What’s the difference between health and wellness, in short, health is a state of being, whereas wellness is the state of living a healthy lifestyle.
Health refers to physical, mental, and social well-being; wellness aims to enhance well-being. Welcome to our health and wellness page, a gathering of resources to share.
Need Help?
Text4Hope - Free daily text messaging services, evidence-based tool that helps people identify and adjust the negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours a pandemic might be expected to provoke. To subscribe text COVID19HOPE to 393939.
Healthy Together - A guide to family and home life during COVID-19.
Mental Wellness Moment with Dr. Nicholas Mitchell - Videos on topics including how to deal with stress and talking to kids about COVID-19.
Virtual Mental Health Supports - Learn more about virtual mental health support, including Togetherall a free, online network that offers anonymous, peer-to-peer mental health services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Benefits of Physical Activity
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Reduced risk of chronic disease
- Greater ability to manage chronic disease symptoms and their progression
- Fewer falls and improved recovery from falls
- Better able to maintain a healthy body weight
- Improved mental health
- Increased self-confidence
- Personal satisfaction and fulfillment
- Improved sleep patterns
- Opportunity to participate in something that is fun
- Sense of independence
- Spend time with family and friends
- Meet new people with similar interests
Self-Care Ideas
- Reduce the amount of time spent watching news reports. Schedule a time each day to update yourself from reputable sources, and the rest of the day unplug from that. Constant information about a pandemic can be overwhelming and stressful. Some examples of reputable sources of Covid-19 information are the Government of Canada, Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and the World Health Organization.
- Self-reflection can help you to take stock of your emotions. Set aside time in your day to reflect on your emotions and thoughts. You may wish to keep a journal or track your feelings with an app, so you can look for patterns over time.
- Practice meditation or try a mindfulness activity.
- Go for a walk or run outside.
- Do some stretching or find a yoga video online.
- Read a book, join an online book club, or check out the online content of your local library.
- Take care of some indoor plants.
- Take up a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, like learning a new language or developing a new skill.
- Learn some one-player card games.
- Find something new to do online such as a virtual museum tour or symphony concert.
- Get creative with your cooking and try a new recipe.
- Keep or Make a Daily Routine
Inclusive Language and Mental Health
The words and language we use are so important and can be a first step in reducing stigma. Certain language can minimize another person’s experience. Inclusive and recovery-oriented language can make people feel heard and included. Using respectful, non-judgmental, and empowering words are supportive of individuals and their journeys. It is important to start paying attention to the things we say.
Example: Person centred
Say “Person with a mental illness” instead of “They’re mentally ill"
It’s okay to make mistakes and acknowledge that it is hard and give yourself some credit.
Accessibility Fitness Program
There are new accessibility resources on You tube - a series of 6 videos representing 3 levels of instruction. The celebrity coach is Joe Wick and the fitness instructor is India Morse. British Sign Language (BSL) and subtitles are used.
"Train with India" HIIT workouts. Whether you are deaf or hearing... Check them out they are excellent!