May 2024: Wellness Month, Financial Literacy Quiz, Mental Health Week, and Emergency Preparedness Tips
Posted on May 15, 2024
Wellness Month Campaign
We're excited to announce that May is Wellness Month, and we're gearing up for a month full of initiatives focused on nurturing our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As we continue to navigate through our professional and personal lives, it's crucial to prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
We encourage you to take advantage of the resources available in our Employee Assistance Program during Wellness Month to invest in your well-being and prioritize self-care. Remember, small, consistent actions can make a big difference in how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Financial Literacy
In a recent study, the Angus Reid institute reported that 50% of Canadians couldn’t manage an unexpected expense of $1000 or more. In the same study, when Albertans were asked what they would do with a surprise bonus or gift of $5000, 46% said they would use it to pay down debt. Only 41% said they would put it in savings or invest it. Having financial literacy or knowing how to manage our money is a valuable assets to have in today's world. Some financial questions you can ask yourself are: Do I track my money? Do I pay myself first or contribute regularly to a savings account? Do I watch for sales? Am I working on short term and long term financial goals? Take the attached quiz to see how well you are at your financial literacy.
Mental Health Week
May 6-12 is Mental Health Week in Canada. Mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of age or stage of life. Depression, loneliness, and the stigma surrounding mental health can leave individuals feeling judged, misunderstood, and vulnerable. If you or someone close to you is experiencing changes in their mental wellbeing, it's important to take notice and seek help if necessary. Fortunately, there are many ways for you to get help for yourself, and for you to support loved ones who may be experiencing mental health concerns.
Telus Health, our EAP has put together a website (https://go.telushealth.com/en-ca/promoting-mental-wellness-to-family-and-friends), called 'promoting mental wellness to family and friends'. Here, you'll discover the positive impact that encouragement, understanding, and acceptance can have on both you and those around you, and how you can help lift the stigma of mental illness amongst those closest to you. This website features articles such as
- Helping your loved one life the sigma of mental illness
- How to support your team through mental health challenges
- Recognizing and supporting an older adult at risk of depression
- When someone you love is depressed
Emergency Preparedness Week
Did you know May 7-13 is Emergency Preparedness Week? This national event is supported by Public Safety Canada as is intended to ensure you are prepared to protect yourself, your family and your community during an emergency. To recognize this event and address the recent fire safety risk affecting our communities, here are some tips on how your family can prepare for a Fire Emergency:
Make a plan: Your family may not be together when an emergency occurs. Plan how to meet or how to contact one another, and identify safe places where everyone should meet if you cannot go home or you need to evacuate.
Emergency exits: Create a floor plan of your home that shows all possible exits from each room. Plan a main exit route and an alternate exit route from each room. If you live in an apartment, plan to use the stairs instead of the elevators. If you are unable to use the stairs, notify emergency personnel ahead of time.
Make copies of important documents: Make copies of birth and marriage certificates, passports, licenses, wills, and insurance. Keep them in a safe area inside and outside of the home, put them in a safety deposit box and/or give them to friends and family who live out of town.
Plan for pets: In case of an evacuation, remember that pets are not allowed in some public shelters or hotels. In case of an evacuation, prepare to take your pets with you to the home of a relative or friend, or take steps to identify pet-friendly hotels or pet boarding facilities in your area and further away from home.
For more preparedness information and resources, follow this link: https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx