You cant be anybody but you. You can try, but eventually, over time, the real version of you will emerge, in all its glory and in all its imperfections.

Thats the lesson of Thom Brennaman and Mark Grace. You are what your words say you are. When youre paid for the words that roll off your tongue, it can be a dangerous existence.

Brennaman, the Reds TV play-by-play announcer, was about to come out of a commercial break during a game Wednesday when a hot microphone caught him referring to an undisclosed place as one of the f-- capitals of the world. The Reds suspended him for the anti-gay slur, and Fox yanked him from this seasons NFL broadcasts.

Grace, who appears periodically on Cubs TV broadcasts, referred to his ex-wife as a dingbat on air during a game a week ago. He hasnt been seen on a telecast since, and there has been no word on when hell return.

Im not equating the words the two men used. Brennamans was clearly more deplorable. Im noting the way that true colors inevitably come out.

If that hot mic had caught Brennaman saying one of the gay capitals of the world, Im guessing there wouldnt have been as much of an uproar. But he didnt. He used an epithet for a homosexual. That doesnt come out by accident. It comes out by habit. It reminds me of something somebody would say in high school. But Brennaman is a 56-year-old man, not a 14-year-old freshman.

As for Grace, his use of the word dingbat to describe his ex-wife tells us that hes stuck in 1975. But it also tells us that he has absolutely no self-awareness. Who thinks dingbat is something that can be said on a broadcast? Someone who is clueless.

Whenever I was around Grace in the Cubs clubhouse, I always felt like I was listening to a guy who had watched Bull Durham about 100 times too many. I couldnt tell where he started and where Kevin Costners sage, folksy Crash Davis character ended. People often laughed at the things Grace said when he was a player. Maybe a guy starts to think that everything he says is funny. That doesnt explain why Grace thinks dingbat is a good word to describe a woman, but it might explain why he would utter it publicly. Im not just the life of the party. I am the party.

Both men apologized, but public apologies mean almost nothing. Few people trust them. In Brennamans case, what was he apologizing for? That something he very clearly meant to say was caught by a busybody mic?

In a later apology, he tried to say that his subsequent research into the history of the homophobic word he used opened his eyes to the ugliness of it. He said he had no idea it was so rooted in hate. Really? What did you think it was rooted in? Whimsy? This is a very good example of making a bad thing worse. Of words revealing what you are.

Cancel-culture watchdogs immediately complained that Brennamans punishments were a prime example of political correctness gone haywire. But nobody canceled him. He canceled himself, and he seemed to know it almost immediately.

I dont know if Im going to be putting on this headset again, he said during his on-air apology.

I dont know Brennaman, a former Cubs broadcaster. Ive met him a few times. He might be a great person. But if you know a word that can get you into deep trouble professionally, it makes sense that youd do everything in your power not to say it in a work environment. Yet he said it anyway. That suggests it wasnt a one-off thing with him.

Hes human. So is Grace. So are we all. Weve all said things we wish we hadnt. But when you say something publicly, its a pretty good indication of who and what you are. And when you say it with a microphone near your mouth, its an indictment. NBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury praised the NHLs bubble on the air Thursday night, saying there were no women to distract the players. Viewers criticized him for being sexist. What else would they have to go on?

Its up to Brennaman and Grace to decide if theyre happy with themselves, regardless of what happens to them professionally.

You cant be anybody but you. That sounds fatalistic, I know. It sounds like everything in life has been predetermined, that none of us can change, that were not in charge. Thats not true.

You are who you are. Youre what you say. But youre also what you do after that stupid thing you just said. Gentlemen, your move.

More:
Thom Brennaman, Mark Grace and the problem with being yourself on TV - Chicago Sun-Times

Social-emotional learning (SEL) companies Aperture Education and Move This World have partnered to provide Apertures customers with additional resources to support the development of students social-emotional skills. Aperture customers can now access a sampling of short videos created by Move This World that help develop and strengthen students social-emotional skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. The videos will be added to the hundreds of social and emotional learning Growth Strategies Aperture already offers through its DESSA Comprehensive SEL System.

Move This Worlds resources to help students identify, manage, and express their emotions completely align with our work so a partnership made perfect sense, said Jessica Adamson, CEO of Aperture Education. Were now able to offer additional strategies to our customers and get Move This Worlds amazing videos in front of even more teachers and students.

Aperture Educations DESSA Comprehensive SEL System provides assessments to measure the social-emotional competence of students in grades K-12. Its Growth Strategies are research-informed social emotional learning interventions, lesson plans and activities created for teachers, by teachers for grades K-8. Once they administer the DESSA, teachers, counselors, and out-of-school-time providers can use the applicable strategies to help bolster SEL skills of students in areas in which they need additional support. The strategies can be administered at school or at home.

Move This World is a foundational social emotional learning program designed for PreK-12 educators and students. Its curriculum is delivered through short videos, allowing teachers to prioritize social emotional learning with consistency. The videos guide students and educators through creative exercises designed to develop and strengthen social-emotional skills and provide an opportunity for teachers to quickly check in and proactively identify students who may need additional support.

Aperture Educations DESSA System helps schools identify how students are developing core social emotional learning skills, which will help them thoughtfully think about how they plan for SEL instruction, said Jennifer Money, Marketing Director of Move This World. As a tier 1, foundational SEL support, were excited to help communities of students build these essential life skills together and know that schools are looking for a way to measure impact. Were excited to share this sampling of content with Aperture to help support their students SEL development.

Aperture Education also partnered with Move This World to create a free webinar for schools as they prepare to start the 2020-21 school year. The webinar includes advice from educators and discussions about how to incorporate SEL into different learning environments to help schools plan for various re-opening models. The webinar is available on Zoom.

About Aperture Education

Aperture Education specializes in social and emotional learning (SEL) solutions. Our flagship product, the DESSA Comprehensive SEL System, allows educators to measure, strengthen, and support social-emotional competence in youth in grades K-12. The DESSA System includes a suite of strength-based assessments, a universal screener that can be administered in less than a minute, and growth strategies and foundational practices to strengthen social and emotional competence. The DESSA System is lauded by researchers because it meets high standards for reliability and validity and is appreciated by educators for its ability to easily and quickly identify each students personal SEL strengths and provide practical supports that result in improved student outcomes. Because strengthening social-emotional skills is as important for educators as it is for students, we also offer the Educator Social Emotional Reflection and Training (EdSERT) tool. EdSERT is a professional development program to support the social-emotional competency and well-being of educators. For more information, go to http://www.ApertureEd.com.

About Move This World

Move This World cultivates the development of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to empower students to navigate the complex and rapidly-changing realities of our world. An SEL program that has impacted the lives of over one million students across 35 states, Move This World provides educators and students with a robust, daily curriculum designed to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing in order to create and maintain healthy environments where effective teaching and learning can thrive. Move This Worlds extensive online library of PreK-12 videos and resources are rooted in creative expression and designed to help students develop a common language to improve communication, build trust, and create stronger communities. For more information:www.movethisworld.com.

Link:
Aperture Education Partners with Move This World to Provide Additional Social-Emotional Learning Strategies - eSchool News

In the wake of the horrific killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained national support and protests have taken place across the country in unprecedented sizes. These calls for structural change and racial equality have all come amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected the Black community. As two Asian American high school students, we want to help our community better understand the Black Lives Matter movement, and how to be allies to it.This article is the first part in a series about books and articles, TV shows and movies and music related to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Reads: To be an ally to the Black community, people need to listen and understand lived experiences. Below are a number of books, ranging from autobiographies to poetry, that tackle various topics such as the aftermath of police brutality and how to detect different forms of racism. Research and discussions with friends informed the recommendations on this list.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, The New York Times bestseller, undermines the uprooting of structural racism and inequities in our society that we embody in ourselves. Kendi employs history, science, definitions and ethics to discuss this systemic injustice. By telling his own life story, Kendi proposes the thesis that being not racist is not enough and that everyone should strive to be anti-racist: Being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination. He guides the reader on a path from being racist to anti-racist, and breaks down racism by overturning its component policies, thus rebuilding a more equitable society. Every chapter is named after and focused on different elements of racism, and within each chapter, Kendi prompts the reader to think about their own actions and what a future, anti-racist society could potentially look like. The author points out that Racial inequity is a problem of bad policy, not bad people and that Denial is the heartbeat of racism.

Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King combats the darkness of racism through meditation practices; this novel shows how our world can evolve. As King says, Racism is a heart disease and its curable. This powerful saying is persistent throughout the novel to show that racism can be subverted. King draws from her experience as a meditation instructor and provides the language and mindset needed to have difficult conversations about race from a compassionate and empathetic place within ourselves. She inspires readers to have a critical self-reflection and awareness journey.

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bandele and Patrisse Cullors addresses the systemic racism that has caused African American deaths. Bandele and Cullors share their experience as founders of Black Lives Matter and address how some cultures believe that innocent Black lives are expendable. This is a novel that will provide insight on others lives and the trauma that they have to go through to find their rights.

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong is a memoir that addresses the experiences of Asian Americans and them finding their identities, and also shows differences between stereotypes and ethnic minority issues. Bustle states that this memoir-in-essays is a must-read at a time of rising racist violence and distrust. It has a good mix of political, personal and social perspectives in it that shows the brutality of casual racism. This is a great conversation-starter book to get your hands on.

Citizen by Claudia Rankine tells a story of what happens when a citizen realizes the reality of societal ills. Instead of facing these realities and trying to remedy them for the sake of a better world, minority groups bear the burden of these issues. It is a frightening, epic, large truth that we have to bear. Using social commentary, poetry, eye-capturing pictures, prose and slogans, this piece of writing powerfully breaks down the American racism that has been occurring for centuries. Salon calls it Moving, stunning, and formally innovative in short, a masterwork.

Looking for something shorter? Give these articles a try!

1. Model Minority Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks by Kat Chow incorporates the work of researchers that have been analyzing how and why Asian Americans and Black people are commonly stereotyped differently in society. It dives into the history of how the lives of Asians Americans were changed by American values.

2. Tou Thao and the Myths of Asian American Solidarity by Time To Say Goodbye raises questions about what it means to be Asian Americans, as it seems that Asian Americans are only being oppressed as Third World people. The message of the article is to tell Asian Americans to reflect on what it means to come together in solidarity to speak up for justice, while questioning the role that Asian Americans play in the nation as they do not benefit from white supremacy.

Though there are many ways you can support the movement, there is no one right way. This is not an exhaustive list, and you do not need to do everything. These artworks resonated with us, but there are definitely more ways to be educated.

Feel free to also check an additional article from The Stanford Dailys Vol. 257 Editorial Board where they focus on more reads, contacts to reach out to, classes to take, petitions to sign and places to donate.

Contact Leanna Sun at leannaxsel at gmail.com and Karen Mai at kmai4 at bostonk12.org.

Read the original here:
Being an ally to BLM through the arts, Part I - The Stanford Daily

Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland has openly spoke about his gig in Limp Bizkit as a day job lately, and the various side projects and solo material hes released in recent years underscore that sentiment: he is a very creative fellow beyond what his Bizkit output would suggest.

But now frontman Fred Durst has all but admitted the same, albeit in a different way: in a new interview, hes said that none of the band members were ever friends, but were in the band partnership together for the magic that happened when we were together.

Speaking to Metal Hammer, Durst told the story of how he first came into contact with Borland, recalling how he saw Wes perform with his own band, then met him for the first time performing together on stage after the other band members had taught Wes the songs:

The first time I saw Wes Borland, he had ponytails and a girly half-shirt on. He was playing in a band called Cronk and was like Les Claypool on guitar, with a little Manson in there.

I actually met Wes for the first time at our first gig. It was wild but it worked. I made up vocals on the spot! We never took time to consider friendships, that wasnt part of it. It was just about the magic that happened when we were together none of us were ever friends.

Elsewhere in the chat, Durst laments that his music came to define a generation of jocks:

I always wanted my lyrics to be for people who felt maybe like I did, for victims. I should have made it more blatantly obvious because some of our audience and our fans were not those people. They were the nemesis, they were the opposite, they were the people that I despised and if I change anything it would probably be to make things a little more clear about where I was coming from, trying to segregate the bullies from the victims. The irony of my life is on a stupendous level.

At least hes got a little self awareness, eh? Still, I find it fascinating that none of those guys were ever friends its a tacit admission that they teamed up and stayed together for the sole purpose of making money, which makes sense, I spose.

[via Loudwire]

Read more:
Fred Durst on Limp Bizkit Band Members: None of Us Were Ever Friends - MetalSucks

I have sad and terrible news. My cousin just committed suicide. She left a letter that said goodbye to her mother and then took a massive amount of her mothers sleeping pills. Everyone in our family is in a state of shock, disbelief and emotional pain. Why would a young person like my cousin do something like this? She always seemed so happy and looked to me like she had it all together. She was popular, nice-looking and a pretty good student. I just dont get it, and my heart hurts for her. What can I do now?

Dear Shocked Cousin: Suicide is an enormous tragedy that often leaves a family filled with grief and guilt, and when a young person is involved, those emotions are naturally compounded even more. According to Mental Health America, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for adults, but for teens, is the second leading cause. Every day in this country, roughly two-dozen teens take their own lives, and more than 50 teens and preteens attempt suicide. Some of these young people, such as your cousin, dont obviously broadcast warning signs. Sadly, in cases like this, no one realizes something is deeply troubling them until they attempt or succeed at committing suicide.

Many teens are in the most trying and painful days of their lives. There often seems to be no middle ground. Quite often, teen years yield either happiness or despair. Teens try to establish an identity; they are learning to operate independently, growing physically and intellectually, choosing a career path and developing lifelong relationships.

At times when family instability rises, some teenagers find they cannot cope with life. Parents may inadvertently contribute by making steep demands on teens or subjecting them to feeling they are not living up to expectations. Tragically, it may take relatively little to make a teen feel worthless.

When a teen commits suicide, family factors are the most commonly cited cause. Death, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse and child abuse all add to a teens loneliness and depression. Other factors include the loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend or a sense of abandonment when someone else close to them goes away.

