The Royal Mental Health Centre
1145 Carling Ave. K1Z 7K4 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Health care workers are at the front lines of the COVID pandemic. It's important to recognize the impact of COVID-related stress on your wellbeing and build coping skills that can help you get and stay healthy. Get simple, fast access to free support options here: https://www.theroyal.ca/covid-frontline-wellness

It’s ok to feel stressed and anxious, especially right now. While many of us are finding solace in another Netflix marathon, there are lots of other safe activities we can do to help keep our stress levels in check. We asked two of our recreation therapists Ashleigh McGuinty and Sara Richardson-Brown to share their top six anxiety-busting strategies they recommend to clients and families, and this is what they came up with. These are just six out of thousands of options. Different things work for different people, so we'd love to know what best helps you manage stress and anxiety. Let us know in the comments, and tag a friend who may benefit from hearing some of these helpful suggestions https://www.theroyal.ca//six-ways-manage-stress-and-anxiet

Join us Monday February 8th from 10am-11am EST for a free virtual event on women's health and heart disease. Come to better understand how to prevent heart disease and develop a heart healthy lifestyle, speak with experts on women's health, and more! Email [email protected] to register.

Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? Dr. Tim Lau, also known as Dr. Happiness, recommends a C.A.L.M. approach. This can help us put things into perspective so that we can see the whole picture and cultivate a hopeful, constructive and meaningful attitude towards living life to the fullest. Save this post so you have it handy next time you're feeling anxious, or tag a friend who may benefit from this advice in the comments You can also download a PDF version of the C.A.L.M. approach here: https://www.theroyal.ca//files/2021-01/CALM_Infographic.pdf

Congratulations to Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton, recipient of the 2020 Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research, for his transformational work on the well-being of public safety personnel. The Royal Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research is all about innovation, impact, collaboration and excellence in research, and Dr. Carleton exhibits all these in abundance, says Dr. Florence Dzierszinski, President of our Institute of Mental Health Research. Read about how one childhood experience set the course for Dr. Carleton's distinguished career in mental health research: https://www.theroyal.ca//transformational-work-well-being-

The pandemic has been extremely challenging for many survivors of gender-based violence and the frontline workers who support survivors. We invite frontline workers to join us December 7th for a free session on grounding yourself in centering practices of care in your everyday work: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/from-within-centering-practices

As we remember and honour Corporal Nathan Cirillo on the 6th anniversary of his death, it's important to allow ourselves the time and space we need to grieve and to feel. This presentation on coping with trauma may be a helpful resource for you: https://youtu.be/eiOWvB_Plo4 #OttawaStrong If you need extra support today, Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region is here to listen at 613-238-3311

Sometimes the smallest act of kindness can have the biggest impact: That's the idea behind our "smile buttons," which feature a photo of their wearer without a mask and sporting a big smile. Watch for our staff wearing them at work in the months to come! https://www.theroyal.ca//volunteer-led-initiative-shows-sm

I see sleep as having an impression on mental health, says Dr. Rébecca Robillard, Director of Clinical Sleep Research at our Institute of Mental Health Research. If you focus on improving sleep, it will have a positive impact on mental wellbeing. A look at the intersection of sleep & mental health: https://ottawacitizen.com//your-life-depends-on-sleep-so-w

Our Substance Use & Concurrent Disorders Program remains open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Help is available, and this service does not require a referral from a physician. Get started here: https://www.theroyal.ca//substance-use-and-concurrent-diso

Dr. Lauri Tuominen and Dr. Synthia Guimond are the latest recipients of a Project Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Their research aims to further our understanding of the brain’s memory system and, hopefully, lead to the development of new treatments for people with schizophrenia who experience cognitive issues.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this morning's first ever virtual Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast! ICYMI: https://royal-ottawa.brand.live/c/2020-leaders-for-mental-h If you're looking for support for your own mental health, help is available: https://theroyal.ca/need-help

We just set our alarms for tomorrow's virtual Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast You're welcome to join us from wherever you are!

We are proud to announce a timely new partnership with uOttawa that will provide students access to a new Psychiatric Virtual Consultation Clinic. "This is particularly important right now because we know that youth are facing heightened stress, anxiety and loneliness due to the pandemic. Mental health care that students can access from campus or from home will provide the help that is needed in a way that is not only safe but also fits easily into their busy lives.

"There is no health without mental health." It's #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek, and this year it's more important than ever to understand the realities of mental illness & mental health. Start by meeting some of this year's Faces of Mental Illness: https://youtu.be/S0fouigM-Ig Your mental health matters. If you could use some extra support right now, Ontario Structured Psychotherapy provides free, short-term talk therapy: https://theroyal.ca/osp

Anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic has been altering how much we dream and the nature of our dreams themselves. Dr. Rebecca Robillard, from our Institute of Mental Health Research, and other researchers recently spoke with Scientific American to discuss the phenomenon:

Thank you for everything, Bobby Ryan! The Royal is standing with you, always.

For the first time, Recovery Day Ottawa is going completely virtual and you're invited! Watch with us on Facebook Live today at 3pm as special guests, community partners, and musical performers come together to help end stigma and support wellness

Even in the ‘Average Joe,’ if you want to call them that, the pandemic has taken a really serious toll, says Dr. Rébecca Robillard, Director of Clinical Sleep Research at The Royal. Your mental health matters, and help is available if you need it. Ontario Structured Psychotherapy provides free, short-term therapy: https://www.theroyal.ca/osp Our Substance Use program is open with barrier-free access: https://www.theroyal.ca//substance-use-and-concurrent-diso... More resources: https://www.theroyal.ca/coping-during-covid-19-pandemic See more

We’re going to the first virtual Recovery Day Ottawa next Friday in support of ending stigma and promoting recovery. It’s going to be a unique virtual experience right here on Facebook- will you join us? #recoveryally #LeavingNoOneBehindDuringCOVID19

If you missed our live event on World Suicide Prevention Day, you can watch the recording here: