Archive for the ‘Miranda’s Stories’ Category

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Open Letter for Mental Health

Posted by: | April 29, 2013 | 8 comments

In honour of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s 62nd annual Mental Health Week, I have written an open letter to anyone who has lived with, is currently living with, or who knows someone who has ever dealt with a mental health issue.

Digital flowers

Dear moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, managers, employees, teachers, children, students, seniors, politicians, world leaders, athletes and friends,

You are my inspiration for this letter.  When 1 in 5 British Columbians will experience a significant mental health problem at some point in their lives, we as a society need to take notice.  We need to recognize that mental health is the foundation for our overall health and happiness and that without it we will fail to thrive.  We need to change our focus to recognize and acknowledge that our mental health is no different from our physical health.  Do we choose to have diabetes? Does having diabetes make us a bad person?  Would we discourage someone with diabetes from seeking help?  Would we be embarrassed if a friend or loved one was diagnosed with diabetes? No. 

For those living with, surviving with and thriving with their own mental health every day, I am in awe of your strength and resiliency.  I am inspired by the energy that it can  take to wake up and exist each day.  I am indebted to you for the life lessons that I have learned from being your friend, relative, sounding board and shoulder to cry on.  You are the strong, underrated and often invisible and I strive every day of my life to be more like you. 

I strive to be brave, because 2 out of 3 individuals with a mental health concerns will not seek help.

I strive to fight stigma, because 34% of Canadians believe that people will think less of them if they suffer from depression.

I strive to be fearless, because feeling different from others is not easy and can make it difficult to see how similar we really are.

If 80% of people with depression recover, why are these recoveries not celebrated?  Why do we not get flowers to celebrate a return to work or school following a mental health issue?

If 1 in 5 British Columbians are potentially experiencing a mental health problem right now,  why are we not talking about this and why are we not supporting each other to live and manage our mental health each and every day?

The sentiments in this letter are addressed to every human, because mental health issues do not discriminate based on age, gender, occupation, education or socio-economic status.   Nor do they imply anything about a person’s character or capacity for intelligence. 

Let’s start talking.  Let’s celebrate our bravery, strength and resiliency. 

This letter is my digital bouquet of flowers to everyone thriving with their mental health today.

All my best,

Miranda

 

*Statistics in this post are taken from UBC’s Responding with Respect program in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Filed under: May 2013, Mental Health, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , , , ,

Be Kind for your Health

Posted by: | April 3, 2013 | 1 comment

post-it-finalOver the past month, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the ways in which we can create a healthier and more connected UBC community.  For those of you familiar with the size and labyrinth-like qualities of this university, you can understand that this is a complicated task.

I sat down to read the paper on my lunch break one day and found inspiration in a Vancouver Sun article written by Joe Kelly, a Professor at Capilano University,  on the beneficial effects of kindness.  Whether you call it altruism, doing a good deed or paying it forward, it turns out that performing acts of kindness can have a positive effect on our health.  Not only do these acts help to increase happiness levels but they can also improve heart function, reduce inflammation, strengthen social ties and protect against mental illness.

Acts of kindness make us happier:  Known as the “Helper’s High”, kindness elevates levels of dopamine in the brain leading to feelings of exhilaration and increased energy.

Acts of kindness help our hearts:  Our bodies produce the hormone oxytocin in response to the increased emotional warmth that comes from acting kind towards others.  Oxytocin works to reduce blood pressure and inflammation within the body to protect our hearts from cardio-vascular disease.

Acts of kindness allow us to Thrive:  From an evolutionary perspective, we have been hard-wired to survive and thrive as a result of cooperation.  Stronger emotional and community ties led our ancestors to greater chances of survival.  Today, social connectedness and community support are protective factors against depression and loneliness.

Kindness is free.   It does not require a membership, registration or enrolment fee.  Kindness can be done at home, on the bus or at the office.   It is contagious and its effects are limitless.  Hold the door open for a colleague, smile at a stranger or thank a campus security officer.  For more ideas visit the Radom Acts of Kindness Foundation website.

As we move into spring, let’s grow our campus connections and use our acts of kindness to not only to reap personal health benefits but to strengthen our supportive networks and the health of the campus at large.

Have a happy April!

Miranda

(more …)

Filed under: April 2013, Mental Health, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , ,

Meet the New Health Promotions Team

Posted by: | March 5, 2013 | 2 comments

Happy March Everyone!

Miranda Newsletter

As the calendar shifts us closer to spring, it seems fitting that this month arrives with many new beginnings for our team at Health Promotion Programs.  I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new editor of the Healthy UBC Newsletter and the new Health Promotions Coordinator for UBC.

