Roots to Results Training

07/23/2024

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02/01/2022

Finding balance: tips for a healthy relationship with technology

For most of us, completely giving up technology is not realistic, nor is it likely necessary. Good strategies can help us find a healthy balance—enjoying the benefits while minimizing harms.

Set a schedule—and stick to it. Give yourself a set period of time each day to check social media or personal email, for example.

Limit the number of times you check emails in a day. In one recent study, people who purposely checked their work email only a few times a day reported less stress and the same productivity as people who checked their email constantly over the day.

Unless it's part of your job, ask yourself how quickly you really need to respond to texts, emails, or other messages. The faster you respond, the faster people expect you to respond next time. Think about setting limits or guidelines so others know what to expect.

Turn off unnecessary notifications. Unless it's part of your work or another important obligation, many notifications on your phone and other devices may not be needed.

If you have a hard time limiting technology use, take advantage of apps and programs that limit your access to certain website, apps, or other features.

Set guidelines and discuss your expectations with others. For example, you and your friends might agree to put your phones away when you're out for dinner. If a family member often texts late at night, you might let them know that you plan stop checking messages at a certain time.

Take regular breaks during the day. Get away from your computer, turn off your phone, and spend time without technology. It doesn't have to be a long break—even an hour or two can help.

Consider a 'digital vacation.' Choose one day a week to completely stay away from a device. If that feels overwhelming, start with a half-day vacation.

Try to reduce screen time before bed and keep screens out of the bedroom. It’s easy to stay up much later than intended when you're online, gaming, or trying to write a few emails before bed. There is also evidence that the blue light emitted by devices may affect healthy sleep, long after you've turned the device off.

Regularly choose off-screen activities over on-screen activities. For example, choose to play soccer with friends over playing a video game of soccer.

Reduce distractions. Many of us split our attention between a few different activities, like playing games while watching a movie or watching TV while eating dinner. Try to designate one distraction-free day or evening a week so you can focus on the most important activity.

Think about the example you're setting for children or other important young people in your life. Kids pay a lot more attention to what we do than what we say. That's also true for technology use.

Avoid comparing yourself to people you see online, including your friends. Remember that people usually just post their good news and their best pictures online—and a lot of people edit their photos and use filters to make them look as good as possible.

Practice mindfulness, which is a skill that helps you fully experience the present moment. You may be less likely to text while you're walking the dog—and feel better for doing so. For more, see our Mindfulness wellness module at www.heretohelp.bc.ca.

We're here to help you find quality information, learn new skills, and connect with key resources in BC. Explore strategies to help you take care of your mental health and use substances in healthier ways, find the information you need to manage mental health and substance use problems, and learn ho...

01/04/2022

Workplace Lunch and Learn workshops! Don't have time in your busy schedule to learn new coping skills or want to help those around you but don't know how? If you are stressed out, burnt out, and feel alone in your struggles, these workshops are designed to be the first steps to understanding yourself, those around you and initiating positive change.

12/16/2021

As Christmas approaches, please be observant of the people around you, some are struggling and using all the energy they have to get through the holidays.

How to Cope with Grief During the Holidays

Set Boundaries with Holiday Events
You can participate and not participate in whatever feels right for you. While there may be pressure to attend a holiday party, family gathering, holiday show—remember to check in with your wants and needs to identify your readiness.

It may be helpful to commit to something that sounds fun while reminding yourself that you don’t have to stay the entire time. It is also okay to opt-out of certain things altogether. Finding a balance between engaging and not pushing yourself is important.

Tune Into Your Grief Emotions
As mentioned above, grief does not take a back seat during the holidays and can often be magnified. It’s important to acknowledge your feelings and not avoid them.

You may experience both negative and positive feelings during the holidays while grieving and that is OK. Be kind to yourself and remember that all feelings can coexist. For example, I can miss that person and enjoy the holiday at the same time.

It may be tempting to numb out with drugs or alcohol during the holidays. Anticipating difficult emotions and preparing ahead of time will help prevent negative consequences from occurring.

Plan Ahead to Fill Empty Holiday Roles
Loss often means that certain roles will need to be filled. It is important to think ahead (especially with children) to consider who will fill those vacated roles (e.g., Dad always dressed as Santa or Aunt always cut the turkey). Planning ahead can avoid unnecessary moments of grief and can help make the experiences more fluid and enjoyable.

