Maintaining balance when it comes to caring for self and others can be challenging at the best of times, but more-so now as we navigate through COVID-19 and our more recent tragedy in Nova Scotia, a place that I still consider home after having lived there for several years.  We often struggle to regulate and process the vast and varied input and uncertain nature of our current landscape, as we journey toward sometimes extreme and often unavoidable change.  As we set our goals toward a so-called “new normal,” being able to recognize the importance of i) taking a break, ii) knowing when to take a break, and feeling supported in that process, are crucial components to both short and long term mental and physical wellness.  Considering many of us may have already faced or continue to face mental health challenges even before these crises began, having useful resources available to guide us as to when we as caregivers need care, can prove to be invaluable going forward.

I know I’m not alone, in expressing my gratitude for all our front-line essential services staff and support workers that are currently dedicating their lives to our care, often at the cost of extreme self-sacrifice.  The toll it can take on their overall wellness is undeniable. In my opinion, it’s when clear and tangible ways of expressing our gratitude for their service are demonstrated, that we can emerge TOGETHER with greater resilience.

Continuing to do our part in following Health Canada’s current guidelines for hygiene and social distancing, https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/social-distancing.html , is one way we as individuals can clearly demonstrateour gratitude.  In my mind,ensuring that our healthcare team is well equipped:

• to recognize their own need for self-care both physically and mentally,
• to recognize what that care might look like, and
• to have resources readily available for them to access supplemental care whenever necessary, is also key.
  
  

The “COVID-19 Resources for Healthcare Sector,” https://theworkingmind.ca/healthcare-resources, released by The Mental Health Commission of Canada, is a great resource for ANYONE interested in obtaining a clear perspective regarding their mental health.   Making sure our caregivers are themselves well cared for, will benefit everyone in the long run.  Arguably, as we are all called to be caregivers in one capacity or another as we journey through life, this resource should be considered a must read for everyone!  The “how am I doing” quick tool, (see link below)is a great place to start. https://www.espritautravail.ca/sites/default/files/how-am-i-doing-healthcare-poster-en.pdf

Taking a break or initiating a self-care strategy to help prevent a mental health crisis, can look very different for everyone and can evenvary for an individual over time.  In general,something that helps to increase resiliency, or your ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune, change or stress can be the most helpful. For some,self-care can includesomething as simple as reading a book, taking a walk, or talking with a friend.  Occasionally,an effective breakmay even require all three, depending upon yourcircumstance.  For myself, I recognize that it often requiresa fair bit of effort toconsciously shift from certain tasks and thought processes to what feels like a truemental break. However,the benefits are worth it!

As a first-year beekeeper, beekeeping continues to be a reprieve amidst the feelings of isolation and uncertainty that the pandemic brings and what I consider to be one of my mental resets.  It’s been a way for our family to connect with each other and with nature and to see the value in life’s small but mighty miracles as we learn and grow together.  It’s also been a gift to be able to share our bounty of liquid gold with friends, family and ANYONE who’s curious.  It’s a real toss-up as to whether the honey itself or the joy of sharing it with others is what brings the most gratitude and continues to stoke my mental health.

A couple of weeks ago we approached our hives for the first time since fall, after having had them insulated and undisturbed all winter, and we did so with a mix of excitement and apprehension.  Believing that we’d done all we could to follow proper procedure, we were at some point left to trust the process.  From there, it became essential to rely heavily on patience, faith and hopein order to trust that we would be returning after an unpredictable prairie winter to a thriving hive, never a guarantee.

Even before the hives are unwrapped, it becomes apparent that our efforts and the process has prevailed.  Our colonies are highly active as they swarm around a small opening thatremains for necessary air flow.  Clearly, no social distancing memos have been received here!  It seems we’ve done enough to give our bees a solidchance of carrying on into the emerging spring.  A clear sign of hope and some much-needed light on the path of the future to come. 

Are there new challenges or experiences that have offered you reprieve in this time of crisis and waiting? What are some of your most trusted self-care or mental break strategies?We’d love to hear from you!  Also,stay tuned for our upcoming presentation on the importance of including exercise as one of your self-care strategiesin managing your mental health.

~ Elizabeth Stefanyshyn-Alonso, Physiotherapist

References:
1)  Government of Canada – Physical Distancing - How to slow the spread of COVID-19 https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/social-distancing.html
2)  Mental Health Commission of Canada – The Working Mind https://theworkingmind.ca/home
3 ) Merriam-Webster Dictionary - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilient
4)  Government of Saskatchewan Mental Health Support Resources - https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/mental-health-and-covid-19
 
 

This has certainly been an interesting spring so far and I have had the opportunity to speak with a great many people who are learning new skills and reconnecting with their bodies, their families, and their hobbies, if their situation allows.

The staff at Donald Physiotherapy have been learning new things as well, working with people with virtual visits, and connecting with our community through technology and video content. I have been behind the camera and the scenes helping put together some of our current YouTube videos and decided that this would be a good time to work on a project that I’ve wanted to do for some time.

I recently wrote about one of my favourite exercises, the squat, which you can read more about here.

I would like to announce a new video series called “Zero to Squat” which will begin next week. It will cover a gradual progression of exercises to take nearly anyone from not having done a squat, to performing their version of a bodyweight squat over the course of 8 weeks and 8 videos. I am excited to create something that may help people improve their strength and mobility on their schedule and at their own pace, hopefully even prior to an injury or dysfunction.

The editing will be a work in progress, but I hope that you enjoy some of the information that is coming your way!


-Trent, PT

I have been a practising physiotherapist for nearly 20 years. I have had the privilege of bearing witness to people’s suffering and have the honour to be a source of help. While the impetus for my patients to access my care is most often due to physical ailment, early in my career I began to recognize there were inevitable emotional consequences to their physical pain. After practising longer, I began to notice that in some cases, the root of their physical suffering was often from an emotional injury. I never learned this in university. While it was not part of my formal education, it made it no less true.


Thankfully, in my 20 career, I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from some of the best psychologists in this province. For the better part of my career, I worked as part of a multidisciplinary team that treated the “whole” person. I have also had opportunities in the last five years, to take courses in mental health. I have to say it was amazing to watch the lives of many of my patients transform. Those who embraced our team’s approach became happier and healthier human beings. Not all patients I worked with experienced the same success however. In fact, some were outright resistant to becoming well. Despite mine and the team’s efforts, no matter how kind and compassionate we were, no matter how tactfully we offered feedback, no matter how hard we worked  to establish connection, they simply were not willing to have an open mind to consider the possibilities available to them.


Incidentally, the present global pandemic is imposing involuntary restrictions and changes to our way of living. We may be tempted to resist these changes, resist this phenomenon so much outside of locus of control. It is affecting all of us, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religious or cultural background, regardless of age, and regardless of health status. We have essentially been put on pause. This pause has resulted in many losing their source of income, losing their daily routine and potentially losing their human connections. A few days ago, I crossed paths with a friend who is a sergeant with our local police force. This person shared how since our government imposed social restrictions on our community the incidence of violence and suicide has increased substantially. While this is affecting us all, the consequences of social isolation is undoubtedly more harsh for those of our community with less resilience, fewer coping strategies and unhealthy family and social dynamics.


So much about this health crisis leaves us feeling powerless. In fact, the devastating potential of this virus on our world is downright scary. This reality combined with the fact that our brains are wired to focus on the negative (an evolutionary survival mechanism), is a recipe for a mental health crisis for anyone. That is, if we let it. (Amen, 2020)


Allow yourself for a minute to consider the possibility that in the midst of this crisis there is opportunity here. The opportunity of time which allows reflection, healing, transformation, that we might emerge from this better, stronger and happier than we have ever been. Perhaps this is a gift wrapped in ugly paper. But inside is a never before known chance at true happiness. It is a looking glass that is all revealing. This looking glass tells us what is good and life giving and what no longer serves our peace and happiness.


We have already seen much positive healing impact on our environment-clear water in the canals of Venice with return of water fowl and fish; blue skies and singing birds in cities once clouded in smog and the holes in the ozone layer are getting smaller.


