Care Corner: Your Wellness Newsletter

Journaling and reflecting can be powerful tools for improving mental health and well-being. However, it's important to create a safe and comfortable space before engaging. Try to find a quiet, private space where you won't be interrupted, set aside time, and creating a soothing atmosphere.

Take a moment to reflect on or journal about some or all of the following prompts this month. 

• Write about your favorite memory of spring with your loved one. Why is this your favorite memory? 
• What activities or practices help you feel grounded and centered when you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
• How can you cultivate more gratitude and appreciation for the small joys and moments in your life this spring? 
• Write in detail about how going from winter to spring weather makes you feel.
• Name 5 goals you have for yourself this month and how you plan to accomplish those goals.
• What are some helpful coping mechanisms you can practice to manage feelings of grief or loss during the spring season?
• What are some social or community connections you can foster to promote a sense of belonging and well-being in your life?
• Describe the perfect spring day. What would you do? Where would you go? How would that perfect spring day make you feel?
• What are your favorite rainy day activities? Make a list and then don’t forget to complete some of those activities this month. 

Tea of the Month

Sip some tea out of your favourite cup this month.

A popular tea for springtime is green tea. It has a light, refreshing taste with subtle grassy notes. It contains antioxidants and caffeine which can help increase mental alertness and provide a natural energy boost.

Here's a short reflection you can do while brewing or drinking green tea:

As you brew your green tea, take a moment to reflect on the new beginnings of spring. Just like the tea leaves, we too have the potential to grow and flourish. Take a few deep breaths and let go of any negative thoughts or emotions. As you sip your tea, feel a sense of renewal and refreshment, allowing yourself to be present in the moment and appreciate the small joys in life.

Self-Compassion

Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness and empathy in difficult situations, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety and increase overall well-being. Here's a way you can do that:

Write yourself a letter of compassion: Imagine that a friend who is going through the same loss has come to you for support. Write a letter to this friend, expressing your compassion, empathy, and support. Then read the letter as if it were written to you, and allow yourself to receive the same kindness and comfort.

Grief Insights

Research has found that the grief experience can have a profound impact on one's identity, with some individuals experiencing an "identity crisis" following a significant loss. A tip for navigating changes in identity after loss is to try exploring new activities, hobbies, or interests that align with your values and allow you to express yourself in a different way. This can help to create a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and can contribute to a new sense of identity.

Affirmations are positive statements that help shift your mindset to a more positive and empowering state. Repeat them in a quiet place by visualizing the positive outcome as if it has already happened. Affirmations increase feelings of self-love, self-worth, and self-efficacy. Here are three springtime affirmations:



1. "I trust in my ability to heal and overcome challenges, like the resilience of nature."
2. "I embrace the present moment with love and gratitude."
3. "I grow and flourish like the flowers in spring."

Self-Care

Self-care includes activities and practices that you engage in to maintain and improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. It is important as it helps to prevent burnout, manage stress, and maintain overall well-being. Here's a tip:

Take care of your physical needs: Grief can be exhausting, so it's important to take care of your physical needs as well. Make sure you're getting enough rest, eating nutritious foods, and engaging in physical activity that feels good for your body. Self-care can also mean taking a break when you need it and allowing yourself time to recharge.

Difficulty sleeping? One tip is to establish a bedtime routine that includes winding down activities such as taking a warm bath/shower, reading a book, or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation. 

Have some ideas you'd like to share here with our community? Email us at programs@bereavedfamilies.ca for a chance to be featured!

Find a quiet and comfortable space to sit, either in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to settle and relax.

1. Begin to focus your attention on your breath, feeling the sensation of the breath moving in and out of your body.
2. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to your breath, without judgment or criticism.
3. As you continue to focus on your breath, bring to mind a memory of your loved one. It could be a happy memory or a difficult one, whatever comes to mind.
4. Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise, whether it's sadness, joy, anger, or something else. Simply observe the emotions without judgment or trying to change them.
5. When you're ready, take a few more deep breaths and bring your attention back to the present moment. Notice how your body feels and any sensations you're experiencing.
6. Slowly open your eyes and take a moment to ground yourself before moving on with your day.

