March 13th: Update to Membership
Mindfulness
We’ve all seen these people. We see them every day. That person in traffic, who is losing their mind because the traffic isn’t moving fast enough. That person on the bus or train. You know the one. The one who has a complete look of despair on their face, with tears welling up in their eyes. Or the student in your class. The one that started the term happy and engaged and is now quiet and distant. Or you see one or more of your colleagues not acting like their usual self and missing a lot of time. We’ve become accustomed to this behavior. Some people say that this is the “new normal”, while others may call it a global mental health crisis. Either way, it’s hard not to recognize that there is indeed a problem. In some way, shape, or form, this problem seems to be affecting everyone everywhere.
So, what can we do about this? We could ignore it and hope it’ll all go away – although that might sound like a good idea, it’s only a temporary band-aid solution. We could just tell everyone to “just get over it”, but that’s not as easy as it sounds and quite frankly, it’s inappropriate. But there is something that everyone can do that is not ignoring it or simply getting over it – it’s called being mindful. When you are being mindful, you do not have to engage anyone. You do not have to really say anything, if you don’t want to. Just the fact that you can recognize that someone is struggling is the first step.
The next step can be a little difficult to do. That’s okay. It might take a bit of work. This involves you taking a step back and ask yourself any of the following: Is that person overwhelmed right now? Has that person suffered a loss of some kind? Are they suffering from any number of things? We don’t actually know. But if you can wrap your head around the idea of being mindful, you will see a major shift in how we all perceive each other. Just a basic awareness that someone is going through a difficult time is all it takes. Most people don’t know how to act when life gets difficult. Some people will lash out, while others may just withdraw. You have to learn to look past this. Once you realize this, it will change your perspective on how you see other people and how you see yourself too. That is what being mindful is. You will see that your approach to someone who is struggling will change. You may even want to try to help them out. Just remember, some people may not want your help or may feel embarrassed by your inquiry. And that’s okay too. Again, just be mindful.
Thank you and take care.
Peter Reitz
SAFA Past Representative
Resources for student wellness and mental health are available from SAIT’s Student Development and Counselling Team. Mental health supports for employees are available via SAIT’s Employee Family Assistance Program (Lifeworks, 1-844-671-3327).
In Case You Missed It: Temporary Recreation Facility Opening Soon
Did you see the announcement on the SAIT website?
“The temporary recreation facility behind the East Hall residence building is scheduled to open Monday, April 3. The Wellness Centre in Campus Centre will remain open through the end of March to accommodate the moving of equipment and people to the temporary facility. Services in the Wellness Centre will be limited to the gymnasium only starting Wednesday, March 15. Group fitness classes will continue in Auxiliary Gym B until the end of March. Check the schedule for updates on classes in April.
The temporary recreation facility is about 15,000 square feet or 1,394 square metres and features cardio machines, weights, fitness area and a full-size basketball court, which can also be used as four badminton courts or a volleyball court. Locker rooms are equipped with showers and washrooms.”