SAFER believes that wellness is first and foremost a choice to assume responsibility for the quality of your life. SAFER suggests it begins with a conscious decision to shape a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is a mindset, a predisposition to adopt a series of key principles in varied life areas that lead to high levels of well-being and life satisfaction
It takes more than physical exercise to maintain good health. Balance is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is the dynamic process of becoming aware of, taking responsibility for, and making choices that directly contribute to one's well being and that of the common good. It is the integration of body, mind and spirit and the ongoing development of one's own meaning in life.
Because the goal of achieving optimal health is achieved by way of “striking a balance” in relation to the following eight dimensions, SAFER invites visitors to explore the following in an effort to try and discover your own balance.
Vocational Wellness is a fit between who you are called to be and what you are called to do. It is finding the place where your deep desires and gifts meet a need in the community. A "vocationally well" person expresses his or her values through paid and volunteer activities that are personally rewarding and that make a contribution to the well being of the community. Vocational wellness involves continually learning new skills and seeking challenges that lead to personal growth and a better world. Listening for and following your vocational calling is a lifelong process.
Spiritual Wellness is the quest for meaning, value, and purpose resulting in hope, joy, courage and gratitude. It encourages one to develop a personal faith in all things. It is the discovery and incorporation of a personal set of values and beliefs that defines the person, places the individual in relation to the larger community, and engages a faith that promotes justice.
Social Wellness means contributing to one's human and physical environment for the common welfare of, and social justice within, one's community. It includes promoting a healthy living environment, encouraging effective communication and mutual respect among community members, and seeking positive interdependent relationships with others. It is being a person for others and allowing others to care for you. It is also recognizing the need for leisure and recreation and budgeting time for those activities.
Physical Wellness means respecting and taking care of your body. It is applying your knowledge, motivation, and skills toward enhancing personal fitness and health. It is making healthy and positive choices regarding a variety of issues including nutrition, physical activity, sexuality, sleep, the use of alcohol and other drugs, self-care, and the appropriate use of health care systems.
Intellectual Wellness is having a curiosity and strong desire to learn. It is a lifelong process of creating and reflecting upon experience, staying stimulated with new ideas, and sharing. It is discovering challenges, overcoming barriers, and integrating opportunities to grow, make plans, develop strategies, and solve problems in an academic community dedicated to leadership in service to others. It is the ability to engage in clear thinking and recall, and to think independently, creatively, and critically.
Environmental Wellness is an awareness of the precarious state of the earth and the effects of your daily habits on the physical environment. It is respect for the beauty and balance of nature. Environmental wellness involves maintaining a way of life that maximizes harmony with the earth and minimizes harm to the environment. It includes being involved in socially responsible activities to protect the environment.
Emotional Wellness is striving to meet emotional needs constructively. It is the ability to respond resiliently to emotional states and the flow of life events. It is realistically dealing with a variety of situations and learning how your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings affect one another and your decisions. It is taking responsibility for your own behavior and responding to challenges as opportunities. An emotionally well person is self-aware and self-accepting while continuing to develop as a person. Emotional wellness is the ability to form interdependent relationships based on mutual commitment, trust, honesty, and respect.
Cultural Wellness is being aware and respectful of your own faith traditions and cultural background as well as learning about, accepting, and contributing to the diversity and richness present in other faiths and cultural backgrounds. It is acting towards oneself and all others with sensitivity, consideration, understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and civility.
.HOW TO START A WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAM
Video 1 Introduction
Outlines the importance of workplace health, and some of the reasons why Diavik Diamond Mine and Island Timberlands decided to start their programs. Each industry has its own unique set of challenges; however, we’ve seen that many of these health risks are common across a variety of workplaces.
Describes the importance of management buy-in at the senior level, involvement of middle managers and employees to get the program started and steps for getting that buy-in. It also describes the role of wellness champions and committees for long term engagement.
Outlines how to assess your worksite and understand the level of interest in healthy living at your workplace, including how to build on what already exists at your workplace so that you’re not starting from scratch. Steps include: an audit or scan of the physical environment, an organizational policy review and employee interest survey or scan.
Once you’ve assessed your workplace, the planning begins! Video 4 will help walk you through the planning documents and WoW resources. Setting up a 12-month program plan will be an important guide as you move ahead; make sure it aligns with the activities in your workplace and with available human resources.
This final video provides examples from champions that have led successful programs in their own workplaces – highlighting some ideas for workplace activities and policy changes that got people moving, sleeping and eating better.
Canadians spend half of their waking hours at work, so it makes sense to promote health where people spend their time.
Working on Wellness in Strategic Populations was a 3-year initiative (2013-2016) that looked at how to find ways to talk about, and to support health in the workplace and was aimed at reducing preventable cancers and other chronic diseases through promotion of healthy choices and wellness in the workplace.
The project built on the success of Canadian Cancer Society’s WellnessFits program that aimed to reduce preventable cancers and other chronic diseases by promoting healthy choices and wellness in the workplace.
Working on Wellness resources target workplace wellness to men in industrial and resource sectors. WOW resources support workplace champions with policy suggestions, messaging and activities that encourage healthy living at the worksite.
The health outcomes for men are below average – especially in the North. Working on Wellness (WoW) was designed for men in working environments that are fast-paced and hands-on. The materials get men thinking about their health as another tool in their belt.
Do you want to get started right away? First, read “Getting Started with WoW” to guide you in rolling out these resources at your worksite. Then check out the WoW modules. You will find simple, easy tips to get workers to Take Care of their Equipment – like their hearts, lungs and arteries!
Jason opens up about how he came to learn about depression, how he sought help, and how he developed a new attitude towards mental illness.
Dan shares how he overcame Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder with the help of a healthcare practitioner.
Owen thought he had the resilience to bounce back from any injury quickly on his own. In this video, Owen shares his experience with the psychological effects of a life-changing workplace injury, the impacts on his work and home life, as well as the importance of talking and seeking help when you need it.
Paul emphasizes the importance of social support, connecting with nature, and doing enjoyable activities to recover from depression.
For more information about Working on Wellness in Strategic Population contact:
Location: BC Healthy Living Alliance #310 – 1212 West Broadway Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V2 Tel: 604-629-1630 Fax: 604-629-1633 For general information contact: info@bchealthyliving.ca
Community Capacity Building Strategy BC Healthy Living Alliance Community capacity building aims to enhance the skills, abilities, resources, and commitment of communities and community members to care for each other, nurture unique talents and leadership, and act on challenges and opportunities the community faces. As a result, individuals and groups increase their ability to impact the health and vitality of their communities in a positive, sustainable manner through collaboration, education, communication and cooperation.
For more information on this strategy, contact: BC Healthy Living Alliance 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way. Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital.
Conceived, written, and presented by Dr. Mike Evans Illustrated by Liisa Sorsa Produced, directed, and filmed by Nick De Pencier Picture and sound edit by David Schmidt Gaffer, Martin Wojtunik Whiteboard construction by James Vanderkleyn Production assistant, Chris Niesing ©2011 Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc.
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