I have learned both in my training and in my clinical experience, the only thing we truly have control over is our thoughts and our behaviours. So how can we think and act so as to diminish the stress we are experiencing in crisis?

1. Practise gratitude every day. Better yet, every night before you go to sleep, write down 3 things for which you are grateful. This increases the production of dopamine (a feel good neurotransmitter) in our brains and activates our reward centers in our brains. This works to rewire our brain to become effortlessly grateful. (Doidge, 2007)
2. Develop a healthy daily routine. This should include a set wake up and sleep time, healthy regular nutrition, adequate water intake(our brains are 80% water, so try to aim for 8-10 glasses/day), physical activity, something fun and some time to tidy up your living space. (Amen, 2020)
3. Exercise! Anything that increases your heart rate will increase blood flow to your brain, improving its function and increasing the release of feel good neurotransmitters. Start with just 10-15 minutes per day.
4. Try meditating. Start with 5 minutes per day. Meditation activates the calming centers of our of brains and studies show these centers actually increase in size, allowing us to better manage stress. There are free apps you can download for guided meditation and walking meditation if you the thought of being still overwhelms you.
5. Keep life simple and be kind and compassionate to yourself. These are unprecedented times! We are learning a lot, what works, what doesn’t work. This requires lots of energy. Have realistic expectations and choose one or two things to focus on.
6. Buddy up! Stay connected regularly with someone you trust and who accepts you as you are. Use the virtual apps(Facetime, Zoom,Facebook etc) to have coffee together. We are social beings and need human connection. The longest human study done on happiness is an 80 year longitudinal study conducted out of Harvard. The conclusion of the study was that the only predictive factor on health and happiness was the QUALITY of our human relationships.  (Stossel, May 2013)
7. Focus on that over which you have control, your thoughts and behaviours. You may find it helpful to make a list of these, let the rest go. This may mean limiting your exposure to news and social media.

Any questions, or want to chat - don't hesitate to reach out.

~ Lisa Lepage, Physiotherapist


References
Amen, Daniel G., The End of Mental Illness (Carol Stream, IL Tyndale,2020)

Doidge, N., The Brain the Changes Itself (Penguin Group,2007)

Stossel, Scott (May 2013). "What Makes Us Happy, Revisited: A new look at the famous Harvard study of what makes people thrive". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017.

​Image credit - Saskatchewan Health Authority, April 2020.
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Sleep is crucial in maintaining good health – both physical and mental! Now more than ever, this may be especially important.

The last several weeks have been challenging to say the least and are likely affecting everyone differently. People’s routines have been changed dramatically and people are trying to establish a new “norm” for the time being. This can lead to mental, emotional and physical changes. Stress and anxiety can have a big impact on sleep and lack of sleep can in turn affect stress and anxiety. 

Health professionals far and wide are figuring out new and innovative ways to help their clients and patients. Essential workers are showing up daily and taking care of other’s needs. So with all the new recommendations and ideas to cope with changes to our mental, physical and emotional health – it remains important to continue to work on healthy sleep habits and routines.

Here are some ideas to assist with healthy sleep habits.

Stay Consistent

• Get up at the same time every day. This is especially important in these times with more and more people working from home. 
• Try to go to bed around the same time every night.

Establish a Relaxing Bedtime Routine

• Meditation (many free Apps available that are very beneficial)
• Listen to relaxing music
• Deep breathing
• Read a book
• Take a relaxing bath
• Hot cup of (decaf) tea

Create a Relaxing Environment

• Try to keep your “office space” separate from your sleep space if possible

Manage worries

• Jot down what's bothering you and then set it aside for tomorrow.
• Try to resolve stress/anxiety before bedtime.

Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime

• Avoid the computer, smart phone, TV, etc. 

Exercise regularly and try to get outside daily.

Pay attention to what you eat

• Don’t go to bed on an empty or overstuffed stomach
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine or alcohol before bedtime

This is just a few tips to try and assist you during this time - have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out

​~Jacquie, Physiotherapist