Week Two – Being Positive With Family & Friends!

This week's focus is on your relationships and interactions with family and friends. Why not enjoy time with your family and/or friends during Thanksgiving, and carry the good feeling into your entire week? Make it a priority this week to take part in activities with the people who matter most in your life.

When choosing from Activities, see Related Resources for helpful information.

GROUP ACTIVITIES

HEALTHY MIND:

Company "Family Picnic Day" – Indoors or out, a picnic is a great way to socialize and get to know colleagues and their friends and family members in a relaxed atmosphere.

Family Day – Set a day each month when employees focus on going home on time or perhaps a half hour early in order to spend time with family or friends.

Photo Day – Take one, post one. Use a photo of your friends or loved ones as a screensaver or as a workstation decoration so you can keep them close to you all day long.

Family/Friend Challenges – Use your imagination! Set up parent-child euchre teams; friend/friend teams to compete in card games, board games, etc. Have some healthy fun with family or friends.

Lunch with Mom/Dad Day – Arrange a day at work when parents or children can come for lunch and tour the workplace. Provide a small token or keepsake of the workplace for the guests to serve as a positive reminder.

Family Scavenger Hunt – If you are creative and plan ahead, this activity can be completed with GPS or on bikes or with vehicles or just on foot around the block. Pictures taken with a cell phone or digital camera can suffice for having found the target.

"No Work At Home" Week – For those who often take work home at night, make this the week you don’t. Use the time to hang out with family or friends instead.
Related Resources:
Balancing work and home

Take a Healthy Cooking Class Together – Join a cooking class with family or friends and increase your knowledge about healthy cooking and learn new healthy recipes.

Pot Luck Lunch Day / Week – Get together with friends and family and bring healthy food options to share.

Talk it Out – If you had a rough day, talk it out with friends or family. Talking about your stressors may help you to feel better, or come to a solution.

Memory Showdown – Organize a tournament based on the game of Memory. Departments can create cards that represent the work that they do. Lay down some ground rules, and see which department triumphs in the end!

Admit your Dependence – Let people know when you need them. You will feel great and you will make them feel great by letting them know that you need them.

Accept a Friend or a Family Member's Apology – Invite them to a healthy lunch or dinner, and discuss your feelings.

HEALTHY BODY:

Family Flu Shot Clinic – Arrange an annual Flu Shot Clinic and encourage employees to bring in family members to get their shots too. This helps reduce your health benefits costs by decreasing the number of flu cases in your employee benefits population.
Related Resources:
Workplace

Friends/Family Doubles Tourneys - Organize a day at the local gym or 'Y' or community centre and run a friendly tournament complete with photos, potluck meals, and of course some physical activity. Try your hand at table tennis, badminton, billiards, and more.

Healthy Weight Challenge - Install a weight scale in a private area at work, and organize a positive "Biggest Loser" competition. Explain how important friend and family support are to successfully losing weight.

Get Fit - Find a fitness facility or business that will give family members of your organization's employees a corporate discount rate.

Walk the Dog - Take a friend or family member with you to walk the dog, or go with a friend to walk theirs.

Shovel the Snow or Rake the Leaves - Chores become fun activities when you have someone to share them with.

Russ Kisby Walk/Activity - Russ Kisby had a simple message: Be Active. As the founding President of ParticipACTION, he led by example in urging Canadians to get active. Be it with friends, family or co-workers, a combination of all or solo; take a brisk walk or a long hike, a walk around the block or a stroll in the park. Learn more about the Russ Kisby Fitwalk.
Related Resources:
Active living at work
Stairway to health

Golf Tournament - Use a Texas Scramble format in which each member of a 4-person team can participate. Give out prizes afterwards to all the teams. For non-golfers, try mini-putt games.

Touch/Flag Football Game - For the energetic crowd, a game is always great exercise, good competition and definitely fun.

Doubles Tennis Round Robin Event - Make the teams even with rankings (Google "NTRP Playing Levels") and then let the Company Amateur Open begin at the local community tennis club!

Table Tennis Tournament - Community centres often have a table or two you can use for an afternoon or during a few lunch hours. Check with your local Parks and Recreation department to find where.

Ultimate Frisbee Games - This increasingly popular sport can be fun for everyone. Download the rules from the Internet or find a local expert. It’s a great physical activity.

Curling - Hurry! Hurry Hard! Find your local club and play a few ends. Throwing rocks grown up style is sweeping the nation!

Broomball - This game can sweep you off your feet. It's a team sport that can be done on ice or in a gym. Protective equipment is a must in order to stay safe and on the ball in this game.

