Just For the Health of It Photo Contest

To support the university’s commitment to a healthy workplace, your Healthy Workplace Committee would like to offer all employees the opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable people, cherished places, beloved pets and supportive university peers that have brought you joy, comfort, and/or solace.

Contest Details:

• One photo submission per category, per person (four photos maximum per employee).
• Amateur photos only (photos should clearly meet category criteria).
• Maximum size: 10MB.
• Use the following naming convention for each photo you submit: [category]_[last name]; e.g. A_Smith; B_Smith; C_Smith; D_Smith.
• Provide a photo caption describing your photo (maximum of 100 characters).
• Photos to be submitted to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca between June 10, 2024 and September 6, 2024

                                                          Snap your fav' people, places, pets and peers and share!

Feedback from the Every Day in May Health Challenge indicated a desire for more initiatives that would motivate the university community to focus on embedding healthy habits into their day and do so in a team format.  In response, the Healthy Workplace Committee is excited to launch Move over October: Physical Activity Challenge!  Together, our goal will be to travel across Canada with prizes for individuals and teams. 

How do I sign up?

Decide if you want to participate as an Individual or with a Team.

Individuals

• Use the Move over October Registration Link to register as an individual for the challenge by Friday, September 27, 2024.

Team

• Form a team of up to 7 Ontario Tech employees.
• Determine a Team Name
• Assign a Team Captain*
  *The only role of the Team Captain is to register your team.
• Team Captains, please visit the Move over October Registration Link to sign-up your team by Friday, September 27, 2024.

How does the challenge work?

1. Be Active

• Participate in any form of physical activity throughout the month of October.
• Track the time you were active and/or the distance you travelled from October 1-31, 2024.
  • You're welcome to track your physical activity via this Tracker Tool.

2. Submit your weekly totals

Every challenge participant will submit their own weekly totals using the Move over October: Physical Activity Challenge Weekly Time & Distance Substance Form (coming soon).

Submission dates are as follows:

• Week 1 (Oct. 1-6), Submit on or before Oct. 9
• Week 2 (Oct. 7-13), Submit on or before Oct. 16
• Week 3 (Oct. 14-20), Submit on or before Oct. 23
• Week 4 (Oct. 21-27), Submit on or before Oct. 30
• Week 5 (Oct. 28-31), Submit on or before Nov. 6

Are there prizes?

Yes! Beyond the fun of friendly competition and health benefits of participating in healthy habits, the prizes are as follows:

1. Registration Incentive Draw:
   1. Everyone who registers by Friday, September 27, 2024, will be entered into a draw for a Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) Annual Parking Pass, which covers parking fees and general admission to all eight of CLOCA’s public Conservation Areas for one year from the date of issue.
2. Individual Participants:
   1. Top Individual (Time):
      1. The individual participant with the most time being physically active.
   2. Top Individual (Distance):
      1. The individual participant with the greatest distance travelled while being physically active.
   3. Team Participants:
      1. Top Team (Time):
         1. The team with the most time (averaged by the number of team members) being physically active.
      2. Top Team (Distance):
         1. The team with the most time (averaged by the number of team members) being physically active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a maximum time or distance participants can submit?
A: No.  There are no maximum time or distance restrictions.

Q: What forms of physical activity can I participate in?
A: All forms of physical activity are welcome – whatever gets you moving.

Q: I completed two forms of physical activity in one day, how do I track these?
A: If using the Tracker Tool, select either physical activity from the drop-down menu, and then enter the combined total time and/or combined distance of both activities.

Q: Are we required to submit both time and distance each week?
A: Time and distance are not required; however, if you'd like to be considered for both Top Time & Top Distance prize categories, please track/submit both.

Q: How is the team competition fair if the number of team members varies?
A: Team totals are averaged by the number of team members.

Q: I still have questions, who can I contact?
A: Please email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca

Is the kitchen your happy place? Do you have favorite family recipe? Does cooking bring you joy? 

Why not share a recipe and earn a chance to be part of the 2025 Healthy Workplace recipe calendar? 

From March 1st – September 30th, recipes from the following categories can be submitted to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca

          A Main course

          B Non-alcoholic drinks

          C Appetizers/snacks

Individuals can submit up to one recipe for each category. 

As recipes are received, they will be posted and voting will take place between October 7th - 18thst. Winners will be announced on October 25th.

Consider the following when selecting what recipe(s) to submit:

🍎cooking instructions are easy to follow
🍑includes components of Canada's Food Guide
🍎ingredients are fresh/locally sourced and budget friendly

Include the following when submitting your recipe(s):

Name:                                                         Department/Faculty:

Category:                                                     A or B or C

Recipe ingredients/cooking instructions:

Picture of recipe once completed.  

Start thinking about your favorite recipe(s) and get ready to submit to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca !

