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
 
 

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.
.

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

As I reflect on the past decade, take stock of my current state, and plan ahead for the near and distant future, it’s a chance to stop and consider what has served me well to this point, bringing peace and joy into my life, and what has held me back from presenting my best, toward self and others. What is it that I need to cultivate more of, and what do I need to keep working through the process of letting go. Well, perfection, judgement and worry are just a few of the constants on the top of my list of letting go, and to be honest it’s an ongoing process. Some of what has continued to fill my life with peace and joy, are more positive relationships, more humor, more exercise and more gratitude, all of which continue to bring a degree of balance to the world around me.

For those who’ve read my last blog, I’ve already mapped out some ways to cultivate more opportunity for exercise through goal setting, and the undeniable benefits of doing so. So this next blog I’ve decided to dedicate to gratitude, something I’ve found to be a significant component in helping to achieve sustainable, connected and meaningful life goals.

The dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; the state of being grateful, or the readiness to show appreciation for and return kindness.” As it turns out, gratitude can be considered to be more than just a feeling and it has the potential to have a profound impact on several different aspects of a person’s well-being, including mind, body and
spirit. So, in case you’re wondering what to add to your resolution list for the new year and perhaps the decade ahead, besides more exercise of course, here are some reasons why adding an attitude of gratitude to the top of your list can be considered highly beneficial.

1. Effect on brain chemistry: Expressing gratitude and receiving the same, signals our brain to release dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for making us feel good emotionally. Our mood can be enhanced immediately by even thinking about the good or positive things in our life, and by consciously practicing gratitude every day, we can help strengthen the neural pathways and ultimately create a permanent grateful and positive nature within ourselves. It creates a cycle in which the feeling you get from your recognition of good things, makes you want to think of
more good things to focus on. To use exercise as an example, try reminding yourself how much more energy you feel since fitting regular exercise into your daily routine. The brain is continuing to pump dopamine —contributing to our warm good feelings and brightening our day — all day long instead of just when exercising.

2. Effect on biological systems: Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at University of California-Davis, author of The Little Book of Gratitude (Gaia, 2016), and a researcher who has spent decades studying the effects of gratitude reports that “clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life. It can lower blood pressure and improve immune function…” (3)

3. Effect on exercise goals: According to Emmons, clinical trials also indicate that, “… grateful people engage in more exercise, have better dietary behaviors, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and have higher rates of medication adherence.” (3) Exercising an attitude of gratitude for even small milestones of fitness function, and focusing on what your body has done and can do vs on what it cannot yet do can go a long way toward assisting in the maintenance of your long term fitness goals.

4. Effect on mental health: By reducing the stress hormone cortisol and managing the autonomic nervous system functions, gratitude can assist in significantly reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. At the neurochemical level, feelings of gratitude are associated with an increase in the neural modulation of the prefrontal cortex, the brain site responsible for managing negative emotions like guilt, shame, and violence. Of course, seeking professional advice from your family physician and/or a licensed clinical psychologist should be first and foremost on your agenda if you are at all concerned with the state of your mental health, however, either will then be able to offer you further guidance as to whether including a gratitude strategy into your management plan could be right for you.

5. The price: Gratitude is a simple, cheap, easy, and pleasant intervention to execute, and it is rarely contraindicated for any population. In fact, it may cost more not to try than to try, as the benefits appear to far outweigh the risks.

Beyond attitude to action: Several ways to cultivate the practice of gratitude into your life are:

Gratitude journaling- Right before bed, write down the daily top 5 of what brought joy to your day, and once a week shift that list to how you brought joy to someone else’s life throughout that week.
Consistent blessings/gifts/talents list- It’s always easy to take for granted things that come easily to us. Perhaps even basic things that others struggle to obtain or that may never be in their scope of vision.
Thanksgiving list- No one has gotten to where they are without the help of others. Making a list of people who’ve shaped your life in a positive way, and when possible letting them know, will not only make their day but yours.
Perspective shifting- Turn your mind set around and find the gift in the challenge or chore. For example, tired of picking up after everyone in your house? How about being thankful for either: a) getting in some extra squats while doing it without having to go to the gym (well, maybe that’s a stretch), or b) for having someone to share life with to pick up after (more of a stretch?), okay then perhaps c) simply for having a house to live in. It doesn’t have to be complicated. There is always something to be grateful for.

The top 5 things I am most grateful for at this moment:
1. My Faith: it’s been my constant and anchor in an ever changing world with as ever changing self, amongst ever changing others.

2. My Family/Friends: they’ve been my rock and support even when I’m not at my best; and I’ve classed them together because I feel friends really are the family you choose for yourself or in some cases who have chosen you, when you’re really lucky.

3. My Health: I appreciate all aspects of my spiritual, physical and mental health, which I’ve learned can’t be separated, or at least not sustainably so for an extended period of time, and I recognize my responsibility in taking a consistently active role in managing it

4. My Purpose: having the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause through my professional work amongst a team of colleagues that I highly admire and respect, and through my community volunteering is a gift. Each new day is a chance to learn and to grow while at the same time assisting others to achieve their goals.

5. My Challenges/Struggles: of course I’d be lying if I said I had any desire to revisit the struggles or challenges I’ve been through over the past decade, or repeat any of the mistakes I’ve made throughout my life, however, I am content with how these experiences have shaped me. I can look back at them now as another opportunity to learn and to grow in patience, humility and compassion, in a direction of non-judgement and connectedness toward self and others.

May our 2020 VISION be focused on gratitude, and may we continue to help in building each other up in that direction.

~ Elizabeth, PT


References:
1. L.F.Cunha, L. C. Pellanda, and C. T. Reppoid (2019) Positive Psychology and Gratitude
Interventions; A Randomized Clinical Trial; Front Psychol, 10:584
2. https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
3. https://news.heart.org/study-gratitude-is-a-healthy-attitude/

The past few months have brought great change.  Not only to me but to my 'group'.  There have been new jobs to be celebrated, new additions to the family, the loss of a significant member to the family, the end of the school year, new relationships, old relationships ended, new trips planned, new plans for the future.  I could go on but the point is that change is everywhere.  I think about those who have been beside me as we have been going through these changes and it makes me think about the word 'Community'.  The definition of community is

com·mu·ni·ty    /kəˈmyo͞onədē/
noun
1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
"the scientific community"
2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
"the sense of community that organized religion can provide"
 
I grew up in a small town so to me the word community meant my actual town.  As I get older I realize that there are multiple ways to use the word 'community'.  I think for me, the most important way to use this word is when I describe the people whom have surrounded themselves around not only me but my children, my family, my grandparents and even my friends.  I used to think that the world was so big and so vast that the sense of community pertaining to the whole world was not possible.  I was wrong.  As I age I have been humbled in knowing that we are all connected in some small sort of way.  Anyone who knows me knows that this would thrill me.  I would love to be related to Ellen or Oprah or Serena or Alexandria.  OR BEYONCE (notice these are all powerful women???).  And in a way, I guess we are all are in our connection to the world. 

Relation or not, we are all living on this plane at the same time.  I am so grateful to those who have become part of my community.  I think back to growing up and unconsciously having people in my life who taught me about the responsibility of community.  I remember living on the acreage and having a giant snow storm.  We had a neighbor come over and plow out the driveway with his tractor since there was waaaaaaay more snow than what my dad's snow blower would have been able to manage.  Instead of the job taking my dad hours and hours in the freezing cold our neighbor was able to clear the snow in an hour.  A small act for him but it had a huge impact for our family that winter.  My parents no longer live on the acreage and live in Calgary.  My dad still uses the snow blower when it's needed.  He now snow blows the driveways and sidewalks for their neighbor who has had a heart attack and for an elderly couple who are physically not able to shovel.  My grandparents lived in their house on 8th and Clarence for over 50 years.  There was a widow with no children who lived on the same block as them.  As she got older my grandma started bringing her supper.  Every day.  Every supper.  For over 30 years.   

When I had my babies people would say, It takes a village to raise a child'.  I thought what a stupid comment.  But again, I realize I was wrong.  What a true statement.  Whether its teachers, coaches, your children's friend's parents, etc.  To have people who are vested in your children's lives, who want to help raise them into responsible, kind, and helpful members of society is a gift of community that makes me truly grateful.  I don't know where I would be, or my children for that matter, without those who have become a part of our community.  I think the only feeling that is better than someone helping you is being able to help someone else.  Knowing that at some point our lives will intertwine with someone who knows someone who knows someone.  I was at the airport in Calgary and had just been cleared at security.  I went to find a place to sit at my gate and sitting in front of me was Gordie Howe.  Mr. Hockey himself.  He was sitting by himself so I went and sat beside him.  I asked him if he minded that I sat beside him.  We started talking and I asked him about growing up in Saskatoon and if he remembered my grandpa since they used to play baseball together and grew up on the same street on Avenue G.  Mr. Howe told me stories about my grandpa and about the beginning of his career and leaving Saskatoon.  We took some pictures and when it was time for me to board my flight he passed along his greetings to my grandpa.  Community can connect us in ways we never thought possible.   
​
My heart is filled with gratitude when I think of all the people whose paths have crossed mine and who have become a part of my community.  For those who remind me that we have a responsibility to each other to stay connected.  To those who challenge me to do better and be better.  To those who fulfill their roles in the various communities that they are involved in.  To those whom I have been blessed with to be counted in their community.  It's not something that I take for granted or take lightly.  My life has been enriched with all of you in it.
 
