Brock University employees are invited to participate in several wellness opportunities this month, including workplace mental health training and a nutritionist-led webinar on pantry essentials.  

The March employee wellness calendar features a ‘Nutritionist’s Guide to Pantry Faves’ workshop led by Brock’s Interim Manager, Health Management and Wellness Martina Ciglenecki, who is also a certified nutritionist. Ciglenecki will discuss staple items she keeps in her pantry, easy ways to use them and their nutritional value. She will also share tips for snacking mindfully and choosing healthy treats. To register for the lunch hour workshop taking place Thursday, March 23, visit ExperienceBU.  

Also available to employees this month is The Working Mind workplace mental health training. The Working Mind is an education-based training program developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a workplace setting. It aims to help employees recognize signs of mental health changes in themselves and others and encourage a safe environment for open dialogue. A session for managers and people leaders will take place over two days, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 6 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. A session for employees will take place Wednesday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Brock community members are also reminded of the University’s initiative to make kindness the norm. The workplace kindness calendar theme for March is ‘savouring.’ Kindness suggestions for the month include speaking slowly and thoughtfully, taking the scenic route to work and learning something new about a colleague. Employees are encouraged to send a note of gratitude or appreciation to a colleague through the University’s Be Mindful platform. 

Additional employee wellness resources are available on the Health, Safety and Wellness Toolbox on SharePoint, which includes recordings of wellness seminars and resources from LifeWorks wellness newsletters.    

The March LifeWorks newsletter features articles discussing how to support others through life’s challenges, such as pregnancy loss, a chronic condition or a terminal illness. 

Employees are invited to join the Employee Wellness Yammer community and the Health, Safety and Wellness organization on ExperienceBU to connect with colleagues and stay up to date on new wellness initiatives and training opportunities. (Employees may need to log in to ExperienceBU before being able to click on the blue ‘join’ button.)  

Questions about employee wellness resources and ideas for future wellness workshops can be emailed to employeehealth@brocku.ca