Honor Old Traditions & Honor Memories
It can be helpful to continue with old traditions that existed in order to honor and celebrate the individuals who are no longer here. This is a helpful way to keep their memory present.

Create New Traditions
Creating new traditions can be healing for individuals who are grieving. Making new memories does not erase old memories. Remember, your loved one will want you to enjoy the holidays. Acknowledge, validate and then challenge any feelings of guilt that may arise in the process.

Making new memories does not erase old memories.

Identify Grief Coping Skills
Prior to the holiday season beginning, consider creating a list of go-to coping skills to use whether you are at home or at a social function. It will be handy when the grief hits you unexpectedly. Some examples of coping skills are deep breathing, taking a walk, journaling, listening to music, practicing yoga, and saying positive affirmations.

Volunteer/Do Something Charitable
Helping others helps alleviate your sadness while bringing joy into someone else’s life who needs it. This is always a good idea.

Ask For Help When Struggling with Grief
It is important to seek support from friends, family, coworkers and professionals if needed. Whether you have lost someone close to you or not, the holidays can bring up many complicated feelings. It’s completely normal and can be helpful to seek services from a therapist or psychologist.

12/14/2021

Reducing Mental Health Stigma

Our words and body language mean everything when talking to someone. How we articulate our words can have a negative impact on the person in front of us, especially if that person is struggling with mental health.

If someone is struggling with mental health, they are still a “person” first, not the illness. Whatever the illness, this does not define the person who they are. Do not “identify” them as a person with anxiety, depression, or addiction. Change your wording and acknowledge they are a person suffering from anxiety, depression or struggles with addiction. This will help the person in front of you and help them know that you “see them” and not just their mental health issue.

12/14/2021

Why I love being an ICISF Instructor?

ICISF Mission Statement
The mission of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. is to be the leader in providing education, training, consultation, and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention and disaster behavioral health services to emergency responders, and other professions, organizations, and communities worldwide.

This program is worldwide and has proven to be the most effective Peer Support Program giving peers the necessary tools needed to help those around them.

We are seeing more development of peer-support programs out there (I’ve taken some of the training), but I have found many lack the tools and skills necessary to help an individual or group.

Emergence of Emotional Support in Peer Support – Success Factors

The benefits of emotional support is an important and complex process and without the proper tools, a peer could do more damage than good. Knowing ones’ limitations and knowing when a higher level of care needs to be always practiced.
As a peer, you will learn how to have a discussion of one’s problems and stressors and help through encouragement, acceptance, reframing, and reassurance. Most times, that is all a person needs and knowing someone was there to listen and to know they are not alone, can mean the world of difference.

Who makes the best Peer and/or Instructor?
Education vs Experience vs Empathy
Unless you have all 3, how can it work?
Throughout all the training I’ve done, throughout all the teams I’ve created, I have sometimes seen people trained to be peers who are not suited to be peers, who lack empathy and understanding or worse yet, see the world through a black and white lens. We (I) cannot teach empathy nor can teach a person that everyone is different, and every story is unique and each problem can be complex. This theory of having the right people trained as Peers can also be said for the instructor. I was fortunate to train as an instructor with people from across the world, from Airlines, Military, Emergency Services, etc. These people were amazing, and I quickly realized, we were all passionate about what we do, and we were there for the right reasons, to help others. Unfortunately, one person who attended from Alberta, a psychologist was also there to get his instructors certificate and it became apparent through discussion, he saw this as a money-making opportunity. To me, this is sad because he didn’t have the qualities needed to be a peer so how can he help create teams recruiting the right people? When creating a team, remember most of us are doing this because we are passionate about helping others and most instructors will help you find the right people. There are many great instructors out there and many were a “peer” first so don’t be afraid to ask their background and share their story.

11/15/2021

Over the past 3 years, I have worked with Dr. Dorow and her team from the University of Alberta on research in the Oil Sands. As a Trauma Responder in the Oil Sands, many of the recommendations come as no surprise. Although many companies try their best to help employees adapt to this difficult lifestyle of camp life, of being away from home weeks/months at a time, I had initiated this research so those same employees had a voice to share their struggles in hope of the positive change needed.

Mobile Work and Mental Health

A Preliminary Study of Fly in Fly out

Workers in the Alberta Oil Sands

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10/15/2021

Did some training at the Edmonton Airport Fire Services last week, including Individual and Group Crisis Intervention plus QPR. What a great group of people to teach who were so obviously passionate about helping those around them! Big shout-out to them on this first step to creating a CISM Team.