Of the many research studies on this topic Ive read over the years, one in particular sticks out. Six-thousand teens that had attempted suicide were interviewed, and their life histories were compared with those of a group of teens who had never attempted suicide. The self-destructive teens had a much higher percentage of parents who had divorced, separated or remarried within the past five years. Those who had been through multiple separations and were shuttled from relatives to foster homes throughout their lives were often deprived of the love and stability every child needs.

The study traced the path of suicide from family problems to a sequence of school failures, truancy, loneliness and depression. Often, a teen tries to latch on to someone but may become so clinging and smothering that the relationship does not last. When this relationship fails, the teen feels hopeless and isolated and feels there is only one solution left: self-destruction.

Fortunately, there are great resources available to help prevent teen suicides and suicide attempts, and to honor the memory of your cousin, lets focus on how we might help others in the future. First and foremost is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-(800) 273-8255. They provide this list of key warning signs to be aware of so help can be sought immediately:

Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves.

Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun.

Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.

Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

Talking about being a burden to others.

Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.

Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.

Sleeping too little or too much.

Withdrawing or isolating themselves.

Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.

The silver lining to the suicide issue when it comes to teens is their innate resiliency. Teens, once successfully engaged, can often move permanently away from thoughts of suicide as quickly as they first came to them. Protective environments, community engagement activities, problem-solving skills, social-emotional learning programs and many more support activities exist and are ready to be activated to help any teen who may be at risk. To anyone reading this column who notices a young person who may be spiraling toward a dark place, please take immediate action to introduce professional, loving assistance.

See the article here:
Honor Her Memory With Awareness For Others | Advice Columns - Brunswick News

Theres research that shows that being in the woods reduces anxiety, reduces depression symptoms, she said. We want to just help the kids, and we thought that being in nature would help a lot of what our kids are going through. Our big thing is teaching them mindfulness.

Bouras saidChicopee Woods has a large population of trauma-needs students, and thatdaily trail walking will helpthemreduce their anxiety and increase their happiness,self-esteemandself-awareness.

Hitzgessaid the extra time outside will also provide students with opportunities to take mask breaks, with the large outdoor areas giving them the capability to stay at least 6 feet apart from each other.He said that while the spread of COVID-19isstill a major concerncoming into the start of the school year,spending as much time outside as possible should help cut down on cases at Chicopee Woods.

Im hoping that the offshoot is we have less prevalence of transmission,Hitzgessaid.Im not a doctor, soI cant say thats going to work for certain. It may not prove to be the panacea, yet at the same time, it may provide us, Im hoping, a reduced transmission.

Hall CountySchoolsSuperintendent Will Schofieldsaidin a statement that the district is grateful for the support of our community volunteers and sponsorsin helping to completeprojects like the new walking trails and outdoor classroomsat Chicopee Woods.

When schools and communities pull together, work together, amazing things happen that benefit students,Schofieldsaid. These outdoor trails and classroom spaces will engage our boys and girls and provide them with an opportunity to get fresh air, learn together and develop physically, emotionally and academically.

View post:
This Hall elementary school has unveiled new hiking trails and outdoor classrooms - Gainesville Times

We have been doing some awesome emotional healing work in this column. Thank you for joining the experience.

Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing something called the "original wound."

Examples of this are:

a)the first time we were slighted by a sibling

b)the first time a teacher insulted our academic performance

c)the first time our parents yelled at us.

When emotional experiences like these occur in childhood, we form a self-belief.

This belief informs us if we are:

a)good or bad

b)beautiful or ugly

c)important or irrelevant

d)safe or unsupported.

However, the "information" contained in these beliefs is based solely upon your perception.

In other words, the "information" contained in this belief is not based on actual truth; it is based only on your perception which has been influenced by other peoples perceptions.

These perceptions feel true and real because they are fueled by the emotions contained in your original wound.

Perhaps you felt ashamed when your sibling slighted you.

If you felt that at the moment of this original wound, then you probably grew up feeling perpetually ashamed of yourself.

Perhaps you felt unintelligent and inferior when your teacher insulted your academic performance.

If you felt that at the moment of this original wound, then you probably grew up believing that other people always judge you because you are always inferior in some way.

Perhaps you felt unsafe, misunderstood, and unloved when your parents yelled at you for the first time.

If you felt that at the moment of this original wound, then you probably grew up believing that you are perpetually unsafe, misunderstood, and unloved.

These beliefs are held in our subconscious minds. That means that we rarely realize that we believe these things.

Even if we do occasionally realize that we hold these untrue, limiting beliefs, we still struggle to change these beliefs because they are trapped within our subconscious.

Every relationship in which we participate, how we conduct ourselves on the job, how we communicate with loved ones, and the risks we do and do not take are determined by these subconscious beliefs.

