List of Activities

Social / Relationship Wellness

The Ties That Bond: I connected or reconnected with friends. This is important to me because _________________________.

I resolved personal conflict effectively. 

Maintaining a social network is so important. Invite a friend out for a coffee date at a cafe (even if the café is in your own living room). Café not your thing? How do you maintain your social network in a healthy way?

I did alcohol-free activities with friends / family every weekend this month.

Follow Us: Did you now that Health Promotion Halifax has a Facebook and Instagram page? That is where we share loads of information on physical activity, nutrition, social and mental wellness, and what courses we are offering! Share your favourite of Health Promotions recent posts onto your own feed. Don’t forget to tag us!

I participated in the following Health Promotion programs during this challenge:

• Stress.calm
• InterComm

Or my favourite Relationship Tip Sheet on https://cfmws.ca/support-services/health-wellness/healthyrelationships was _________________

Physical / Nutritional 

Dance Party Dishes: What's better than a dance party? Take a picture of you trying out dance moves at home! Even better if it is paired with a clean up day or menial task like washing dishes. Bonus points if you incorporate a light show!

Care for your Core: I completed 5 mins of Core strengthening exercises. My go to exercise is ______________.

Pick Up Sticks: I bent my knees when bending to pick something up. Sticks, boxes, equipment, paperclips or kids, how we move our body makes a difference to our backs. Practice safe bending this month, do a few squats to strengthen your lower body muscles, or use assists to prevent injury.

Active Transportation: Counting our steps and committing to stepping goals can be huge motivators! Reach 10,000 steps daily or determine how far you travelled across Nova Scotia / Canada for this month. 

Open Top Rope Climbing: Did you know there is noon climbing at the Fleet Fitness and Sports Centre every Monday and Wednesday (1200-1300hrs)!  Stop in and give it a try, all equipment provided and all skill levels welcome. Those interested can contact Community Recreation Coordinator, Emily Green at Green.Emily@cfmws.com

Motivation Master: I encouraged my friends / family to exercise. Exercising with others helps with getting started, accountability and motivation to keep going, and creates a healthy way to pair spending time with others. 

FORE!: Looking to get into golfing? Get swinging with the member discounts that are offered at the Hartlen Point Golf Club! 

Bring Back Play: One of the HP team's favourite activities to do when they were growing up was head to a park and play on the swings, teeter totter, slides, monkey bars, etc. Take some time this month to feed your inner child by heading to a nearby park and run off some energy on the playground. 

I reduced my consumption of energy drinks for the entire week. I normally consume ___, but I cut back to ___ . 

Surprise Those Taste Buds: I tried a new fruit or vegetable that I have never had before. What made you try it?

Cook More: I cooked a healthy plate meal. Unsure what a healthy plate looks like? Check out https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/make-healthy-meals-with-the-eat-well-plate/

An Apple a Day: I ate a fruit or vegetable with each meal each day in June.

Hydration Station: I quenched my thirst with water and encouraged others to do the same. HP loans out beverage dispensers, so consider borrowing one to host a fruit infused water station in your workplace.

Garden Savvy: There is no better time to work on developing a green thumb than the present! What are you growing this year to supplement your family’s meals, or visit the closest community garden in your area.

Week of Breakfast: Breakfast is often coined the most important meal of the day. The HP team isn't so sure it is the most important (because all meals are equally important!), but breakfast is often the most forgotten meal in our day! One way to increase our chances of having breakfast in the morning is with preparation. Try your hand at prepping for your future breakfasts. Try out some overnight oats or chia pudding! Reach out to the HP team for some delicious recipes.

Farmer’s Market: Nova Scotia's population is growing, and Nova Scotia is quickly becoming an area rich in different cultures. Get out this week and expand upon your regular shopping locations! Visit a nearby market or grocery store that you have never visited before (Ex: an Asian Grocer, Indian Grocery Markets, Korean specific markets, etc.)

Mindful Dinner: It is so often that we find ourselves stuck behind a TV or our phones while eating lunch or dinner. This often results in us eating too fast and not paying attention to what our body is telling us with regards to what we are putting in it. Eat a meal at the table with friends or family and explore mindful eating. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings around the food. Describe how this felt.

Jitterbug: We all look forward to our morning cup of coffee! However, have you ever thought about how much caffeine you are consuming on a day-to-day basis? The recommendation is no more than 400mg per day (4 cups of coffee or 8 cups of tea), but many of us consume more than one cup (250 mL) in a sitting, so this is more like 2 coffees and 4 teas! This week, measure your caffeine intake, and tell us how many mg you typically consume in a day.