Remember, it's important to give yourself the time and space to process your emotions. This mindfulness practice can help you to connect with your breath and emotions, and bring a sense of calm and peace to your mind and body.

Want to suggest a Monthly Mindfulness practice for the next newsletter? Email Victoria before the end of next month for a chance to be featured!

Welcome to our Resource Hub, a place where you can find support and guidance through your grief. From yoga classes to mindfulness meditations, mental and physical health workshops to grief resources, we've gathered a range of tools to support you in finding comfort and healing.

• Featured Website: Grief in 6 Words is a space to choose the 6 words that tell your grief story as a way of freeing oneself.
• Featured Podcast: Griefcast is a podcast that examines the human experience of grief and death - but with comedians, so it's cheerier than it sounds.
• Featured Article: Coping with Grief and Loss provides practical strategies for managing the emotional and physical symptoms of grief, such as denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. It emphasizes the importance of seeking support and helpful coping mechanisms like exercise and self-care.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Week this May, we're introducing Grief in the Community.

Do you believe that there can be moments of hope and even joy amidst the pain and challenges of grief? At the Centre for Grief and Healing, we do. That's why we're searching for good news stories and testimonials of hope, resilience, and healing from individuals who have found ways to cope and thrive after experiencing the loss of a loved one.

By sharing your experiences, you can inspire and support others who are going through similar challenges. You can also honor the memory of your loved one and the impact they had on your life. We're committed to creating a brave and supportive space for you to share your story. If you're interested in sharing your experiences or have any questions, please reach out to us. Let's celebrate resilience and strength together.

Click the button below to learn more and to share your testimonial or story with us!

It is common for people to experience a change in appetite when dealing with grief, but it is important to maintain good nutrition to support physical and emotional health during this time.

One approach is to focus on eating small, frequent meals that include a variety of nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, incorporating mood-boosting foods such as dark chocolate, nuts, and leafy greens can help support emotional well-being. It is also important to stay hydrated as dehydration can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety. Finally, seeking support from a registered dietitian can help you develop a personalized nutrition plan that meets your specific needs during the grieving process.

This month, we challenge you to join us in a "Mindful Eating Challenge"!

For this challenge, we encourage you to practice mindful eating by slowing down and fully savoring each bite of food. Each week, you can focus on a different aspect of mindful eating, such as paying attention to hunger and fullness cues, using all five senses to experience food, and being present and mindful during meal times. You can track your progress and share tips and experiences with us or other community members throughout the month, too (tip: try to pair up for this challenge!). At the end of the month, reflect on how this practice has impacted your overall relationship with food and your emotional well-being during the grieving process.

Your feedback is valuable as we explore the possibility of offering paid counseling and/or therapy services alongside our current free peer support services. To ensure our services remain accessible and affordable, we are seeking input from our community on how much they would be willing to pay for these services. Your feedback is important to us as we strive to provide comprehensive support to those dealing with mental health challenges and grief. Thank you for your continued support of our mission to make grief support accessible to all.

Easy, quick recipes for our grieving community.

This recipe is packed with fresh spring vegetables and is a great option for those who want to enjoy a comforting meal while also incorporating seasonal produce.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan parmesan)
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté until softened and fragrant.
4. Add the asparagus and mushrooms, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, and toss everything together until well combined.
7. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot and enjoy!

Is there a special holiday, celebration, or cultural day coming up in July? Would you like to share a related or themed recipe with everyone? Or maybe you'd like to share a passed loved one's recipe (including a short story behind the recipes)? If so, email Victoria at programs@bereavedfamilies.ca with the recipe and details before the end of next month to see if it can be featured*! *1-3 recipes posted per month so first come first posted!