My name is Miranda Massie and for the past two years I have worked as the Employee and Family Assistance Program clerk in HR.  I have been a regular blogger for the site and have assisted with the larger staff and faculty health and well-being  initiatives.

I am thrilled to be staying within my unit and am excited to be moving forward in my career in health promotion.  I look forward to provide our readers with accurate, insightful and engaging information as we all work towards creating a healthier and happier UBC community.

In honour of nutrition Month, I would like to share one of my favourite healthy recipes with you for a Spinach and Artichoke Pasta.

I would also like to introduce the new EFAP clerk in Health Promotion Programs, Colin Hearne.  Colin will start blogging shortly and will be the friendly face greeting participants at our lunch hour workshops.  Please see his introduction below.  More new faces to come!

Cheers,
Miranda

Hi Everyone!

Colin-Hearne-150x150My name is Colin Hearne and I have been privileged to be offered the position of EFAP Clerk in UBC.

I have recently arrived in Vancouver from the south east of Ireland where for many years I have worked predominantly as a Community Health Officer and more recently as coordinator for the World Health Organisations Healthy City Initiative.

My academic background has involved completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion specialising in Adult Education whilst also obtaining qualifications in Group Facilitation, Epidemiology, Practical Teaching Skills; and Mental Health

In my spare time I am a huge soccer fan with a passion for watching my beloved Liverpool FC. I also write a personal health blog, contribute to various health publications in Ireland; and constantly have my nose lost in books about natural and herbal medicine.

I am really looking forward to meeting you all and growing within this role and would personally like to wish my predecessor Miranda Massie the very best in her new position as Health Promotion Coordinator.

Warmest Regards

Colin

Filed under: EFAP, March 2013, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , , , ,

My Favourite Grey Day Recipe

Posted by: | March 5, 2013 | no comments

I really make an effort to cook healthy meals at home.  I try and stock my fridge with as much fresh produce as possible because I find that this encourages me to use it before it goes bad.  I am however a lover of comfort food and on grey days like today, all I feel like eating is a big bowl of creamy pasta.

My mum and sister recently shared a great recipe with me for a vegetarian pasta casserole that has everything I crave in homey food, without the added fat and calories.  It is packed with veggies, has a ton of flavour and is quick to make.  I hope that you enjoy!

Artichoke and spinach casserole 

Ingredients:

  • 250 g pkg gluten-free fusilli
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bunch green onions, about 1 cup chopped
  • 3 cups packed, chopped fresh spinach
  • 398 ml can artichokes, drained and chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth, preferably sodium-reduced
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 250 g brick light cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 500F. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following package directions but omitting salt, until just barely tender, 6 to 8 min.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high. Add oil, then garlic and onions. Cook for 1 min. Stir in spinach and artichokes. Cook until spinach starts to wilt, 1 min. Stir in broth, parmesan, cream cheese, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Stir until cheese is melted, then add pasta. Transfer to an 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle panko over top  Bake in centre of oven until topping is golden, about 5 min.

Filed under: Food, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , , , ,

Thinking Differently about Anxiety

Posted by: | January 25, 2013 | 1 comment

This week, Health Promotion Programs hosted an Understanding Anxiety presentation through AnxietyBC.

There was a great turnout to hear Dr. Melisa Robichaud talk about the body’s anxiety response system and more specifically anxiety disorders and treatment.  I hope that the positive turnout is an indication that as a campus community-and even as a society-we are moving closer to a place where mental health can be openly discussed.  The most impactful part of the presentation was how well Dr. Robichaud normalized anxiety symptoms and worked to dispel the stigmas commonly associated with anxiety and mental health in general.

It was only in my early 20’s that I can remember my family talking about anxiety and when we did, we discovered that many family members had been experiencing (and suffering) with the same symptoms in one form or another.  Finding a genetic link sparked our curiosity and made us more open to discussing our fears and questions with each other.

I have had some really great conversations with colleagues and friends since Dr. Robichaud’s presentation and I would like to leave you with some of the key points that I took away from the session:

  • Anxiety is natural and serves a purpose in our body by helping us deal with and escape from dangerous situations.
  • BUT our body has only one anxiety response system that evolved to deal with imminent physical threats.  In today’s world, most of our threats are social.
  • Our body has not evolved to deal with perceived social threats differently from physical ones.
  • Having anxiety says nothing about a person’s character or intelligence.
  • Diagnosis of anxiety is based on the severity of the experienced symptoms, NOT based on the existence of symptoms themselves.  Anxiety is diagnosed when it becomes a problem for you.
  • On average, people suffer with anxiety symptoms for 10-15 years before seeking help.
  • We need to start thinking of mental health like physical health: We go to the dentist for checkups; we brush and floss our teeth to maintain dental care between checkups; we teach proper dental care to our children; if we never saw a dentist out teeth would start to decay.
  • Why do we not protect our mind like we protect our teeth or our hearts?

