
The Faculty of Arts and Science is committed to supporting our people and building strong, healthy communities.
Not only is supporting our people on of the four strategic priorities in our Strategic Plan, the need to build strong, healthy communities was amplified by the pandemic in the past year and a half.
Supporting our people and building healthy communities is reflected in many of the themes that emerged from our Town Halls, Community Assembly meetings, Dr. Wendy Craig’s research into the impact of COVID-19 on the FAS community, and the resulting Continuous Improvement Review for COVID Response.
Supporting Your Mental Health
Queen’s Employee & Family Assistance Program – provided by LifeWorks - is available 24/7, 365 days a year for faculty, staff, and eligible dependents. In addition to confidential wellbeing support, LifeWorks services can help you manage your reactions to stressful situations with wellness articles, podcasts, tools and other online resources. Learn more and register for upcoming orientation webinars.
The Faculty of Arts and Science has also organized events and curated resources supporting mental health specifically for FAS staff. Please see the sections below.
Supporting Your Physical Health
Queen’s offers free, virtual fitness classes for all employees; from yoga, to Pilates, to good-old-fashioned cardio, there’s something for everyone! Check out the spring offerings, and don't miss the healthy eating and food skills webinar recordings available in the Learning Library below.
Supporting Your Social Well-Being
Our community is stronger when we take time to connect. From sending virtual shoutouts for a job well done, to attending virtual coffee breaks and “Furry Friends” Pet Meet & Greets, the FAS community rallied together even when we couldn’t connect in-person. As we adapt to the new, hybrid working environment, let us know if you have a great idea for a social activity or would be interested in helping to organize opportunities for your colleagues to connect either virtually or in-person.
Supporting Your Professional Growth
In pursuit of healthy learning and working environments, the Faculty of Arts and Science is committed to supporting ongoing training and development by providing Learning & Development assistance to staff who pursue continuous work-related knowledge and skill improvement. See below for full details on the FAS Learning & Development Fund and opportunities to apply!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
April
Strategies for Managing Workplace Conflict - April 5, 2023 (11am-noon)
We work in increasingly complex and demanding environments where conflict is inevitable, yet managing conflict is something we tend to avoid. In this session you will learn the skills to address conflict by understanding the 5 conflict styles as well as identifying your own. You will also learn the components that make up a challenging conversation and how to plan for it to build your confidence and improve your overall results.
To get the most out of this session, please take a few minutes to reflect on the points below ahead of time. (If you register at the last minute or do not have time to reflect in advance, you are still welcome to join the session.)
- Consider some of the common disagreements you face in your relationships, teams, or your organization. Consider how having a challenging conversation, if handled well, would significantly improve results that are important to you. Think of a conversation you’re either dreading or avoiding altogether. In short, think of a few conversations that if you learned how to step up to and handle well, would improve results significantly.
- List three challenging conversations that you identified above and imagine that if handled well, it would make your life better.
Learning Library
You will find below recordings from past webinars, links to helpful resources, and suggested reading. Resources are updated on an ongoing basis. Have a suggested addition for our library? Let us know.
Resources by Topic
Self-Care
- Building Your Self-Care Action Plan (pdf)
- 5 Ways to Kick a Bad Habit for Good (pdf)
- 6 Ways to Weave Self-Care Into Your Workday (pdf)
- How to Build New Habits (pdf)
- Building Empathy from the Inside Out
- Take A Break (pdf)
- 50 Ways to Practice Self-Care (pdf)
- Staying Relaxed & Refreshed After Your Vacation Has Ended (pdf)
Managing Stress & Anxiety
- Guide to Mind Traps (pdf)
- What Difficult Emotions Are Trying to Tell You (YouTube)
- Respond to Stress with Mindfulness (pdf)
- What Anxiety Does to Us at Work (pdf)
- Challenging Stressful Thoughts Worksheet (doc)
- Ways to Cope When You’re Feeling Grumpy
Resilience
- How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible (pdf)
- How to Build Your Mental Strength (YouTube)
- How to Stay Optimistic (When Everything is Awful) (pdf)
- How to Develop and Optimistic Outlook (pdf)
- Four Ways to Achieve Greater Happiness in Your Life (pdf)
- Connecting to Purpose and Values Worksheet (doc)
- Three Secrets of Resilient People (YouTube)
- Practice Happy Habits to Boost Your Psychological Wellbeing
- Quick Tips for Keeping a Positive Attitude
- Overcoming Burnout (webinar)
- Password: webinarqu
- Expires: July 14, 2022
Positive Psychology
- “Work Happier” Playlist
- Making Happiness Work (Podcast)
- Making Stress Your Friend (YouTube)
- There’s More to Life Than Being Happy (YouTube)
- VIA free online strengths assessment
- Boosting your positive outlook (webinar)
- Password: webinarqu
- Expires: June 20, 2022
Physical Health
- A Guide to Good Sleep (pdf)
- Making Fitness Fun (pdf)
- Don't Underestimate the Power of a Walk (pdf)
- How to Sleep Like a Pro (pdf)
- Healthy Nutrition (pdf)
- An Introduction to Food Skills Webinar Recording (Zoom, passcode: 1.+=lCyM)


Family and Work-Life Balance
- Getting Involved In Your Child's Home Learning (pdf)
- Having Difficult Conversations with Loved Ones about the COVID-19 Vaccine (pdf)
- Helping Your Kids Adjust to Going Back to School After Lockdown (pdf)
- Parenting and COVID (pdf)
- To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself (pdf)
- When an Adult Child Moves Back Home (pdf)
- Staying Sharp Over the Summer - Supporting Your Child's Learning (pdf)
- Planning a Family Vacation (pdf)
Dealing With Change
- Maintaining Healthy Habits When Life Changes (pdf)
- Tips on Coping with Change (pdf)
- Understanding the Benefits of Change (pdf)
- Finding Opportunities in Change (podcast)
- Username: queensu
- Password: lifeworks
Leadership During Times of Stress
- How to Lead When Your Team is Exhausted - and You Are, Too (pdf)
- Managing a Team Going Back to Work After the Self-Isolation Lifts (pdf)
- Your Role as a Leader in Building Team Resilience (pdf)
- Helping Employees Stay Focused During Times of Change & Uncertainty (pdf)
LinkedIn Learning
Did you know? LinkedIn Learning is available, free of charge, for all Queen’s staff and faculty. In addition to thousands of current, high-quality professional development courses, this online learning platform offers helpful training and resources in topics related to mental health and wellness in the workplace.
FAS Learning & Development Fund
The Faculty of Arts and Science is committed to supporting our people through ongoing training and development by providing Learning & Development assistance to staff who chose to build new skills and develop in their current or future roles. As outlined in the Fund Procedure below, applications are due by mid-October and end-of-January each year to the Learning & Development Advisory Team via fas.learndevfund@queensu.ca.
FAS Learning & Development Fund Procedure