Wellness Exchange offers free online courses for summer and fall

With more Albertans looking for healthy living ideas, Alberta Health Services is launching Wellness Exchange, an online weekly drop-in wellness series.

These free summer and fall workshops offer one-hour sessions designed to build skills in five different areas to help individuals cope with stress and adversity, while promoting positive mental health and well-being.

The sessions are free and will run weekly starting July 20 and again Sept. 8. Participants can take any or all of the classes.

Classes include:

• Problem Solving

It’s important to clearly define our problems and look at all possible solutions. Learning ways to problem-solve effectively helps us address the entire situation, gain control over what we can, and increase our confidence in the decisions that we make.

Registration for Tuesday, July 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Positive Activities

Positive activities provide us with opportunities for enjoyment and can improve our mood, increase our sense of control over our life, and create hope.

Registration for Tuesday, July 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Managing Reactions

Stressful situations and events can lead to physical and emotional reactions. Having confidence that we are able to effectively manage our emotions is important, as it helps protect our well-being, maintain our healthy connections, make effective decisions and respond in healthy ways.

Registration for Tuesday, Aug. 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Helpful Thinking

Our thoughts have an impact on how we see the world, how we feel and how we behave. Shifting our unhelpful patterns to include helpful thinking is important to help increase our confidence in coping with stressors, improve our mood, and reduce the intensity of our reactions.

Registration for Tuesday, Aug. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Healthy Connections

Social support and connecting with others helps us feel a sense of belonging and reduces isolation that can occur when stress increases. Building healthy social connections helps increase our confidence, overall effectiveness, and flexibility as we handle life-changing events and problems.

Registration for Tuesday, Aug. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For more information on the classes, email ahswellnessexchange@ahs.ca.