Tuesday Takeaway

Welcome to the Tuesday Takeaway! A new initiative to provide regular opportunities to learn about mental health tips, tools, and takeaways.

Langara College is committed to supporting the mental health of its employees through the five pillars of the 2018-2021 Mental Health Framework—Connectedness and Community, Learning Environments, Promotion and Prevention, Services and Supports, and Integrated Policy and Planning—under the guidance of the multi-disciplinary Mental Health Initiatives Committee.

Let us know what you think! Submit your feedback and ideas to Tanya Miller, Mental Health Initiatives Consultant, at local 5867 or tanyamiller@langara.ca.

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Kindness is contagious—pass it on!

You’ve probably heard of the merits of “random acts of kindness” and “paying it forward”, because kindness is contagious.

Studies show that acts of kindness create a pay-it-forward ripple effect up to three degrees of separation, ultimately helping improve our relationships. Kindness reduces the emotional distance between us so we feel more bonded, strengthening existing relationships or forging new ones.

And strong social support networks are associated with better health. The emotional warmth that often accompanies acts of kindness release serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin, hormones in the body that help regulate stress, anxiety, depression, and blood pressure.

We also feel calmer, better, and happier because of the elevated levels of dopamine, commonly referred to as “helper’s high”.

Just be mindful of the side effects that come with always prioritizing others first. This short video is a welcome reminder that being kind to yourself is just as important.

How you practice kindness is up to you: whereas “niceness” is based on how other people see you, kindness is personal to you, and is based on your own values, beliefs, and ethics.

Kindness can include things like making time for yourself, holding the door for someone, reaching out to someone and reminiscing together, bringing re-usable bags to the grocery store, sending a card or care package, volunteering, or donating.

We encourage you to practice your kindness tomorrow, on Pink Shirt Day, a national, anti-bullying movement that grew from a single act of kindness in 2007.

Event details:
Wednesday, Feb 27 2019
A Building Main Foyer
10:00 AM–3:00 PM

Learn more, including where and when to get your official Pink Shirt Day t-shirt, here.

Sources:
BC Healthy Communities, The A to Z of Healthy Communities; Random Acts of Kindness, The Science of Kindness

Tanya Miller,
Mental Health Initiatives Consultant