Research Wellness Hub

Welcome to the Wellness Hub, a centralized wellness resource for UHN research staff.

On this Page

> External Resources
> Internal Resources
> Trainee Resources
> Mobile Apps
> Ergonomics while Working from Home

External Resources

See below for a comprehensive list of free resources available to UHN research staff.

• Employee Family and Assistance Program | 1-800-387-4765 | A 24/7 voluntary, confidential counselling and information service for employees and their families. For administrative matters, appointment changes, office locations, directions and general information call: 1 888 814-1328
• Distress Line Toronto | 1-416-408-4357 OR 408-HELP | Peel (905) 278-7208 |Text: 45645 | Chat Online
• ConnexOntario | 1-866-531-2600 | 24/7 Access to Health Services Information. Addiction, mental health and gambling problem treatment services
• Mental Health Resources Serving Toronto (PDF download) | Extensive list of resources from the Canadian Mental Health Association
• If you need immediate assistance, dial 9-1-1.

Resources from our EAP partners

• Tips for coping with the Coronavirus outbreak
• How a traumatic event can affect you
• Taking care after a traumatic event
• Tips for helping your child through a traumatic event

Digital mental health and wellness communities

• The Big White Wall: An online chat service to support mental health and well-being. It offers self-help programs, creative outlets and a community that cares
• BeThere.org: Tips on how to be there for others, and how to be there for yourself during difficult times
• Bell: Let’s Talk: Want to join in to help create positive change, but don’t know how? To help you spread the word about mental health, Bell has created a toolkit that includes a conversation guide and helpful templates for use in schools, communities, and workplaces

 
Internal Resources

Note: an internal connection is required to access the following links.

UHN Wellness Intranet Site (corporate site)
This site is full of resources on managing wellness on a regular basis, as well as during crisis. They release a weekly newsletter, which you may sign up for by emailing wellness@uhn.ca.

• Stress Reduction Resource: Tips on how to make the right education decisions for you and your kids and how to cope with related back-to-school stress due to COVID-19.
• PACER-HCP Resiliency and Mindfulness Project: Pandemic Acceptance & Commitment to Empowerment Response Intervention for Frontline Healthcare Providers (PACER-HCP) is a COVID-19 rapid response program designed to promote resilience and build capacity in healthcare professionals. PACER-HCP is an evidence and mindfulness-based program consisting of 6 self-guided online learning modules with weekly group video-conferencing sessions. Rolling enrolment in the PACER-HCP program is open and ongoing. Those interested in learning more should contact the program coordinator, Julia Gervasio, at PACERHCP@projectprotech.ca.
  • PACER-HCP can help you if the following statements apply to you:
    • You are feeling stressed by COVID-19, taking sick days to recuperate, have trouble sleeping, or are experiencing anxiety, angry outbursts or depression.
    • You want to improve your psychological flexibility and enhance your resilience in the face of the pandemic through an evidence-based 6-week program including weekly self-guided learning modules and facilitated group discussions.

• UHNCares – COVID-19 Mental Health Support | 1-416-340-5033, or uhncares-covidprogram@uhn.ca | Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm. UHN Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychotherapy staff provide confidential mental health support to TeamUHN

• BRITE - Building Resilience within Institutions Together with Employees|Resilience is the capacity to bounce back and respond to pressure, unpredictability or adversity in an adaptive and effective manner that leads to learning and positive outcomes. Check out their resources for COVID-19

Spiritual care and Lavender Alert | page 416-719-1234 8:30 am – 11 pm. Spiritual care practitioners will help you explore your feelings, responses and concerns in a way that honours your values and beliefs. This is available one on one or for small groups while respecting physical distancing.

UHN Library and Information Services: Tips and Strategies for Coping and Resilience during COVID-19
A collection of resources including mental health services, mindfulness strategies, coping with stress and anxiety and how to build resilience.

