Last October, the Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP) launched to support employee mental health and well-being. Our team continues to look for ways to support your mental health and well-being, so as we celebrate the 1-year anniversary, we invite you to share your feedback.

Ways to provide feedback

• Focus Groups: Register for an upcoming session according to your role.
  • Individual Contributor Cohort Dates
    • Thursday, October 9 (11 a.m. to Noon)
    • Wednesday, October 22 (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
    • Tuesday, October 28 (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • Leader Cohort Dates
    • Friday, October 10 (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
    • Monday, October 20 (11 a.m. to Noon)
    • Wednesday, October 29 (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.)
      
      
• Email Elise Arbic (elise.arbic@ontariotechu.ca), Employee Health and Wellness Manager, to schedule a 1:1 meeting.
  
  
• If you are unable to attend a Focus Group session or meet 1:1 with Elise, please use this Feedback eForm, which is available from Oct. 1-31.

Take a tour of our beautiful campus farm with the OCIS team and learn about Ontario Tech’s sustainability initiatives and the history of Windfields Farm! here.

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Time: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Campus Farm (285 Britannia Ave W)

Join the OCIS team at the campus farm to tackle one of North America's scariest invasive plants - the common buckthorn 😱. Gloves, tools, snacks and training will be provided. Costumes are encouraged! There will be a prize for the best costume. 

Register Here 
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Drop-in)
Location: Campus Farm (285 Britannia Ave W)

Save the Date

The 2025 Health Safety and Wellness Fair is scheduled for Thursday, October 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Founding Deans Atrium (SCI_W_ATR).  Stay tunded for updates on the Health Safety and Wellness Fair web page.  Hope to see you there!

The program is designed to attract participants who are interested in developing a regular practice, grounded in mindfulness, that supports wellness and resilience. The program will also be helpful to participants who are interested in specific topics and wish to attend select sessions rather than the entire series. Everyone is welcome. Please register by Thursday, October 30.

Session Structure:

Each session occurs from Noon to 1 p.m. and will consist of the following structure:

1. Opening with a settling practice
2. Followed by approximately 10 minutes of introduction to the session theme 
3. The Primary Practice for about 15 minutes
4. Reflection about the practice experience 
5. Remaining time for open group discussion  
6. Closure with a brief practice

Session 1:  Mindfulness of the Body on November 3, 2025

Mindfulness of the Body involves learning to focus in on physical sensations to anchor yourself in the present moment while cultivating a mindset of curiosity and kindness. 

REGISTER

Session 2: Working with the Breath on November 10, 2025

Mindfulness of the Breath is a way of training your attention on the natural rhythm and sensations of your breath that helps anchor yourself in the present moment. 

REGISTER

Session 3:  Mindfulness of Thoughts on November 17, 2025

Mindfulness of thought is a practice of observing thoughts without judgement, similar to watching clouds drifting by. The goal is not to stop thinking but to recognize thoughts as passing mental events.

REGISTER

Session 4: Working with Difficult Emotions – November 24, 2025

Mindfulness of difficult emotions involves approaching them with acceptance, curiosity and non-judgment rather than trying to suppress or avoid them.

REGISTER

When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

Crucial Conversations: Employees

• • Date: Monday, November 3, 2025 to Friday, November 7, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. to noon
  • Location: Virtual
  • Target Audience: Employees

REGISTER

Inflation can have various effects on our finances. In this webinar, we will discuss how to manage changes in your expenses, debt, savings, and investments when there are changes in inflation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the effects of inflation on income, savings, debt and expenses
2. Identify strategies that can help adjust your budget according to inflation

Presenter: Roger Massicotte, TELUS Health 

Roger Massicotte spent most of his career in the financial industry and became a licensed Financial Planner in 1997. Since 2015, He's been working as a freelance advice-only financial planner. He delivers pure financial planning consulting services
without agendas other than offering the best quality advice. During his career, Roger has led numerous financial education seminars, and in 2024, he joined Telus Health's team of facilitators as a contractor. By Spring 2025, he will complete his Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) certification. He enjoys riding his electric bike, exploring new places, and appreciating good meals with friends when not working. In a nutshell, he is living his best years!

Date: November 5th
Time: 12 - 1 pm
Location: Virtual
 

Register here!

