On Wednesday, December 1st at 2 pm ET join Dr. Timothy Foggin and Dr. Amy Comander for a virtual fireside chat about Lifestyle Medicine and Breast Cancer, understanding the role of lifestyle in cancer development and resources for lifestyle preventions.
During the discussion, Dr. Comander and Dr. Foggin will discuss lifestyle interventions, including exercise, diet, mind/body connections, and:
Register here to be part of this discussion on Lifestyle Medicine and Breast Cancer.
Dr. Amy Comander is the Director of Breast Oncology and Survivorship at the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and Newton Wellesley Hospital and Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham. Dr. Comander received her MD at Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency and Hematology-Oncology fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. She is board certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology, as well as in Lifestyle Medicine. She is on the board of the Ellie Fund, which provides support to women with breast cancer in Massachusetts. Dr. Comander has a passion for improving the quality of life and outcome of cancer survivors through lifestyle interventions, including exercise, diet, and mind/body strategies. She practices what she preaches, having run 8 consecutive Boston Marathons for charitable causes.
Dr. Timothy Foggin is the Medical Director for Canada at Teladoc Health and public health expert. Dr. Foggin completed Med School and his family medicine residency at McGill University in Montreal and his Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency at UBC in Vancouver. He has worked for Teladoc Health first as the VP and Medical Director of Teladoc Health in Asia and more recently as medical director for Canada.
Register - Lifestyle Medicine and Breast Cancer webinar
Mastering mental health takes work, but working towards becoming resilient and adaptable can help us navigate and manage stressful situations from spiraling out of control. We can use these attributes to weather the highs and lows of normal life, and adjust to the wild extremes of the pandemic. Throughout this pandemic, our mental health has been put to the test. We've been so busy worrying about our family, friends, and work – we haven't always had the energy to take care of ourselves, but it's important that we do.
Find spiritually-minded mental health resources at the United Church Bookstore in their Health and Wellness collection, with books focusing on depression, burnout, loss, and faith-based strategies for healing.
LifeSpeak
Top mental health experts provide you with practical resources, strategies and tools for building a stable, healthy mindset—no matter what life throws your way – with their Mastering Mental Health campaign. It is offered in three parts:
Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
Join the Ask the Expert webchat with Janna Comrie, registered psychotherapist, on October 13, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
The French version will be held by Dre. Amélie Seidah, PhD psychologue, le 14 octobre 2021 à midi HE.
LifeWorks
LifeWorks (formerly, Morneau Shepell) launched a microsite on their Heartbeat Hub earlier in the year to build your self-care toolkit. In this microsite, explore why self-care should be part of your routine and how to work it into your daily life, no matter the situation.
The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is also a great resource to use for short-term, solution-focused counselling. Your EFAP is a voluntary, confidential counselling service that allows you and your eligible family members to discuss personal or work-related problems and concerns in an understanding and professional environment. Your EFAP is a support service that can help you take the first step toward change.
WorkHealthLife offers numerous articles on mental health under their Health & Wellbeing tab. There is also a section that provides COVID-19 resources. Enter The United Church of Canada to gain access to the site.
LifeSpeak - an extension of the United Church’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), to help keep you and your family mentally and physically healthy - offers a practical guide to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
This month, LifeSpeak is focusing on diversity and equity in the workplace.
There are two upcoming workshops that may be of interest to you, with LifeSpeak’s Ask the Expert:
The benefits of diversity and equity are endless, which is why it’s important for us all to be engaged in thoughtful dialogue and work towards tangible action and change. All of us can play a role in making our workplace one that is more welcoming for people of all identities.
Through LifeSpeak, you can also find video modules from Michael Bach, Founder and Chair of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, on how to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. While you’re on the LifeSpeak platform, be sure to check out the video modules on racial discrimination, too. Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
WorkHealthLife
WorkHealthLife by LifeWorks has articles and resources dedicated to Diversity and Inclusion under their Health & Wellbeing tab. Everyone has a right to go to work in a safe environment where they can be their full selves, and are valued for their skills, creativity, and work ethic and that honours their racial identity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, or physical or cognitive ability. Enter The United Church of Canada to gain access to the site.
Visit UCRD to access a wide range of books on diversity and equity in ministry and communities of faith.
Here are some additional United Church resources that you could engage with.
This past year has brought a lot of changes in our daily lives. We had to adapt to new situations, from working remotely to home-schooling - keeping a harmony was challenging.
Back to Work and School considerations are moving to the forefront for many of us as September approaches. With kids returning to in-class learning and work places slowly reopening, this is a perfect opportunity to re-invigorate familiar patterns or establish new routines, prioritize self-care to stay grounded, and keep work-life balance in mind. This video series from LifeSpeak will help you meet the demands of home and work in order to feel healthier and strengthen our personal and working relationships. The video series is also offered in French. Log in using the Group Account, password: wellness
UCRD has Spiritual and Mental Health resources to help achieve a work-life balance. 'Sanctuary: Creating a Space for Grace in Your Life' and 'Sacred Rest' both describe the benefit of breaking away from the culture of 24/7 productivity to restore our spiritual and mental health. 'The Healthy Living Handbook’ offers easy, practical, real-life ways to live well and live better emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
All relationships whether with ourselves, partners, family, friends or colleagues are something to nurture, heal, and build upon. As human beings, healthy connections and relationships are crucial to our mental and emotional wellbeing.