Sheri
 
PS.  I will be VERY busy for the next few years celebrating the win last night

Today I was pondering what to write on.  As most of you know, I have many interests, from Women's Health, Strength and Conditioning, Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Persistent Pain Science....the list could go on.  I am also a mother, a wife, a business owner with my husband, Trevor (and trust me, people ask me how that goes!!)  So today as I was trying to plan my day, realizing the mountain of things I am seeing that I could be doing, should be doing, and figure out what needed to be done, the idea of a blog came to me.  And it came to me because a dear friend sent me an email with the words in it "You ARE enough. You ARE kind. And you've got this."

You see, on a daily basis, I see clients for various ailments and they can be effecting their quality of life - their time with their spouse, their children, their ability to do the things they love.  And today, as I'm trying to figure what to do and when to do it, I realized, these lovely clients I have the privilege of getting to help, they are taking time for themselves - or doing Self Care.  It's become a very notable word at the moment - almost trendy at times to discuss, but the reality is I have seen now, how important it truly is to take time for yourself.  Despite my clients being there, and being present for their treatment and education, I do frequently get asked, how can I take care of myself?

Recently I had the opportunity to take some time and explore the West Coast.  I headed out to Nanaimo, BC, and up to the Tofino area.  There I explored the Wild Pacific Trail, read a book, slept for 8 hours, and missed my family.  But it was a time to step back and enjoy the world around me instead of rushing through it.

Realizing this was a special circumstance, this trip to BC, it is not always how self care has to or can happen.  It can be the smallest things including:

• a cup of coffee in the morning before everyone is awake
• a short walk
• 5 mins in your office at work or home, to breath
• being in bed 30 mins earlier than normal
• reading a book
• going on a field trip with your child's class (I truly found this amazing!)
• driving in the vehicle by yourself
• being kind to yourself
• ​come up with the PRIORITY of the day rather than trying to find BALANCE
  

The list could truly go on, but I thought, after reading my email from my, I was inspired to speak to it. 

Who is this dear friend you may ask...it's Amanda of Grounded Goodness, and she knows just what to say when to say it.

I have only scratched the surface of this topic...there is so much more that could be said. But, let's have just a brief snippet sit and take it in.

Have an enjoyable weekend, and looking forward to chat with you soon.

~ Michelle, PT
​

What is mental health?

“Mental health is defined (by the World Health Organization (WHO)) as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. (1)
 
Have you ever had too many appliances in use at once and flipped a breaker?  Or perhaps you’ve opened too many windows at the same time on your laptop, only to have your system crash in the middle of an important assignment. Well, in regards to the breaker issue, you’d likely unplug all unnecessary appliances, flip the power switch back on and problem solved. As for the computer overload, you’ll probably end up closing all unnecessary windows and some programs and hit reboot. And chances are, you’ll learn from your experience and it won’t happen again...well not too soon anyway.  
 
When I think of understanding mental health these are analogies that I have found helpful to relate to. Although by comparison these are fairly simplistic analogies, since “It has been estimated that we have anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts a day,” and “when programmed to simulate human brain activity, it took “one of the most powerful computers in the world” 40 minutes to crunch the data equivalent to just one second of brain activity.” (3)
 
So, like the overloaded electrical or computer systems, perhaps you can relate to feeling pulled in so many directions, that you suddenly felt you couldn’t keep up and found yourself experiencing difficulty coping? Anyone who knows what it feels like to suffer a great loss has likely been through a period when it feels almost impossible to journey through to the other side? Life’s stressors will always be there, and they can accumulate, a bit like “repetitive strain for the brain.”
 
