The UBC Department of Pediatrics (DoP) and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) were awarded $15,000 through the Special COVID-19 Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) from the UBC Faculty of Medicine to launch a health and wellness program to support psychological and physical wellness, in addition to a series of interactive virtual workshops to create social connections during the pandemic.

Since 2018, the DoP and BCCHR have executed several joint health initiatives at the C&W campus, through a combination of grants or by sharing financial and human resources.

Intentional WellBEing will offer all of the activities free of charge.

Content will be live-streamed, on-demand and in-person (with social distancing under provincial directives).

Our programming leans heavily on the preventative quality of mind/body activities to teach mental, physical and emotional resilience to people under extreme duress. 

Our holistic approach also includes:  leadership training and self-care workshops that will be delivered in a way that encourages social connection and shared experience.

The word “intention” derives from the same base word of “tendency” and “invoke” and WellBEing, as we spell it, puts the emphasis on simply to “BE”. Taking good care of yourself and filling your own cup right now is an act of self-care and compassion during this challenging time.

In 2016, UBC was one the first universities to adopt the Okanagan Charter which asked its signatories to embed “health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates.” As one of the first to adopt the Charter, UBC outlined six priority areas in the Wellbeing Strategic Framework.
 

Our university is not just a place, it is our people –
their success is UBC’s success.
By promoting their wellbeing, we promote their excellence.
– Santa J. Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor

 
Intentional WellBEing aligns its programming with 5 of the 6 priority areas as outlined in UBC’s Wellbeing Strategic Framework  which are: Collaborative Leadership, Mental Health & Resilience, Food & Nutrition, Social Connection, Built & Natural Environments and Physical Activity.

Some of the things that we are working on are:

• 6 weeks of Bliss Yoga – Meditation, stretch and release the day and 6 weeks of Fitness Infusion, Body weight and interval training (No equipment needed).  
• Breathwork for Stress Reduction. Recognizing how and when deep breathing can be used to calm the mind.
• Creating a Positive Workspace. Identifying how to create a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
• Empathy in the Workplace. Increasing the ability to collaborate and innovate while respecting and appreciating everyone’s uniqueness.
• Focusing Thoughts. Introducing and practicing meditation techniques to help reduce stress and anxiety.
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence. Determining what emotional intelligence is and how it impacts workplace decisions and actions.
• Living Mindfully. Formulating a plan for mindfulness practices to support personal health and wellness.
• Meal Prepping Made Easy. Identifying how to reach your nutritional goals.
• Mindful Self-Compassion. Developing the tools to deal with difficult emotions.
• Mindful Walk, Van Dusen Garden. A group visit to the gardens. Entry fees and box lunch provided.
• One day Leadership Retreat. Applying leadership theories and practices into healthy actions.
• Plant-Based Eating. Health benefits of introducing a vegetarian or vegan diet.
• Sleep Well, Restorative Sleep Rituals. Understanding the fundamentals of good sleep practices for personal health.
• The ART of Wellness. Discovering the positive effects of wellness and creative expression through art.

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Intentional WellBEing Team:
Michelle Man (DoP), Primary Investigator
Ashley Biggerstaff (BCCHR), Co-Investigator
Sharon Yau and Laura Christensen (BCCHR), Project Team