
Are you looking for some
ideas to help make positive
change in your workplace?
Each edition, we’ll provide
some inspiration to get you
going.
Already doing some great
things in your work unit? Let
us know about it, and we’ll
help spread the news to
encourage other areas to
get some positive ideas into
action!
Sit less – move more. People who work at desks
should stand or walk around for at least two hours a
day to avoid health risks related to too much sitting,
according to a 2015 British study.
Take Action:
o As a team, or individually, take regular stretch breaks
throughout your day
A Moment to Stretch Video
A Moment to Stretch Standing Video
Stretch at Your Desk
15 Minute Workout
o Use walking meetings when appropriate
How to do walking meetings right
o Walk at lunch or break time
Walking for Fitness Tip Sheet
o Use a sit-stand desk
SHR Sit-Stand Desk Trial
o Organize a Walking Challenge for you and your
colleagues. Identify a prize. Have some fun!
Walking Challenge Template
To share your team’s inspiring ideas in action
contact Healthy Workplace at
Healthy-up Your Work Area
If you would like some help
in planning an event for
your area, let us know!
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Quarterly Update Summer 2017
Finding the balance between Being and Doing Doing is never enough if you neglect Being.
- Eckhart Tolle
Health care providers are very busy people. Many
times there is an urgency to identify the need, get
things done and move on to what’s next. It is often
how we get through a difficult or demanding situation
- by putting one foot in front of the other and focusing
on what needs doing. When we’re in “doing” mode,
we are aware of how things are and how they need
to be. We focus on the goal of fixing things, identifying
essentials. We may be acting automatically.
We can also function in a way in which we are simply
being in the moment; when we are in fact non-doing.
When we are in “being” mode, we are connected to
the present moment. We acknowledge how things are
in the moment, and are willing to allow things to be
just as they are, without trying to change the
experience. There is a calmness, stillness and sense of
being centered.
Constantly operating in the “doing” mode can be
exhausting. It may even be a coping mechanism of
stuffing down difficult emotions. Eventually we all need
to pause; to stop. If we are constantly in doing mode,
what do we do when we can’t do anymore?
Throughout our days, each mode is useful in different
situations and different ways. Learning to recognize
when it is better to be in the doing mode and take
action versus when it is best to just let things be as they
are, is a powerful skill. Developing this ability takes
patience, awareness of the situation and the
willingness to be reflective. Working on this skill is a
compassionate act of self-care.
Swartz Rounds: Compassionate Care
“Schwartz Rounds are a place where
people who don’t usually talk about the
heart of the work are willing to share their
vulnerability, to question themselves. The
program provides an opportunity for
dialogue that doesn’t happen anywhere
else in the hospital.” – Participant
The Schwartz Rounds program brings clinicians and
frontline staff together to discuss the challenging
emotional and psychological issues they face in
caring for patients and families. The idea is that
caregivers are better able to make personal
connections with patients and colleagues when
they have greater insight into their own responses
and feelings.
During the Safer Every Day 90 Day project, the
psychological safety team examined the impact
that critical incidents had on staff and physicians,
and the support they require to build resilience.
Schwartz Rounds are an extension of this work,
spearheaded by Dr. Malone Chaya with the Royal
University Hospital Foundation graciously providing
funding.
The next Schwartz rounds event is
scheduled for the Fall. Watch the Healthy Workplace website for more information.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s mission is
simple but compelling: to promote compassionate care so that
patients and their caregivers relate to one another in a way
that provides hope to the patient, support to caregivers and
sustenance to the healing process.
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Quarterly Update Summer 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!
Strengthen Your Skills Resilient individuals are flexible, adaptable, and have
the ability to overcome stressful situations and life
challenges. In the workplace, resilient employees hold
up well under pressure, adapt quickly to change, and
take decisive action.
Why not take advantage of your EFAP as a proactive
way to build your skill set now to help you ride the
waves of change more successfully in the future.
You can use your EFAP to support your self-care
strategy by building your skills in a number of areas
including:
Communication
Work
Relationships
Workplace Stress
Conflict
Resolution
Personal Growth
Stress & Coping
Techniques
Personal Resiliency
Work/Life Balance
And More
And remember, it is always
• Confidential within the limits of the law
• Available In person, by telephone, on-line
• 100% Funded by the Region
• Available to all Region employees (full/part
time and casual) and affiliates and their
eligible dependants
• Available immediately - there is no waiting
period for eligibility
Additional Supports From Shepell:
Resilience - 5 Rs of workplace
mental health (PDF)
Visit Workplace Mental
Health for additional mental
health related information
and resources, and contact
your Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) provider for
individualized support.
