YMHC February 2024 Newsletter
February Volume: Unveiling Black Excellence, Heart-to-Heart Campaign, and a Personal Wellness Toolkit for Mental Health
Thank you for subscribing to the YMHC newsletter. This volume includes information on YMHC events and activities, a February self-care calendar, a new recipe, a workout of the month, mental health resources + and more!
For a plain text version, please scroll down to the bottom.
PLAIN TEXT VERSION
Days of Significance
Preventative Health Awareness Month
Psychology Month
Recreation Therapy Month
World Cancer Day - February 4
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation - February 6
Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week - February 7 to 14
Sexual Health Week - February 12 to 16
Wear Red Day - February 13
International Childhood Cancer Day - February 15
Mental Health Nurses Day - February 21
Pink Shirt Day - February 28
Rare Disease Day - February 29
In 2024, the Chinese New Year will begin on Saturday, February 10th, and welcome the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of power, strength, and luck. New Year is a time of celebration and joy for many people in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Black History Month!
The theme for Black History Month 2024 is Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build. Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honor the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities. The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices, and triumphs.
Self-Care Tip
Dance with Abandon: Cutting loose has very real psychological benefits. Simply turn up your favorite tunes, or take an online dance class to get the full benefit.
Valentine Day Mental Wellness Activities
Celebrate your most important relationship – the one you have with yourself! Make the day a day of gratitude, relationships, and connections where the people in your life feel your appreciation. If you are really struggling this Valentine’s Day, speak to a trusted family member, friend or therapist, and get the help you need. Use mental health social media that inspires, informs, and supports you. Show yourself some love by taking great care of yourself, doing your favorite self-care activities. Make hearts and give them to others who need a heart: knit, sew, or crochet hearts and send to YMHC. The hearts are a reminder that we care.
Heart to Heart Campaign
Everyone can be a part of change that is needed in mental health! Knit or crochet hearts for YMHC’s Heart-to-Heart campaign or sew hearts for YMHC’s Sewing Heart Project. Hearts and send them to YMHC, 51 Stuart Street, Hamilton, ON, L8L 1B5. We will attach messages of support and send them to people in need.
February Resource Special
Buy-One-Give-One: Purchase one YMHC print book in January and a book will be donated to an Indigenous community organization.
Free Shipping with Bulk Orders: Purchase 20 print copies of any workbook or guidebook and you will not pay for shipping.
Get YMHC Merch at https://ymhc.ngo/merch
Personal Wellness Toolkit
What are you going to put in your personal wellness toolkit? Choose a book. Add a tote bag.
FREE gift valued at $20 when you purchase over $50.
Create your personal wellness toolkit at https://ymhc.ngo/gifts
YMHC Mental Health Resource Subscription Service
Ideal for families, educators & mental health professionals
Free weekly downloads of activities
Activities include a self-care calendar and mental wellness planner, healthy recipes, workouts, fun activities, and worksheets.
Free monthly workshop on a wide range of topics related to mental health and wellness
www.ymhc.ngo/membership (coming soon)
TWO-DAY SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING COURSE ON SCHOOL PHOBIA, AVOIDANCE & CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
School phobia, avoidance, and absence are one of the most pressing issues in youth mental health and suicide prevention. With the YMHC School Phobia Training Course, you gain the knowledge and skills needed to support students who are struggling with chronic school absenteeism. Register now and become a part of the solution. Course includes 12 hours of instructional time, assignments, and certification. Drawing on a wide base of evidence, YMHC is now offering full-day training courses for education and mental health professionals. Find out more at: https://ymhc.ngo/contact/request-workshop/ 8:30 - 4:30 for two days Special Opportunity for School Boards
Supporting Students with School Phobia: School phobia is a complex mental health disability. There are many challenges for the student, family and school. The more time a student is away from school, the more difficult it is for them to resume normal school life. YMHC has developed resources and tools to support students, families, schools, and mental health professionals. Our 20 years of experience working on school-induced mental health challenges and disabilities provides the much-needed authenticity, expertise, and leadership to the field of child and youth mental health and suicide prevention.