When I’m feeling anxious, I like to be by myself in nature.  I take a book to a park or the beach and I usually find the clarity that I am looking for.  If not, I find it really helps to talk about it.  I have discovered that more often than not, others have experienced the same feelings too.  Here is a picture of one of my favourite spots!

 

 

Filed under: Mental Health, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , , , ,

‘MEvember’ Re-cap

Posted by: | November 26, 2012 | no comments

My blog post last month was a promise to dedicate the month of November to myself.  I felt that I needed to re-charge and put myself first for at least a little while before things ramped up for the holiday season.  Did I succeed, you ask?

Here is a re-cap of my ‘ME’ list:

Taking some ‘ME’ time on the Island this month

-Visit a walk-in clinic to order prescription renewals (on my To Do List since September)

-Request a referral for a registered massage therapist (on my To Do List since August)

-Book a massage therapist appointment

-Book an appointment for a consultation with an acupuncturist (on my To Do list since April)

-Book an appointment for a consultation with a chiropractor (on my To Do List since May)

-Attend only the events that I want to attend (without feeling guilty!)

I did pretty well and I am quite proud that I was able to accomplish everything on my list and more (including a weekend away on the Island!).  I am now in the process of ordering custom orthotics for my flat feet, establishing an acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment plan for boosting my immune system and doing daily stretches to correct some muscle pain in my lower back.

Was it easy?   The short answer is no. I am very happy that I consciously took the time to do the things that I wanted and that I enjoyed.  Because of this I feel rested, relaxed and more grounded.  However, trying to accomplish all of these things in one month was a large undertaking that required planning, a full bank account (pay up front, get reimbursed later) and a flexible schedule. Because of this I feel slightly exhausted.

On the whole though, aside from the obvious benefits (a relaxing massage, quality time with my partner), I found that the greatest benefit was being able to nurture the most important relationship that exists in my life-the one with myself.  Time alone to enjoy a massage or to grab a coffee and a walk to Granville Island is what I will cherish most about MEvember.

Would I do it again?  I think that a more sustainable and less hectic plan will be to accomplish one of my ‘ME’ tasks per month instead of trying to cram 6 months’ worth into 30 days.

Filed under: Mental Health, Miranda's Stories, Physical Health

Invitation to Thrive

Posted by: | October 31, 2012 | no comments

Thrive starts on Monday!  It’s a week dedicated to promoting positive mental health for all staff, faculty and students. The week is filled with a variety of events, hosted by partners all over campus, and we also have more online resources, including videos, this year.  Here are some event highlights for staff and faculty:

Awareness of Workplace Mental Health and Workplace Influences
For UBC AAPS members only, this workshop is a nationally recognized training from the Canadian Mental Health Association.

UBC BodyWorks is offering free access to their fitness centre and free classes throughout the week and a special deal on annual passes.

Nutrition Strategies to Boost the Immune System
A workshop on boosting your immune system through food choices. Be sure to register, as we expect this topic to be popular!

Raising the Bar: Professionalism and Respect in 2013
A workshop about how new legislation on bullying in the workplace impacts us all. Hosted by the Sauder School of Business. Please be sure to register!

Research Day at the School of Population and Public Health
How does burnout impact medical residents? How might this be avoided? This intriguing research delves into the issue of burnout, and how it might be prevented.

Thrive Celebration and Art Show
This event features artwork from our art therapy groups, a cooking show featuring samples of local food, great recipes and much more. Co-sponsored by UBC Food Services.

We’re also asking the question: “How do you thrive at UBC?”

Feel free to tweet us @healthyUBC (use #thriveatUBC) to share some of your own ideas, or watch this animation video for ideas!

Find more events on our Thrive website.

Filed under: Events, Food, Miranda's Stories, November 2012, Physical Health | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Taking Care of ME

Posted by: | October 29, 2012 | 2 comments

September has always been a busy month in my life.  It used to mark the start of a new school year, the beginning of a fresh social calendar and in some cases, a study induced period of hibernation.  In recent years September represents the launch of the bulk of our staff and faculty health programming and is a month of orientations and welcome events.  Inevitably, September leads quickly into October which has me scheduling Thanksgiving dinners with family, rehearsing and sewing costumes for my dance studio’s annual show and preparing for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters.