We must continually increase our self-awareness in order to break free from these old beliefs and to become liberated from the pain of the original wounds which hold these beliefs intact.

By increasing our self-awareness, we can create brand new ways of feeling, perceiving, and experiencing the world.

This column (FBN) is here to help you do that. But you have to be willing to participate in the FBN exercises in order for real change to occur in your life.

Consider these questions over the next week. Write your thoughts and feelings about them in a journal:

(Note: You may choose to do the exercises from previous weeks to build more clarity and more effectively transform your life.)

When you find yourself in a state of heightened stress ask:

1.Is my stress in this moment linked to a fear of not being safe or secure?

2.Is my stress in the moment to a fear of not being good enough or not being accepted by others?

3.Is my stress in the moment linked to a fear of abandonment or separation?

Next:

1.To which of the questions above did you answer "yes" regarding your current moment of stress?

2.Jog your memory to see if you can recall your original wound. In other words, can you recall the earliest memory in your life when you first felt this type emotional pain?

3.Write about that memory. Recall the sounds, smells, and all of the fears and emotions you felt at the time.

4.What beliefs about your value and your place in the world were formed during this early time in your life?

5.How have those early beliefs impacted the way you show up in relationships, on the job, and in your communications?

6.What risks have you or have you not taken because of these early beliefs?

After journaling, take some time to move in a healthy and relaxing way.

You may choose to dance to your favorite song, walk your favorite trail, go fishing, or exercise. Just make sure you move because movement will help you release more of the emotional pain you have been carrying for all these years.

Know that you are human, like everyone else. Every single human has original wounds.

Only the most responsible members of society actually do the work to heal those wounds.

Thank you for your contribution to our society by being brave enough to grow on a personal level.

I AM with you.

Get more information at http://www.amandablain.me or e-mail questions and comments to amandablainyoga@gmail.com.

Read the rest here:
Feel Better Now: Part Two - Products of the Past - Olney Daily Mail

If you've been living through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic for as long as the United States has, you might be pretty envious of the comparative calm just across the border in Canada.

Indeed, some Americans have even gone so far as to sneak into their northern neighbour, despite a border ban that's been in place since the pandemic began.

Many of them have been exploiting what has become known as the "Alaska loophole".

In March, Canada closed its borders to all foreign nationals.

But those who discovered the loophole have reportedly been telling authorities they're only passing through Canada on their way to the US state of Alaska.

Back in June for example, seven Americans were fined for illegally crossing into Canada to go on a hike.

Foreigners are also apparently arriving by sea, either on sailboats or luxury yachts.

It wasn't until the end of July that the border authority attempted to close the loophole, announcing that travellers heading to Alaska would need to take the most direct route to their destination.

"The border isn't actually fully closed, it's just closed to 'non-essential travel', which nobody has firmly defined," Colin Furness, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Toronto, told the ABC.

"There are still something like 200,000 people crossing the border into Canada every week from the US. I wish that number was much lower, because people have to self-quarantine and our resources to enforce [and] monitor that are pretty weak."

Amid reports that this might be happening and that some Canadians were beginning to act out against American vehicles, premier of British Columbia John Horgan reminded Canadians to "be calm, be kind" at the end of July.

"With respect to those who have offshore [number] plates and are feeling harassed, I would suggest perhaps public transit," he said.

But the border ban has not just impacted those living outside Canada.

One Canadian news outlet reported that a couple who were both doctors hadn't seen each other since the COVID-19 border closure began because one of them worked in the US state of Michigan.

"My husband is missing out on this entire journey that we worked really, really, hard for," Dr Ashley Cook, who was pregnant at the time, told CBC News in May.

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Professor Furness believes the border will have to stay closed until at least March 2021, when either a vaccine or herd immunity in the US will cause cases to decline.

"A vast majority of Canadians support keeping the border closed," he said.

"There is pressure from Americans who want the border to open, however, their self-awareness about risk and mitigation of COVID-19 is a lot lower than ours."

It's no wonder why some might be trying to make their way across the border.

Canada has so far recorded more than 125,600 cases of COVID-19, compared to 5.6 million infections in the US.

According to assistant professor of social work at Canada's Dalhousie University Raluca Bejan, the public sentiment is that Canada did well in managing the coronavirus outbreak.

"Especially [given] that most comparisons are drawn with the US, since we are so close to them, geographically speaking," she told the ABC.

Even though coronavirus arrived in Canada at roughly the same time as the US, the country had a few natural advantages.

It has a much smaller population compared to its southern neighbour just 37 million people compared to America's 328 million residents.

"Population density matters too, which is why New York got hit so hard. Poverty is another major risk, and the Americans have much more of it than we do," Professor Furness said.

But he says Canada's culture, which prizes the collective over the individual, also played a crucial role in the country's success.

"There's an old joke: how do you get 50 Canadians out of a swimming pool? You say, 'Please get out of the swimming pool,'" he said.

