Banish the winter blahs at Renewfest with free, fun sessions for faculty and staff

RenewFest 2018 is only two weeks away and both Foothills and main campuses are gearing up for some well-deserved mid-winter relaxation. What will you sign up for when registration goes live this week?

Staff at the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases will be registering for the daily 3 p.m. dance party, among other activities.

“Even though dancing is considered recreational, we know it has positive physical, mental and social benefits,” says Elizabeth Saquibal, Snyder’s operations co-ordinator. “So while we party for a minute or two and enjoy the company of our colleagues, we’ll also be giving our brains a boost.”

The 3 p.m. dance party has long been practised by staff at UCalgary’s Active Living. “It is just a great way to shake off whatever has happened during the day and inspires us to give that one last push to 4:30,” says Dominique Macdonald, manager, Aquatic Centre and devoted RenewFest committee member. “We figured it would be great to have more faculties and units join in on the party.”

To show you how it’s done, staff from Active Living prepared a quick video. 

RenewFest is a campus-wide, employee-focused personal renewal initiative supported by the Campus Mental Health Strategy. Four days of free workshops and activities happens Tuesday, Feb. 20 to Friday, Feb. 23. Faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for informational and inspirational sessions like financial planning, the scoop on poop (all about healthy elimination) and the Cree Grandmothers Tea Ceremony.  Active Living is offering some free activities including an introduction to mountain sports, yoga for beginners and a “come one, come everyone” Jazzercise in the Jack. As well, there will be giant games like Connect Four each day at both campuses: join in if you are passing by.

“We are super happy to be participating in RenewFest on our campus,” says Jennifer McCarty, chair of the Cumming School of Medicine’s Working Our Way to Wellness (WoWW) committee. “It is challenging for a lot of us to get to main campus to participate in activities so we will be hosting Giant Jenga and colouring in the atriums, along with a couple of information sessions.”

The week will conclude with the second annual Taylor Quad Bonfire with free hot chocolate, a highlight of 2017’s festival. Food trucks will also be on-site for lunch purchases.

The University of Calgary’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is a bold commitment to the importance of mental health and well-being of our university family. Our vision is to be a community where we care for each other, learn and talk about mental health and well-being, receive support as needed, and individually and collectively realize our full potential. If you think you need help, please visit resources here. If you think someone you know needs help, find more information here.

Engagement is one of the 13 factors illustrated in the National Standard. The University of Calgary is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit WellBeing and WorkLife to learn more about the implementation of the National Standard at the University of Calgary and to learn about existing programs and resources that support each of the 13 Factors.