Make Hope Happen with Supporting Students with School Phobia: A Guidebook for Families & Schools. This amazing tool and resource covers:
Understanding School Phobia
Support Strategies
A Mental Wellness Action Plan
Trauma-informed Approaches
A Whole School Approach
Possible Educational Accommodations
Available for Purchase in English or French, Printed, Digital Fillable & Photocopiable
https://schoolphobia.ymhc.ngo
Minute by minute
Having a few mini exercise sessions throughout the day can add up to sizeable benefits. Short on time for exercise? Health Canada recommends 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week - but mini workouts can be just as effective. Studies have shown that short and intense exercise bursts lasting 10-12 minutes spread throughout the day can be as beneficial and effective as a single lengthier one.
Mini workouts, big benefits: Research has found 12-minute bursts of activity significantly altered 80% of the participants’ circulating metabolites. Metabolites are indicators of cardio-metabolic, cardiovascular, and long-term health. The Journal of Physiology published a review in 2021 finding that short bursts of activity may be as effective as continuous exercise at improving cardio-respiratory fitness, blood pressure, and cardiac function. Exercising, especially outdoors, has tremendous mental health benefits. Walking outside can improve your mood, reduce stress, and increase your heart rate. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 10 minutes of walking can relieve anxiety and depression as much as 45 minutes of exercise. For instance, try taking 3 walks lasting 10 minutes each per day!
Mini = more manageable: Mini workouts seem less daunting than a 45-60 minute exercise session that can be physically and mentally exhausting. They also benefit beginners who may not have the endurance for longer exercise sessions.
Maximize your mini: Increase your aerobic intensity quickly by engaging in activities that increase your heart rate and breathing, such as running, jumping rope, or walking uphill. Design a program to balance different muscle groups, such as shoulders, chest, arms, back, legs, and calves. Target a particular muscle group 2-3 times a week! A personal trainer can help make your mini workouts more effective by assessing and tailoring movements just for you. Schedule mini workouts during the week based on your goals, lifestyle, and needs. Regardless of how often you exercise, aim to be consistent and building on your progress to achieve results. If your sessions are high intensity aerobic workouts or strength training, take a rest day between your workouts to support recovery and performance. Include cardio exercise, resistance, and flexibility training in your mini workouts. Mixing up workouts will prevent boredom and target more muscles for improved strength and mobility. Movement will benefit your overall health, whether it is for improving joint range of motion, increasing strength and muscle mass, preventing injury, lowering fat mass, regulating hormones, or managing stress.
VANILLA PINWHEEL COOKIES
This is such a lovely color combo for Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1-3 tsp pink food coloring
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat until combined.
Remove half the dough and set aside. With the remaining half, add in the pink coloring. Mix until just incorporated. You will have one white dough and one pink dough.
Take the white dough and roll it out into a large rectangle that is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the pink dough.
Place the white dough and the pink dough on the counter. Take the pink dough and flip it over on top of the white dough. Use a rolling pin to give it a couple of gentle rolls to get the 2 pieces of dough to stick together.
Use a knife to cut along the edges to create a smooth rectangle.
Carefully pinch one side of the dough (on the longer side) and roll it in to form a log. Place the log on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or place in the freezer for 15 minutes. If making ahead, the dough can last for up to a week in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer (defrost in the fridge the day before you want to bake).
Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the plastic wrap and use a knife to slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices. Transfer the slices to a parchment-lined pan.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 24
Supporting Youth Mental Health Change in Canada
YMHC is a community-based, youth-led charitable non-profit organization focused on youth, family, and community engagement for mental health education, support, advocacy, hope, and change. We advocate for needs-based, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed mental health support, services and educational accommodations for students and direct funding to families to support young people with chronic mental health disabilities.