The University of British Columbia
UBC - A Place of Mind
The University of British Columbia
UBC Human Resources
  • Home
    • About Human Resources
    • HR News
    • Message from the Vice President, Human Resources
  • Careers
    • Why UBC?
    • Faculty Careers
    • Staff Careers (Internal)
    • Staff Careers (External)
    • Hiring Solutions (Temporary Employment) Vancouver
    • Auxilary (Temporary Employment) Okanagan
  • Benefits & Salary
    • Benefits
    • Workplace Health
    • Living Well
    • Pensions
    • Faculty Compensation
    • Staff Salary Administration
    • Staff Salary Scales
  • Learning & Engagement
    • Advancing Leading & Learning
    • Coaching, Conversations & Networks
    • Workplace Team Solutions
  • Faculty & Staff Resources
    • New to UBC
    • Orientations
    • Housing & Relocation Services
    • Employee Groups (Unions & Associations)
    • Collective Agreements & Handbooks
    • Career Navigation / Tenure & Promotion
    • Awards & Recognition
    • Statutory Holidays
    • Winter Weather Conditions
    • Faculty & Staff Perks
    • Leaving UBC
    • Retiring
  • Hiring & Managing
    • Recruitment & Hiring
    • Orienting New Faculty & Staff
    • Managing Staff
    • Faculty Relations
    • Resignations & Retirements
    • HR Management System (HRMS)
    • HR Memos
    • HR Networks (UBC's HR Community of Practice)
  • Contact
    • Find Your HR Advisor/Associate
    • Find Your Faculty Relations Manager/Assistant Manager
    • Find Your Compensation Consultant (Staff)
    • UBC Directory – HR Staff Listings (Vancouver)
    • UBC Directory – HR Staff Listings (Okanagan)
  • Okanagan Campus

competition

Join the Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge!

Join the Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge!

By Miranda Massie on May 4, 2017

Staff and Faculty at UBC Vancouver are invited to join the 3rd annual Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge. This four-week challenge is a fun and inclusive way to encourage our community to take the stairs.

Stair climbing is a great way to boost cardiovascular health, build muscle and strengthen the core. And the best part is – it’s free!

The challenge will include weekly participant prizes, weekly photo challenges and an overall prize for both the top team and top individual. The top team prize is awarded based on the highest average point total per participant.

All abilities are welcome to participate. Visit our website for accessible participation options.

How it works:

  • Register as a team or as an individual
  • Select the peak that you want to strive for – whether it’s climbing the equivalent of Grouse Mountain or Mount Everest
  • Log your daily flights of stairs
  • Submit your totals at the end of four weeks
  • Participate for a chance to win great prizes!

Take steps for success

Here’s the information you need to get started:

Challenge Factsheet

Promotional Poster

Check out a list of the top stairs to climb across the city, as voted by last year’s participants.

Register now.

Last year’s participants step up to health!

Over 50% of last year’s participants noticed positive impacts on their overall wellbeing.

Before the challenge, 48% of participants took the stairs once a day or less. After the challenge, 91% said they were committed to continuing to use stairs once a day or more.

Posted in Events, Physical Health | Tagged competition, event, faculty, fitness, health, Pick your Peak, Prizes, register, staff, stair challenge, team challenge, UBC | Leave a response

Excellent Competition

Excellent Competition

By Colin Hearne on March 3, 2014

Competition is a lot like stress – the words both have ugly connotations in our society today and have become, to many, unwelcome. But stress is not always a bad thing; in fact, many people are unaware that there are actually two types of stress: Eustress and Distress.  Eustress is the good stress that motivates you to continue working. Stress can be a motivator and provide incentive to get the job done. This “good stress” is what defines eustress, and some people enjoy it. Everyone needs a little bit of stress in their life in order to continue to be motivated, challenged and productive. The problems arise when this stress is no longer tolerable, and develops into distress.

Winning versus Excelling

Being competitive can be viewed similarly, inasmuch as you can choose to ‘compete to win’ or ‘compete to excel’. Competing to win means trying to dominate and outperform others, while competing to excel is about performing well and surpassing personal goals.  Most people will agree that competing to excel is a healthier mentality.

Healthy Competition

According to Madison (2008) :

‘Healthy competition encourages everyone involved to push themselves harder than they would have without competition, and as a result they achieve more personal or professional growth whether they won or lost. Healthy competition expands the boundaries of what you believed was possible for you. And it encourages you to admit to others that you’re ambitious’. Whereas unhealthy competition is ‘where you hope others have limitations because you are afraid your limitations will cause you to lose unless they are somehow held back. Unhealthy competition is where you associate shame with losing rather than see your own nobility for trying’.

 The distinction is obvious, competing to excel as opposed to competing to win, involves no fear of failure, no worry, and no mentioning of losing, and promotes positivity, growth and cultivates ambition.

Cultivating Healthy Competition:

In the spirit of ‘for better health, compete to excel’, here are some tips to help you achieve your best:

  • Recognize: Recognizing your achievements and remind yourself how you benefitted by implementing your actions, such as “I was able to get to my yoga class because I set my alarm 30 minutes earlier this morning. “
  • Mentor: Implement a mentorship program to allow yourself to learn from others in a constructive and supportive manner`, such as asking a successful friend or colleague for their assistance, particularly in areas you are interested in improving.
  • Reward: Reward yourself for your achievements, no matter how small. Take a moment to congratulate yourself on your achievements and reward yourself with something you enjoy, to stay on track for your goals.
  • Arrange: Arrange personal competitions to encourage yourself to  compete with your own past, such as saying “I ran three kilometres last Monday, so I’ll try run four kilometres next Monday.”

You’re invited!

Healthy Competition starts here! Sign up for the 2014 UBC Staff and Faculty Total Health Challenge  March 31-April 25 2014. The Total Health Challenge 2014 is a fitness and nutrition challenge focused on improving your overall health. This opportunity offers an exciting, and competitive, means of taking control of your total health and wellbeing; and the option of participating on your own or with your colleagues!

Register now or for more information click here.

Posted in Colin Hearne, Healthy Path | Tagged competition, excelling, goals, performing | Leave a response

Subscribe to the Healthy UBC Newsletter


Archives

Navigation



Upcoming Events

  • Nov. 5: Office Ergo Rep Training
  • Nov. 14: Boosting Your Positive Outlook
  • Nov. 20: Ergo Your Office: 1hr Tutorial
  • Nov. 20: Sit-Stand Desks & Platforms
  • Nov. 21: Mental Health First Aid Training
  • Nov. 25: The Working Mind: Workplace Mental Health Training for Faculty & Staff
  • Nov. 26: Getting a Restful Sleep
  • Dec. 3: Ergo Your Office: 1hr Tutorial
  • Dec. 3: Sit-Stand Desks & Platforms
  • Dec. 3: Relaxation Techniques to Help You Thrive
  • Dec. 11: Office Ergo Rep Training
  • Dec. 11: Understanding Your Travel Benefits
Human Resources
600 - 6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3
Tel 604 822 8111
Email hr.info@ubc.ca
Back to top
The University of British Columbia
  • Emergency Procedures |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Copyright |
  • Accessibility