The Healthy Workplace Committee is receiving delicious recipes as part of the Recipe Contest event and will be featuring entries for your review and cooking enjoyment!

Submitted by: Catie Sahadath, Library

Category: Main course

Recipe name: Training Camp Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp super finely chopped onion (red, white, whatever you have)
• 5oz fresh crab meat, chopped (can replace with 1 can salmon, or 5oz any other fresh seafood)
• 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato (can replace with 1/3 cup mashed potato)
• ¾ cups quick oats
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 hearty shakes of Tajin seasoning
• Juice from 1/3 of a lemon

Instructions:

NOTE: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) on October 9 is full. If you are interested in attending a future MHFA session, please email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca and you will be notified when the next session has been scheduled. Thank you.

The only international mental health training program that is being delivered in 25+ countries around the world.  Participants will learn how to support someone who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis.  A certificate from the Mental Health Commission of Canada is provided upon completion.

 
*Participants are required to complete a ~2-Hour online self-directed learning module prior to attending the October 9^th virtual training day.  To facilitate access to this course, please register by September 20^th.

Gain knowledge to identify shifts in mental well-being in yourself and others while learning coping skills to manage stress. Increasing our awareness about mental health will help reduce stigma associated with mental illness. Participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC).

Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: In-person, SHA-018
Audience: Employees (Faculty adn Staff)

 REGISTER FOR THE WORKING MIND TRAINING- EMPLOYEE ON NOV 6, 2024

 A minimum of 8 participants to run a session. Participants will be notified if the session is cancelled due to low enrollment.

The 2024 flu shot clinic is optn to Ontario Tech and Durham College staff, faculty and students.  Clinics are as follows:

• Thursday, November 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at DC Oshawa, Wellness Den (C128)
• Thursday, November 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at DC Whitby (Room to be confirmed)
• Thursday, November 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at OT North Campus, OTSU Office (SHA 115)

Join us for a 2-hour introduction to the benefits of learning and practicing mindfulness and compassion. Your teachers will guide you through some brief practices based on the ground breaking work by Jon Kabat-Zinn in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer in Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. Practices will be complemented with information on the research demonstrating the effectiveness of mindfulness and compassion in promoting emotional well-being and resilience, reducing anxiety and stress symptoms, as well as improving relationship satisfaction.

This session emphasizes experiential learning and is delivered in a safe, confidential, and supportive group setting.

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: In-person, SHA-024
Target Audience: All Faculty & Staff

REGISTER

• Learn about the differences between perimenopause, menopause & post-menopause. 
• Determine what the signs & symptoms of menopause can include and how to identify if you are transitioning into menopause. 
• Understand the impact of menopause in the workplace. 
• Review treatment options available including; lifestyle, natural and prescribed medications 
• Discuss strategies on how to approach your provider with questions.
• Q&A period

Stephanie and Megan - “The Menopause NPs” - are Nurse Practitioners working in primary care who provide care daily to women at midlife. Over their 10+ years of nursing experience, they have developed a passion for women’s health. 

Menopause is an area they became particularly interested in after seeing a large gap in the information they were taught on the topic and the desire for information from patients. They both took it upon themselves to become Certified Menopause Practitioners through The Menopause Society and are looking forward to sharing some of their knowledge with you. 

This presentation is intended to help reduce the workplace stigma surrounding menopause, validate the experiences of women going through this natural journey and open up more conversation through education.

To learn more about Stephanie and Megan, visit their website at themenopausenps.ca

Date: Thursday November 14, 2024
Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Microsoft Teams
Target Audience: All faculty and staff

REGISTER

Develop suicide alertness through in-depth skills to recognize signs of suicide, engage someone, and ensure a connection to safety. This session is facilitated by the Canadian Mental Health Association and participants will receive a certificate upon completion.

Date: Tuesday, November 19
Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: SHA-024
Target audience: All Faculty and Staff

REGISTER

When the holiday season approaches, your Wellness at Work team appreciates that this may be a difficult time for many.

Participants will examine the process of grieving a loss (e.g., of a loved one, a job, a participant’s health, a child moving away, etc.) and be provided practical strategies for living through and beyond various types of losses. Participants will also gain insight into effective and proactive healing and rebuilding strategies and learn how to work through the changes caused by loss.

Date: December 3, 2024
Time: noon to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtually
Target Audience: All Staff and Faculty

REGISTER

Whether you are new to Ontario Tech or wanting to refresh your knowledge of the supports and services available through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Program, please select the orientation format that works best for you.

1. 1-Minute Mini Orientation for Employees - Video Recording
2. 25-Minute Full Orientation for Employees - Video Recording
3. Virtual Orientations: Employee and Manager* sessions held live. Select the date within the Orientation Flyer that you would like to attend to register.

*Orientation for Manager video recordings are available on the Leader Supports webpage.