UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE Faculty of Health Sciences Personal Health & Wellness Guidebook
#uleth ulethbridge.ca/healthsciences
ARE YOU HEALTHY? WILL YOU STAY HEALTHY? As a student at the University of Lethbridge, you’ll find yourself in an exciting environment that can be hectic and somewhat stressful. To have a successful university career, it is important for you to take personal responsibility for your own health and advocate for the health of your peers. Physical Fitness
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Nutrition
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Importance of Sleep
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Staying Safe
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Stress Management
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Life Challenges
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First Aid Kit
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Counselling Services
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Health Centre
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Other Services for Mental Health
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Contacts
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This document will provide you with helpful tips and resources to help guide you to a healthy university experience. If you apply healthy behaviours you can improve personal health and wellness!
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PHYSICAL FITNESS -- STAY ACTIVE! Lethbridge is home to over 150 kilometres of paved paths and over 50 kilometres of natural or gravel trails. Many paths are amongst the famous coulees that run alongside the Oldman River and are home to University Hall. These steep valleys are a great place to spend time walking, running, cycling and exploring. If you’re looking for an even steeper incline than Lethbridge’s coulees, the Rocky Mountains are just to the west of Lethbridge. A short drive takes you to excellent conditions for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and cycling. Prefer indoor activities? The University is home to state-of-the-art facilities including the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre, Ascent Climbing Centre, and the Community Sports Stadium. Intramural sports are popular among students and give the opportunity to play favourites such as floor hockey, dodge ball, soccer, and basketball. Other popular activities offered through uLethbridge are curling, lacrosse, badminton, yoga, karate, and fencing. 2
EATING WELL Nutrition is extremely important at university because you need plenty of energy in order to excel academically. Eating well can improve your focus, help maintain a healthy weight, and boost your immune system. Here are some tips for making healthy choices: • Eat breakfast within two hours of waking. • Ensure that your meals are high in protein and fibre. • Eat every three to four hours during the day. • Pack easy, healthful foods to eat between classes. • Look for seasonal fruits and vegetables to save money. 3
IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP Adequate sleep is a key component of a healthy and productive life. It is important to get 7-8 hours of sleep in order for your body to get the rest it needs. Sleep restores the body’s energy supplies and muscle tissue, reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and revives brain cells. Sleep impacts learning and memory. What you can do to improve your sleep habits: • Try to sleep and wake at the same time every day. • Develop a before-sleep routine that involves relaxing (no screen time!), putting on comfortable pyjamas, deep breathing or gentle stretching. • Use the bedroom only for sleep. Do not watch television or use your phone, computer, or tablet in bed. A healthy lifestyle will help you sleep better. Eat healthful foods, exercise regularly (but at least 2 hours before bedtime), and avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. A good sleep environment should block out light, and be cool, well ventilated, and comfortable!
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STAYING SAFE uLethbridge takes campus security very seriously. Security Services offers the Working Alone program that allows you to log in to make your location known when working alone on campus (particularly in the evening or outside of normal working hours). Safe Walk is another program offered by Security Services that ensures a safety team accompanies you to and from anywhere on campus. Additionally, help phones are placed all around campus for a direct link to Security Services. Tips for staying safe: • Make sure someone always knows where you are. Studying late? Going out with friends at night? Tell a friend or family member or leave a note for your roommate(s). • Whether you live on campus or off-campus, it is important to keep your door locked! • Walk in well-lit areas. If it’s dark, avoid shortcuts to cut down on risk. 5
Learn more about campus security: ulethbridge.ca/security
STRESS MANAGEMENT The Student Success Centre offers a variety of events and workshops to help students feel supported and achieve mental wellness. The Centre hosts numerous activities to combat stress, including: • Finger painting • Yoga • Zumba • Jumping on bubble wrap • Car smash • Carnival The U of L’s Wellness & Recognition unit offers Lunch and Learn presentations featuring topics such as: healthy holiday food, Hungry brain, Sleep myths, Healthy Brains 101, and prevention of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the annual Life Balance Fair brings dozens of health and wellness resources onto campus. It includes a number of interactive exhibits and even the opportunity to get a flu shot.
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Life Challenges The Student Success Centre offers helpful workshops with topics such as: • Study skills • Exam preparation • Learning to concentrate • Dealing with exam anxiety • Writing the exam • Technology and learning The Student Success Centre also offers drop-in peer support. St. John Ambulance certified therapy dogs typically visit the University of Lethbridge campus twice per month to help students physically and emotionally by interacting with the dogs.
