A workshop hosted by Sagamok’s Life-Long Learning Centre, organized by Student Support Worker Edie Fairburn, offered participants an opportunity to learn tips and tools to identify, understand, discuss, and resolve questions surrounding mental health and wellness. The workshop was conducted by Facilitator Lisa Carricato, a Training Specialist from the Maamwesying Health Centre. Lisa was in Sagamok in early September as well, offering another workshop called SafeTALK Training.
Accommodation for around 30 participants and a nourishing, catered lunch was provided. Life-Long Learning Centre staff, as well as other Sagamok employees, were in attendance, and a handful of community members also participated. Everyone shared a general interest in mental health and an openness to receiving guidance on strategies for maintaining their own mental wellness.
The workshop started with introductions all around and literally with “a roll of the dice” which prompted conversation starters – ‘what is your favourite drink?’, ‘what is your favourite colour?’, ‘what was your favourite vacation?”’ – sometimes referred to as ‘ice breakers’, these questions help participants relax, get to know each other, and open their minds to new thoughts and creative energy.
Lisa presented a series of slides focusing on Mental Health 101 teachings. She also offered interactive experiences for attendees -- group discussions on topics such as ‘What is Health?’, ‘What does Wellness mean?’, ‘What do we need to do to achieve either one?’, and how we can use preventative measures and practices to assist in maintaining a steady balance of wellness and mental health. Mental Health and wellness is something that applies to everyone, Lisa stated during the presentation – we all have struggles, we all have stress and situations that arise, ebbs and flows of good, to fair, to poor levels of wellness – but the repeated message she shared was that we need to be open to discussing the topic of mental health and well-being with friends, families, coworkers, and community members to support each other and find relief and resolution. Lisa clarified the differences between mental health/wellness discussion versus mental illness/mental health challenges. There is nothing to be ashamed of discussing mental health and wellness openly; it affects every single one of us. It’s how quickly we identify a concern within our state of mental health well-being, and how effectively we respond to feelings/emotions/experiences that makes the outcome vastly different.
Support is available to those who seek it. Group attendees brainstormed together to identify supports available in and around Sagamok. From the words of Professor Dumbledore of the famous Harry Potter series, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore. If you have any questions or are looking for support to encourage wellness in yourself or others, Sagamok’s Community Wellness Department is on site and offers many options to assist with self-care and wellness. Click here for a directory of wellness services available to Sagamok.
The workshop wrapped up early in the afternoon with attendees coming away having learned something new or reinforcing things they had discovered previously. Everyone benefits from knowing techniques to help themselves and others on the path of nurturing mind, body, and soul. It is possible to achieve and maintain a balanced state of health and wellness.
The wellness workshop was held on October 23 from 9am to 2pm in the new location of the Life-Long Learning Centre, 717 Sagamok Road, and was open to anyone in the community to attend. Please keep an eye out for more opportunities like this in our community which will be occurring in the upcoming months.
