health | PFAU

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Thank you for joining us for the Breath In, Write Out podcast this week. Since many students are currently experiencing a stressful period of the semester because of the due dates and finals coming up, we thought this was the perfect time to re-run our interview with Holly Smith on Customizing Mental Health Support for Students. We hope that this podcast helps you to understand that it is normal to feel stressed out sometimes and provide you with strategies to take care of your mental health while studying.

We interviewed Holly Smith, an experienced clinical occupational therapist in the field of mental health and substance use, about some of the mental health challenges that students encounter, and strategies to create a healthier study environment. Despite campaigns put forward by governments and corporations in the last decade that encourage a more open discussion about mental health, there are still a number of stigmas and taboos that surround mental health concerns, particularly mental health struggles that are connected to addiction.

Holly Photo edited 2 300x300 Customizing Mental Health Support for Students: Interview with Holly Smith

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Holly Smith is a Kanien’ke:haka (Mohawk) of the Haudenosaunee people from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, and she currently works as a clinical manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She also recently established Indigenous Wellness Services, mental health therapy, and consulting business which offers a decolonized approach to mental health treatment.

What kinds of struggles do you often hear that students face compared to those in other stages of life?

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Typically, the majority of students are under the age of 25, and it is a really interesting time in life because people are still finding out about their identity. Students’ brains are still developing, and being in school is a high-stress period of time. There are a lot of social pressures and expectations, either from the family or themselves. It is a highly competitive environment. There is also a lot of social pressure, especially with the advent of social media. In addition, the upheaval of COVID-19 has been having a negative impact on society as a whole and creating additional pressures for students to try to manage the workload, finances, home life, and personal life at the same time. For international students away from family, there is also the impact of social isolation. The disruption of normal routines and activities caused by the restrictions placed upon students due to COVID-19 can have a lot of impacts on people’s mental wellness and mental health.

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What do you think prevents or delays students from reaching out for mental health support before their situation escalates?

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I think there is a lot of stigma around the topic of mental health and mental wellness in general. There is a lot of fear and anxiety around even asking for help or saying: “I’m struggling in a certain area”, or “I’m having a rough time.” Sometimes it’s difficult to go for help without the fear of being judged or not being taken seriously or not being understood. For me personally, these fears had prevented me from reaching out for help. Thus, I was trying to manage and cope with those pressures and those expectations in a way that was not always the healthiest. When those kinds of pressures start to mount and increase, it will eventually get to a point where things get really overwhelming, and different areas of your life come in can become impacted by that. However, a lot of suffering could be avoided by understanding these feelings are just normal human emotions, and reaching out for help to navigate those feelings in a healthy way.

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What gaps do you currently see in the ability of the current mental health services on-campus and off-campus to provide adequate support to Indigenous students, and perhaps other students who have felt unsafe or unheard?

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I think the gap within the mental health care system, in general, is that it is a bit of a “one size fits all” approach. Even the mental health services that are offered on campuses, for example, are not going to meet the needs of everyone. They are not going to be relevant to everyone’s needs; and as a result, people are not going to connect with them in the way that they were intended to. Personally, when I was trying to connect with mental health supports in school, I was not happy with what was available at that time, so I didn’t access as many resources as I probably could’ve. I know that accessibility has improved, but there is still room for improvement in terms of understanding and personalizing services more to meet specific student needs. In addition, the traditional model of meeting with a therapist one-on-one doesn’t work for everything either. There needs to be more variety in how mental health services are delivered.

What would you suggest be done to start filling these gaps?

I also think more informal mental health supports should be provided, such as peer support groups and culturally sensitive programming. I think campuses should provide safe spaces for black, indigenous, and other racialized folks to be able to have access to peer support workers, elders, or traditional psychotherapists. Students should be able to talk to somebody who represents them and their community. And that’s something that I feel is missing in the health care system as a whole, particularly on college university campuses.

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Holly’s Book Recommendations and Resources

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Books:

The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A GUIDE AND MAP FOR RECOVERING FROM CHILDHOOD TRAUMA by Pete Walker

Youtube Channels:

Crappy Childhood Fairy by Anna Runkle

Lisa’s Book Recommendations and Resources

The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

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Thank you, Holly, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Sleep Hygiene: Interview with Erin Spencer

By Pfau Marketing

March 17, 2021

646 Views

Blog

Thank you for joining us for the “Breath In, Write Out” podcast this week. Since many students are currently struggling with stress and late nights, we thought this was the perfect time to re-run our interview with Erin Spencer on sleep hygiene. We hope that this podcast helps you to get the sleep you need to succeed!

