UNA Wellness Day to focus on firing up your health

Following the successes of Wellness Day events in 2021 and 2022, United Nurses of Alberta is hosting a Wellness Day for members on February 9, 2023.

Focusing on mental health and self-care, this day-long Wellness Day event will feature speakers Meg Soper, Dr. Geoffrey Soloway, Anthony McLean, and Barb Campbell, who will share skills that can help UNA members boost their resiliency, teach relaxation and stress relieving methods, and how to cope with an ever changing workplace.

UNA President Heather Smith will bring welcoming remarks.

UNA members planning to attend are encouraged to request a Professional Development Day.

Members who are unable attend this symposium live will have the opportunity to view a recorded version following the event. More information will be available soon on how to access the recording.

REGISTER ONLINE

February 9 Wellness Day Schedule

8:30 - 8:55 Yoga Session with Barbara Campbell - Optional

9:00 - 9:30 Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, Greetings from UNA President Heather Smith

9:30 - 11:00 Meg Soper: The Secret Sauce…Thriving in Times of Change

11:00 - 11:15 Break

11:15 - 12:00 Dr. Geoffrey Soloway: Workplace Wellness

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 - 13:45 UNA Occupational Health & Safety 

13:45 - 15:00 Anthony McLean: Fire up Your Mental Health

Guest Speakers & Session Descriptions

Meg Soper - The Secret Sauce…Thriving in Times of Change

This high energy and interactive keynote presentation confronts the challenges posed by the accelerating pace of change in our personal and professional lives. Meg offers an inspirational message while  sharing her ideas on how we can use humor, passion and resilience to enhance communication, find more balance and sustain personal growth even when we are pushed to our limits. 

Meg explores ideas about navigating change and dealing with life’s ever present stresses, emphasizing the important role that humor and communication style play in helping us perform at our best. She delves into the topic of emotional intelligence by offering insights on how our brain’s default response wiring can hijack our thoughts and perceptions and make us less effective than we might otherwise be in our interactions with others. 

Using experiences from her career as an O.R. nurse, and now as a thought leader on mindfulness and resilience, Meg will explore the key elements of a successful conversation and demonstrate that by choosing to shift our perspective – and distinguishing between left brain and right brain thought patterns - we can ‘rewire’ our thought patterns thus leading us to stronger relationships with the people in our lives.  

This presentation will entertain, inspire and leave audience members with ideas to help realize improvements in health, self-awareness and relationships at work and at home. 

Session Objectives:

1. Learn about the HPR Sauce – Humor, Passion and Resilience to manage change and thrive personally and professionally.

2. Gain greater control over how we react in moments of difficulty; reinforce the idea that we have the ability to ‘Shift our Perspective’ to fend off negative emotions and thought loops.  

3. Learn Meg’s Mini-Mindfulness Break technique for giving our ‘Brain a Boost’ and to be more present in our interactions with others. 

4. Offer strategies to help improve personal resilience so that we are better able to manage change and maintain a positive mindset; and,

5. Share laughter and positive energy together! 

Biography

Meg Soper travels North America sharing powerful insights and strategies for being more effective in our personal and professional lives. Combining her experience as a registered nurse with her skill in stand-up comedy, she offers a unique blend of humor and inspirational ideas to connect with her audience, break barriers, and help people “Shift Perspective” to better deal with the challenges they face every day.

Soper invests the time to know her audience and the challenges they face. She has touched the lives of thousands by combining her remarkable sense of humour with a curiosity about people. Her ability to connect has made her one of the country’s leading motivational speakers.

Soper’s diverse content has been shaped by her career as a staff nurse and as an operating room nurse in regional and major urban teaching hospitals. As a health care professional, Soper recognizes the vital role that humor can play in creating a healthier workplace environment, in helping us deal better with stress, and in communicating more effectively.

A highly sought-after speaker at conventions and corporate functions throughout North America, Soper has shared the stage with many celebrities, including Ray Romano and Ellen Degeneres.

Soper is co-author of the book, From the Stage to the Page…Life Lessons from Four Funny Ladies. She has appeared on the CBC, CTV, the Women’s Television Network and on Prime TV.

Anthony McLean - Fire Up Your Mental Health!

Low energy, quiet quitting, burnout... It seems everyone is struggling these days. How can we regain our enthusiasm, recapture our joy, and get the pep back in our step at work and at home? Many people assume mental health is a topic of interest only for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, or mental illness. But your energy levels, your mood, your ability to think clearly and pursue goals — these are all a reflection of your mental health. In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony McLean offers actionable tools to optimize energy levels, stimulate creative thinking, and approach every day with enthusiasm and joy.

Learning outcomes:

Understand the difference between everyday ups and downs, temporary mental health problems, and mental illnesses.

Learn healthy coping skills to deal with stress and anxiety.

See the role exercise, sleep, hydration, and nutrition play in overall wellness.

Adopt a supportive mental health routine. 

Biography

With a background in theatre, Anthony McLean delivers lively presentations on mental health, diversity and inclusion, and education. He has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks across the world, rocking the stage at conferences, colleges, and corporate events. As a respected voice in his field, McLean has been featured in The Globe and Mail and on CBC News and Breakfast Television. Delivering research-backed tools and actionable strategies, McLean always leaves audiences inspired to bring their best every day. 

McLean works actively in the film and television industry. He hosted the CBC Television show The X and was featured in the documentary films Colour Me, SOAR, and Rising Above. He also has a passion for inspiring educators, crediting teachers for making the biggest different in his life and inspiring him to be his best. McLean is currently writing his first book, Fire Up Your Mental Health. 

Geoffrey Soloway, PhD - Workplace Wellness

Session description to be announced shortly

Biography

Dr. Geoff Soloway has been working in the area of health promotion, mindfulness and wellbeing for almost 20 years. Geoff completed a PhD on Mindfulness at the University of Toronto, as well as a Master's of Education on Holistic Education. Geoff has worked as an Instructor at University of Toronto and University of British Columbia (UBC) and as a consultant offering mindfulness-based workshops and programs for professionals in the workplace. Geoff received a certificate in Organizational Coaching for UBC.

~