Suddenly I am days away from November and feel like I have done very little for myself in quite a while.  I am a giver and find that I can become so wrapped up giving of myself and my time to others that I often neglect my personal health and wellbeing.  This stops here.

I have made a decision to dedicate the month of November to myself, participating in what I am calling ‘MEvember’.

Taking some ME time on the Sunshine coast

My goal this month is to make all of the appointments that I have been putting off and to only participate in activities that I feel will benefit me or contribute to my overall happiness.  Some might see this as selfish but I believe those who know me will be proud that I am dedicating time and energy to myself and to restoring my mental and physical health.

This MEvember, take some time out for yourself.  Recharge your batteries before December rolls around, and brings with it holiday parties, gift shopping and more excuses to neglect your personal health.

Here is my ‘ME’ list for this month:

-Visit a walk-in clinic to order prescription renewals (on my To Do List since September)

-Request a referral for a registered massage therapist (on my To Do List since August)

-Book a massage therapist appointment

-Book an appointment for a consultation with an acupuncturist (on my To Do list since April)

-Book an appointment for a consultation with a chiropractor (on my To Do List since May)

-Attend only the events that I want to attend (without feeling guilty!)

Filed under: Mental Health, Miranda's Stories, Physical Health | Tags: , ,

Addiction Resources Available

Posted by: | September 26, 2012 | no comments

In my days as a student, and since becoming a staff member at UBC, I have found the start of the school year to be a great time to re-acquaint myself with valuable on campus resources and services.  If you are a new staff or faculty member, signing up for an orientation or an on campus newsletter is a great place to start. For more seasoned veterans you might be interested in UBC Rec or Bodyworks fitness programs or in following different campus organizations on Twitter.

I really enjoyed a recent Healthy Minds student blog post listing the top hidden gems for healthy foods on campus and I check the UBC Events site regularly for interesting lectures, events and exhibitions.

At this time I am very happy to share an important resource that I had the pleasure of assisting in creating.  It has recently been added to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) page on the Human Resources website and contains valuable information, numbers and websites for dealing with and seeking help for addition and addictive behaviours.  It is the EFAP Services: Addictions Resources page.

Addiction can often be misunderstood and attributed to weakness or a lack of self-control but in reality it is as much of a disease as diabetes or cancer.  Unfortunately, as with other illnesses, love and support are not usually enough to solve a problem.  Those facing addictions or the addictions of a loved one can feel isolated, frustrated and confused.

As the UBC EFAP Clerk for Health Promotion Programs, I speak regularly to staff and faculty who are struggling to navigate confusing government and health care systems.  Please share this resource page with other staff and faculty members on campus and in your community.  By putting this together we hope to help our UBC family and community members feel better supported and in control.

I am also happy to report that a similar resource for caregivers and eldercare support is being created and I look forward to being able to share it when the time comes.

Wishing you a happy and healthy October!

Filed under: EFAP, Mental Health, Miranda's Stories | Tags: , , , ,

App Challenge #9: Nike Training Club

Posted by: | September 4, 2012 | no comments

Nike has designed a workout app that lets you choose your long term fitness goal (Get lean, Get toned, Get strong or Get  focus on specific muscle groups) and then choose your fitness level (beginner, intermediate or advanced).  You are then directed to a list of workouts that range from 30 to 45 minutes and incorporate circuit training, cardio and weight resistance exercises.

The more minutes you accumulate, the more rewards you gain including special bonus workouts-some of which are led by professional and Olympic athletes.  The workouts do not require a large amount of space and can be done inside or outside.  I did them in my living room and had more than enough space.

Perks:  There are close to 500 workouts available through this free app which will keep you interested and add variety to your workouts.  I particularly liked the voiceover instructions that work even if you are listening to a playlist.  They provide helpful hints and reminders about your form.  In addition, if at any point you do not know how to do an exercise, you can pause the workout and watch a short video demonstration.

Peevs:  Some of the workouts require additional equipment such as a medicine ball or free weights.  I do not own these so I had to modify some of the exercises or replace weights with cans of soup and water bottles.

Overall Rating (Worth Keeping or Deleting?)

KEEPING:  This is by far the best fitness app I have ever used. It serves the same function as a personal trainer without having to leave your home or pay for the service.  If you can find the self-motivation, this app is worth a download.  It is also a great option for when you are travelling or can’t make it to the gym.

*Thank you for sticking with me this summer as I rated 9 mental, physical and nutritional apps.  I definitely found a few that I will keep using and recommending to others.

Filed under: Miranda's Stories, Physical Health | Tags: , , ,

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