News

Get outside and enjoy the great outdoors!  Try a new trail or walk (anywhere!) each week in September. 

Share which trails you explored by October 1, 2019 for your chance to win a prize!  Email the list of trails you explore to wellnessatwork@uoguelph.ca to be entered in the draw.

The attached poster has some ideas of trails in Guelph, but feel free to explore others! 

The AllTrails website or phone app is a great resource to discover new local trails: https://www.alltrails.com/.

The University of Guelph has many unique features and activities for employees to enjoy.  We have compiled many of these features into a Top 20 Bucket List. 

Work your way through with a colleague or on your own, and have fun appreciating our campus.

Through the Wellness@Work ON TOUR sustainability series, employees were invited to tour the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming.  As one participant shared, "It seems like the farm is UoGuelph's hidden secret just waiting to be discovered!"

Here's some of the feedback we received:

Throughout the month of August, Wellness@Work invited employees to explore unique places on campus to learn more about how we are working together to create a more sustainable U of G. 

Staff and faculty were invited to tour the UC Basement Kitchen, the Honey Bee Research Centre, and the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming.  A talk was also hosted by the Sustainability Office, highlighting the different programs U of G runs to create a more sustainable campus.

Wellness@Work is challenging you to be "technology-free" each Tuesday night for the month of August.  Turn off your screens and spend each Tuesday evening of the month technology-free.

• Spend quality time with family or friends.
• Read a new book.
• Clean your home or start sorting miscellaneous items.
• Explore the outdoors.
• Try a new hobby.
• Play a game.
• Write in a journal.
• Cook a new recipe.

You decide! 

August is nearly here... but that doesn't mean the summer is over!  Take advantage of the free Wellness@Work activities and events scheduled for the month.  Here are a few highlights from the August calendar: 

"When we feel safe, secure and well connected to our families and people within our communities, we develop a sense of belonging and an understanding of who we are. These attributes allow us to have confidence in our actions and enable us to live our lives in ways that are satisfying and meaningful. In short, we create a baseline for what good mental health feels like. In contrast, when we’re overwhelmed and/or looking to solidify our relationships and roles, we can experience mental health challenges that

Wellness@Work has formed a staff and faculty book club building off of the existing Gryphons Read student club.  The first book as part of this new book club for faculty and staff is called, "Son of a Trickster."  The book is written by Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations novelist Eden Robinson. 

You can pick up a copy of the book from the McLaughlin Library, Guelph Public Library or the Campus Bookstore. 

There is a new excitement that comes with the start of a new school year at the University, but it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by email.  Setting aside some time to get "e-ready" for September can help boost your productivity and reduce some stress that you might have associated with your email inbox.  

If you are looking for ways to get "e-ready" for September, consider these 5 tips:

Dr. Jamie Gruman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at the University of Guelph and a founding member of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association.  Dr. Gruman spoke at a TedxGuelphU talk on, "How to Recharge your Batteries in an Age of Relentless Demands." 

For anyone who is feeling burned out and looking for ways to effectively gain more energy, listen to Dr. Gruman's tips on how to flip our downtime into "uptime." 

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-U7fzS06ns.