February 2024: Accessing your 2023 T4 Slips, Heart Health, and the Importance of Fostering Healthy Relationships.
Posted on Feb 21, 2024
Accessing You T4’s
February is T4 month! Your T4 will be posted in Dayforce by no later than February 29th. You can locate your T4 by logging onto your Dayforce account and going to the tab "Earnings" then "Year End Forms". Highlight and click on the 2023 year line and your T4 will come up. Please note that the print option for your T4 is only applicable when you log into Dayforce using the website.
Heart Health
Happy Valentines on February 14th! It's fitting that in the month we celebrate matters of the heart, Heart health awareness is observed.
Heart Month is a time to raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health and an opportunity to focus on what we can do to improve our heart health. Heart disease impacts almost all of us at some point in our lives, either indirectly or directly. It is the second leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada. Here's some important information and tips to detect heart disease and maintain good cardiovascular health:
What Is Heart Disease?
When people talk about heart disease, they’re usually talking about coronary heart disease (CHD). It’s also sometimes called coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the most common type of heart disease. When someone has CHD, the coronary arteries (tubes) that take blood to the heart are narrow or blocked. This happens when cholesterol and fatty material, called plaque, build up inside the arteries. When plaque blocks an artery, it’s hard for blood to flow to the heart. A blocked artery can cause chest pain or a heart attack.
Leading causes of plaque build up inside your arteries are:
- -Too much cholesterol in the blood
- -High blood pressure
- -Smoking
- -Too much sugar in the blood because of diabetes
Am I at risk for heart disease?
Anyone can get heart disease, but you’re at higher risk if you:
- -Have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes
- -Smoke
- -Are overweight or have obesity
- -Don't get enough physical activity
- -Don't eat a healthy diet
Your age and family history also affect your risk for heart disease. Your risk is higher if:
- -You’re a woman over age 55
- -You’re a man over age 45
- -Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55
- -Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65
Prevention
The good news is there's a lot you can do to prevent heart disease.
Heart Month is an excellent time to reflect and take steps to making positive and healthy choices for today and into the future. These choices can include taking small steps: Move more, reduce sedentary time and sleep well. Prioritize daily movement. Eat a variety of healthy foods each day and schedule regular appointments with a health care provider. Healthy lifestyle behaviours combined with early detection and management of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can help you reduce your risk of heart disease.
Together, we can make healthy living a priority and work towards improving our heart health.
Relationships: Friends Keep you Healthy
Most people know that proper nutrition, exercise, and regular checkups promote good health—but did you know that friendship is just as important? Research has shown that people who enjoy healthy relationships suffer fewer health problems. They also live longer.
Just as proper exercise and balanced nutrition improve the quality of your physical health, there are strategies that will improve the quality of your relationships.
Sending a positive message
The way we feel shows on our face and in our body language. When we are happy, we smile and walk tall. When we are sad, we frown and drag ourselves through the day. Research has revealed that it also works in reverse. Positive body language tends to produce a positive attitude. Smiling and laughing sets off actual physical processes that make us feel good. In short, we often feel what we express on our face and in our posture.
If you find yourself in a conflict or are undergoing a stressful event, such as a job interview, remember that a smile and positive body language go a long way toward making a success of a difficult situation. Not only will a smile help to win over other people, but it will make you feel better about yourself, too.
Your support network
The people you are close to make up your social support network. This network can include friends, relatives, neighbours, members of organizations you belong to, co-workers, and professionals such as your health care provider.
Different people in your network satisfy different needs—such as advice or information, material help, emotional support, and companionship. And, in turn, you can reciprocate these needs with the people in your support network.
Building a support network
Perhaps you're new in town or have just started a new job and do not have a support network. How do you "reach out"? Here are some suggestions:
- Give the gift of time and attention. Everyone appreciates a friendly ear.
- Plan special meals. Invite your neighbours or co-workers for a barbecue or potluck dinner.
- Get a pet. Walking a pet is a great way to get out in the neighbourhood and meet people.
- Join a club or group. Become connected with individuals with common interests.
- Volunteer for an organization in need. You’ll meet new people with shared interests, and contribute a valuable service to society.
Maintaining your family support network
The family is the original support group, yet often we fail to communicate effectively with our loved ones. Here are a few tips:
Be there. Spend quality time with your loved ones.
Make time. Set aside a special period each day to relax and talk.
Show interest. Listen and give support to what your kids and spouse or partner tell you.
Reserve judgment. As long as they're not hurting themselves, perhaps you don't have to object to your kids' music, fashions, or hairstyles that you might not understand or appreciate yourself.
Do things together. Share common interests—have a family game night, do puzzles, play Frisbee, have some fun.
Show respect. All family members are individuals with their own views and tastes.
Be a good friend
Being a good friend is important both within the family and outside the home. If you treat someone well, you're more likely to be treated well in return. Here are some guidelines a good friend should observe:
Keep your word, even about things that seem unimportant. What is trivial to you may mean a lot to someone else.
Allow others to shine. Avoid interrupting when it's someone else's turn in the spotlight. Instead, stand up and cheer for them.
Really listen when your friends speak. Oftentimes, people need to vent and be heard without judgment. Offer your help if needed but avoid giving advice unless asked. Be a comfort by simply listening to them.
Be honest, but show tact. Offer a critique only when asked.
Let others have the last word. Maybe you can top their story, but save it for another time.
Limit gripes and gossip to five minutes or less per session and always try to end on an upbeat note.
Don't make jokes at the expense of others—Even if they aren't part of your group, this may undermine your friends’ trust.
Don't keep score about who owes whom the most favors. A good friend enjoys helping just for the sake of being helpful.
Once you’re well on your way
Like anything else, establishing healthy relationships requires effort. It also calls for decided action. Even with the best of intentions, it's sometimes tempting just to let things run their course. The key to successful relationships lies in actively cultivating them.
(from Telus Health’s “Heartbeat+” series, February 2024)