Erin Spencer is a registered Occupational Therapist. We discussed goal setting and routines, particularly around sleep hygiene. Since students often have a varied and flexible schedule that allows them to stay up late and sleep in, particularly as we move into online classes, establishing and maintaining daily healthy routines can be a challenge.

Erin currently provides community-based assessment and treatment of persons with physical, cognitive and/or psychosocial disability due to neurological, orthopedic or soft tissue injuries with chronic pain. She provides education on sleep hygiene, building routine, re-engaging in activities post-injury, ergonomics and mindfulness.

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What inspired you to take this career path?

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I kind of stumbled into it. I had decided in my mid 20s, to go back to university, and I knew that I wanted to go into rehabilitation. I’d actually originally thought physiotherapy. So, I was completing my undergraduate in kinesiology and one of my professors tapped me on the shoulder and said, you know, you should really consider applying to occupational therapy. I was really uncertain about it, but I thought I would apply regardless and I got an interview with the master’s programme at UBC. I prepared really, really thoroughly for it and that’s really when I began to understand what occupational therapy is in terms of the scope, the people that you could be working with and the approach. I found the balance between science and art really appealing.

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What can students do to improve their sleep hygiene and build effective routines?

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So, if we can add some structure and routine to the day again, perhaps in the morning and in the evening, so that a student feels a little less frazzled with how to manage their time and the tasks and demands of their curriculum, I think that that could be a huge benefit. There’s a couple of different tips that I can offer here. So, one is to have a bit of routine at the end of the day, around your classes and review and what have you. So, for example, once your classes are done for the day, take a look back at your notes, perhaps review them organize them, but that allows you to then review what you’ve done for the day it helps to solidify the knowledge. It’s a bit of a closing activity as well for your day.

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What is something that our listeners can do today as the first step towards building healthy routines?

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As we all know, screens are very stimulating for our eyes and for our brain system, especially blue light. So we can start to remove some of those usual activities and start to substitute in more relaxing activities. So, for example for myself, my bedtime routine is I’ll do some light stretching or rehab exercises, I’ll journal and then I’ll read. I find that reading for me is the most relaxing before I fall asleep. And I find that it helps me to more easily drift into sleep.

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Erin’s Book Recommendations and Resources

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario – COTO

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Thank you, Erin, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Writing Online: Interview with Melody Belliveau

By Pfau Marketing

February 24, 2021

540 Views

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We interviewed Melody Belliveau, a freelance writer and author of the website, TheSocial-Commentary.com, about the journey of becoming a writer. This interview is a part of our Careers in the Liberal Arts series. Most people think of writers as authors of books, but there’s actually probably more writing than ever before with the advent of the internet. Websites, social media, newsletters, and online editorials all are areas where you can become a writer.

Melody Photo 300x246 Writing Online: Interview with Melody Belliveau

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Melody started out writing for a local newspaper in her early thirties as a mother of four children. Then, family life put a pause in her writing career until she had to step back from her previous position due to health issues and decided to start her own website to inspire, encourage, and support others. She continues to challenge herself with new projects, aiming to publish in a national magazine next. You never know when your writing career will flourish. The key is to never give up.

Could you tell us a little bit about your project you’re working on now? How did you start your website?

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Through joining the Dress for Success workshops, I was able to be paired with a mentor and received an opportunity to have a column in one of the local magazines. I excitedly submitted the article, but when the edits came back I felt like it had taken my original voice away and wasn’t the right fit for me. I was disappointed, and wanted to give up.

After talking to my mentor about the experience, she that I could create my own website to express my opinions. Even though I was not an expert in technology, I was able to slowly build my website through the help of tutorials. It was like a dream come true!

My goal with my posts on the website is that when people read them, they can either relate to my work or find something in there that can help them. I also plan to use my website as a platform to help with my ultimate career goal to have my own Social Commentary magazine.

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You’re stay-at-home a grandmother of ten. What keeps you going and motivated?