Wellness Series: Mental Health and Resilience During COVID-19
Provided by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Continuing Professional Development

Mindfulness in Stressful Times Vimeo Stream
Resource from the Ontario Brain Institute

Healthy Workplace Month Recordings (PDF with urls and paswords)
Click above to download the links and passwords to watch 12 recordings on a wide range of topics, such as ''How to look after your sleep, and deal with insomnia" and "Home gym 101: how to create your workout space".

 
Trainee Resources

Resources at UHN

UHN Office of Research Trainees (ORT) | Twitter: @uhntrainees
The ORT releases a newsletter with trainee resources, and maintains an up-to-date page of resources to use in the wake of COVID-19, including webinars, funding support, and mindfulness exercises.
We recommend signing up for the ORT mailing list to get their newsletters.

ORT Trainee-Focused Wellness Webinars (click on links below to watch live events or past recordings)

• Mental Health and Well-being During COVID-19 – June 4, 2020
• Harnessing Neuroscience to Foster Well-being and Resilience – June 25, 2020

Resources at the University of Toronto

For links to U of T mental health and wellness resources, please check out the Feeling Distressed page, and the U of T Wellness Hub.

24/7 Emergency Resources for U of T students

• Good2Talk Student Helpline | 1-866-925-5454 | Professional counseling, information and referrals helpline for mental health, addictions and students well-being.
• My Student Support Program (My SSP) | 1-844-451-9700. Outside of North America, call 001-416-380-6578 | Culturally-competent mental health and counselling services in 146 languages for all U of T students.

During University business hours, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

St. George Campus

• Academic Success | 416-978-7970
• Accessibility Services | 416-978-8060
• Your Registrar: Undergraduate and professional faculty students
• Graduate students should contact their Graduate Coordinator or SGS Student Services.

UTM

• Academic Skills Centre | 905-828-3858
• AccessABILITY Resource Centre | 905-569-4699
• Undergraduate Registrar | 905-828-5399
• Office of Health Professions Student Affairs (OHPSA) | 416-978-2764
• Graduate students should contact their Graduate Co-ordinator or SGS Student Services.

UTSC

• Academic Advising and Study Skills | 416-287-7561
• AccessABILITY Services | Tel/TTY 416-287-7560
• Your Registrar | 416-287-7001
• Graduate students should contact their Graduate Co-ordinator or SGS Student Services.

For Alumni of U of T

• Register for the “How to Cope in Extraordinary Times” online course. It includes four modules covering topics ranging from “why watching the news is addicting and how to manage your consumption” to “the effects of isolation.”

 
Mobile Apps to Support Wellness

• Calm | A mindfulness app with meditations, sleep stories, and more. Check out their free trial!
• Headspace | Mindfulness for your everyday life, with courses on how to navigate change, generosity, and more. Check out their free COVID-19 headspace page.
• Mind Shift CBT | Produced by Anxiety Canada, MindShift CBT uses scientifically proven Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be more mindful.
• For Spotify Users: Check out the “Made For You: Daily Wellness” Playlist.
• DayOne | A digital journal that enables you to make custom templates. A great way to keep track of your days.

 
Ergonomics while Working from Home

Article / Resource

Article| "Everything You Need to Know to Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office"

Ergonomics Webinar (July 2020)

Thank you to everyone who attended our live Work-from-Home Ergonomics Webinar at the end of July 2020. We hope that the event helped get you set up more comfortably in your workspaces. For those of you that missed it, you can find the link to the recording here.

Below is a recap of the questions answered live:

1. 31:50  There's more flexibility with wfh so I'm working late sometimes. Overall I feel like I'm always working or a bit burnt out. But I'm not doing a lot of extra hours and I'm at home. Not sure why I feel burnt out. Any suggestions you may have?

2. 34:00 I feel like my shoulders and neck are hunching over too much.  I get low back pain, too.  What can I do?

3. 37:45 Any recommendations for office ergonomic chairs on a budget?

4. 41:35 I feel like the ergonomic sitting position behind desk is not comfortable for me. My body has this tendency to lean over the table while working. Do I need to force myself to the ergonomic sitting position or going with the natural pose is fine?

