Breath In, Write Out

This week's episode discusses some of the mental health challenges that students encounter, and strategies to create a healthier study environment. Despite campaigns put forward by governments and corporations in the last decade that encourage a more open discussion about mental health, there are still a number of stigmas and taboos that surround mental health concerns, particularly mental health struggles that are connected to addiction. During this episode, we hope to deconstruct some of those stereotypes associated with mental illness and addiction; and instead, present an empathetic, compassionate, and sensitive framework to discuss the sometimes bumpy journey to mental wellness.

This week’s guest is Holly Smith, a Kanien'ke:haka (Mohawk) of the Haudenosaunee people from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She is an experienced clinical occupational therapist in the field of mental health and substance use, who currently works as a clinical manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She also recently established Indigenous Wellness Services, a mental health therapy and consulting business which offers a decolonized approach to mental health treatment.

This week’s episode is about how to stay healthy and mobile while working at home. Due to COVID-19, many people are working from home in less than ideal situations. Our previous podcast - Creating a Virtual Study Space - discussed how to create work-life balance and use technology effectively while working from home to avoid distractions; however, we did not touch on the issues associated with sitting for long periods of time in front of a computer screen. Maintaining physical health, particularly improving flexibility and avoiding painful injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, while working at a desk is important.

This week’s guest is Nastassia Pailkoff, a Registered Physiotherapist and acupuncture practitioner. Nastassia graduated with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Queen's University and Medical Contemporary Acupuncture Certificate from McMaster University, after completing her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at York University. During her studies, she volunteered at the Black Creek Community Centre in a program that worked to manage chronic disease through exercise. Nastassia's treatment approach is focused primarily on patient education, exercise prescription and correction, and manual therapy. She currently works in the areas of pediatric cerebral palsy, and neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement in adults. She believes rehabilitation should be as personalized as the individual being cared for.

This week’s episode explores the experience of indigenous students studying at Canadian universities, and the issues that they care about. Six percent of the entire world population identifies as indigenous, and 5% of the Canadian population. In countries with a history of colonization, such as Canada, there is an underlying pain and tension between the indigenous and settler communities. As a result of generational trauma and discrimination, Indigenous students face different obstacles to their education than settler or international students.

This week’s guest is Fernanda Yanchapaxi, an Indigenous/Mesitzx PhD student in the Social Justice Program at the Ontario Institution for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. She has over 15 years experience working in the education sector to promote egalitarian policies and strategies that contribute to the healing of generations of racism and oppression. She has worked with youth and professionals to promote indigenous activism, policy development, and program implementation. Her current research focuses on indigenous knowledge with the context of Western intellectual property norms in her home country of Ecuador.

This week’s episode is about my favorite celebration of all-time - HALLOWEEN!! Every year I look forward to Halloween, not because I am a fan of being scared or engaging in debauchery, but because of the imagination and creativity involved. I love seeing different costumes, decorating my home, and finding a way to scare my students. Halloween for me is inspirational, so today we are going to talk about the art of writing horror and creepy stories.

Today’s guest is my work-study student and our podcast editor and blog post composting, Jingyi (Jane) Miao. Jane isn’t really an official expert, but she has watched hundreds, maybe thousands of horror movies and spooky shows. She knows the genre so well that she even dreams of entire movie plots and scenes in her sleep. I should also mention that Jane is a Bachelor of Arts student in Economic and International Relations at the University of Toronto, and a very talented writer in both English and Chinese...but mostly, she is my go-to person for scary stuff.

This week's episode is about self-expression through poetry and creative writing. Anyone has the capacity to write a poem!

This week’s guest is Christie Wong, a Creative Writing Instructor and Coach at PFAU: Academic Writing. Christie specializes in teaching creative writing, with a focus on poetry. She self-published her own poetry book in her youth and was an Artist in Residence at Project 40 Collective in 2019.

Tune in to find out more!

This week’s episode is about the transition from an undergraduate degree to a graduate degree, particularly in conducting graduate research. As an undergraduate, you are working to meet certain requirements and receive high grades. However, when you transition to graduate school, the relationship you have with your professors, colleagues, and the research changes. You’re treated more like an equal and the focus becomes on concentrating on developing your research skills and ideas. As we begin the Fall term, many of you are starting Grad School for the first time, so we thought it would be a good idea to talk a bit about that transition.

This week’s guests are Dane Mauer-Vakil and Aravind Rajendran, Masters students enrolled in the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dane is focussed on mental health and addiction services, with particular attention paid to the community setting. Aravind is currently a Research Assistant at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, and has an interest in the tobacco control policy, with a focus on e-cigarettes.

This week’s episode is about the art of writing, a process that can bring a lifetime of joy, frustration, and inevitably fulfillment. Writing is a unique form of communication that relies on our ability to create imagined realities with the deliberate and careful use of words, punctuation, grammar, and style. 

 We interview Laifong Leung, Chinese Language and Literature scholar, about the art of writing, a process that can bring a lifetime of joy, frustration, and inevitably fulfillment. She is passionate about classical Chinese poetry, contemporary Chinese literature, Chinese diasporic literature, and language teaching.

Tune in to find out more!

This week’s episode is about making the transition from high school to university. For many students, this is their first time being away from home, living in a big city, and being around so many other smart competitive colleagues. It’s a major transition that seems to either go well or terribly wrong over the course of a year. It’s important to be mentally prepared for this transition, and take advantage of as many of the campus resources available in order to set yourself up for success.

This week’s guest is David Zarnett, the Undergraduate Student Advisor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, as well as an experienced lecturer on global security, human rights, international cooperation, and war and peace.  As the Undergraduate Advisor, he helps students address the many challenges they face during their undergraduate studies and helps them prepare for life after they graduate. He is passionate about empowering students of all abilities to be successful on their own terms.

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This week's episode is about finding a career in the arts as a recent graduate. While a B.A. degree provides students with transferable skills such as critical thinking, which can be used for a number of career paths, many choose to attend graduate school and eventually become a Professor.

We interview Danielle Law, PhD, and Associate Professor in Psychology and Youth and Children’s Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Danielle is also the Director of the Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab.

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This week’s episode is about how to boost your resilience during COVID-19. The past few months have been a difficult time for many, with dramatic lifestyle changes such as being isolated at home. While it is easy to feel discouraged, by taking small steps to build resilience, you can feel more in control and empowered in your life.

We interview Sarah Lang, a certified coach, who supports people to dream big, launch new projects, and bring creative visions to life. Sarah is passionate about helping her students develop their speaking confidence and skill set so they can make a bigger impact. 

Tune in to find out more!