The pandemic has changed many aspects about how we work, including the kind of workplace well-being supports employees need. The need for virtual employee well-being programs has spiked, and the programs currently offered are more popular than ever.  In order to meet the growing demand for new, creative, digital employee well-being programming, new initiatives have been implemented to enhance the work of the small employee well-being team. These resources include monthly newsletters on timely health topics, e-campaigns, virtual wellness webinars for employees and their family members, digital educational materials and virtual monthly individual and team wellness challenges.

Levels of stress and anxiety in Canadian undergraduate students have increased in recent years (Booth, Sharma, & Leader, 2015). A survey by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (2020) suggests the stress typically experienced by undergraduate students has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, students need strategies to succeed in stressful academic situations.

In the 2021-2022 school year, Drs. Ayesha Khan, Michael Wong (McMaster University), and Dr. Heather Poole (University of Ottawa) planned to implement various open-access mental health and academic resources into their undergraduate courses to support students. These include elements from [1] Growth and Goals Modules (http://www.flynnresearchgroup.com), [2] Guided Mindfulness and Relaxation Exercises (https://wellness.mcmaster.ca), and [3] Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review Method (https://www.khanacademy.org). The team reviewed these tools because they are all open-access; have benefits for the student experience; and can be implemented in large-enrollment, online, and face-to-face classes.

The project aimed to bring mental health and academic support directly to students by embedding a menu of open-access mental health and academic resources into academic courses. This project offers a promising avenue to support students on a larger scale and reach students who may not otherwise seek campus resources.

This project built upon work initiated by United in Colour, a student-led peer support group for Black, Indigenous, and students of colour in the School of Social Work at McMaster University. After collecting and analyzing data through dialogues and focus groups with racialized students about their experiences over the past few years, this project aimed to develop an informed series of webinars on creating safety in the classroom that could be integrated into a variety of course outlines and formats across the academic institution. These webinars were intended to establish standards of engagement in discussion-based courses by including dialogues around tokenism, intent versus impact, and how students can check in with each other and their instructors to facilitate safer spaces. The overall goal of this project was to create an interactive webinar that (1) integrates the perspectives and ideas of marginalized students and (2) supports instructors, TAs and students in initiating conversations about how the classroom can be a safer learning environment for everyone.

“Writing is not life, but I think it can be a way back to life”. – Stephen King

Mental wellbeing is one of the most important pillars of health. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly threatened our physical health, and has also negatively impacted our mental health. The studies and polls that have been conducted during COVID-19 highlight the progressively increasing stress levels and worsening mental health statuses of the Canadian population, especially that of the youth. Thus, maintaining a good mental state during this period of isolation, unrest, and uncertainty is very important.  As we all know, some activities and practices that can be utilized for this purpose are journaling, meditation, and exercise. However, in recent years, creative writing has also garnered attention as an exciting and innovative approach to managing stress and cultivating the wellbeing of the mind. This is in part because it provides a creative way forward to self-expression, reflection, and exploration.

As such, this project provided a platform for the McMaster community to reflect and express their thoughts and feelings through creative formats. This includes formats like short stories, drabbles, poems, proses, haikus, songs, and accompanying artwork. The Mighty Networks platform allows all interested students to actively participate in learning and exploring the topic of creative self-expression for the purposes of mental wellbeing. Additionally, to provide a scientific basis for this project and encourage further discussion, the website provides information about the latest research and published works that address the therapeutic uses of creative writing. The goal of this project is to thus, encourage all of us to dive deep into our minds and use creative writing as a tool that fosters self-expression, self-exploration, and self-growth. 

Disclaimer: This is not for therapeutic purposes nor a substitute for any form of treatment. This is a community for students to come together and share in their love for creative self-expression and self-discovery.

To join the community, visit the following link: Creative Writing for Mental Wellbeing website.

Cultivating Change: A Food Collective Centre Web Series is a monthly webinar series that was hosted on the FCC’s website for the 2021-22 school year. The series addressed systemic issues of food security, sustainability, and sovereignty through a variety of community speakers and workshop leaders. Cultivating Change aimed to raise awareness about the larger inequities of the food system beyond the short-term food services that the FCC typically provides. The series comprised of recorded educational videos, each accompanied by a free-to-attend, interactive workshop offered to the McMaster community. The live workshops taught tangible skills and actions corresponding to that month’s topic of interest: for example, growing and cultivating your own food, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in the food system, and the intersection between climate change and food insecurity.

