Less than half a day

Emotional Eating - The Connection Between Mood and Food

There are many speculations about the cause of this phenomenon from an increasing sedentary lifestyle, the ready availability of high caloric foods to stress and even sleep deprivation. However, if people ate only when they were truly hungry and stopped when they were full, there would be no obesity epidemic. This workshop will address the relationship between emotions and food consumption and how to retrain your body and mind to recognize the cues of hunger and to eat for physiological and not emotional reasons.

By Katy Ahlvin on Dec. 6, 2021

Walking for Mental Health

Walking is a common source of exercise for many people, and it has well-recognized physical health benefits. But, did you know there are mental health benefits to walking, too? Anyone who walks for any reason could also be enjoying these benefits. This session will look at the benefits of meditative walking and walking in nature. Participants will review ideas for getting started with both types of walks, as well as labyrinth walking. The possible benefits of walking barefoot in grass, known as “grounding,” will also be presented.

By Katy Ahlvin on Dec. 6, 2021

Connecting Mind and Body for Healthy Living

Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind/body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. For example, high blood pressure might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. People with good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems that are a normal part of life. They feel good about themselves and have healthy relationships.

By Katy Ahlvin on Dec. 6, 2021

Sleep - An Essential Component of Health and Well-Being

In the past five years, it has been routinely reported by researchers and the media alike that Americans are notoriously sleep deprived. There are numerous reasons why this may be the case. Yet while many people look towards improving their health via diet, exercise and ceasing bad consumption habits (e.g., junk food, cigarettes), sleep is often overlooked—or is it? Sleep medications will surpass $5 billion in annual sales within the next year.

By Katy Ahlvin on Nov. 4, 2021

Learning to Relax

Stress is experienced in the body as tension. To manage stress we have several choices: reduce or eliminate the stressor, think about the stressor differently so it no longer causes tension or change the way our body reacts to stress. The course will address the third option through exploring a variety of relaxation techniques to calm the body and mind. The class will allow participants to learn and experience several simple relaxation tools such as progressive muscle relaxation, abdominal relaxation breathing and visualization.

By Katy Ahlvin on Nov. 4, 2021

Developing Grit - Strategies for Success in Work and Life

Grit is mental toughness. Grit is the ability to persevere to achieve difficult long-term goals. Grit is strongly associated with success in personal and professional life. Grit involves several elements: passion and purpose, development of habits and coping with unpleasant emotions such as fear, discouragement or embarrassment. This course will examine the nature of grit and identify specific methods for developing it.

By Katy Ahlvin on Oct. 1, 2021

5 Things Stressing Your Kids Out this Back-to-School Season...and How You Can Help Them

Back-to-school 2021 has shaped up to be even more stressful than parents or kids could have imagined. From K-12, your kids are dealing with a lot, even if they’re not talking about it. The good news? With the right tools, your kids can do more than manage….they can thrive! Join Dr. Michele Borba, renowned educational psychologist and best-selling author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine as she shares what’s really on your kids’ minds and helps you help them.

By Katy Ahlvin on Sept. 7, 2021

Initiating Difficult Conversations

There are conversations in which the stakes are high: asking for a raise, ending a relationship, giving a critical performance review, confronting disrespectful behavior, apologizing or disagreeing within a group. This workshop is about developing the skills to initiate the conversations which most people find difficult, unpleasant and generally avoid. You will learn the practical skills involved in framing a problem without blame or defensiveness and how to keep the conversation productive.

By Katy Ahlvin on Sept. 1, 2021