Being able to help people keeps me motivated. When I see people commenting on posts that I write – “thank you so much! I needed that today” – it feeds my soul because they are saying that I just fed theirs. I want people to see that every one of us matters and be inspired by my work. I have enjoyed writing from a young age and I want to speak up and share my voice.

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What advice would you give to your younger self?

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Go after your dreams and set a plan to help you achieve those dreams. Go take those classes that you are interested in and zone in on your purpose. I felt that my whole life, I just let everything else get in the way. And now that there is not anything to get in the way, I’m going for it. It’s gonna be my legacy.

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Melody’s Book Recommendations and Resources

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Book:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Resources:

Your Move with Andy Stanley

The Write Launch

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Thank you, Melody, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Life Insurance & Financial Planning for Students: Interview with Mario Schwarzenberg

By Pfau Marketing

January 21, 2021

599 Views

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We interview Mario Schwarzenberg, who is the owner/broker of MSI – Mario Schwarzenberg Insurance Services Inc., an insurance brokerage, has been offering its customers competitive insurance rates since the early 1990s. This week’s episode is about something we don’t like to talk about, death and critical illness. When we are young we often think we are invincible, but this is not always the case. We are all fragile human beings, and at some point our lives will end. It is important to think of these eventualities sooner rather than later as it can save you a lot of additional hassle, stress, and even money.

Screen Shot 2020 10 15 at 5.14.32 PM 211x300 Life Insurance & Financial Planning for Students: Interview with Mario Schwarzenberg

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As a brokerage with many years of experience in selling insurance, paying claims and access to all major insurance companies, MSI offers a variety of plans at the most competitive rates. MSI offers a wide array of insurance services including Life Insurance / Mortgage Insurance Business Benefits: Key-Person & Buy-Sell funding Dental & Medical Benefits for Businesses and Families Living Benefits: Critical Illness Insurance, Income Replacement / Disability Family Benefits Included with Insurance.

When people think of insurance, they usually think of car insurance, but there are actually different facets of the insurance industry. Can you tell us about the different insurance divisions and what they do?

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That is correct. The majority of the time, people are introduced to insurance with the car or home, but there are other divisions like life insurance, critical illness, living benefits and people benefits. Those are a big part of proper financial planning for younger people because they are valuable in the case you are injured and need income replacement or even when you are older and pass away and there are estate costs. The earlier to start thinking of these things, the easier it is to qualify and save money.

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People often think of life insurance that only comes up in murder novels when a rich relative dies suspiciously. But, you think it is something that everyone should think about. Why is it so important to a person’s long-term financial planning?

For wealthy people, insurance can help to preserve their wealth by covering the cost of capital gains taxes or estate taxes. For people whose estate is smaller or people who do not have assets, they can use insurance to replace their income to help provide for the family and cover daily expenses, such as paying the mortgage or children’s tuition.

The majority of the time, young people would learn about insurance when something tragic happens within the family or close circle of friends. They don’t think about it because they don’t think they will die anytime soon. However, my very first claim in the insurance happened when I was in my twenties and a good friend of mine passed away. He had a young family, and the insurance helped them to keep their house. It is not about making anybody rich, but rather the family left behind can continue living and have fewer financial worries.

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What is the difference between permanent life insurance and term life insurance?

Term insurance offers protection for a specific period of time. It is most often purchased by young families who want temporary coverage while their children are growing and they are responsible for a mortgage. They would usually purchase between 10 to 20 years of term insurance to ensure that if something happens to them while their children are small, they will be taken care of. In other words, it is most often purchased to deal with an accidental or unexpected death.

Permanent insurance lasts for your whole life though. You have coverage whether you pass away from an accident or old age. It is useful in terms of covering funeral expenses, capital gains tax, and other estate taxes and expenses as it is non-taxable. It helps to ensure that the value of your estate is passed onto your beneficiaries. In some cases, insurance proceeds may even be bequeathed to a charity after death. Permanent insurance premiums tend to be more expensive than term insurance, but if you start young it is usually comparable and overtime it can add up to a decent sum. In some cases, the balance can even be accessed before death to cover unexpected expenses in old age. It takes a longer term commitment, but it is more flexible in the end.

I think the best option is a combination between permanent and term insurance. Permanent insurance can be used to protect your estate, while term insurance can protect yourself and your family during the years when you are building your assets and responsible for taking care of loved ones.

What advice would you give a young person who thinks life insurance really isn’t necessary for them?

