With Mental Health Awareness Week next week, it is important to remember how our mental wellbeing affects our physical health, and vice versa.
Now that the ACC has closed the Habitatwork page, we can no longer use their model to demonstrate how the contributory factors combine to make you explode. A good model to replace this is Te Whare Tapa Whā.
Te Whare Tapa Whā is a model with 4 dimensions of wellbeing developed by Sir Mason Durie in 1984 to provide a Māori perspective on health. The dimensions are:
• taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
• taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing)
• taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
• taha whānau (family wellbeing).
[…]
The 4 dimensions represent the walls of a wharenui (meeting house). The wharenui’s connection with the whenua (land) forms the foundation for the other 4 dimensions.
Should one of the four dimensions be missing or in some way damaged, a person, or a collective may become ‘unbalanced’ and subsequently unwell.
— Māori health models – Te Whare Tapa Whā, Ministry of Health
We are still needing volunteers to help with blocking off the stairs. You don’t have to be a first aider, we just need to make sure no-one walks out onto the stairs during the race. Please note the date is now 18 March, and you will be needed between 11-12:30.
With summer projects getting started, and a lot of furniture, books, & equipment moving around, remember to take care of yourself.
– Use good book handling principles.
– Keep hydrated, water is good for you and the many comfort stops are a good micropause!
– Try to find time to relax during your time off…
Many heavy users of mobile devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc) have said that they suffer from pain in their hands, neck or shoulders.
We need to be smart and use mobile devices in ways that keep us comfortable. People are often in awkward positions when using devices, eg. bent over while viewing small screens – think about how mobile devices may contribute to aches and pains. Remember to take a break, and relax your hands and shoulders.
(Texting thumb is another name for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.)
When you are working on summer projects which involve moving books and furniture, please remember to take care of yourself.
– Be self aware
– Avoid prolonged, repetitive movement or inactivity
– Use safe work methods
– Maintain good posture
– Take regular breaks
– Exercise regularly, keep a good fitness level
– Report any DPI symptoms
– Contribute to Health & Safety discussions in team meetings etc.
These are very poor photos of some of the quotes and proverbs that have been put up on level 4. They are on the inner windows, from the statue, around to the kits. Thank you to Zina for all her hard work making them! They look much better than these pictures – please have a look!
