Healthy UBC | January 2022

Editorial: Healthy habits

The start of the year often brings pressure to set lofty resolutions and ambitious goals, however for some this pressure can be counter-productive and fail to improve your health and wellbeing. In this edition, we look at creating healthy habits — from getting active with the Move UBC to resources for improving your sleep and nutrition — and events to help you make meaningful change. 

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The Travelling Health Fair is back!

Our annual travelling health fair is back. This virtual event will provide you with helpful health information and one-on-one consultations to help you achieve your optimal physical and mental health.

Get started

Improve your performance and wellbeing with Search Inside Yourself

Search Inside Yourself is a two- and half-hour training program — developed by Google — that uses emotional intelligence and mindfulness to optimize performance, build leadership skills, and increase wellbeing.

The event takes place at 9 a.m. on February 22 via Zoom. 

Find out more and register

Move More, Move Well, Move Anywhere, and Move for the Planet

This February, explore ways to fit physical activity into your day (wherever you are) during Move UBC Month!

See what's happening during Move UBC

Walk for Joy, walk for fun, walk for prizes!

Walk for Joy (formerly known as Walkabout) is an annual challenge that strives to promote regular physical activity in social settings. Walk for Joy is open to all UBC students, faculty, staff, and community members. Don't forget, our community partners have provided prizes for participants and those who complete extra challenges!

Register and get walking!

App-based workouts can help combat depression and boost mental health

Dr. Eli Puterman, an associate professor at UBC’s School of Kinesiology, and the UBC Beyond discuss ways to improve your motivation to exercise with at-home or app-based workouts that will help you stay active and combat depression.

Seven tips to keep you active and help boost your mental health

Free events and resources

UBC’s Health, Wellbeing and Benefits team has a great line-up of free activities and opportunities coming your way this month.

• January 26: Sex Education at Home: Integrating consent into parenting & caregiving with Karen B.K Chan
• February 16: The Working Mind for Employees
• February 24: Women’s Money Mindset with Vanessa Bowen from Mint Worthy

Self-paced Webinars

• Preventing Burnout: Managing stress, emotions and our tendency to give (For Employees)
• Supporting Resilient Teams: Recognizing and Managing Burnout (For Managers & Leaders)

Take a look at all of our January and February events

Join the Dry-Curious™ Challenge 

We invite you to join the ALAViDA Dry-Curious™ Challenge, designed to help you reach a healthier lifestyle. Follow the activities for one month to reduce your consumption, boost your wellbeing, improve your sleep, and help improve your habits.

Start your challenge today

New Year's resolutions stressing you out? Take a more balanced approach to your 2022 wellbeing

New Year's resolutions can often be more of a hindrance than a path to a better you. Lesley Lutes, a UBC psychology professor, says about 95 per cent will have abandoned their resolutions by the end of January. So instead of setting specific goals, this toolkit from LifeWorks includes information to help you balance physical and emotional wellness. With tips on nutrition, reducing stress, and improving sleep, this toolkit is about achieving a state of wellbeing instead of achieving specific goals.

Check out the Wellness support and solutions toolkit

Not sure how to access LifeWorks? Our EFAP page has all the details.

Reducing mental health stigma - Jan. 26 is Bell Let's Talk Day

Bell Let’s Talk Day is Wednesday, January 26, and UBC is joining to help drive mental health progress. Together, over the years, we have taken big steps to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and inspire one another to take action and help create a Canada where everyone can access the mental health support they need. This year’s campaign is about supporting ourselves and each other because now, more than ever, mental health matters.

Follow @HealthyUBC on Twitter on January 26 to take part in the conversation.