Stress is a normal part of life, but too much of it can take a toll on your heart! Chronic stress can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and sugar levels, raising the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also make healthy habits harder to maintain, leading to overeating, smoking, or excessive drinking.

Managing stress

Major life changes, daily pressures, and ongoing personal struggles can all cause stress. Although some stressors are unavoidable, it is possible to reduce their effects.

Recognizing what triggers stress and how your body responds is key to managing it. Seeking support, staying active, eating well, and practicing relaxation techniques can help keep stress in check.

Tax time is coming! Follow the link below to learn about how to file your return and stay on top of important dates.

Filing dates for 2024 taxes

• February 24, 2025: Earliest day to file your taxes online
• April 30, 2025: Deadline to file your taxes and pay amounts owing
• June 15, 2025 (June 16, 2025, since June 15 is a Sunday): Deadline to file your taxes if you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed

Lifting is often a necessary part of home care, but it is also one of the most common causes of injury among health care workers, ranging from back, neck, and shoulder strain to muscle tears and more serious conditions. These types of injuries are not only extremely painful, they can also have serious long term effects on your health and ability to work.

This is why you should always perform a risk assessment before lifting or transferring a client and make sure you are practicing proper lifting techniques to prevent injury.

When you’re on your feet all day, a slippery floor or small obstruction can knock you flat! Take the time to reduce your risk of falls.

Do you wake up feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to meet the challenges of the day? Sleep plays a crucial role in our overall well-being, impacting both our short- and long-term health. Understanding how sleep works and how to improve its quality can help you feel more rested, alert, and ready to tackle each day.

Here are some tips to help improve the quality of your sleep:

• Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, including weekends.
• Exercise regularly. This can help relieve stress and make it easier for you to sleep. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime if you find this makes it harder for you to sleep.
• Avoid taking long naps during the day. These could make it harder to fall asleep at night. A short nap, however, is okay as long as you can sleep well during the night.
• Avoid caffeine and medications that may keep you awake (e.g., stimulants) in the evening. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if your medication may be keeping you awake.
• Avoid drinking alcohol right before bedtime. Alcohol can interrupt sleep, leading to a poor quality of sleep.
• Develop a “sleep ritual.” If you do the same things before you go to bed each night, it will train your body to get ready for sleep.
• Take some time to relax and unwind before you go to sleep. You may try stretching, relaxation exercises, a hot shower or bath, meditation, or a glass of hot milk help you to relax and prepare for sleep. Avoid activities that may be emotionally upsetting a few hours before you go to bed.
• Make your bedroom “sleep-friendly.” Your room should be kept cool, dark, and quiet. If you are bothered by the noises around you, try using a pair of foam earplugs, a fan, or a white noise generator to block out the noise.
• Get a comfortable mattress. If you wake up feeling stiff and sore, or if you aren’t sleeping as well as you were a year ago, it may be time for a new mattress.

If you have tried these tips but you’re still having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor.

Invest in your sleep

Did you know that Perkopolis offers discounts on quality mattresses?

• Emma Mattress – https://www.perkopolis.com/Emma-Mattress
• Sleep Country – https://www.perkopolis.com/Sleep-Country

We’re bringing back our relaxing massage session! Enjoy a 15-minute massage from a registered massage therapist and take some time to unwind.

Sign up for a free session between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8 in Boardroom A.

Work can be rewarding but also demanding. Sometimes even small issues can have a big effect, so it’s important to take a moment to check in with yourself.

This quick 5-minute online quiz will help you take stock and reflect on how you’re really feeling at work. At the end, you’ll get a personalized report with practical steps to help improve your well-being at work.

Experience the Human Library, an innovative event that allows you to borrow people instead of books!

This online event creates a safe space for participant ‘readers’ to challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue with human ‘books’. Human ‘books’ openly share their cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and life experiences to prompt an enriching and respectful conversation with readers.

When participating as a reader, you’ll be automatically assigned to meet 2-3 ‘human ‘books’ in groups of 6-10 people.

Upcoming sessions

• Thursday February 27 at 9:00 AM
• Thursday March 6 at 9:00 AM
• Friday April 11 at 8:30 AM

Keep in mind that is an interactive experience, so make sure you are available to participate for the entire duration of the session.

To register, follow the link below and click the orange ‘select a date’ in the top right corner.

Black Health Alliance Knowledge Hub

The Black Health Alliance is a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada. Their Knowledge Hub includes a wide variety of resources to help you understand and address health and well-being in Black communities.

More Resources:

• Black Parents of Children and Adults with a Disability  – Online peer support that meets twice per month, by and for Black caregivers.
• Pathways to Care  – Mental healthcare for Black children, youth, and families who live in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, and Windsor.
• Black Family Support Program – Malton Neighbourhood Services  – Parent Communication program for parents within the Black community in Peel.
• Delta Family Resource Centre Delta – Supportive drop-in programming for Black families.
• The Heritage Skills Developmental Centre – Programming and counselling for Black newcomers in Scarborough.
• Regroupement Ethnoculturel des parents Francophones de l’Ontario – Support for French-speaking Black families.
• Black Youth Helpline  – Access to professional, culturally appropriate support for youth, families, and schools.
• TAIBU Community Health Centre  – (CHC) is a multidisciplinary, not-for-profit organization that serves the Black community across the GTA.