Workshop Descriptions:
Personalize your Wellness Toolkit (in-person, North Oshawa Campus): Being a student can be a fun and also a stressful time as you try to balance your studies and life. It might be time to look at the tools you use to reduce stress and make you feel well. Join us as we explore what wellness means to you, set some goals and try different resources and activities you can add to your wellness toolkit. We will practice mental rehearsal, deep breathing and several other tools as we build a personalized goal plan to finish your semester as healthy as possible!
Crayons for Mental Health (in-person, North Oshawa Campus): Colouring is not just for kids; research has found short term benefits of busting out a colouring book and getting creative. Colouring can help reduce stress and anxiety and can boost focus, motor skills, and even improve brain function. Color itself is a powerful communication tool. We will explore colour psychology and learn how different colours can influence human behavior and perception before getting out some crayons and creating our own masterpieces. Perhaps you will create something to calm your mind, or excite your body, or a page full of energetic scribbles. Join us as we colour our wellbeing! Supplies will be provided.
Writing your Worries (in-person, North Oshawa Campus): What do these individuals have in common: Yann Martel, Margaret Atwood, Miriam Toews, Leonard Cohen, Thomas King, Robert Munsch and Malcolm Gladwell? They are all Canadians that have used words to express powerful feelings, thoughts and experiences. Writing can be a wonderful tool to support your mental health, being a safe outlet to freely express yourself. Research has found that writing can even boost your immune system and reduce stress and that you DON’T need to be a prolific writer to benefit from writing. All you need is the motivation to write. Join us as we explore some prompts to get started and tips on creating habits to keep writing a central component of your wellness journey. Supplies will be provided
Social Media and Mental Health (virtual): While social media provides us with the opportunity to express ourselves and connect with others, it can also negatively impact our health. Join us to learn more about the positive and negative impacts of social media and for tips on how to use social media in a healthy way!
Nature is Healing (in-person, North Oshawa Campus): Research has started to discover how nature has therapeutic powers and not only can make us feel better emotionally, but we also can see changes to our physical wellbeing. Spending time in nature can help reduce blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Also, trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that we inhale similar to aromatherapy. Nature is neat! Join us as we spend some time outdoors in nature! This event is rain or shine; please dress according to the weather so you stay warm and dry.
Mind full vs Mindful: Mindfulness with Jamie (in-person, North Oshawa Campus): Mindfulness – the so-called antidote to the wondering and untamed mind. It is said that not all who wonder are lost, but what about being lost in our thoughts? If we aren’t mentally present, then where are we? If you’re keen on exploring this trendy thing called mindfulness as a beginner or sage, then join wellness coach Jamie for an introduction to mindfulness where we will discuss and experience what all the rave is all about. Find out why mindfulness can be especially helpful to post-secondary students in a busy world that constantly begs for your attention.
