Return to the Classroom or Office

With all the difficult adjustments we have had to make during the pandemic, the possible feeling of apprehension for a return to campus may come as no surprise. During this time, it is important to reflect on ourselves, our needs and to reach out if we need supports. Taking a proactive approach to your mental wellness will go a long ways in our adjustments. Self-care, practicing gratitude and thankfulness, proper sleep, nutrition and hygiene and accessing supports have been scientifically proven to aid our psychological development and to provide a positive experience.

Some may be excited to be on campus, while others may be more apprehensive - both feelings are justified!

Everyone will feel different and that’s OK

The important thing to remember while you are on campus is that everyone has different experiences and expectations. You won't know what someone else is going through so don’t assume that everyone else is fine and you are the only one who is nervous about the return to campus. If there is one thing this pandemic has shown us it is that we all respond to major changes differently. While some people have been eager to get out and about, others may be taking slightly more cautious steps into socialising.

Take the time you need to understand what works best for YOU as things start to return to the "new normal". This will not happen overnight, so take your time and don’t feel pressured to make changes just because people around you are.

Numerous resources are provided on the Mental Wellness Hub to assist you as part of our campus community. To help support the academic and mental well-being of our students, faculty members may choose to embed mental wellness supports in the class(room) syllabus statements or offer supports in their email signature.

Faculty and staff can learn the skills and distress strategies when they recognize a colleague (or student) in distress and be able to point the individual in the right direction for support options.

The resources below can be easily found on Mental Wellness Hub:

Faculty and staff members of our campus community, can access the following services and supports, free of charge, and are designed to support your mental wellness journey.

Homewood Health - Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

Eligible faculty and staff can access mental health supports including short-term counselling services with the Employee and Family Assistance Program [UR Source, login required]

SunLife (my SunLife)

For eligible faculty and staff, the University’s benefit provider (log-in required) offers mental health supports such as psychologist and social worker services.