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We are currently recruiting U of G employees for the Leave for Change program, which HR sponsors. It’s a terrific personal and professional development opportunity for staff and faculty to volunteer in a developing country. All you need to contribute is 3 or 4 weeks of your vacation time (between June 2019 – February 2020) and your skills; all costs and arrangements are taken care of for you.

See the poster attached and the Leave for Change website: https://www.uoguelph.ca/hr/staff-faculty/leave-change. 

It’s cold, then it snows, then it thaws and the process repeats itself.  Winter!  The definitive ice breaker whether you’re in a coffee shop line up or at a social outing.  One trick for optimism during the grey days of winter is to research and explore some motivators to lift your spirit. Consider for a moment some of these ideas:

1.COLOUR: Explore links between colour and emotions. 

"To say that parenting is a journey of continued learning and unique experiences may be one of life’s biggest understatements. There will be instances of laughter and tears, excitement and frustration, uncertainty and challenges of varying degrees. There is no instruction manual. It’s unpredictable, and sometimes things arise that you may know nothing about. Regardless of your role as a parent, guardian or primary caregiver, you have a choice: to explore new ground or stay put. So, what happens when your child begins to wonder about their sexuality or gender identity?

The Wellness@Work Programming Committee has compiled a January calendar of wellness-related events and blog posts to help you set realistic goals, re-energize yourself for the new year, prevent common winter injuries and more.

View upcoming events such as "The Journey to Wellness: One Step at a Time" and "Positive Thinking for Vitality at Work."  Join a free yoga class over the lunch hour every Tuesday or learn more about the mental health training available to employees.  

"Congratulations! You made it through the holiday season. Now, after the parties, events and shopping frenzy, a new year of opportunity has arrived. Packed full of expectations, you may look to new goals and in some scenarios place more pressure on yourself to “do better” and likely, a new set of resolutions. Remember, set realistic and attainable goals, stay excited, optimistic and re-energize yourself for a brand new year!"

Read the full newsletter here. 

Homewood Health has shared their January 2019 article titled, "When the Next Celebration Isn't Just Around the Corner: How to Combat your Post-Holiday Depression".  

Read the full newsletter here.

The Greater Good Science Center has released their January 2019 Happiness Calendar.  Stay up-to-date on the latest research related to the science of connection, compassion and happiness on the Greater Good Science Center website and view the daily inspiration in this month's calendar.

When the snow hits this winter, there are many fun and enjoyable activities to do in the snow and on the ice. Many Canadians look forward to traveling up the mountains to ski or snowboard. Others find delight in sledding down snow hills, or having a good ol’ snowball fight. For those who prefer lower-impact activities, they may take some time to go snowshoeing and ice-skating. And believe it or not, shovelling snow is also considered a good body workout.

With the New Year comes a natural readiness to start fresh. Many of us will set goals and vow to ourselves that this year will be different. So, if we all start with such strong determination why do so many of us fail? According to research 25% of us will break our resolutions and that number goes up to 80% if our goal is to attend the gym more often.