Calling all friends - quite literally! 

National Call a Friend Day is just around the corner, and this could be your signal to get in touch with someone you care about. This lesser-known annual day that takes place between Christmas and New Year celebrations began two years ago in an effort to increase feelings of togetherness during a time that may feel more isolating for some. Especially with the impacts of COVID-19, it has become quite clear that social connectedness is so important for mental health and wellness, whether you are an extrovert who seeks social activities or an introvert who chooses to keep social groups small. These small and simple social interactions can help boost self-esteem, confidence and overall well-being1. And it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to make it happen, especially in an age when there are so many ways to reach out!

Women’s Brain Health Day was first recognized on December 2nd, 2019. This day was created to bring awareness to the role of sex and gender in research and emphasize that many brain health conditions occur more frequently in women than in men. For example, two-thirds of Canadian seniors living with dementia are women.

The power of connecting with people from different generations is often under-recognized in the world we live in today. Current research supports the many positive benefits of intergenerational contact on brain wellness, creativity and mental/physical health. By bringing inspiration and creating a deeper understanding between members of the community, intergenerational relationships can serve to bridge perceived age gaps and empower our community to grow as a whole. Having a fun conversation about your own life story with your grandchildren, nieces/nephews, students and/or other young individuals can be an effective way to improve your brain wellness!

Directly following American Thanksgiving and the shopping frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the annual global event of Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to give back to the charities and organizations that make a difference, using our time, our talent or our treasure.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We’re having one of those days… we spilled our coffee all over our clean shirt, the car wouldn’t start, we forgot an umbrella, and we’ve written it off as “a horrible day”. And then, someone goes out of their way—with something as simple as a smile or a compliment—and it changes your whole mood! We all know how good it can feel to be on the receiving end of an act of kindness, but it feels even better to be the one giving it.

November is National Family Caregivers Month and BC Brain Wellness is excited to introduce a new program tailored for caregivers — the “Care Partners Preparedness Course: Building Skills While Making Connections.”

Did you know that by the age of 40 around 50% of the population will have, or have already had, a mental illness? Well, October is Mental Health Awareness Month and we’re here to talk about it!

When the BC Brain Wellness Program first launched on October 5, 2019, no one could have foreseen that, within just two years, events would catapult us into becoming, instantaneously, a truly province-wide program with participants from across Canada, and even in Europe! In March 2020, when the pandemic caused us to have to pivot  from in-person classes and presentations to online zoom events, we quickly picked up new participants from all across the province, from Prince George to Victoria, and Burnaby to Rossland. We now serve over 1200 participants over 27 classes.

October 1st is World Smile Day®! In 1963, Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Massachusetts created the smiley face symbol. As the years passed, he became concerned about the over-commercialization of his symbol, so in 1999 he came up with the idea for World Smile Day®. He thought that all of us should devote one day each year to smiles and kind acts throughout the world. He declared that the first Friday in October each year would henceforth be World Smile Day®. After Harvey died in 2001, the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation was created to honour his name and memory, and it continues as the official sponsor of World Smile Day® each year. The foundation’s vision and intent are “to harness Smiley's power and appeal around the globe for the benefit of those who could really use a smile, primarily those worthy entities and organizations that might not otherwise receive attention or support”.

September 29th is World Heart Day (WHD). This is a day to raise awareness for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, which is the world's leading cause of death. WHD educates us on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. For example, cholesterol can be harmful to heart health and can hide in certain foods such as fried foods, fast foods, processed meats, and desserts.

Falls Prevention Awareness Day is on September 22nd and serves as an important reminder of being aware of the risks of falling.

Did you know that September is Dystonia Awareness Month - or even what dystonia is? If not, you are not alone. This is because dystonia is one of the rare neurological conditions with very low public awareness and, consequently and unfortunately, it receives very little funding for research. As it is classed as a movement disorder, dystonia patients in B.C. are cared for by the movement disorders specialists at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC (also home to the BC Brain Wellness Program), as well as other neurologists in the community.

If a practice is recognized globally, it must be important! Every year on July 24, International Self Care day is celebrated around the world. Even though that is only one day in the year, the benefits of practicing self care can be experienced 24/7 year long and life long.

This year, the theme for International Self Care Day was to “Take a vow for you now” and plan to make a self care promise today!

Today is International Friendship Day but before yesterday, I didn’t even know this was a thing. What a great idea! Is there anything better than taking a day to recognize such an important part of our lives? This is more than a card store holiday. This has the power to create change.

Are you interested in volunteering to make a meaningful impact in approaches to brain health? Are you passionate about improving the quality of life of fellow program participants? Through the formation of a BWP Participant Advisory Committee, we are seeking to engage the participant community in working towards a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness by guiding future BWP program delivery, research and education.

Many people think of inflammation as a bad thing. But the body's inflammatory process - redness, heat, swelling, pain in the case of a wound, for example - is the immune system's defense against any invading pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and worms). It basically helps us fight off any unwanted invaders and keeps us alive. There are cases, however, where inflammation can be too much of a good thing. Sometimes, the inflammatory process persists and this can lead to disease (or worsen existing problems). It could be that the invaders are persistent, or that certain proteins are formed which the body perceives as dangerous and therefore keeps on attacking.

Walking, hiking, swimming and cycling all provide physical benefits. But did you know that simply spending time outdoors—no matter where you live—can also have a huge impact on your overall well-being? We gathered expert insights and tips to help you reap the benefits of health-building nature experiences.

Each year on June 1, we promote Intergenerational Day – a celebration of the mutual benefits of building relationships across generations.

Over the past few months, members of the BC Brain Wellness Program “Crafters for a Cause” group created comfort mitts for people living with dementia who are in hospital.

Celebrate with us! It is Brain Awareness Week 2021

In honour of Brain Awareness Week - DMCBH presents the Annual Distinguished Neuroethics Lecture with Dr. Nir Lipsman (neurosurgeon and scientist) from the University of Toronto titled "Hacking the mind: how technology is changing the way we view our brain and ourselves” on March 16 from 4:00-5:00pm. See the link below for more details and to register.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/annual-distinguished-neuroethics-lecture-hacking-the-mind-registration-140113269561?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mar3