Month: April 2020

1-Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)

La casa de papel, is a Spanish TV series that tells the story of a man, called “the professor”, who recruits a group to help him with a plan: to print and steal billions from the Royal Mint in Madrid.

“This show revolves around a heist that the professor carries out with a group of people. He thinks his every plan is perfect to the slightest of details. But does it turn out the same way he expects it to? This show will keep you on the edge and believe me, you are lucky to have 4 seasons to binge watch. Caution: It’s addictive,” tells Jay Jadwani, who is in the last semester of the building information modeling – lifecycle management program at Algonquin College.

2-Community

This American comedy TV show is about a lawyer who was suspended from his law firm when he lied about having a law degree from Columbia University. The main character then decides to go back to school to earn a degree.

“It is a show to keep you distracted during quarantine and to keep positive. During these tough times you need to keep as positive as you can be, plus this show teaches you that all you need is a strong group around you to go through any difficult situation” tells, Max Lowe, who is in his third year of the business administration – marketing program at Algonquin College.

3-Ozark

This crime drama tells the story of a married couple who is forced to relocate from Chicago to a summer resort in the Ozarks, in the US, after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe.

“It’s in the top 10 recommenced shows in all of Canada. So far, the show never seems to lose its climax to keep its viewers wanted to watch. Definitely recommend it if you’re into fictional crime tv shoes,” says Alysha Steele, who is starting the Child and Youth Care program in the Fall at Algonquin College.

4-Outlander

This historical drama is based on a novel series and tells the story of a former World War II nurse who is transported back in time. She then enters a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened.

“The series is interesting to me because it shows part of how the forms of health treatment were in these two centuries, plus Scotland’s evolution story, along with romance and an incredible scenery,” tells Carolina Fogaça, who just finished the practical nursing program at Algonquin College.

5-Outer Banks

This adventure mystery TV show tells the story of a group of teenagers who is looking for an answer to what happened to the missing father of the group leader. While trying to find the explanation, they discover a treasure linked to the father’s disappearance.

“Personally, I really enjoyed this show. It swiftly combines the genres of comedy, romance, and action. I definitely think students should give it a try as it gets you hooked and craving for more. The actors are also super cute,” says Jillian Silverman, who will be starting the biotechnology-advanced program in the Fall at Algonquin College.

You are not alone if you have been experiencing stress and anxiety since physical distancing has started. And it is normal to feel this way! But the good news is that there are steps you can take to help yourself mentally. Algonquin College counsellor Amanda Ruthman has shared with us 10 tips for you to get started:

1- Stay Informed (within limits)

Information is important but we also need to be mindful of how we’re using it. Try setting limits on how often you are scanning for updates to keep that worry in check. Ensuring that you’re accessing trusted sources (that aren’t sensationalizing), such as public health sites, can also help to limit feelings of panic.

2- Get Physical

Staying physically healthy can help make you more resilient to stress and anxiety. With this in mind; eat healthy foods, exercise when you can, and aim for a good night’s sleep instead of binge watching until 2 am.

Connecting to your physical self can also be helpful. Breathing slowly and deeply can help turn off your fight/ flight response, decreasing your heart rate, and relaxing your body and mind. Tensing then relaxing muscles can also promote feelings of relaxation.

3- Claim Your Turf

If you’re living in close quarters with others it’s important to remember that everyone needs their space. Find a space that’s just for you, even a cozy corner where you can put on some headphones and listen to a podcast. Encourage your housemates to do the same and respect each other’s boundaries.

4- Stay in the Now

Anxiety lives in the future. It likes to focus on what might happen and can fill our heads with worst case scenarios and terrifying possibilities. Try coming back to the here and now to slow down that worry train. One simple way to do this is to use your five senses to pay attention to what’s around you. Try naming five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.

5- Reclaim Some Control

Part of what drives anxiety is the lack of control, so take some back. Choose to protect others by practicing physical distancing, create a routine and stick to it or start a new project and move towards completion.

6- Get Social from a Distance

We are a social species, so finding safe ways to connect is really important. Thankfully there are many ways to connect online. Have a video coffee date with friends, call your family, play online games with strangers, or sign up for a virtual gym and join a group workout. Just make sure to stay connected while you distance.

7- Focus on Your Values

Think about what is important to you, and how you can live by your values today. For example, if learning is important to you, pick up a new skill. If kindness is important, volunteer to deliver a care package to the doorstep of someone in need.

8- Look for Meaning in the Tough Stuff

Try thinking about events on a broader or longer term scale. The whole world is facing this with you. You can also try taking the perspective of your future-self looking back. How do you want to remember your actions during these difficult times?

9- Switching Up Your Studies

Suddenly learning everything online is a big change. Be kind to yourself. Recognize there is a learning curve and you’ll get there. Try breaking up your school day into small manageable pieces and doing something different (like a walk) between study blocks. Then play with that schedule. Switch your focus between easier subjects and more difficult ones, or put easier subjects into your schedule at the time of day when you struggle most.

10- Practice Compassion

This is a trying time and there is a lot of pressure to adjust quickly to a new way of living. Give yourself and others a lot of compassion. Recognize that this is difficult and take a time out if you need it, talk to yourself gently and uncritically, do something you find soothing and comforting, lower your expectations and cut yourself some slack for feeling stressed.

We often times think that wellness is only about exercising and eating well, but studies have shown that a number of factors effect out wellness.

Jill Peck, professor and coordinator of the fitness and health promotion program at Algonquin College, explains that there are seven dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, occupational and intellectual.

This means that feeling well does not only depend on one factor. All dimensions are interconnected and if one of them suffers, it might impact you as a whole. In addition to that, the way you feel about the seven dimensions might always change, according to what is happening in your life.

“As you can imagine, if you rank yourself on each of these, there might have been one thing one day, but completely different the next day. And so, in our situation with what we have going on, that wellness wheel got flipped on its head,” says Peck.

It is a good practice to look at the different elements and try to rank how you feel about each one of them from 1 to 10.

If you are not sure about the definition of each dimension, here is what you should consider when ranking them in your personal wheel:

Physical

Physical wellness involves taking care of your body by making informed and responsible decisions about your health.

You know that you are becoming physically well when:

• You feel motivated to work toward your fitness goal(s)
• You appreciate the link between nutrition and how your body performs
• You notice that you have more energy and a higher level of mental alertness
• You detect a lower level of stress in daily life

Tips for Enhancing your Physical Wellness

• Engage in consistent physical activity
• Make fresh food options for meals, instead of processed food
• Take a break while studying to go for a brief walk
• Get yearly physical checkups and seek medical attention when necessary

Social

Social Wellness involves developing and maintaining positive, meaningful relationships with family, friends, peers and within your community.

You know you are becoming socially well when:

• You engage actively with your network of family, friends and colleagues
• You enjoy making positive contributions to your community
• You feel comfortable interacting with people of different ages, backgrounds and lifestyles

Tips for Enhancing your Social Wellness

• Keep in touch with your network of family, friends and colleagues
• Join a new activity on campus and join a volunteer group
• Practice effective listening skills

Emotional

Emotional wellness is attained by being comfortable with yourself and accepting of your feelings.

You know you’re emotionally well when:

1. You have a positive self image
2. You are optimistic about most things
3. You can share your feelings with others

Tips for enhancing emotional wellness:

• Acknowledge your accomplishments
• Know that it’s okay to make mistakes
• Ask for help if you need it

Occupational/Financial

Financial and occupational wellness comes from satisfaction with your job. Do something you enjoy so you can look forward to going to work each morning. Work hard but make sure to balance work and leisure.

You know you are becoming occupationally well when:

• You recognize when it’s time to stop working and enjoy your time with friends and family
• You enjoy your work, workspace, and work mates.
• You can manage your finances well

Tips for enhancing your Occupational Wellness

• Celebrate success
• Take breaks
• Set goals for the future
• Balance work and leisure
• Don’t leave things until the last minute

Intellectual

Intellectual wellness involves engaging in creative stimulating activities that can develop as well as expand your knowledge and abilities.

You know your becoming intellectually well when:

• You engage actively in new experience outside your “comfort zone”
• You can challenge yourself to open to learn new ideas
• You can apply classroom knowledge in varied, real-life settings
• You are attuned to the world around you, including current events outside of your community

Tips for enhancing Intellectual Wellness

• Develop a study/learning plan that include short- and long-term goals
• Ask for help when you need it from supervisor, instructor, classmate, co-worker, etcetera
• Visit a campus library and check out a book that relates to your new interests
• Step out of your “comfort zone” by taking a workshop, trying a new hobby, or learning another language

Environmental

Environmental Wellness is about preserving and restoring the environment, being active in your community, and maintaining your personal areas indoors and out!

You know you are becoming environmentally well, when:

• You are aware of your impact on the environment
• You keep your personal areas (home, office, car, etc.) clean and organized
• You make efforts to preserve resources, such as food, water, and electricity

Tips for becoming more environmentally well, are:

• Limit your use of resources, including electricity, fuel, and helium
• Clean up and organize your personal areas
• Use public transit, carpool, walk, or bike!

Spiritual

Spiritual wellness is about living life to the fullest and knowing the values and beliefs that provide purpose to your life. Being selfless, compassionate, honest, forgiving and having a clear set of values all add to your spiritual wellness.

You know you are becoming spiritually well, when:

• You are honest with others
• You have a clear set of values
• You are forgiving and compassionate
• You are willing to help others

Tips to become more spiritually well, are:

• Know the difference between right and wrong
• Be grateful for the tangible and intangible things you have
• Be optimistic
• Keep an open mind about others and their personal beliefs

Figuring out how you are feeling for each dimension will help you find out which aspects of your life you have to work on and which ones you are doing well. It is a discovering process of yourself as well, Peck explains.

“I’ve got to move more. I’ve got to eat right, I’m going do these things, but there’s so much other stuff that we don’t think about that we should be doing. Maybe it’s taking a few minutes to just sit quietly and be present in your own mind for a purposeful five minutes a day or maybe it’s just sitting in being a breathing exercise.”

Source: Fit and Well by Thomas D. Fahey, Paul M. Insel, Walton T. Roth, Ilsa Wong