Bowling - Hit the lanes en masse or on your own. Strike up a conversation with your clients or colleagues, while pinning the focus on fun.

Billiards Challenge - Sharpen those hand-eye coordination skills and find out who the pool sharks are. Compete in duos, teams or individually, and shoot for an afternoon of fun and socializing.

Organize an Amazing Race - Run approximately 3-5 km race which requires teams to race to various locations in your area, after decoding a clue.

Go Tobogganing or Skating - Grab a group of friends or family and feel like a kid all over again! Remember to dress warm!

HEALTHY WORK:

Take Your Family to Work Day – Organize a day where family members can tour and understand what you do at work.

Family Flex Hours – Discover the benefits of a flexible work schedule not only for employees, but for their family and friends as well. Set up a trial period and evaluate the results.
Related Resources:
Flexible work arrangements

Show-off Your Family – Set up a Family Wall where employees can post a family photo, or encourage them to display a family photo at their workstations, so others can get to know your loved ones better.

Count the Dependents Day – Get each department to count the number of dependents that are connected to employees. Collect the information for the organization. See how many people are supported by your organization – you may be surprised by the results!

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES

HEALTHY MIND:

Thanksgiving Fun – Get together with family and/or friends during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Family Meal Night – Designate at least one night a week as "Family Meal Together Night". No TV, no distractions, just a nice meal and get caught up with everyone’s busy lives.

No Screen Night – Declare one evening a week as "No Screen Night" at home. Turn off the television, video games, computer, PDA’s, and iPods. Find a good book to read, a friend or a neighbour to chat with or go for a stress-releasing walk with the family.

Family Outing Day – Take the family or a few friends for an outing. Head for a hike, the zoo, or prepare a picnic.

Share a Passion with Family – Label a day as the day you all watch a family member's baseball/hockey/badminton game, and take turns so that each family member gets a day.

Lunch Date with Family – Meet a relative for lunch. This doesn’t have to be your immediate family. What about that aunt or uncle you haven't seen for a while? When was the last time you chatted with your cousins?

Board Games Night – Hold an old-fashioned board games night, for an evening of light-hearted fun and laughter with your family and friends.

No PDAs Allowed – One night, turn all PDAs and cell phones off from 6pm until the next morning. Feel the stress release!

Meet a Friend for Lunch – Old friends appreciate the gesture, and you’ll enjoy catching up with each other. Even better, organize a reunion with a group of friends and set up a time for the next get-together before everyone leaves.

Girls' / Boys' Night Out – Relax and enjoy the company of your girl friends or guy pals. Watch a play, go bowling, or try a new restaurant.

Write a Letter – In this fast-paced, electronic world, a hand-written letter is cherished and valued. Tell a friend or family member what you’re up to and how you’re doing. They'll appreciate the time and effort you took, and you’ll feel closer.

Become Informed About Mental Health Issues - Working Through It is a soon-to-be released series of videos designed to speak directly to people coping with mental health issues. Uses personal stories of dealing with mental health pressures at work, off work and returning to work, to share messages and strategies.

Write a Thank You Letter - Think about someone who has helped you in your life and write them a thank you letter to let them know how much you appreciate them in your life.

HEALTHY BODY:

Thanksgiving Calorie Count – Get to know the caloric intake of the foods you eat and the caloric output in the exercise you do. Use Thanksgiving as the starting off point, and take note of the calories you consume and expend.

Family Flu Shots - Ensure that you and your family are protected for the upcoming flu season. October is when the flu shots first become available. Check with your nearest community clinic, or contact your family doctor.

Sports with Family and Friends – Get an active game going with the friends and loved ones in your life. Shoot some hoops, go swimming, or try rollerblading.

Swap a Healthy Lunch – Prepare a healthy lunch, and meet up with a friend to do a 'brown bag' exchange. You'll get to try something new and nutritious, while feeling good that your friend is doing the same!
Related Resources:
Healthy lunches to go

Go to the Gym – Go to the gym and make a new friend to workout with.

Leave Work to Exercise – Leave 10 minutes early to walk an extra 15 min. around your home.

HEALTHY WORK:

Flex Your Hours for Family – Keep the work and life in balance! Adjust your schedule so that you have enough quality time to spend with your family.
Related Resources:
Tips for working well

Take Your Kids to Work Day - Introduce your family into your work - let them see what you do. They will appreciate knowing the other side of your balance.

Family Suggestion Box Day - Let suggestions come from family members, where the best one wins a prize!