When you stop and think about it, as we age and mature and experience life’s challenges, we are constantly collecting and processing vast amounts of data and assuming more numerous and complex roles with expectations for performance mounting and time always appearing to be in limited supply.  And now with the age of “high speed” technology rapidly escalating, the words “down time” seem to be becoming almost obsolete.
 
So how much is too much - your mental health limits?

• the breaking point is as varied as the number of people there are in the world, and
  
• the types of mental illness are equally as varied, because
  
• there is no one cause for mental illness, it is “A complex interplay of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors…” (2)

 
However, though everyone is unique, what we do share in common is that we need to stop and take notice that our mental health or that of the people close to us is sending warning signs that deserve immediate attention.
 
What are some of the warning signs?

• you find yourself so worried about the future that you can’t be happy in the present
  
• you’re struggling to find the joy in things that you used to enjoy
  
• maybe you’ve started to retreat from family and friends, becoming isolated because you feel overwhelmed
  
• perhaps it takes only the smallest things to get you irritated and you find yourself struggling to control your emotions more often
  
• all the thoughts in your head are suddenly difficult to keep up with and you’re struggling with focus and with remembering
  
• you’re listening but not really hearing and find you’re having trouble carrying on a conversation

 
If you can identify with any of these warning signs on a consistent basis, It’s likely your brain and your body are signalling you that your mental health is requiring attention.  Awareness is key, knowledge is power.
 
What do you do if you or someone you know has reached or is on the way to reaching their limit?
When your system starts giving you signs that you’ve reached or are about to reach your breaking point, “Mental illnesses can be treated effectively.” (2) With increasing awareness and many resources now available to address this issue you need not struggle alone.

• See your family physician or health care provider- they can help advise in regards to the best course of action to initiate your recovery process and ongoing management
  
• Seek a referral to a counsellor- they are trained professionals whose main goal is your mental health wellness and they possess a wealth of knowledge and an endless amount of resources to help you
  
• Talk to your spiritual advisor, a trusted family member or a close friend, a compassionate ear is often the first step in a successful recovery
  
• Maintain a healthy diet, remembering that what you put into your body is fuel for your brain
  
• Take advantage of the benefits of regular physical activity, provided your doctor has cleared you for any contraindicating physical health issues, remembering that realistic goals are best
  
• Get the appropriate rest you need, in order to regenerate and restore your mind - unplugging from technology on a regular basis’ and keeping the bedroom for sleep are some helpful tips
  
• Increase your awareness of your own mental health, becoming mindful of what goes into your mind, how much you hold on to, and what may be necessary to let go of
  
• The practice of mindfulness and other relaxation or meditation techniques are helpful tools that have recently been proven to be very effective  

 
Who is affected by mental health - are you at risk?

• In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health issue (2)
  
• Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. (2)
  
• By age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness (2)

 
So chances are high that we or someone close to us will be affected by a mental health crisis or illness at some point in our life.
 
How can we reduce the likelihood of getting to this point before recognizing it and seeking help? 
Take ownership – empower yourself, and empower others.  In my personal experience, dealing with big life changes has never been easy, but up to this point I’d like to think I’ve managed ok.  But as I’ve gotten older, accepting these changes has become even more difficult, even though I realize that they are a necessary part of life.  Hopefully it won’t take you a multiple succession of changes and maxing out on coping strategies before you realize that it’s ok for a caregiver to take a break and receive care. There is no shame in asking for help, as shame invokes fear and fear in turn defeats growth. Instead, realize that even the tiniest of steps forward can make all the difference and aim for continued progress with obtainable goals, not perfection. No one is perfect. Be courageous.  We can all think of something we want to change but are we willing to be that changing factor, putting fear aside and becoming a catalyst for others to follow suit. Surround yourself with positive influences that are willing to walk beside you on your mental health recovery journey, who are willing to help you draw out your full potential once again. Then pay it forward and walk beside someone you know as they journey through as well.  Though our issues may differ we are all in this together. There is strength in numbers.

Where will I stand going forward?                                                                                        
Plan to attend Cameco’s Step up for Mental Health initiative, where exercise, awareness and community support meet to make a difference May 11, 2019. https://www.stepupformentalhealth.ca/step-up-program/what-is-step-up

Sign up for a mental health first aid training course and empower yourself by increasing your own knowledge about mental health. https://saskatoon.cmha.ca/programs-services/mental-health-first-aid-training/

~ Elizabeth, PT


References:
(1) https://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/
(2) https://cmha.ca/about-cmha/fast-facts-about-mental-illness
(3) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200107/depression-doing-the-thinking