The Health Sciences Library piloted a campus employee book club, Host Your Own Book Club. The book club focused on topics in equity, diversity and inclusion. Each kit included multiple copies of a single book title, appropriate packaging for transport, and materials for facilitated group discussion. Audio and large print copies were purchased as needed to ensure materials are accessible for all participants. The project planners, in consultation with stakeholders, selected titles representing a cross-section of diverse voices and cultural experiences. Fiction and non-fiction titles were included. This project aimed to provide employee groups with opportunities to come together to explore complex issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in a safe peer-to-peer learning environment. Books were selected specifically to uphold the priorities of the Okanagan Charter and careful attention was paid to employee wellness. Library staff were available to assist employee groups with organizing events and if requested, attend sessions and help facilitate discussions.

Thanks to support from the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding, McMaster PACE offered free exercise and wellness classes for McMaster faculty, staff, and students all summer long! Our team of highly trained and qualified health care professionals provided classes that focused on strength and aerobic training, mindfulness practice, and “desktivity” breaks for improving home office health.

The McMaster PACE ‘Move Well Program’ aimed to promote and elicit positive health behaviour change among McMaster students, faculty, and staff. Increased physical activity, stress reduction, and social support can help to make McMaster learners and workers both healthier and more effective. The program supported the Okanagan Charter’s holistic integration of multiple health dimensions and aimed to have a positive impact on participants’ daily lives.

Participation in the program was entirely virtual: students, staff, and faculty enrolled and participated online, receiving weekly schedules and links to join via email. Free exercise and wellness classes were provided by Registered Kinesiologists and Physiotherapists using McMaster-licensed Zoom accounts. Our plan was to reach McMaster folks who are working and learning from home, right where they are: in their desk chairs!

We are excited to announce to launch of the McMaster Speak-up Advocacy and Allyship: Framework for Engagement against Racism (SAAFER) Initiative. This initiative wass funded by the McMaster Okanagan Special Projects Fund and aimed at Faculty of Health Sciences learners, staff, and faculty to recognize and speak up against racism and discrimination. There is extensive research demonstrating the damaging effects of racism and discrimination on the psychological and physical health of Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Colour (BIPOC individuals). Racism reduces the quality of care provided and contributes to health outcome inequities. It also creates unsafe environments for learners, trainees, and healthcare professionals. This inaugural skills-building and issue-focused workshop series was offered to students of the Faculty of Health Sciences programs. Our goal was to enhance participants’ confidence in their ability to recognize and combat structural racism at individual, community, and institutional levels through the use of effective communication strategies and institutional resources. This program ultimately aimed to promote the emotional health and wellbeing of patients, students and staff by empowering BIPOC students and staff as well as allies to voice any concerns regarding witnessed racism or discrimination with knowledge of how to communicate safely and effectively.

Mindful Self-Compassion – (Short Course) * (SC-MSC) was for McMaster University employees who were in a helping professional role or a role in which you directly support students who wished to add another skill to their self-care toolkit.

MSC-SC is an empirically-supported training program that combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance our capacity for emotional wellbeing.

Course Overview

1. What is Self Compassion?
2. Practicing Self Compassion
3. Discovering your Compassionate Voice
4. Self-Compassion and Resilience
5. Self Compassion and Burnout
6. Making it Count
7. Retreat

Fostering a Psychologically Safe Workplace Throughout the Transition to a Hybrid Work Environment

As the economy re-opened and we contemplated an increased presence of workers on campus, we understood that some employees may experience feelings of anxiety, fear, stress or overwhelm.  Anxiety and apprehension about returning to previous or new ways of working and engaging with others is natural and expected. One way that we can support the psychological health and well-being of our employees is by preparing managers and supervisors with the skills to effectively support and assist their teams with the transition to a hybrid workforce – where some employees will work on-site, while others will continue to work remotely, in some capacity. Through education sessions and resources, leaders enhanced their understanding of the personal and environmental factors that can have an impact on employees’ mental health during times of change and uncertainty, and gain valuable tips and tools for navigating a changing workplace in ways that promote psychological well-being at McMaster.