During these times, you're stepping up and doing your part to reduce the effects of COVID-19. You've been working hard to keep SFU running and engaged. You're leading teams, moving the University to remote teaching and learning and communicating our new normal during this pandemic. All of you have shown strength, productivity and agility.
But COVID-19 has taken a toll on us all. You may know someone who has been laid-off or unable to work. You might know or live with an essential worker. You may worry about the future and what it will mean for students at SFU, the province and the country. Because of these stresses, there have been numerous reports in the media of an increase in mental health issues not only in our community but worldwide.
Self-care is a crucial way to build resilience. Here are some things that you can access that will help you stay healthy. If you know of any mental health resources that you think will be useful at this time, please contact apsacomm@sfu.ca, so we can add these to the list below.
- EFAP - SFU has made EFAP available to all APSA members and their family. EFAP also provides lifestyle and specialty counselling. For further details, click here for the EFAP flyer.
- SFU Human Resources is posting and updating work from home resources on their web page. The list includes webinars for managers, being productive when working from home and more.
- Human Resources also has a list of mental health resources. Try the self-assessment quiz by MindHealthBC.
- SFU's COVID-19 Health Information Sessions. Although Student Services hosts this event, it is open to the SFU community.
- Donate to the SFU Student Response Fund to help SFU students who are in financial need.
- Connect with others in the SFU community with the SFU-Community COVID-19 Response and Recovery Network.
- SFU Public Square has a number of ways to stay connected during COVID-19.
Other Resources
There many online resources many of these are free or have a limited time offer. Here are a few that you may find helpful.
Mindfulness and calm
- Mind Beacon is offering all Canadians a set of free videos and activities to support your mental health.
- Crescendo is offering free Diversity and Inclusion videos for remote teams.
- Workplace Strategies for Mental Health has a great YouTube channel with short videos for helping you with everything from distractions to staying productive at work.
- Working Remote and Feeling Connected During COVID-19 is a blog post on ways to stay connected with your coworkers.
- Care-based approaches to remote work is an article with a care-based lens to remote work.
- Headspace is offering free meditations and COVID-19 resources.
- Tara Brach is offering free meditations for coping with the pandemic.
- The Centre for Mindfulness Studies is offering free and pay what you can courses.
Being active
- Downdog app is offering free yoga, barre and HIIT classes until July 1 for educators and administrators.
- Lululemon is also offering free yoga classes.
- Nike has a free training app that will help you stay fit in your living room.
- Athlean X and Fitnessblender have a series of free YouTube videos.
Community, Connection and Kindness
- Quarantine chat lets you safely call someone who is also social distancing and would like to hear a friendly voice.
- If a phone call sounds too scary, you can also sign up to become a "pen-pal" for a senior.
- Kids Help Phone Volunteer This is a big commitment, but so many children are calling the helpline worried and scared that this charity put a call out earlier this month for online volunteers. You will not be on the phone, but responding to texts via your computer.
- Mental Health Pandemic Facebook Group is a group that you can post and share your mental health tips and resources with others during the pandemic.
- Anxious Times Support: A Drop-in Online Support Group is a free therapist-led online drop-in group, at 2 pm each Thursday in April. A safe space to share, be heard and find new ways of supporting yourself to 'ride the waves' during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Be there is a website to support you in supporting others with their mental health.
Courses and Culture
- Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 is a free course from the University of Toronto on strengthening your resilience and mental health.
- The Science of Well-Being I am on week 8 of this free course, and I highly recommend it. Laurie Santos, the professor, said that your well-being is key to help keep you productive at work. It was that idea that inspired me to curate these resources for you.
- Tolerance for Uncertainty: A COVID-19 Workbook is a guide to accept your feelings, tolerate distress, and thrive by Dr. Sachiko Nagasawa.
- Crave and TIFF are offering free streaming movies with Stay at Home Cinema.
- Laura Horn is offering a free abstract art collage-making course.
- The Montreal Museum of Fine Art posts an Art Therapy activity every Friday on its Facebook page.
- And finally, many museums are offering virtual tours.
Stay healthy.