Blog

When the snow hits this winter, there are many fun and enjoyable activities to do in the snow and on the ice. Many Canadians look forward to traveling up the mountains to ski or snowboard. Others find delight in sledding down snow hills, or having a good ol’ snowball fight. For those who prefer lower-impact activities, they may take some time to go snowshoeing and ice-skating. And believe it or not, shovelling snow is also considered a good body workout.

With the New Year comes a natural readiness to start fresh. Many of us will set goals and vow to ourselves that this year will be different. So, if we all start with such strong determination why do so many of us fail? According to research 25% of us will break our resolutions and that number goes up to 80% if our goal is to attend the gym more often.

During October's Healthy Workplace Month, a panel discussion was hosted with three renowned psychologists from the University of Guelph’s Centre for Workers’ Health and Well-Being, who shared tips and strategies for individuals to improve their personal well-being inside and outside of their office walls.

Watch a video recording of this session on YouTube here. 

Panel questions included: 

During October's Healthy Workplace Month, employees were invited to sign-up for an exclusive tour of the President's House.  Normally closed to the public, this small group tour led by Steve Nyman offered the opportunity to learn more about the history of the building and an exploration of the unique art work, architecture and design of the rooms.

The beautiful building was constructed in 1882 and used as the President’s residence until 1984. In 1912 it was moved across College Avenue to its current location by a team of horses using round logs as rollers. 

Employees took a break from their busy schedules during October's Healthy Workplace Month for a visit with some furry friends. 

These events were created in partnership with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program, Therapeutic Paws of Canada (TPOC), the Ontario Veterinary College, and the Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust.

On a warm September morning at the beginning of another school year at University of Guelph, Lynne Skilton-Hayes rolls over in bed to turn her alarm clock off after an almost 8-hour sleep. She stretches her arms above her head preparing for the day ahead of her in the state-of-the-art Athletic Centre that her visions brought to life. Rather than breakfast, Lynne makes her way into the kitchen to start her day with a cup of coffee. After coffee, she blends up her smoothie for her ride to work and the fitness classes she plans to teach.

During Healthy Workplace Month, Chef Valerie hosted a cooking demonstration in the University Centre Courtyard, sharing her tips and tricks for cooking the perfect pasta primavera dish.  Participants were given a sample of her delicious recipe following the cooking demo. 

Interested in trying out this dish?  View the recipe attached below and watch the video recording from this event.

Bon appétit!

Does it take a long time to fall asleep? Or to fall back to sleep when you wake in the night? Not getting much energy from your sleep?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions suggests that you may have insomnia.

It’s normal to have a sleepless night now and then. However, if insomnia persists for more than 3 weeks and begins interfering with your life, it’s considered a chronic insomnia.

One third of North American adults are having difficulties with sleep and the most common problem is insomnia. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Campus Mile: Healthy Workplace Launch Event.  We had over 100 people join on a rainy afternoon for a fun warm-up with Gryph and a one-mile walk or run through our beautiful campus. Thank you also to the United Way and community mental health agencies that came out to provide resources and information to our campus community.

It’s long been acknowledged that the foods we eat influence our physical health. As we learn more about mental well-being, we’re learning that our food habits can also have a significant influence on our mental well-being. Many of us can relate to the physical symptoms that often accompany stress and anxiety – it’s common to experience an upset stomach or change in bowel habits. If our mental well-being can impact the function of our gut, it makes sense then that what we put into our gut can impact our mental well-being.