"I don't know how to get 50 Americans out of the pool, and I'm not sure anybody could: some would get out, some would sue, and some would point a gun and say 'make me'".

While Canada also has an anti-mask movement, a recent study found that four out of five people happily abide by public health measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

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Canada also got an early glimpse into the damage an infectious disease could unleash two decades ago.

In 2003, SARS killed 44 people in Toronto the most deaths outside Asia after an infected woman travelled to Canada from Hong Kong.

That experience meant Canada was quick to react at critical moments of the coronavirus pandemic, according to experts.

As early as January, Canadian authorities started preparing testing and monitoring infrastructure and by the beginning of March, Canada had already carried out 3,000 COVID-19 tests.

Across the border, only 500 had been completed by the Centres for Disease Control.

"We were able to control the virus better than many of our allies including, particularly, our neighbour," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in June.

But experts have identified some issues with Canada's COVID-19 outbreaks.

Roughly one-fifth of Canada's cases and more than 80 per cent of its deaths have occurred in facilities for the elderly and disabled, according to government figures.

The outbreaks in homes in Ontario and Quebec were so severe that the Government had to send the Canadian military to help.

The military said it found malnourished residents in dirty nappies left to languish in their insect-infested rooms as facilities struggled to contain the outbreaks.

One of the other problems Dr Bejan has identified also lies in the conditions migrant labourers endure when they come to Canada to work on farms and in meat plants.

In June, Mexico became so concerned about the rapid spread of COVID-19 on farms in Ontario that it refused to send temporary workers there.

"The precarious living and working conditions that migrant workers are subjected to, combined with their lack of state protections, has resulted in COVID-19 outbreaks," she said.

Dr Bejan says as a strong welfare state, whose public system of healthcare provision is a symbol of national pride, Canada had an advantage when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

But she suggests after decades of government cutbacks, Canada was not as prepared as it could have been in terms of testing kit stockpiles, contact tracing and labs.

"The Windsor testing lab, [for example] was built in 1966, in the golden era of the Canadian welfare state," she said.

The lab, in the biggest province of Ontario, had the capacity to conduct tests for tuberculosis and the West Nile virus.

"Despite public outcry, the lab was demolished in 2010 and replaced with a new highway," she said.

Experts including Dr Bejan believe the facility could have had a great impact on the region, which has experienced relatively low testing rates.

"Only 2.5 per cent of the local population in Windsor-Essex was tested by May 2020."

As the northern hemisphere heads into winter, experts say a second wave of COVID-19 cases in Canada is "inevitable".

"I have no doubt about that at all. Whether it manifests as small flare-ups or something worse will depend heavily, I think, on our willingness to wear masks indoors in public," Professor Furness said.

But he believes that Canadians will rise to the challenge.

"Because Canadians are a pretty compliant bunch and because we have front-row seats to the disaster unfolding in the US to act as a horrible warning, I feel optimistic," he said.

Read the rest here:
As coronavirus COVID-19 rages next door in the US, Canada hopes to avoid disaster by keeping its border closed - ABC News

In this series, New Hope Network covers the ins and outs of accelerators and incubators across the United States that provide mentorship, funds and resources to help grow natural businesses. Here, Partner and Director Peter Bodenheimer shares about Food-X, which has been operating for six years and considers itslef the original omnifood investor.

What: Food-X, an investor-backed accelerator that includes $125,000 investment for 10% equity and participation in subsequent funding rounds. When: Typically an in-person four-month program; 2021 program to be virtual starting in January. Notable alumni: Abbot's Butcher, Millennia Tea, Uplift Food.

Applications for the 2021 Food-X program are currently open and will close at the end of October 2020. Applications are constantly being evaluating and initial interviews have already begun, so there is no time better than the present to apply.

Food-X invests in exceptional founders shaping innovation across the global food system. We cultivate unfair advantages for the next generation of founders through expert mentorship, network effects and access to capital. Food-X stands with founders building a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive food system to protect human and planetary health.

Food-Xwant teams with founders who embrace resilience, persistence, take initiative when building a business and can withstand the bumps and challenges of the long haul in building a company. We look for founders who demonstrate a deep understanding of their market, show self-awareness around their limitations and are also willing to learn and receive feedback.

Building a business alone significantly increases the difficulty, so Food-X looks to back founding teams, not solo founders. While it raises the bar for consideration, in the right circumstances we will consider solo founders that have the right team already in place around them and demonstrate the traits above.

I don't believe that there is a single piece of advice for all entrepreneurs, and often founders are so "in the weeds" in their business that the best advice tends to be the kind that after you hear it you say, "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" An example is when I was building one of my own businesses and I needed to swim downstream. I was so focused on a specific outcome that I was trying to brute force one solution where there were other options that created far less friction.