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Since each person’s needs are very different, talking to an insurance broker would be beneficial because they can ask questions specific to their situation and needs. Brokers have access to different companies and can go through a variety of different plans, so there are many different options to choose from. It is beneficial to have at least a basic understanding of insurance.

I would definitely invite them not to only limit their inquiry to personal insurance though, but their overall financial future and financial planning. Understanding that permanent insurance is actually less expensive when purchased at a younger age and can act as part of your investment portfolio is useful, for example. Talking to an insurance broker does not necessarily mean that you need to buy insurance at that very moment. You can do the inquiry and learn about the available options first. You are not obligated to purchase the coverage.

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Book Recommendation

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Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story by Benjamin P. Hardy

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Thank you, Mario, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Men’s Mental Health: Interview with Kristopher Morrison

By Pfau Marketing

December 2, 2020

610 Views

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We interviewed Kristopher Morrison (Eagle Calling Man), an indigenous and men’s health advocate in Ontario, about men’s mental health. Men and women have been socialized differently around emotions, communication styles, and dealing with life’s problems. Research has shown that men and women express depressive symptoms differently, for example. Women tend to emote and talk about their feelings, while men tend to pull inward and isolate themselves. It is unclear if their differences are biological or social, but they exist. And, this kind of self-isolating response to stress, especially emotional stress, can make it even more challenging for men to reach out for support than women when they need it the most.

Kris photo Mens Mental Health: Interview with Kristopher Morrison

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Kris was born in the Swamping Cree Territory, with a deeper connection to the Cree Territory. Kris continues to cultivate a connection to the land through spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and trapping. While in Peterborough, Ontario, he employs his traditional and cultural knowledge and practices to teach leadership skills and build confidence in the community, with a special focus on changing how we view and cultivate male leadership. He believes that knowing who you are and what your values are is essential to the process of being a secure and competent leader in your own life, and the lives of those around you.

How did you reach the conclusion that there was not enough support for men, especially for indigenous men, about mental health?

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When looking at what was available for support for women, one can see that there are a lot of resources and places that women could go to. However, men do not have the same support and resources. It was hard to find somebody to look up and follow as a guide or a role model. I started the Indigenous Men’s Alliance to create a community space where men could find those roles models.

The Indigenous Men’s Alliance is a place where men can go to overcome their challenges. The way that the Alliance teaches is that we need one another to be empowered. In the Alliance, there are talks about the values of truth, respect, and wisdom, which are the three inner values that are the foundation of who people are. When somebody is being honest, they’re sharing their truth about a problem that they are facing. They are being vulnerable. The Alliance serves as a brave space for men, the educated, the experienced, and the elders, to share their truth and their wisdom to engage in the act of listening and respecting the truth.

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Why is it hard for men to express their emotions?

There’s a stereotype that men don’t cry. Through my research, one of the men I interviewed said: “We weren’t even supposed to cry at funerals”. Crying is often associated with weakness. As a result, men are used to bottling up their emotions and not allowing themselves to be vulnerable. The stereotype that men have to be strong prevents them from showing their more sensitive sides. Men tend to hold back their emotions due to fear of the truth and fear of being judged.

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What advice would you give to your younger self?

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Listen more.

There’s a difference between listening and hearing. When someone is listening, he or she does not only acknowledge what others are saying, but respects their truth while showing love and support. At the same time, they are not influenced by what the other person says in a way that causes them to change who they are, but can hold space for that person’s truth and their own truth at the same time.

Do not be scared of making mistakes as the choices we make can help us to learn.

Finding your footing in life is a natural process that has both its ups and down. You cannot go through life without making mistakes. Making mistakes is part of the process of taking risks and exploring the world and yourself. The key is to learn from those mistakes and become a better, wiser version of your younger self.

Try to find a mentor – somebody that you can follow as a role model.

A mentor who is willing to share wisdom with you, be honest with you, and will not judge you can help you to grow into a secure man. It’s through passing down wisdom from one generation to the next that we can really grow as a community, and as individuals.

Stay honest and respectful.

The more that you listen and respect the truth, the more wisdom and opportunities you will have in the future. Being honest with yourself and others isn’t easy, but it results in a fuller, more meaningful, life.

