Balancing work and personal life has become increasingly difficult in the last few years. Our work-life balance will shift as our daily responsibilities change, and we struggle to adjust.  In this session, we will define what work-life balance is and discuss if it’s even possible. We’ll explore the benefits of creating some harmony within these two areas of our life, and we’ll discuss the most common causes of poor work-life balance. Lastly, we’ll outline tips on how to improve work-life balance.

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By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
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• describe characteristics of healthy habits and unhealthy habits.
• identify healthy habits and unhealthy habits.
• describe the process of how unhealthy habits can become a problem.
• describe the stages of change and where we are at with being ready for change.
• identify evidence-based tasks that we may do to make a change.
• gain resources to help reduce the harm of unhealthy habits.

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Everyone experiences stress at one time or another. It might be something as simple as a looming deadline or as emotional as the death of a loved one that triggers high stress levels. No matter the cause, many people who deal with a stressful situation will go through the stress-response cycle. While there is no one way to manage stress, completing this natural sequence of steps can help us cope with our situation healthily and prevent burnout. During this session, we will explore several research-based ways to help complete the stress cycle and manage our body’s response to a tense situation.

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Self-awareness is crucial to learning to deal with stress, and to making any positive changes in our lives. During this seminar, participants will learn about the difference between mindfulness and meditation as well as how they relate to stress reduction. Participants will have an opportunity to try several practices for developing mindfulness, including meditation.

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The once popular concept of “building self-esteem” has fallen out of favour, replaced by the more effective practice of self-compassion. During this hour, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about this shift, and what self-compassion is and isn’t. Participants will also experience a half-hour meditation, “Awakening Self-Compassion,” by Tara Brach.

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In this session, we will discuss the importance of sleep and how our body’s natural sleep-wake cycles work. We will also discuss tips for getting a better night’s sleep (or day’s sleep for nightshift workers), bedtime rituals that facilitate relaxation and how to improve our sleep environments. We will discuss not only how to fall asleep but how to get back to sleep if we awaken during the night.

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In this session, we will discuss how working nights, early mornings, and/or rotating shifts can impact our sleep quality and waking life. We will also brainstorm strategies for improving sleep quality for shift workers, including controlling our exposure to light.

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This seminar focuses on the research behind the value of strong communication skills, as well as introduces the theory and practice of mindful listening. Enhanced listening skills are the cornerstone of communication. Participants will also have a chance to reflect on where their communication skills could use some development.

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During this session, participants will be introduced to the concept of Post-Traumatic Growth. This is not merely a bouncing back to the level of functioning prior to a trauma, but rather a sense of growth beyond pre-trauma functioning. After learning about Post-Traumatic Growth and the stress response, participants will identify ways they can enhance this growth and nurture the changes they’ve experienced.

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This workshop focuses on the difference between mental health and mental illness, as well as common symptoms and available resources. It also helps dispel some of the myths and stigma surrounding mental illness. Some questions and topics for discussion include:
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• What is mental health? What is mental illness?
• What are some of the myths that surround mental illness? What are some of our own biases towards, and judgments about, people experiencing mental illness?
• Who is affected by mental illness?
• How prevalent are mental illnesses in Canada?
• What are some of the more common mental illnesses, and what are the symptoms?
• How can we help someone who is struggling with a mental illness? How can we support their loved ones?
• What are some resources we can provide to those who need help?

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Stress is a common experience for all of us, and each of us reacts differently to it. Stress can help motivate us to achieve our goals and meet our challenges, particularly in the workplace. However, if we find ourselves unable to cope with stress or if we become overwhelmed by it, it can impact our mental and physical well-being. For this reason, it is important to understand and manage stress before it takes control of our lives. Through interactive discussion, this workshop will help participants gain a better understanding of their own stress experience and learn new ways of coping.

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When a co-worker is affected by loss in their personal life, it can be difficult knowing how to approach them at work and offer support during this challenging period. It can be confusing for co-workers and managers to balance workplace expectations with the very real need for mourning. This workshop will explore:

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• typical grief reactions.
• misconceptions of grief.
• strategies for supporting those who are grieving.
• strategies for the bereaved.