I have a few that I am excited about because they are tackling problems that I care about deeply. They are Rx-Diet, which is using AI to create a system for Medical Nutritional Therapy; Uplift Food, which is providing "Good Mood Food" by supporting prebiotic gut health; and Planetarians, which is upcycling defatted sunflower seeds into a platform for plant-based alternatives.

Originally posted here:
Food-X accelerator: When to apply and more - New Hope Network

As societys collective anxiety soars, another crisis looms. The CDC recently shared that people are already experiencing rising levels of anxiety and depression. Yet significant barriers exist when it comes to mental healthcare access. Thats why women all over the country are redesigning mental health and wellness resources to ensure previous barriers such as cost, time, location and stigma no longer prevent people from seeking the help they need.

The women I spoke to are focusing their efforts on four key areas: frontline workers, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), those suffering from workplace burnout, and working parents trying to balance it all.

Frontline Workers Battling The Pandemic

While frontline workers were applauded and lauded as heroes when the pandemic hit NYC in March,concerns arose about the lasting mental toll on those seeing the worst of the worst.

Thats why Caroline Webb and Kathryn Rose teamed up in March to build an initiative called Frontline Help, which offers free coaching services for healthcare workers. Webb shared, When the Covid-19 crisis broke, it was obvious that there was going to be a lot of strain on frontline staff like nurses, doctors, EMTs. I wanted to donate some of my time, and I knew many other coaches who were also ready to do the same. And Kathryn Rose stepped up as the partner able to make it happen she is the founder of a social enterprise called wiseHer, a platform that enables users to book calls with expert advisors around the world.

Kathryn Rose, founder of wiseHer and Frontline Help

Since then, several world-class coaching organizations (including the Institute of Coaching and Wellcoaches) joined in the effort to make it possible for Webb and Rose to do this at scale. Now the organization boasts more than 400 volunteer coaches who have raised their hand to help healthcare workers during the pandemic. The platform is now expanding to include teachers who face an extraordinary burden as the school year begins.

While the platform came together quickly, was free for users and easy to navigate, they were surprised to see a lack of signups during the onset of the crisis. Turns out, healthcare workers are less likely to seek care for themselves due to stigma.

Similar organizations are facing the same issues. Psychologist Nicole Andreoli helped create NYC COVID Cares, a network that matches volunteer therapists, coaches and spiritual leaders with healthcare workers and their families. A big learning for us was becoming aware of the pervasiveness of mental health stigma throughout hospital systems. We've heard that frontline healthcare workers can be reticent to ask for mental health support because they fear being penalized internally or viewed negatively, so having an anonymous place where they can come and ask for help and support has undoubtedly been beneficial.

Nicole Andreoli PhD

While NYC COVID Cares saw an overwhelming response from volunteers, enlisting over 3,000 mental wellness professionals in the first few days of existence, there has been a disparity in response of frontline workers interested in participating. Andreoli wonders if the mental health effects of being a frontline worker during this time will take on more of a trauma response, where negative symptoms really start to emerge several months down the line.

When your identity is tied to helping others, its not easy to admit that you might benefit from seeking support for yourself, says Webb. We try to emphasize that by taking a few minutes just to talk things through, youll be better able to help others because you're building your own resilience.

Frontline Health Founder Caroline Webb

There seems to be some level of success in recent years to try to destigmatize mental health services. In fact, Millennials are 2X more likely than older generations to see a therapist.Frame is trying to solve the accessibility issue. Kendall Bird left her job at Snap Inc. last year to join forces with her best friend, Sage Grazer, a licensed therapist who was struggling to build her business.

Bird is trying to combat the misperception that therapy is always high cost. She works with a network of therapists to find creative ways to provide affordable options. For example, she asked therapists to offer lower rates at off peak times. Everyone wants to do therapy in the morning and evening (outside of work hours) but barely anyone wants to do Wednesday at 2pm so we asked therapists to offer lower rates for those time slots.

In an effort to combat stigma, Frame hosts livestream sessions meant to mimic what an actual therapy session feels like. Bird says, Users can tune in from around the world anonymously. We pick a specific topic. Recently we hosted one centered around racism. We had a person talk to a therapist about how to explain racism to her two young boys. Therapy can be really scary and intimidating for people, so we wanted to create an environment that made it less scary.

Frame Founders Kendall Bird and Sage Grazer

Mental Wellness Resources for BIPOC

Organizations that focus on mental wellness resources for the Black community have always existed and in June 2020, saw unprecedented attention in the wake of recent civil unrest centered around police brutality and systemic racism. One of the most well known is Rachel Cargles The Loveland Foundation, whose therapy fund addresses barriers impacting access to treatment among diverse communities. Cargle has received attention for her The Great Unlearn initiative which seeks to educate both BIPOC and those who want to be allies about systemic racism through empathy, knowledge and action.

