Workshops

Waterloo Workshops

The Ride the Wave series runs weekly, led by mental health counsellors. Wellness 101 workshops run monthly and are led by the Wellness Education team of peers and professionals.

Ride the Wave

The Ride the Wave series is a series of psychoeducational workshops designed to offer practical tips for increasing resilience, managing stress, and developing skills to cope with the turbulence of student life. Workshops include:

• Meditation;
• Coping with Difficulty;
• Mindful Eating; and
• Consent and Healthy Relationships.

All Ride the Wave workshops are approved Wellness Education Certificate activities.

Wellness 101

The Wellness 101 educational series of workshops runs once per month on Thursdays, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wellness Education Centre, SS 1-107 (formerly the Student Health and Development Centre).

There is one Wellness 101 workshop for each of the seven dimensions. Each workshop is run by Wellness Education staff and peer wellness educators and is based on research, active learning strategies, and student feedback. Workshops are free for all registered students, and registration is not required.

All Wellness 101 workshops are approved Wellness Education Certificate activities.

The schedule of events for 2019/2020 is:

Starting Strong and Staying Well

Sept. 19

Discuss the seven dimensions of wellness and learn how building social support can help you stay well at the beginning of the school year.

Helping a Friend with their Mental Health

Oct. 10

Gain strategies for how you can support friends with their mental health, while maintaining our own.

Living Well, on a Budget

Nov. 7

Learn how your finances impact your wellness, and gain practical ways to maintain your finances as a student.

Finding Your Bliss

Dec. 5

Learn how to uncover your talents, find meaning through your work, passions, and utilize what brings you joy.

Getting More Sleep for your Mental Health

Jan. 16

Discover ways to improve your sleeping habits and how it can positively impact your mental health.

Living a Healthy Active Lifestyle

Feb. 6

Discuss topics such as physical activity, substances, nutrition and other ways you can live a healthy lifestyle as a student.

Getting Your Sh*t Together

March 5

Learn how to effectively manage your time, gain strategies to balance your time and academics, and stay well in the mean time.

Living Environmentally Well

April 9

Explore the relationship between your wellness and the environment, and learn ways to live well sustainably.

Brantford Workshops

Surfing Lessons Workshop Series

The Surfing Lessons workshop series on the Brantford campus is designed to give students practical tips for increasing resilience, managing stress, and developing skills to cope with the turbulence of life.

These workshops run twice a month, starting in September, in the SWC first floor board room.

Workshops are free and open to registered students. Drop in to a session or, for a guaranteed spot, email jlockeyduesling@wlu.ca.

All Surfing Lesson workshops are approved Wellness Education Certificate activities.

Fall 2019 dates and times:

The Tuesday sessions run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and the Thursday sessions run from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, Sept. 17
• Thursday, Sept. 26
• Tuesday, Oct. 8
• Thursday, Oct. 24
• Tuesday, Nov. 5
• Thursday, Nov. 21
• Tuesday, Dec. 3
• Thursday, Dec.19

Monthly themes:

September: Communication

Learn interpersonal communication skills, identify boundaries, healthy relationships, resolve conflict and build our social support system around campus.

October: Mindfulness and Creative Healing

Learn strategies to increase your self-awareness and focus on the present moment. This workshop teaches mindfulness skills that are great for daily practice and to help you cope when feeling stressed. There is a focus on creative ways we can be mindful on a daily basis.

November: Distress Tolerance and Emotional Regulation

Learn strategies to stop, step back, observe and act effectively in any situation. Learn what self-soothing is and why it is so crucial! This workshop also helps to effectively identify emotions and learn skills to assist in self-regulation.

December: Grounding

Learn grounding techniques to help you to stay “in the moment” when your mind and body are returning to a place of stress.

January: Stress Management

Learn to manage stress by identifying your resources and demands. This workshop teaches SMART goal setting, and coping for anxiety and stress.

February: Grief

This workshop explains the grieving process, what to expect in grief, how to help yourself or someone who you know is grieving.

March: Understanding Trauma

Learn the way in which trauma can affect individuals and groups of people, and how to recognise the signs of trauma. This workshop includes the opportunity to work through a case study on the impact of trauma.

April: Healthy Relationships

This workshop explores the aspects of healthy, respectful and consensual relationship. Learn how to identify abusive relationships and build social supports.

Anxiety Group

The six-week anxiety group runs on the Brantford campus once per week throughout the academic year. Different modules rotate weekly, and students are invited to attend any or all modules in any order they prefer.

Fall 2019 sessions:

• Dates: Sept. 16 to Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 to Dec. 9
• Times: Mondays, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Location: TBA

Registration is not required.

Mindful Mondays

Mindful Mondays takes place every Monday from 10 a.m. to noon in the study area opposite the Student Wellness Centre reception area. Students have the opportunity to learn and practice various mindfulness activities such as creative mandala, watch a relaxation video, and try out a muse headband for meditation.