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Book Recommendations and Resources

Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team by Simon Sinek, David Mead, and Peter Docker

I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression Paperback by Terrence Real

“Indigenous Men’s Alliance” by Kris Morrison

Gary Vee

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Thank you, Kris, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

_

For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Customizing Mental Health Support for Students: Interview with Holly Smith

By Pfau Marketing

November 18, 2020

662 Views

Blog

We interviewed Holly Smith, an experienced clinical occupational therapist in the field of mental health and substance use, about some of the mental health challenges that students encounter, and strategies to create a healthier study environment. Despite campaigns put forward by governments and corporations in the last decade that encourage a more open discussion about mental health, there are still a number of stigmas and taboos that surround mental health concerns, particularly mental health struggles that are connected to addiction.

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Holly Smith is a Kanien’ke:haka (Mohawk) of the Haudenosaunee people from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, and she currently works as a clinical manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She also recently established Indigenous Wellness Services, mental health therapy, and consulting business which offers a decolonized approach to mental health treatment.

What kinds of struggles do you often hear that students face compared to those in other stages of life?

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Typically, the majority of students are under the age of 25, and it is a really interesting time in life because people are still finding out about their identity. Students’ brains are still developing, and being in school is a high-stress period of time. There are a lot of social pressures and expectations, either from the family or themselves. It is a highly competitive environment. There is also a lot of social pressure, especially with the advent of social media. In addition, the upheaval of COVID-19 has been having a negative impact on society as a whole and creating additional pressures for students to try to manage the workload, finances, home life, and personal life at the same time. For international students away from family, there is also the impact of social isolation. The disruption of normal routines and activities caused by the restrictions placed upon students due to COVID-19 can have a lot of impacts on people’s mental wellness and mental health.

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What do you think prevents or delays students from reaching out for mental health support before their situation escalates?

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I think there is a lot of stigma around the topic of mental health and mental wellness in general. There is a lot of fear and anxiety around even asking for help or saying: “I’m struggling in a certain area”, or “I’m having a rough time.” Sometimes it’s difficult to go for help without the fear of being judged or not being taken seriously or not being understood. For me personally, these fears had prevented me from reaching out for help. Thus, I was trying to manage and cope with those pressures and those expectations in a way that was not always the healthiest. When those kinds of pressures start to mount and increase, it will eventually get to a point where things get really overwhelming, and different areas of your life come in can become impacted by that. However, a lot of suffering could be avoided by understanding these feelings are just normal human emotions, and reaching out for help to navigate those feelings in a healthy way.

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What gaps do you currently see in the ability of the current mental health services on-campus and off-campus to provide adequate support to Indigenous students, and perhaps other students who have felt unsafe or unheard?

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I think the gap within the mental health care system, in general, is that it is a bit of a “one size fits all” approach. Even the mental health services that are offered on campuses, for example, are not going to meet the needs of everyone. They are not going to be relevant to everyone’s needs; and as a result, people are not going to connect with them in the way that they were intended to. Personally, when I was trying to connect with mental health supports in school, I was not happy with what was available at that time, so I didn’t access as many resources as I probably could’ve. I know that accessibility has improved, but there is still room for improvement in terms of understanding and personalizing services more to meet specific student needs. In addition, the traditional model of meeting with a therapist one-on-one doesn’t work for everything either. There needs to be more variety in how mental health services are delivered.

What would you suggest be done to start filling these gaps?

I also think more informal mental health supports should be provided, such as peer support groups and culturally sensitive programming. I think campuses should provide safe spaces for black, indigenous, and other racialized folks to be able to have access to peer support workers, elders, or traditional psychotherapists. Students should be able to talk to somebody who represents them and their community. And that’s something that I feel is missing in the health care system as a whole, particularly on college university campuses.

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Holly’s Book Recommendations and Resources

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Books:

The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A GUIDE AND MAP FOR RECOVERING FROM CHILDHOOD TRAUMA by Pete Walker

Youtube Channels:

Crappy Childhood Fairy by Anna Runkle

Lisa’s Book Recommendations and Resources

The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

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Thank you, Holly, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

_

Missed the podcast? Listen here:

_

For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Back Pain Relief after Studying at a Desk all day: Interview with Nastassia Pailkoff

By Pfau Marketing

November 11, 2020

522 Views

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We interviewed Nastassia Pailkoff, a Registered Physiotherapist and acupuncture practitioner, about how to stay healthy and mobile while studying at home. Due to COVID-19, many people are studying from home in less than ideal situations. Maintaining physical health, particularly improving flexibility and avoiding painful injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, while working at a desk is important.