Dr. Christina M. Charlotin is a young, Black, LGBTQ+ identified licensed clinical psychologist who is currently building an organization called Therapy Pad with the goal of improving access to affordable mental health services. Set to launch in Fall 2020, TherapyPad is the first national mental health virtual group practice that only employs fully licensed clinical psychologists.

Dr. Christina Charlotin

When asked about some barriers that people face when seeking out mental health resources, she pointed to the lack of diversity in the therapists themselves. Some clients prefer and tend to respond better when services are being provided by a therapist who a client may feel better understands them as they share their same cultural/religious/ or racial background. For example, 80% of clients who seek me out are young adults, LGBTQ, or Black.

Charlotin also believes virtual therapy can also break down some of the access barriers to mental health resources. She did her dissertation on Telehealth in 2015, back when it was still considered a controversial topic. She encourages people considering virtual therapy options to ask, When it can be done from the comfort of your own home, why choose to continue suffering and being stagnant in areas of your life which dont align with the outcomes you want for yourself?

Parenting in a Pandemic:

Parents in 2020 are facing impossible challenges as they juggle full time work with childcare and distance learning. And with schools opening around the country, the choice between in-person or distance learning is often fraught with anxiety.

Dr. Angel Montfort is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of the Center for Maternal Mental Health in Wesley Chapel, Florida. Montfort offers the following advice to help parents who choose to continue distance learning maintain sanity. Acknowledge that you will not be able to recreate the exact environment that your child had at school AND that you will not be as productive at your job while you are managing child care at home. Building a routine rather than a rigid schedule is important. If the schedule for distance learning is already designated by the school, then allow for flexibility with the other parts of your day such as meal times, outdoor activity or bedtime.

Dr. Angel Montfort

Montfort also recommends finding moments of mindfulness amidst the chaos. I would recommend practicing a brief (1-3 minute) meditation and setting an intention for the day. Be mindful that your child may be struggling with the adjustment as well, and practice empathy if you are noticing increased behavioral issues. It can also be helpful to teach your children healthy coping skills which may include mindfulness, relaxation strategies, or a creative outlet. Remember what your child needs above all else: to feel love, closeness and security.

Dr. Michelle Casarella wants to break down the stigma associated with parents seeking mental wellness resources. She wants people to see therapy as necessary preventative care. All too often therapy has a negative association. People often wait until things get really shitty to talk to someone. I deliberately named my business Mental Wellness Mamas because I want to get the word out about the difference between mental wellness and mental health. The overwhelming majority of my clients are moms without diagnosable mental health disorders. They are just people trying to manage it all. (Disclaimer: the author of this piece is one of Casarellas patients who is desperately trying to manage it all)

Casarella notes that, Mental wellness is all about being proactive rather than reactive. Its in line with the concept of preventative care, which has been shown to reduce the rates of chronic illness, increase overall life satisfaction, and reduce expenses.

Dr. Michelle Casarella

Mental Wellness In The Workplace

Casarella also focuses on how parents can deal with workplace burnout. Companies with wellness programs usually include outlets proven to reduce stress and increase productivity: on site gyms, free access to meditation apps, rooms to take quick naps. These things are all fantastic, but the next piece is to focus on overall quality of life. Create a program that focuses on the needs of the modern working mom. Create a community for moms, flexible childcare support, tips on how to manage their energy rather than just their time, and how to deal with the constant pressure to do everything well.

Workplace stress extends beyond just working parents. With so many companies shifting to a work from home model, employees are finding themselves putting in longer hours and struggling more than ever to log off now that the physical distance between office and home no longer exist. Kathleen Stetson, founder of Rational Confidence, works with a group familiar with burnout: entrepreneurs. She offers a 12-week program to those participating in MITs delta v accelerator which helps them incorporate mental wellness and mindfulness into their companies as they build them. My hypothesis is that if founders care for their own mental wellness, their startups will be more successful. And the industry is catching up. This past year, 70% of entrepreneurs participating in the program were interested in mental wellness, meditation, coaching and more.

She notes that the pandemic has probably contributed to societys renewed focus on making sure people are caring for themselves. People during the pandemic are just forced to be with themselves in this whole new way. The power of learning self awareness tools can be very helpful during times that are already anxiety provoking.

Rational Confidence Founder Kathleen Stetson

Mental wellness experts overwhelmingly agree that the time investment in mental wellbeing is worthwhile, and theyre getting increasingly more creative about ways to solve the cost and stigma barriers. If you have any interest in being the most successful and healthiest version of yourself, you should make time for it, says Frame founder Kendall Bird. (Coaches and) therapists help you work through setting healthy boundaries. They help you identify whether some of your relationships are toxic. Its a tool that serves to make us all more well rounded.

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The Women Shaping The Future Of Mental Wellness - Forbes