Peer Health student staff and volunteers are passionate about student health and want to make a difference at the University of Saskatchewan, located on Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland of the Metis (Canada)
I find it really easy to get engulfed in the endless scrolling and gaming that happens on our electronics. It can become so frequent that it drowns us out of reality and the things that make life worth living. Every time I try to plan something else around studying or passing time on electronics all… Continue reading The Little Things That Matter
I just like many people my age, was very excited (and somewhat nervous) to get my COVID-19 vaccine. I want my life to get back to normal. So, when the opportunity from my job arose to be vaccinated before my age grouping, I snatched it up. I called the second it was 8am (when appointments… Continue reading My COVID Vaccine Story
Harm reduction. What does it mean? A couple years ago, I saw it as a bad word. All of the DARE training and elementary health classes had wired into my brain that DRUGS ARE BAD. In a way, they had made me ignorant. When I attended an orientation for a volunteering facility and they mentioned… Continue reading The Harm Reduction Approach
Compassion fatigue is the resulting stress someone feels from helping traumatized individuals (Cocker & Joss, 2016). Secondary traumatic stress, cumulative burnout, and physical & mental exhaustion contribute to compassion fatigue (Cocker & Joss, 2016). Although these symptoms are commonly attributed to health care workers, everyone can experience these difficult feelings. Untreated compassion fatigue can lead… Continue reading Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care
Stigma surrounding mental health is one of the largest barriers a person faces when seeking help. By definition, stigma is a judgemental train of thinking that is harmful to people living with mental health or substance use problems that labels these groups in a negative way. This umbrella term includes various discriminatory behaviours, such as… Continue reading Destigmatizing Mental Health and Using Helpful Language
The return to campus in the coming months evokes mixed feelings for many. This reopening has been long anticipated, allowing many students the opportunity to thrive in a social setting. However, this new transition can pose different feelings for individuals who are more introverted. Not only is this a change to one’s ‘regular’ routine, but… Continue reading Social Anxiety- Post Quarantine
Saskatoon is home to Saskatchewan’s first ever safe consumption site, but what does that really mean? A safe consumption site is a welcoming and hygienic space for drug users. These spaces are designed to promote safe injection and create connection between community members. Those working at safe consumption sites are trained in Naloxone injection, which… Continue reading Safe Consumption Sites: A Community Necessity
COVID-19 and poor mental health do not go well together, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. As everyone is doing their part to reduce the spread of COVID this summer by getting vaccinated, staying within your social bubble and responsible mask wearing and handwashing, you must also be taking care… Continue reading Practicing Good Mental Health During COVID-19
Everyone has a phobia, and although needles are not one of mine, pain and the unknown certainly can unsettle me. I grew up in a family of physicians and completed my university degrees in the sciences, so I knew that receiving the vaccination was of upmost importance for multiple reasons. Not only does it protect… Continue reading COVID-19 Vaccination Experience
What do you think of when you hear the words “harm reduction”? As someone who didn’t know much more than the gist of the concept, I assumed it just meant promoting ways to reduce the risks of potentially landing yourself in the hospital or worse, 6 feet underground when engaging in dangerous activities. And I only say… Continue reading Harm Reduction: Explained