Nastassia 1 284x300 Back Pain Relief after Studying at a Desk all day: Interview with Nastassia Pailkoff

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Nastassia graduated with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Queen’s University and Medical Contemporary Acupuncture Certificate from McMaster University, after completing her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at York University. During her studies, she volunteered at the Black Creek Community Centre in a program that worked to manage chronic disease through exercise. Nastassia’s treatment approach is focused primarily on patient education, exercise prescription and correction, and manual therapy. She currently works in the areas of pediatric cerebral palsy, and neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement in adults. She believes rehabilitation should be as personalized as the individual being cared for.

How does working at a desk place stress on the body? What issues often develop from prolonged sitting?

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Sitting in one posture for a prolonged period of time is not optimal for a couple of reasons. First, when staying in that one posture, you are not getting good blood flow to the areas that are tightened. Wherever your flexes and bents are when sitting, will not receive blood flow in the same way as other parts of the body. Blood also does not return to your heart as frequently because your muscles are not pumping. Second, you arestretching your muscle for a long period of time, which means that you are actually taking power and strength away from it. As a result, you will have a higher risk of staining that muscle, causing inflammation, and eventually losing mobility in the joint over time.

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common problem that people who work at computers often encounter. What can we do to prevent it?

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The most common cause of carpal tunnel is incorrect keyboard position. When typing, take a look at your wrist to see if your hand is bent up at the wrist or bent down. If your hand is bent up, this usually means that the keyboard is too high. If your hand is bent down, this usually means that the keyboard is too low. You want your wrists to be pretty level with the keyboard. Another thing to consider is arm and elbow placement. This is where having a good desk chair with arm rests is essential. You want arm rests to ensure that your elbows are at roughly the same level as your keyboard to avoid bending your wrists as much as possible. In addition to having a good desk chair, you can also use wrists supports for your keyboard and mouse to give additional support. If you do not have or want to purchase one, you can roll up your towel and use that as a wrist supporter.

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I know that you demonstrate a lot of stretches and exercises on your Instagram page. It’s a bit hard to demonstrate any on a podcast, but what would you say would be your top three that you’d recommend to anyone sitting for long periods of time?

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Definitely check out my Instagram for stretching videos. In the meantime, let’s start with a back stretch. Stand up. Get into a lunge position with a straight back leg and bent front knee. Bring both arms up over your head and reach your chin back. Then, look up, arch your back, and reach to the sky. This exercise sequence helps to relieve tension in your upper back and neck, as well as stretching the muscles at the front of your hip and buttocks. You can do this exercise as a break after prolonged sitting to help your body to relax.

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Nastassia’s Youtube Channel Recommendation for Exercise

Shona Vertue on Youtube

Tom Merrick on Youtube

Lisa’s Book Recommendation

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

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Thank you, Nastassia, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

The Dangers of Studying Too Long at a Desk: Podcast Episode Live!

By Pfau Marketing

November 7, 2020

642 Views

Blog, Podcast

PFAU 20 panel 1 300x291 The Dangers of Studying Too Long at a Desk: Podcast Episode Live!

We interview, Nastassia Pailkoff, a Registered Physiotherapist and acupuncture practitioner, about how to stay healthy and mobile, particularly improving flexibility and avoiding painful injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, while working at a desk.

HIGHLIGHTS

Health risks of extended sitting

Choosing the right chair/adjusting your own chair

Advice on setting up your workspace for optimal posture

How to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome

How to implement low budget ergonomic solutions in daily lives

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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Mind-Body Connection: Interview with Kali Hewitt-Blackie

By Pfau2018

November 3, 2020

832 Views

Blog

We interviewed Kali Hewitt-Blackie on the connection between the mind and body. We wanted to talk about this topic because prioritizing health, both mental and physical, given all the external stresses of 2020 – COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, economic recession, and so forth.

kalihewitt blackie Mind Body Connection: Interview with Kali Hewitt Blackie

Kali Hewitt-Blackie is a registered psychotherapist and Aikido instructor. Kali has 32 years of clinical experience working from somatic and feminist perspectives, as well as being trained in Gestalt therapy. Kali also is a 5th Dan Aikido martial artist and instructor at Regent Park Community Aikido.