• Healthy Minds Program: helps you train your mind through meditation and podcast-style lessons
• Smiling Mind: practice quick meditation and mindfulness exercises for stress, sleep, focus, relationships, sport performance, mindful eating or more
• Insight Timer: offers the world’s largest library of free guided meditations that are focused around different topic areas, including sleep, anxiety, relationships, stress and more
• Bearable: allows you to track your mood and symptoms alongside activities like sleep, medication, exercise and more
• MindShift: uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies to help you manage anxiety, challenge your beliefs, face your fears and build confidence in yourself
• Calm Harm: private, password protected app is designed to help you resist or manage self-harm urges
• 5 Minute Yoga: ideal for those wanting quick and easy daily yoga workouts
• Kitchen Stories: search for new recipes on Kitchen Stories based on your ingredients, then sort by prep time, type of food, diet and more
• Habit Tracker 1 or Habit Tracker 2: apps to help you track all of your habits
• Coach.me: a coach that goes everywhere with you, helping you achieve any goal, form any habit, or build any expertise
• Sleep Cycle: improve your sleep with Sleep Cycle, an intelligent alarm clock and tracker that analyzes patterns and wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase
• Grateful: Gratitude Journal
• Daylio: you can record what happened in your day and how you feel all without writing down a single word
• I Am Sober: track your sobriety with a community who understands
• Gratitude: Self-Care Journal

Here's a quick example of a meditation for stress and anxiety featured on Insight Timer.

• Sanvello: offers tools and resources to help individuals manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The app offers daily mood tracking, guided meditations, and cognitive behavioral therapy exercises to help users improve their mental health.
• Woebot: AI-powered chatbot that provides cognitive behavioral therapy exercises and tools to help users manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The app offers personalized recommendations based on user data and offers a supportive, non-judgmental environment.
• Happify: uses evidence-based techniques to help individuals reduce stress and improve their overall well-being. The app offers a variety of games and activities designed to improve mood and build resilience.
• Pacifica: offers tools and resources to help individuals manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The app offers guided meditations, cognitive behavioral therapy exercises, and mood tracking tools.

Making a difference in the world around us can be a powerful tool for coping with grief and loss. Donating or volunteering not only supports others in need, but it can also bring a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction to our own lives. Please consider donating to help sustain our programs and support the wellness of others.

Your donation, no matter how big or small, can help us make a difference in the lives of those who are coping with grief. Your support will help us provide valuable services to yourself and others, and ensure that everyone has access to the compassionate support they deserve. Together, we can help those who are grieving begin to heal and find hope for the future. Invest in wellness today.

This yoga breathing practice’s unique sensation helps create instant calm and is especially soothing around your forehead.

Some people use humming bee breath to relieve frustration, anxiety, and anger. Research shows it may help reduce your heart rate, think more clearly, and feel less irritable or stressed.

Of course, you’ll want to practice it in a place where you’re free to make a humming sound.

To do this:

• Choose a comfortable seated position.
• Close your eyes and relax your face.
• Place your first fingers on the tragus cartilage that partially covers your ear canal.
• Inhale and gently press your fingers into the cartilage as you exhale.
• Keeping your mouth closed, make a loud humming sound.
• Continue for as long as is comfortable.

Have a breathing exercise you'd like to share in our next newsletter? Email Victoria for a chance to be featured!

Tips:

1. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and be kind to yourself.
2. Connect with others who understand what you're going through.
3. Take some time to remember and honor your mother in a way that feels right for you.
4. Consider starting a new tradition that celebrates your mother's life and legacy.
5. Practice self-care, such as getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in activities that bring you joy.

Activities:

1. Write a letter to your mother expressing your feelings and memories.
2. Plant a flower or tree in memory of your mother.
3. Do something that your mother loved to do, whether it's cooking her favorite meal or listening to her favorite music.

"On Mother's Day, I'll light a candle for you

And remember all the love that you once knew

Though you're no longer here, your spirit still shines

And the memories we shared will forever be mine

I'll think of the times we laughed and we cried

And all the moments we shared side by side

The bond we had will never fade away

And in my heart, you'll always stay



Though the pain of losing you is hard to bear

I know that you're with me, even if you're not here

And on this special day, I'll honor your memory

And celebrate the love that will forever be."