To get started with Shepell’s Professional Counselling Services, call 1-844-336-3136 or browse
through their available services online at workhealthlife.com.
Increase Your Resilience
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Quarterly Update Summer 2017
Giving as a Path to Happiness
New research highlights the many benefits giving provides, whether of time, talent or treasure, not just for the
recipients but for the givers’ health and happiness, and for the wellbeing of entire communities.
“You cannot get through a
single day without having an
impact on the world around
you. What you do makes a
difference, and you have to
decide what kind of difference
you want to make.”
Jane Goodall
More Resources:
5 Ways Giving is Good For You – Greater Good Magazine
Cultivating Happiness– Stanford research explores the concept of maximizing happiness, and finds that
pursuing concrete "giving" goals rather than abstract ones leads to greater satisfaction.
“Never doubt that small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margret Mead.
365 Give Challenge
365give began as an independent parenting project by Jacqueline
Way. Jacqueline made a commitment to her oldest son (then, age 3)
to give back to the world every day for one year. Their journey was
publicly recorded through a blog as a way to document their daily
giving and inspire others to give more in their lives. The response to the
first 365 days of this giving sparked a desire and determination to
develop a daily giving concept that would involve children globally.
The concept of 365 Give Challenge can be modified by anyone or any
group wanting to practice the habit of regular, intentional giving as an
act of kindness. Perhaps this speaks to you personally, or to your team
or colleagues at work. How can you take this challenge and commit
to “give” back daily?
According to the National Institute of Health, people that give to their
community experience a “warm glow” effect. Giving to others activates
the regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and
trust. Altruistic behavior releases endorphins producing the positive feeling
known as the “helper’s high” which makes you feel happy, increases health
and promotes cooperation.
How To Be Happy Every Day: Jacqueline Way expands on
the positive psychological effects that intentional giving can
have. She also shares personal stories that inspire us to begin
giving daily and recognizing the incredible ripple effect that
a simple act of kindness can have.
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Quarterly Update Summer 2017
Continued from page 1…
ways. Gary Marcus, a
cognitive psychologist
and director of the New
York University Center for
Language And Music says:
"As Aristotle realized,
there is a difference
between the
pleasures of the
moment (hedonia),
and the satisfaction
that comes from
constantly developing and living one’s
life to the fullest (eudaimonia). In recent
years, scientists have finally begun to
study eudaimonia. Research suggests
that the greater sense of purpose and
personal growth associated with
eudaimonia correlates with lower cortisol
levels, better immune function and more
efficient sleep.”
So, what new thing did I choose to pursue? I
decided to spiff up my very rusty Grade 12
French, and enrolled online. I try to practice every
day, from 10 – 30 minutes, sometimes more if I’m
on a roll. At first I couldn’t believe how much I had
forgotten, or didn’t know, but now, I look forward
to the daily challenges. The added bonus… it’s a
lot of fun!
Looking for a New Challenge?
Humans are learning beings by nature and pursing a lifelong
practice of learning can lead to many health benefits along
the way. This includes gaining new perspective, adapting to
new situations, boosting confidence and nurturing creativity.
Why not summon your beginner’s mind and follow your
curiosity! Some ideas to pursue include:
learn a new language
play an instrument
develop your own blog or website
explore the skill of photography, painting or yoga
ballroom dance, anyone?
Need more inspiration? Check out these websites.
http://learnsomethingnew.co/
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-43-best-websites-for-learning-
something-new-2017-3
For more on lifelong learning:
Top Ten Benefits of Lifelong Learning
The Benefits of Lifelong Learning
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
Zen master Suzuki Roshi
Learning Tips
Instructor Barbara Oakley (Mindshift) recommends the following
to improve learning:
Focus (and don’t focus). In order to absorb information,
our brains need periods of intense focus followed by
periods of mind-wandering, or “diffuse attention”.
Learners retain more if they include time for rest and
relaxation to allow this processing to happen.
Exercise. Physical activity can actually help us grow
new brain cells and neurotransmitters; it’s also been
shown to improve our long-term memory and reverse
age-related declines in brain function. So why not
make your next break a brisk walk!
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Quarterly Update Summer 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. [email protected]; (306) 655-
4696
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free.
For more information
and to print log sheets,
visit the Healthy
Workplace Website at:
shrhealthyworkplace.ca
More Ways to
Celebrate Canada 150:
Passport 2017: Canada 150
Canada Day in Saskatoon &
Area
ParticipaACTION 150 Play List
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
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