Many Mocktails: Many restaurants around the city have started to incorporate mocktail menus into their regular lineup. Take a photo anytime throughout the month when you see a mocktail menu at a local business! Note: you may not have to go very far, we heard CFB Halifax messes that started to incorporate mocktails on their menu too! Mocktails have been becoming increasingly popular in the last few years with many local breweries taking part in developing their own non-alcoholic beverages. Enjoy a local non-alcoholic beverage or a favourite homemade mocktail recipe! 

Psychological 

Got a Minute?: I shared my concerns and how I am and have been feeling with a trusted friend, or reached out to a professional for a mental check in.

Practice Makes Perfect: Meditation has shown to be extremely beneficial for managing everyday life stressors, increasing self-awareness, managing emotions, etc. Did you know that Halifax has many opportunities to participate in mindfulness and meditation, both in-person and online? Check out https://breathemindfulness.ca/open-community-mindfulness-meditation-groups/ for a free online meditation exercise completed by a local business OR make some time to visit your favourite meditation spot in the city. I practiced a meditation or relaxation exercise to reduce my stress today.

Choose Your Health Check In: My personal health goal for today is ____________________.

Card Shark: The Health Promotion team loves a competitive game of cards! It is a great way to get social with friends and family. However, card games are often attributed with money and gambling. Enjoy a great game of cards with some great friends and tell us what your favourite card game is that doesn't involve gambling!

I took time to really listen to someone today. Our MFSA and InterComm programs can help if this is an area you would like more training in developing your listening skills.

Reading Pile: We all have that stack of books that we can't seem to get through (maybe because we can't stop buying new books to add to the pile!). Pick up that book that you have been putting off reading and read the first chapter. Starting is often the hardest part! Send us a picture of the book to inspire the rest of us to get reading! 

We are finding more ways to do things quickly through virtual means, which is great! However, research is showing that too much screen time can be detrimental to our overall health. The Canadian 24-Hour guidelines for screen time recommends no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time per day! Work hard today to decrease your screen time. Share with us how you are decreasing screen time and send us a picture of your daily average screen time through your phone if you can (Go into your phone's settings and review the information it provides on your screen time usage. For iPhones it's called "Screen Time", and for Androids it's called "Digital Balance" or "Digital Wellbeing".) I reduced my time spent online.

A Minute or Two of Grounding: Getting out an enjoying the fresh air is so hard with everyone's busy schedules.  It is important that we find ways to incorporate physical activity into our lives, no matter how small they may be. Take a walk to the end of your street and back. Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and maybe 1 thing you can taste.

Practical / Professional

Practical wellness incorporates those little things you need to get done to feel accomplished and at peace with yourself. It could be taking care of errands that have been accumulating, maintenance projects, the ever-growing to-do list, finally getting around to creating a financial plan, getting a deep clean of your living space. What did you do that you were glad to get off your plate to set your mind at ease?

Is It Time?:I refrained from or reduced my use of tobacco products. Learning more about smoking and tobacco use and its effect on health can help create a shift to becoming tobacco-free. How can you help yourself or others?

Choose Your Health Check In, part 2: I set a new health goal to continue for over the summer.

Local Tourist: Nova Scotia is home to over 28 provincial museums and interpretive centres, 13 historic sites, and dozens of community-based museums? Get out and get your learning caps on by visiting a historical landmark or local museum! What are some of your favourite things you learned/saw!

Spiritual

Quiet Time: What is your favourite time to sit and enjoy a little bit of piece of quiet? In the morning before the world wakes up? In the evening when the sun goes down and the streets start to become less busy? In traffic on the way to work in the morning? Share your favourite place to sit back, reflect and reset.

Waterfall Hike: One of the great things about Nova Scotia is that beautiful scenery surrounding us. We challenge you to find a waterfall. Share a photo of you with the waterfall in the background and where the waterfall is located, the HP team is always looking for new places to get out and enjoy some fresh air. 

Water, Water, Everywhere: The best part of living in Nova Scotia is that we are never too far away from the water. Take a picture of yourself near a lake, ocean, the Dartmouth/Halifax waterfronts, etc.

Stargazing: The fun doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down! One of our favourite ways to take time for ourselves and get some much-needed relaxation (and quiet!) is through stargazing. Here is some inspiration:

• Set up a blanket at Citadel Hill 
• Grab a blanket and cozy up on your balcony
• Park at your favourite look off

Emotional 

Gratitude is a powerful way to appreciate the positive things in life and often overlooked.

• Write down 3 good things that happened today.
• Write down the name of a person you are grateful for.
• Write down an event in your life that you are grateful for.
• Write down a gift you received that you are grateful for.

Giggles: Did you know that laughter provides health benefits? It strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. You can even find Laughter Yoga classes in the area. Find your laughter trigger and share with us.

Emotional Overload: When I felt strong feelings this month I explored other words to describe those feelings. Anger was actually __________, happy was better described as ________________. Emotion wheels can help use better describe how we feel, so those who care about us can understand us better. Emotions are a normal part of the human experience.