Bell Let's Talk Day 2022

 #BellLetsTalkDay annual post:

I am so happy that more and more people are openly talking about their mental health journey. The more we talk about it, the less stigma there will be.

This year, I wanted to share what I've learned since opening up about my mental health successes and struggles.

1) Anxiety doesn't go away. You learn how to live with it. Your learn about your triggers. You learn how to avoid them or confront them.

2) Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. To the contrary, it takes strength and courage at first to admit that you need help...but honestly, once that first step is taken, talking to someone about your strengths, your weaknesses, your fears, your emotions becomes normal. Speaking to a professional allows you to learn more about yourself.

3) After my first panic attack, so many people opened up to me. They told me their stories. We are forever bonded. To be honest, no one really understands it unless they go through it themselves. Trust me when I say, you are not alone.

4) Taking care of your physical health helps but it might not be enough. Walk in the forest, read a book, meditate, practice mindfulness. Your brain/mental health need training as well (not just your biceps and legs).

5) Unfortunately, some people might not understand what you are going through but that's okay. From my experience, opening up about it has helped so much more than it has hindered.

6) Bell Let's Talk Day is great at getting the conversation started and funding much needed programs. However, we need to keep this conversation going daily. We need to show empathy to those with mental illnesses or those who are struggling temporarily with their mental health.

7) You are not defined by your emotions. You are allowed to have emotions. Toxic positivity is real (and is not sustainable).

My Annual #BellLetsTalkDay Facebook post

Tomorrow is #BellLetsTalkDay and I've decided to share my story in three parts. Part 1 will be today. Part 2 will be released tomorrow, during the official Bell Let's Talk Day. Part 3 will be the day after. I've decided to do it this way because talking about our mental health successes and struggles shouldn't only be done once a year. It should be done more often to truly end the stigma.

Part 1: Pre-anxiety attack no 2
In late 2019, I started feeling a shift in my energy level. Both Mél and Élo were extremely sick (to the point that we skipped Christmas). Laurence was just about 4 months old. Prior to the holidays, we had just finished writing a proposal that could have brought 600 000$ to my school board. We weren't chosen. I won't lie, it stung and it hurt my ego. I had also just finished my forest school practitioner course. Needless to say, I was definitely physically and mentally tired. I didn't get much of a chance to recharge during the holidays. 

After a few weeks back at work, we went on strike (for the first time in my career and hopefully my last). My work routine was out the window. We could no longer work before or after school. Everything had to be done at home. I had gotten use to leaving my work at work after my first panic attack that sent me to the hospital. I work extremely hard during the day so that I can spend time with my girls after work. I couldn't do that anymore. That lasted for a few months until the pandemic hit. Luckily, the pandemic wasn't really hard for us at first. As an introvert, having time to myself recharges me.

Unfortunately, we didn't have much luck a few weeks after. Our basement flooded. Workers started working on the basement. They stripped the carpet and part of the wall. Workers were then forced to stop working. So we are in a pandemic, couldn't go anywhere with two kids and we had just lost our basement which is essentially the girls' play area. My stress level was getting more and more serious. Oh yes, our fridge also broke down and lost our food (twice!).

The remainder of the school year was also very stressful. We never knew if we were going back to work...the final decision kept getting prolonged (those of you with children probably remember those months). During summertime, we had no idea what September was going to look like. I'm a planner. I like to have an idea of what's going to happen in the future (more on that tomorrow).

When school finally started again, I was extremely stressed because of everything that previously happened on top of feeling anxious because of Covid-19. A few days in, I had my second panic attack at work. It was time to get help again.

Part 2: Seeking help

Last summer, I decided to seek help. I am getting a bit better at reading the signs for when I feel stressed and anxious. I reached out to my union's therapy program. It wasn't really what I was looking for. It can for sure help other people but it wasn't for me. The therapist was trying to change my thought patterns and kept asking what specifically was triggering my stress and anxiety. I just wasn't able to pin point what it was. The thing is, I knew what stressed me but she wanted me to verbalize a specific sentence that I say in my head. If I would of been able to do that, we would of then worked on that sentence and transform it into a positive. This type of approach didn't work very well for me because I internalize everything. This brain of mine is overloaded with information and to be able to focus on one thing feels like an impossible task. After three sessions I chose not to keep working with this therapist. Work was starting soon so I didn't have much time anyways.

Like I said in part 1 of my post, I had my 2nd panic attack in late August. I decided to listen to my family doctor this time and take some time off. He suggested I find a psychotherapist to talk to. I found a wonderful therapist that used a mindfulness approach. We developed a great rapport. She helped me learn a lot about myself. After I explained my first panic attack and everything that has happened since then with work and life she said that I made her think of a ''guerrier épuisé''. She helped me realize that it's ok to feel what I am feeling. We don't always have to feel happiness and be peppy. What's important is to be able to observe our feelings in an objective way and then try to release that feeling...to not let it take complete control of your thoughts.

I felt good after my 6 weeks. I returned to work and then...

Part 3: My daughter's diagnosis

Laurence stopped progressing. I would like to say that it was around the 12 or 13 months mark. Everything I wrote in part 1 and part 2 now seem so pale in comparison. Not knowing how she will develop is definitely the hardest part and is causing me a great deal of anxiety. We ultimately had to find private services because it is taking too long through the public health system. We try to remain optimistic because there are so many success stories and both my wife and I have taught wonderful children who are on the spectrum that it gives us hope. It gives us hope that Laurence will also find her passion, make friends, and live a beautiful life.

Past posts:
Relearning To Say Yes

My Anxiety Made Me Stronger

Les apprentissages essentiels du mouvement humain en éducation physique

Les apprentissages essentiels du mouvement humain en éducation physique

L'année scolaire prochaine sera certainement très différente pour les enseignants d'éducation physique. J'ai décidé de créer cette liste d'apprentissages essentiels du mouvement humain en éducation physique qui respectera certainement les recommandations de distanciation physique qui seront en vigueur.

Les mouvements naturels

• Marcher, jogger et courir 
• Sauter et atterrir en sécurité
• Tomber en sécurité
• La quadrupédie
• Grimper
• Rouler
• Garder l'équilibre

Les ABCs du mouvement

• Agilité
• Équilibre (balance)
• Coordination
• Vitesse (speed)

Les mouvements pour la musculation

• Squats
• Fentes
• Pousser
• Tirer
• Extension
• Flexion
• Rotation

Habiletés sportives*

• La position athlétique: https://youtu.be/twRCiRP6AgM
• Lancer: https://youtu.be/ZIvlW1QbQ-U
• Attraper: https://youtu.be/8-_h3sJmKKE
• Botter
• Dribbler
• Patiner: https://youtu.be/_MwBPKSQWxQ
• Transport actif: https://youtu.be/n_SXHCaOBTA

*Certaines de ces activités devront être modifiées afin de respecter les normes établies par votre bureau de santé local (p.ex., utiliser un mur pour lancer une balle de façon individuelle).

Health & Physical Education Can No Longer Be Ignored

Ascend the throne HPE! You can no longer be ignored. There isn't a curriculum that is more important right now. Of course, all subjects are important, but in the present moment, HPE is on top.

Let's break down the overall and the specific expectations of the HPE Ontario Curriculum.

Strand A: Social-emotional learning skills:

'' This strand focuses on the development of students’ social-emotional learning skills to foster their overall health 

and well-being, positive mental health, and ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive.''  (p. 184)

This is the obvious one. Without a doubt, families are thinking of their overall health & well-being, positive mental health, and ability to learn*, build resilience, and thrive.

*Some families have started this process and others haven't. Parents know what's best for their children. This can be a very traumatic experience for families and homeschooling might not be the #1 priority.*

Here are the SEL skills:

Identification and management of emotions - PE teachers have been teaching students how to understand & express their feelings and also respond to the feelings of others. I think it's fair to say that we will experience a variety of emotions and it's very important to accept and manage these.

Stress management and coping - This one is so important right now. This skill is all about recognizing the sources of stress and coping with the challenges.

Positive motivation and perseverance - Right now, developing a positive habit of mind is crucial to promote a sense of hope.

Healthy relationships - This skill allows students to build relationships, develop empathy, and communicate effectively. We've been told to practice social-distancing. This skill will be extremely important for families because they will be spending lots of time together.

Self-awareness and sense of identity - When developing self-awareness and self-confidence you'll be in a better position to set boundaries and limits. This is extremely important right now while some of us are self-isolating and all of us are practicing social-distancing.

Critical and creative thinking - From what I've seen on Facebook and Twitter, parents are very creative right now in keeping their children busy and happy. 👍👌😎✌Next time you see one of these posts, notice what the children are doing; it's all about physical education or arts!

Strand B: Active Living

On my daily walks (always keeping my distance), I've noticed many families are participating actively in a wide variety of physical activities such as walking, jogging, rollerblading, playing catch, and etc. They are definitely incorporating physical activity into their daily lives. Most of them are also demonstrating responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others by practicing social distancing (keeping themselves 2-m apart).

Active participation, physical fitness, and safety are the specific expectations of this strand. As a society, we can't ignore these right now. Most families are thinking of ways to keep their kids active and safe. If we did our jobs, the children should be able to also make suggestions for activities they can do.

Strand C: Movement Competence

Movement competency is important for the following reasons:
- A competent mover will most likely have fewer injuries. Families want to avoid going to the hospital right now.
- A competent mover will try as many activities as possible. That will free up some time for the parents! Parents have a lot on their plates right now (keeping kids busy, working from home, and etc.).

Strand D: Healthy Living

In my opinion, this is the most important of the strands. I will break this one down per topic/grade. I will make links with the healthy living skills required to navigate these unprecedented times.

Healthy eating:
Grade 1: Food for healthy bodies and minds, Canada's Food Guide, and Hunger and thirst cues
--> If your children are like mine, they are definitely making eating a lot more than usual (or maybe mine are just in a growth spurt).

Grade 2: Healthy eating patterns and food choices

Grade 4: Personal eating habits

Grade 6: Benefits of healthy eating / active living

Personal safety and injury prevention:
Grade 1: Safe practices, caring and exploitative behaviours and feelings, and potential risks at home, in the community, outdoors (Hello!)

Grade 2: Personal safety - home, online, and outdoors

Grade 4: Safe use of technology (so important right now!)

Grade 5: Strategies - threats to personal safety

Grade 6: Responsibilities, risks - care for self and others, safety practices

Substance use, addictions, and related behaviours:
Grade 1: Unhealthy habits, healthy alternatives
--> Excessive screentime might be on the rise.

Grade 2: Prescription and non-prescription medicines, and medication/healthy alternatives
--> Getting more sleep to help get rid of a cold and plenty of other examples are given to students.

Human development and sexual health:
Grade 1: Hygienic procedures
--> Children learn how to properly wash their hands in grade 1. What is the #1 health recommendation right now? Exactly!

Grade 3: Healthy relationships, bullying, and consent
--> Unfortunately, screen time will go up and that means there might be more cases of cyberbullying. In grade 3, students learn how to deal with bullying.

Mental health literacy:
Grade 1: Mental health and overall health and thoughts, emotions, and actions
--> Students learn how to take care of their body AND mind.

Grade 2: Body and brain - responses and feelings and knowing when to seek help

Grade 3: Brain stress response system and external factors that contribute to stressful feelings

Grade 4: Healthy choices to support mental health and stress management (cognitive and behavioural)

Grade 5: How to help others, when to seek help

Grade 6: Seeking help - professional helpers and connecting thoughts, emotions and actions

If you've made it this far: THANK YOU FOR READING!

Relearning to Say Yes!

Relearning to Say Yes!

Every year for Bell Let's Talk Day, I write a post about mental health. Last year I wrote about how my anxiety actually made me stronger. This year, I want to write about relearning to say yes.

After my anxiety attack, I found myself saying no to almost everything. It was my defense mechanism. I would say no. Then I would think about it. Everything was easier for me this way. It gave me time to think. I hated saying yes to everything and then regretting it. It's easier to turn back on a no then it is to turn back on a yes.

As empowering as it is to learn how to say no, we also need to relearn how to say yes. Saying no is an important step to self-care. However, overusing the power of ''no'' will eventually lead to social and professional exclusion.

We all know that anxiety and depression are on the rise. What's ironic is that self-care books and programs are also on the rise. Please take a moment to read Frank Forencich's explanation. To me that makes a lot of sense. Like previously mentioned, if we say no and we only focus on the self, we lose touch of our ''tribe''. And like F.F. wrote: ''More awareness on the self means less contact with the whole and in turn, more anxiety, stress, and eventually, depression.''


It feels like we are on a pendulum swing. The older generations took care of their children to the detriment of their own health. Now we are being told that the ''self'' should be at the forefront of most of our decisions. We need to find a balance; we need to take care of our tribe and ourselves.


This year, I've really been trying to say yes more often that I'm used to in the past couple of years. It's been tough for a few reasons. First off, I did not want to make the same mistake, yet again, of overwhelming myself with a million projects (I think it came close in November). Luckily, I have a good support system and my wife really helps me see clearly when I do take on too much. Also, I still need to remember that saying yes to everything is part (emphasis on part) of the reason I got into this mess in the first place.


So that's how I feel right now. I'm currently walking a tightrope trying to navigate this newish reality of mine. On one side of the tightrope is the overwhelming-yes and on the other side is the hindering-no. Walking the tightrope has been challenging at times but by no means has it been impossible.

Relearning to say yes has brought on many interesting and worthwhile opportunities. For example, I'm currently spearheading a group that wants to turn Orléans in a physical literacy community. If we succeed, we will bring in 200 000$ for the next 3 years (600 000$ total). Also, I'm taking my Forest and Nature School practitioner certification and I helped co-organize professional development to other physical education teachers.

Relearning to say yes has given me many professional opportunities. Right now, I am going on a social media break until the month of March. I will however still be available if ever anyone needs help or simply needs to talk.

List of Famous Introverts

A few years ago, I made a list of multisport athletes. Now, I want to create a new list. It's a list of famous introverts.


