Thank you for partnering with us to improve the health & well-being of our communities! Recharge & Reflect is designed to be used anytime, in a variety of ways, by community groups and individuals. The goal is to increase positive health behaviours that are correlated with increased mental well-being.

Kits: Along with the R&R cards themselves, we can provide employers and community leaders with “R&R kits” (limited supply) which include a tote bag, journal, pen, mountain stress ball, and magnetic word set. Team leaders can contact lhorsman@bowvalleypcn.ca to request kits for their teams.

Why: Languishing mental health is a community concern made worse by the pandemic situation**. Loneliness and isolation have increased the need for positive social connections, and the need to care for one’s mental wellness.

Benefits of fostering mental wellness within your group may include:

• Increased overall engagement
• Clearer thinking, increased creativity, & greater productivity
• Improvements in relationships/teamwork
• Increased commitment to your team/group/workplace (& reduced absenteeism)

When & Where: Designed to be accessible anywhere, with the resources you already have.

How: We hope as a community leader, you will use R&R to engage your team. Below are some ideas–all people are different and may want a different approach, so don’t be afraid to get creative!

Kits: Along with the R&R cards themselves, we have provided your team with “R&R kits” (limited supply) which include a tote bag, journal, pen, mountain stress ball, and magnetic word set (you can play with the inspirational words and use to put the R&R card on fridge if desired).

Facilitation Inspiration

Here are some ideas on how to implement R&R successfully. Check out extended activity ideas on our main Recharge & Reflect page.

Complete one week at a time, each with a specific focus (mind/body/spirit/emotion)

• weekly book club style – at the end of each week get together and share your activities and any insights with your group
• incentive upon completion of each week – offer group members an incentive for completing week’s boxes*

Complete the whole card

• as a team, do a box each day until complete – have a celebration at the end
• incentive upon completion of total card – offer group an incentive for completing all boxes (e.g., first 5 to complete all the boxes wins a prize…) *

Use as an individual tool 1:1 with clients

• do what makes sense for the individual and where they’re at in their wellness journey
• discuss ideas for activities, debrief process and impacts

Engagement tips

• • Know your crowd: Who are your group members?
    • For example, what stage of life are they in? What do they already do/have? What could they benefit from? What would they enjoy? Any cultural considerations?
  • Remove barriers: Make this opportunity accessible & seamless.
    • For example, meet in person to ensure the kits are delivered to your team, schedule in the weekly sharing meetings (paid, if appropriate).
  • Explain why the R&R activities will help support wellness.
    • Our health determines our quality of life and deserves our focus. When presenting this activity to your group, share some benefits of caring for health, especially with the support and accountability found in doing it as a group. 
    • Note how Recharge & Reflect takes the holistic approach of the medicine wheel, addressing Mind, Body, Emotion, and Spirit.
  • Make it fun/interesting: Get creative!
    • Competitions are sometimes helpful for engaging, but sometimes not (know your crowd).
    • Can you add a mystery element?
    • Or modify to also follow a theme?
  • Use incentives for participation (see below)
    

Do you have any tips to share? Let us know so we can spread the word!

Awarding completion

• You can trust participant’s self-identification of completing the activities
• Or you can encourage sharing evidence (in the form of photos, a reflection sentence, having partner accountability, etcetera. Again, you can get creative!)

Incentive ideas*

• Reminder that you do not need to provide prizes or incentives if not applicable to your situation. The activities and learnings are beneficial to people in and of themselves!
• For businesses that desire prize-incentives, whether you implement an incentive for the weekly or month-long completion, think about what your company can offer as a prize to a valued team member. Or partner with another company to offer each other’s staff prizes. Some prize ideas include: a meal for 2 at your restaurant, a hotel room stay for 2 of their friends/family members, a recreation experience, a spa session, or an experience at a partner company.
• If you can be creative with your budget, prizes could include other mental well-being related items from local businesses. For example: a home gardening package or gift card from the Bow Valley Garden Centre, vouchers to local wellness businesses (e.g. gym or yoga studio memberships, sessions for counselling, massage, complementary therapies) or vouchers to local health-related stores (food, activities, sleep, spirituality).

This card was made possible with support from the Banff Canmore Community Foundation.

Further reading

Benefits of Mental Health

• Canadian Mental Health Association
• National Institute of Mental Health

Benefits of Mental Health in the Workplace

• From the Harvard Business Review
• From BMC Psychiatry
• From the World Health Organization

**Increased mental health challenges in the community are evident and have been brought to our attention through conversations across community organizations, via the PCN’s community health survey results, and through an increase in patient visits regarding their mental health.