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In your experience as both a Psychotherapist and martial arts instructor, how do you see the connection between mind and body in overall health?

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Mind and body are intricately connected, they aren’t entirely separate things like mind-body duality would suggest. A lot of mental illnesses and neurosis are situational such as financial stress, exhaustion, and health issues. Our physical interpretations of these stressors are often dependent on the way we conceptualize stress. Sleep, diet, exercise, and how we think about ourselves are important for maintaining balanced physical and mental health.

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What drew you to the practice of Aikido?

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Aikido is not a fighting martial art but is about energy and more specifically, the exchange of energy. It works to balances structure and the importance of adaptability, a skill which can be applied to other circumstances outside of one’s control, such as COVID-19. I find that Aikido also relates to Gestalt psychology in its holistic approach and helps you be in the moment. Anyone can learn it, regardless of physical ability and smaller people have a lot of power in being able to use their agility. Instead of being comparative, in Aikido you need to respond to your partner and move their energy, not push back with force.

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For young adults who are still developing their own sense of self, what kind of advice would you have for them to build a healthy and sustainable life?

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COVID is a challenge because you are alone with yourself and your thoughts, but it’s a good time to connect with and get to know yourself. However, it can be challenging if you don’t yet have a good relationship with yourself, yet which may cause issues to arise. While being isolated can be easier for introverts, it is important for everyone to be in touch with themselves. The basics are: get enough sleep, eat better, exercise, sleep, and do what you need to take care of yourself. Getting to know yourself is a life long process.

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Thank you, Kali, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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How to reach Kali: 416-992-2123 or kalihewittb@gmail.com

Find out more about Kali’s Regent Park Akaido practice here

Book Recommendations from our discussion:

The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk

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For more advice about professional development and student life, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Sleep Hygiene: Interview with Erin Spencer

By Pfau2018

August 12, 2020

764 Views

Blog

Erin Spencer is a registered Occupational Therapist. We discussed goal setting and routines, particularly around sleep hygiene. Since students often have a varied and flexible schedule that allows them to stay up late and sleep in, particularly as we move into online classes, establishing and maintaining daily healthy routines can be a challenge.

Erin currently provides community-based assessment and treatment of persons with physical, cognitive and/or psychosocial disability due to neurological, orthopedic or soft tissue injuries with chronic pain. She provides education on sleep hygiene, building routine, re-engaging in activities post-injury, ergonomics and mindfulness.

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What inspired you to take this career path?

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I kind of stumbled into it. I had decided in my mid 20s, to go back to university, and I knew that I wanted to go into rehabilitation. I’d actually originally thought physiotherapy. So, I was completing my undergraduate in kinesiology and one of my professors tapped me on the shoulder and said, you know, you should really consider applying to occupational therapy. I was really uncertain about it, but I thought I would apply regardless and I got an interview with the master’s programme at UBC. I prepared really, really thoroughly for it and that’s really when I began to understand what occupational therapy is in terms of the scope, the people that you could be working with and the approach. I found the balance between science and art really appealing.

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What can students do to improve their sleep hygiene and build effective routines?

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So, if we can add some structure and routine to the day again, perhaps in the morning and in the evening, so that a student feels a little less frazzled with how to manage their time and the tasks and demands of their curriculum, I think that that could be a huge benefit. There’s a couple of different tips that I can offer here. So, one is to have a bit of routine at the end of the day, around your classes and review and what have you. So, for example, once your classes are done for the day, take a look back at your notes, perhaps review them organize them, but that allows you to then review what you’ve done for the day it helps to solidify the knowledge. It’s a bit of a closing activity as well for your day.

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What is something that our listeners can do today as the first step towards building healthy routines?

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As we all know, screens are very stimulating for our eyes and for our brain system, especially blue light. So we can start to remove some of those usual activities and start to substitute in more relaxing activities. So, for example for myself, my bedtime routine is I’ll do some light stretching or rehab exercises, I’ll journal and then I’ll read. I find that reading for me is the most relaxing before I fall asleep. And I find that it helps me to more easily drift into sleep.

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Erin’s Book Recommendations and Resources

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario – COTO

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Thank you, Erin, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!

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Missed the podcast? Listen here:

_

For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

_

To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.

Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.