Please note this resource, which is provided by Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton, is not intended to be medical advice, and is meant for personal educational purposes only. She has drafted the following information to share within the agriculture community.
Unquestionably, these are tough days. The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to make significant changes professionally and personally, in a very short period of time, while also attending to our feelings around the disease. For many of us, we may be having trouble partaking in usual activities that support our well-being. This resource was designed to help stimulate ideas for well-being activities during COVID-19.
The idea came during our well-being discussion during the Ontario Veterinary College’s Resilience Rotation for fourth year DVM students in March. (This is a 1-week elective rotation involving well-being and resilience instruction in an experiential learning format). Instead of brainstorming well-being activities during “normal times”, the students and I decided to create a list of activities that could be done within COVID restrictions. The list took on a life of its own from there, as so many individuals and organizations are sharing great ideas for well-being! I would like to thank the following students for their contributions: Alison Brennan, Jacqueline Brooks, Aime Brown, Werdah Iqbal, Clarissa O’Sullivan, Andrea Patterson, Alyssa Rice, and Salomon Schroeter. I would also like to thank the talented Dr. Alex Sawatzky for her incredible artistic design and drawings.
The resource is based around Peggy Swarbrick’s Model of Wellness (pswarbrick@cspnj.org) – it is a terrific resource for those who may be looking to learn more. I think it is really important (especially right now) to point out that we don’t need to attend to ALL domains at once, or all proposed activities. Instead, we can choose those activities that most appeal to us and make whatever small changes are within our control. And it is essential that we be compassionate with ourselves during the process. Whatever we are able to do is great, regardless of the size of the change. Even small changes can be very powerful! They can induce feelings of positivity, personal control, and a sense of agency – and small changes can add up to something really impactful.
Week 1 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Emotional
Week 2 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Social
Week 3 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Intellectual
Week 4 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Environmental
Week 5 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Physical
Week 6 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Financial
Week 7 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Occupational
Week 8 – Dimensions of Well-Being During COVID-19 – Spiritual
Click below to view and download the full resource.
Contact:
Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton
Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine
Director of Well-Being Programming, Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
Email: aqjones@uoguelph.ca