When it comes to the health of relationships, teams, and organizations, one thing affects everything: communication. Backed by 30 years of social science, Crucial Conversation skills represent the standard in effective communication. Improve your skills and get better outcomes by attending a training course.

The communication skills taught in this training focus on a specific kind of interaction: those when stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This is not a course on winning friends or winning people to your way of thinking; it’s about strengthening relationships and securing results in the moments that matter most.

This course teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better resources: Get unstuck, Master my stories, Start with heart, State my path, Make it safe, Learn to look, Seek mutual purpose, Explore others’ paths, and Move to action.

Crucial Conversations: Managers/Directors

• Date: Monday, November 10, 2025 to Friday November 14, 2025 (2.5 hours x 5 days)
• Time: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
• Location: Virtual
• Target Audience: Managers/Directors
  Note: Participants must attend all dates to receive their certificate.

REGISTER 

This training is now full.  If you are interested in completing Mental Health First Aid, please email wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca to have your name placed on a waiting list.  Thank you.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved.

The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy, and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague.

Training is delivered by Dr. Jennifer Laffier.  Dr. Laffier is an Assistant Professor, and a Licensed Psychotherapist and Creative Arts Therapist with over 25 years of experience in the fields of developmental psychology, mental health and education. She conducts research in the area of human development and well-being in the digital age and is currently the Director of the Mental Health in the Digital Age Lab.

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Target Audience: All faculty and staff

This session will provide an overview of the FREE Diabetes Care Program that is offered from Sun Life.

Living with diabetes can be challenging — but you don’t have to manage it alone. The Diabetes Care Program (DCP) is an evidence-based, lifestyle-first program created to empower Sun Life clients living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

With the Diabetes Care Program, you’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and support to live a healthier, more energized life.

Date: Tuesday, November 18
Time: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location: Virtual
Audience: Group Benefit Plan Members

Register today!

What can you do to help keep your immune system strong and healthy? Food and lifestyle play a play a critical role in how well your immune system functions.

In this workshop, Dr. Bardin, Healthy Workplace Committee member, will explore the complexities of your immune system and help you to discover how foods and lifestyle choices can make an impact - both positively and negatively. Dr. Bardin will also dive into the vital role your gut and microbiome play in the overall health of your immune system and highlight the key nutrients that can help you stay strong and resilient throughout the flu season. 

Fuel Your Defenses: Put up a Fight During Flu Season!Boost your Immune System

• Facilitator: Dr. Sylvie Bardin, Associate Teaching Professor, Faculty of Science and Certified Nutritionist
  
• Date: November 24, 2025
  
• Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
• Location: Virtual
• Target Audience: Employees

Boost your immune system!

Register

Let’s find time to recharge.  It may seem like a good work strategy to just do one more thing or push through. But, in fact, our focus and productivity go down when our energy is depleted. This means that we have to work harder and longer to get the same results than we would have had if we took the time to recharge. Attend this session to explore techniques to energize, calm your mind or relax your body and discover what you most need to recharge.

Give-away and Draw: Participants will receive a Break Kit to support recharging after this workshop (while quantities last) and everyone will be entered into a random draw to receive a 1-year subscription to Calm.

Date: Thursday, November 27, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location: In-person, SHA-037
Target Audience: All faculty and staff

Please REGISTER by Friday, November 21

Whether you’re preparing for a specific event or looking to get moving, join the Ridgeback Run Club (RRC)!  The RRC is open to all levels and runs rain or shine. 

Upcoming Dates:

• Our Summer dates have concluded.  Please check back for Fall dates.  Thank you.

Time: 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (Start running at 12:16 p.m.)

Location: Meet at the front doors of Shawenjigewining Hall (east side of the building)

Get Active Questionnaire:
We want you to have a safe and enjoyable run experience, so please complete the Get Active Questionnaire and email your completed copy to wellnessatwork@ontariotechu.ca prior to attending your first run.  If you answer ‘yes’ to any questions within the Questionnaire, please review the Reference Document. 

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.

Free fitness classes offered by Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre for Staff and Faculty.

Visit the Group Fitness web page to book your spot.

Are you wondering what to make for dinner? Would you like to try a new recipe?