Every relationship possesses unique contributors to one’s life, and consequently bears distinct hardships as well. Nourishing these relationships might be especially difficult during the pandemic, but it’s important that none are overlooked.
Over the next few weeks, let LifeSpeak’s experts guide you in strategies to strengthen and develop your relationships. The campaign will run from July 5 - 30 and will feature four relationship modules including:
Be sure to also join the “Ask the Expert” discussion on July 21 at Noon ET with Allison Villa, Registered Psychotherapist & Relationship Expert.
The French version will be with Nathalie Gauthier on July 22 at Noon ET.
Log in at: united-church.lifespeak.com
Password: wellness
LifeSpeak's Expert Blog
Twelve Ways to Improve Communication with your Partner
Each Juneteenth, we commemorate the end of slavery for the African American community and share some of the progress made as we look forward to more that needs to be done. While this celebration is important, it isn’t enough. Creating a more equitable society will require much work from all of us as individuals and organizations.
If you’re not sure where to begin; LifeWorks (formerly Morneau Shepell) is inviting you to a live free webinar on Wednesday, June 23 at 11am ET. Topic: Structural Discrimination and How it Works.
In the session, we will explore the various ways in which we are all complicit, either intentionally or unintentionally, in reproducing the barriers, prejudices, and systemic norms that we have all inherited and been conditioned by within North America.
Register here to reserve your spot.
In case you can’t make it, be sure to still Register and a recording would be sent as soon as it’s available.
To learn more about Juneteenth, click here to read an article (from Vox, June 2020).
MindBeacon’s efforts to help you better manage and take care of your mental health continue with their May programs and events.
Check out MindBeacon's 8-step Pandemic Mental Health Recovery Plan; a resource to help you get your mental health back on track as we plan for pandemic recovery. Click here to view the recording of the plan’s launch during Mental Health week May 3-9, 2021.
The pandemic may have led us to develop different habits. Some good, some not so good. However, research has shown that the use of alcohol has increased as a means to cope with pandemic-related anxiety. Here’s your chance to register for MindBeacon’s free 30 min Live ‘Ask the Therapist’ webinar at 12pm on May 19th- Managing Alcohol Use.
Learn about:
Be sure to check out the “Shared Experiences” of these women who are managing both motherhood and careers during the pandemic. Click to watch video 1 and video 2
As many persons are experiencing feelings of anxiety about socializing again, be sure to check out this recording of MindBeacon’s expert discussion as part of the Social Anxiety Therapist Guided Program. Listen as the experts address key topics such as:
To learn more about MindBeacon’s Therapist Guided Programs, Live Therapy sessions and other helpful resources visit Mindbeacon.com
8-step Pandemic Mental Health Recovery Plan →
Resource to help you get your mental health back on track.
View the recording →
Webinar Recording: Your Journey to Recovery.
According to The Canadian Mental Health Association, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness. It involves exposure to trauma involving death or the threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence.
This month, as we acknowledge the importance of Mental Health, LifeSpeak wants to shine a light on PTSD through their training sessions and learning resources. These include:
Log in at: united-church.lifespeak.com
Password: wellness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder →
LifeSpeak’s Expert Blog post →
Your Brain on change by Cindy Smith
Mental health is a vital part of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects our decision making, how we cope with stress and relate to others. LifeSpeak’s May Mental Health marathon will set out to help you prioritize and understand your mental well-being and how it can affect others. Topics to be discussed include:
The marathon includes four (4) “Ask the Expert” sessions between 8:30am and 6pm EST on May 5th.
The French Version will be on April 6th between 8:30am and 6pm ET.
Be sure to also check out Lifespeak’s Online Library which offers helpful videos on mental health. Some of these videos include:
Helping a Loved One with Mental Illness
Getting Help for Mental Illness
Loneliness in the 21st century
Assessment and Diagnosis of Depression
What are the Anxiety Disorders?
Log in at: united-church.lifespeak.com
Password: wellness
There is a very high chance that Flourishing could be something you didn’t think was possible during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Join Canada Life on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, and discover how flourishing is part of positive psychology – and how you can do it now and in the post-COVID future.
Learn key strategies that can help you flourish from:
Louisa Jewell, President and Founder, Canadian Positive Psychology Association
Mary Ann Baynton, Director of Strategy and Collaboration, Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
Get answers to these questions and more:
This is a Microsoft Teams Live event, so be sure to download Teams beforehand.
There’s no registration required – just click on the event link before 1 p.m. on Tuesday May 4. It could be the most inspiring 45 minutes of your day!
For French interpretation, please mute your computer audio and call 1-647-794-1609 (Canada), Conference ID: 851 841 345#.