5. 43:33 My wrists hurt sometimes since working from home because I do not have proper keyboard or mouse support. What can I do for that?

6. 45:50 The only space i have is living room w. coffee table. I'm sitting on the floor. What set up do you suggest? I know it's not the best but anything to improve it. Have laptop/monitor set up.                   
7. 48:14Can you provide suggestions for ergonomic set up and screen fatigue solutions for laptop users? Thank you!

8. 50:42 With a small apartment, my workstation is right at my dining table so it is always present causing me to just "do one more thing" which adds to how much time I actually work. Tips for "leaving work" when work never leaves you? Tips for making your dining seating more friendly for working all day?

9. 55:26 What general stretches do you recommend that do when I take a break from working? Can you provide a communication to us so we can refer to this often?

AND How often should I get up from my chair to stretch? Does this time frame make a difference if I do not have an ergonomically fit workstation?

10. 59:18 I had a stand up desk in the office but can't afford to get one for home. What could I use instead?

11. 1:02:41 Since pandemic started, I have been grinding teeth during sleep. I wake up with headache and jaw pain everyday. Is it just me or is it normal effects of pandemic.

12. 1:04:18 I have a very old wrist injury. On a recommendation of Altum health TWH sports physician, I got ergonomic mouse but I still have issues. After working for only an hour, my wrist hurts and little finger goes numb. I have ergonomic mouse and a pad. What are some other options ?

Not answered live:

1. Will you refer your ergonomic and stretch recommendations to managers so that they are aware of how to reduce risk of injury/ discomfort, and provide a supportive working system for staff?

We are working on ways to share this information with Managers and staff more broadly, as well as a more comprehensive way to approach ergonomics for staff working from home.

2. This is more of a comment. Now that I'm working from home, I'm in a brighter space with windows and was having quite a fair bit of headaches and eye fatigue at the beginning. I bought blue filter glasses which cuts down the brightness from the walls, the sky, and my screen.

Glare can be controlled by proper blinds and reducing the lighting of the room. Temporary glass filters are not probably the best options. 

3. I don't see much productivity WFH than working at the work place, not as active as I had to go to work, not getting much exercise as at work I often go by transit and do routine walk to go for point A to point B, sometimes go out for lunch with collogues and friends.find mental health issue secluded

Try to ensure you’re taking your breaks and make them as active as possible – get up from your workstation, take a walk, do some stretches, whatever you can in the space and time you have.  Work-rest routines (like the Pomodoro technique) may help.  Is it still possible to have lunch with colleagues or friends by Zoom?  Engage whatever supports you can access to maintain your mental health (e.g., those mentioned during the webinar).  Stick to your schedule to avoid working longer hours.

4. I have a desk but it is more ideal for a desktop not a laptop.  Not sure how to adjust.  I am tall and my shoulders and back hurt.

Please review the slides, where you can find some examples of adjusting sitting standing workstation for laptops. You will see in the example images that the laptop can be placed on a box and can be adjusted to the eye height for both sitting and standing. A separate keyboard and mouse can be used to accommodate typing and mousing separately. 

5. Any tips for supporting legs/feet of those who are short? Wondering if you have tips for products like a footstool that are cost-effective? Not having the support of the ground under my feet is affecting my lower back, but I'm not able to adjust much else about my set-up (table has set height, etc).

A good ergonomic workstation does not require a footstool.  However, if you really need one, there are some ideas provided in the examples in the shared slides. People use pillows or stable boxes as footstools.

6. Do products like the "Tush Cush" orthopedic seat cushion really help to relieve lower back pain? Some of them are quite expensive so it would be nice to know if they are truly helpful.

I personally don't recommend these products, especially for individuals with history of low back pain or hip injuries. However, please discuss this with your physician or a therapist.

Note: For those who asked questions about bringing your UHN office equipment home and/or UHN paying or reimbursing you for home office equipment, I apologize that we were not able to answer those questions. Please reach out to your manager, HR, or Occupational Health for these types of questions.