Abraham Lincoln, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Al Gore, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Albert Einstein, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Barack Obama, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Bill Gates, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Charles Darwin, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Derrick Rose, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Dr. Seuss, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Eleanor Roosevelt, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Elon Musk, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Frederic Chopin, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Jerry West, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
JK Rowling, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Hillary Clinton, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Kobe Bryant, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Larry Bird, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Larry Page, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Mahatma Gandhi, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Marissa Mayer, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Mark Zuckerberg, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Meryl Streep, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Michael Jordan, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Pete Maravich, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Reggie Miller, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Rosa Parks, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Steve Wozniak, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Steven Spielberg, https://bit.ly/2BoKyX7
Tiger Woods, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U
Warren Buffett, https://bit.ly/2VzS09U

My Anxiety Made Me Stronger

My Anxiety Made Me Stronger

(My annual #BellLetsTalk Facebook Post)

I.This will be my last Facebook message for a little while. I've decided that the best way to improve my health is to subtract and not add. I am very happy in life and I don't need to add more to it. I've already eliminated my Instagram account and both of my Facebook pages (Ottawa Gym Critic & Bien-être urbain). I could of just quietly stopped using FB but I've decided to share my story before my FB break/perhaps departure. I've noticed that every time I share my story, it usually inspires someone to get help or to open up about their situation.The more we talk about mental health the more it'll become ''normal'' to seek professional help. If you're still with me, thank you!

II.This is the story of how my anxiety actually made me stronger.

III. September 2014: My first official anxiety attack
It was debilitating. It happened during parent/teacher night. I had done presentations like this for 10 years now. I was embarrassed. Why did it have to happen in front of all the parents? Why is this happening to me? I'm in good health. I ran 21 kms in 97 minutes. I can bench press and squat 225 lbs. I play hockey and soccer. Anxiety doesn't discriminate. I was physically healthy. I didn't have enough tools in my toolbox to take care of my mental health. I couldn't breathe or speak. I excused myself and made my way to another room trying to catch my breath. A colleague of mine tried to help. I told her I was O.K. I wasn't. I was hoping that I could go back in my classroom and finish the presentation. I only had about 20 minutes left to go. I couldn't. At first, I thought I was having a heart attack. The ambulance was called. Many of my colleagues were worried. I am forever grateful for having them as my colleagues. The custodian at my school calls my wife. Thank you! I got on the ambulance. They did a bunch of tests. They determined it wasn't my heart and that I was having an anxiety attack. A colleague of mine was there with me. I vaguely remember him trying to reassure me but I don't remember. I just remember being happy that someone came with me. I wasn't alone. You never are. He stayed at the hospital until my wife showed up. I miss him (he's retired...congratulations). My wife and I wait for hours and hours. At the time, this was the most scared I've ever been in my life. I just want to go home. My wife insists we stay but I'm too stubborn to listen. We leave. In retrospect, that was a mistake. I learn many years after that they could have given me medication to help with anxiety had I stayed.

IV. The following days, weeks and months...
It once took me 6 hours to get a cast on my broken finger/badly bruised hand but it took me 6 months to get help for my anxiety. Not because I didn't want it. I kept asking for it. In the meanwhile, my doctor gave me medication in case I have another anxiety attack. That wasn't helpful for the day to day reality of dealing with anxiety but it felt good to know that I could take it if necessary. I needed to see a psychiatrist in order to receive my current medication (that I've been taking ever since). 6 months later, I meet my psychiatrist. He enumerated many reasons why I have anxiety:
- I ignored many warnings.
- I drink too much coffee.
- I ran way too much to a point that wasn't healthy anymore (half-marathons and full marathons). It became my job. I had lost my passion.
- I had too much on the go and I want to control everything.
I left extremely happy knowing the reason why this was happening to me. He also offered me good advice. 1) You can't control the rain. 2) 80% is good enough.

V. Medication and help
Never be ashamed of medication. It helps me with my daily tasks. I can probably stop taking it. I don't know. But why mess with a good thing. I'm happy. After meeting my psychiatrist, I met with a psychotherapist until my meds would actually help. It took a few weeks for my meds to work. That's how long I saw my psychotherapists. I felt good. Finally!

VI. My anxiety made me stronger
It took an anxiety attack to change. I no longer run more than 20 minutes at a time. I meditate. I garden. I try as many different training styles as possible. I go outside and play with my daughter. I'm more assertive. I learned to say no. I speak my mind more often (life's too short). I continuously try to learn more about myself. I know that I'm most happy when I'm in my Fortress of solitude (Superman reference). My family makes me happy. I feel a lot healthier. I am stronger (mentally).

VII. What's next?
Being mindful. Train the brain. Enjoying the small things. Keep learning about my self. Improving. Staying healthy. Less tech. More nature. Being the best father, husband, son, brother and friend possible.

VIII. If anybody wants to talk, I'll be there for you.