Therapy Courses at uLethbridge The University of Lethbridge offers courses that will help you learn how to remediate health problems. You can learn how to use animals, music, and art to help yourself and to help others: • • • • •
ART 3850 Art Therapy MUSI 3850 Music Therapy HLSC 3850 Creative Art Therapy HLSC 3850 Art Therapy Fundamentals HLSC 3850 Merging Expressive Arts and Animal Assisted Therapy 7
First Aid Kit Students should have basic medical supplies to deal with minor injuries and illness. You don’t have to buy a fancy kit; you could build your own and store the items in a shoebox or even a large pencil case. Suggested items for the first aid kit include: • Bandages • Gauze and medical tape • Antibiotic ointment • Pain killers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen • Thermometer • Chemical cold pack • Cough syrup • Throat lozenges
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COUNSELLING SERVICES Counselling Services offers counselling for personal growth and career development. To help reach out to students, Counselling Services sets up interactive displays around campus where they have exciting giveaways and informative literature. They also offer mindful mediation sessions and workshops on the following topics: • What Should I Do With My Life? • Growing Through Set-Backs • Where's Your Line? • Preventing Sexual Violence on Campus • Making Relationships Work • Feeling Good and Eating Well • Walking Through Molasses? • Building Resilience Against Depression • The Power of Positive • Worry Wart? • Building Resilience Against Anxiety Counsellors offer free and confidential counselling in assisting with a broad range of personal issues such as:
Learn more about Counselling Services: ulethbridge.ca/counselling
• Adjusting to university life • Anger management • Anxiety and panic • Body image/disordered eating • Depression • Family or relationship issues • Grief and loss • Identity issues • Lack of motivation • Life events and transitions • Self-esteem • Stress management • Sexual/physical/emotional abuse • Suicidal thoughts
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Health Centre uLethbridge students have convenient access to quality health care on-campus. Whether you are from the Lethbridge area or are moving to attend uLethbridge, you won’t need to worry about finding a doctor when you arrive. The Health Centre offers confidential health services from their team of physicians, nurses, and dietician. Appointments can be made for the following: • • • • • • • • •
Illness Injury Annual health exams Injections Allergies Mental Health Referrals Chronic illness/condition ...and more!
Learn more about the Health Centre: ulethbridge.ca/hr/health-centre
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Other Services to Help with Your Mental Health The number one objective at uLethbridge is student success. There are a number of other student services on campus to help you succeed in your university journey. Academic Advising, Faculty of Health Sciences The Academic Advisors can help students reach their full potential by providing answers to academic questions, informing students about career opportunities, and connecting students with important units on campus.
Accommodated Learning Centre The Accommodated Learning Centre provides students who have documented disabilities with a wide range of support services including exam accommodations, assistive technologies, learning strategies & educational support staff.
Support Services for Aboriginal Students in Health Sciences The Faculty of Health Sciences' commitment to FNMI students remains a central feature of its programming. Support services are offered to FNMI students in the Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Health Sciences, and Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation programs. We can help you access: • Elders • Advisors • Tutors • Mentors • Scholarship and funding opportunities • Personal support and counselling
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Important Contact Information Academic Advising, Faculty of Health Sciences Markin Hall, M3083 Phone: 403-329-2699 Email: health.sciences@uleth.ca Accommodated Learning Centre University Hall, B760 Phone: 403-329-2766 Email: alc@uleth.ca Counselling Services Turcotte Hall, TH218 Phone: 403-317-2845 Health Centre Students' Union Building, SU020 Phone: 403-329-2484 Email: health.centre@uleth.ca Security Services Library Building, L911 Phone: 403-329-2606 Student Success Centre Anderson Hall, AH148 Phone: 403-332-4667
"Questions about the University of Lethbridge can be answered by many units on campus including Academic Advising, Support Services for Aboriginal Students in Health Sciences, and the Student Success Centre. We are here to support the students in any way possible to help them be successful in their studies." - Tara Froehlich (BA '11) Academic Advisor Faculty of Health Sciences
Support Services for Aboriginal Students in Health Sciences Markin Hall, M3078 Phone: 403-332-4579 Email: marilyn.lamb@uleth.ca 12