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Participants will learn the difference between grief and mourning, factors influencing the grief process and how to create a workplace culture of compassion.

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This workshop explains psychological safety through group discussion. Some of the questions and topics for discussion include:

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• What is psychological safety?
• How does psychological safety affect the mental health and productivity of workers?
• What are some strategies that could be used in the workplace to create (and maintain) a psychologically safe space?
• What can you do if your workplace is psychologically unsafe or if you feel unsafe at work?

When we think about bullying, our thoughts often go back to our experiences in the schoolyard. Unfortunately, bullying behaviour often continues into adulthood, and many of these interactions play out in the workplace – albeit in more subtle ways. In this workshop, participants will explore:

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• how to recognize workplace harassment and bullying.
• definitions of workplace harassment and violence.
• dynamics of victim-perpetrator interactions.
• characteristics and response patterns of the victimized person.
• characteristics and response patterns of the perpetrator.

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An exploration of psychological effects will include:

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• physical and emotional symptoms.
• maladaptive coping responses.
• disruptions in work and relationships.

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Participants will gain an understanding of the dynamics of victim/perpetrator interactions and gain strategies to deal with bullying and harassment.

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This seminar can be helpful for employees who are primarily working with clients/customers either over the phone or in person. At times, people get frustrated and overwhelmed with big emotions and reactions. The goal of this training is to provide employees with practical tools for mindful communication. Participants will learn how to respond in a helpful way, how to take care of themselves after a stressful situation and identify available resources.

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In this session, we are looking ‘beyond burnout’ and exploring the warning signs of PTSD, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and vicarious trauma responses that may come due to the nature of our work within healthcare settings. We will also review strategies to work towards developing resiliency and coping skills while looking at resources for ongoing growth and preventative measures.

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Some workplace changes are more difficult than others. This seminar explores the typical stages employees go through in adapting to change. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their own experience with change and notice times when they adapted easily, as well as times when adaptation was difficult or seemingly impossible. Participants will learn about the Transition Curve and the Personal Power Grid to be more conscious of their own power to work through change.

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Improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and increased morale – these are just some of the benefits of a healthy team. In this session, we’ll define what a healthy team is, how to create a healthy team and the difference it makes when engaged employees create one together. We’ll explore practical strategies that participants can use to transform their team’s working environment and tools to keep that team thriving.

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Leader Resilience Groups are 90-minute facilitated debriefings that provide a flexible structure for peers to unpack the experience of being a leader. The facilitator guides participants through a check-in, acknowledgement of current challenges, resilience-building through identification of strengths and strategies and a closing checkout. The opportunity to connect and debrief in a facilitated setting is meaningful and well-received by leaders at all levels. When leaders are supported, and their resilience is reinforced, they are better able to support their staff, benefiting the whole workplace.

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For many of us, our finances are always on our minds. We might wonder if we have enough money, if we are making the best decisions for our financial futures, if we are saving enough or if we are spending too much. In this session, we will discuss a budget as a financial road map, allowing us to see where we might be headed and plan. Participants will also receive information about:

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• techniques for managing money.
• understanding credit, including when and how to use it.
• mastering cash flow and becoming empowered.

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Participants will leave with tools to create a working budget and tips for managing personal and family finances. Participants will also receive tax tips and will have a chance to ask questions following the session.

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Dementia is an overall term for symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain. Currently, over 23,000 Manitobans have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Information and support are valuable as dementia affects the health and daily life of individuals, families and communities. This seminar will discuss:

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• common types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
• warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
• ways to reduce the risk of dementia.
• available health and community resources.

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The brain is one of the most vital organs, and just like the rest of the body, it needs proper care. It is never too soon or too late to make changes to improve or maintain brain health! In this session, participants will learn about the risk factors of dementia and some practical actions they can take. By making healthy lifestyle choices, we may reduce our risk and improve our brains’ ability to sustain long-term health.

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All behaviour has meaning! A person may experience changing abilities because of dementia. When this affects communication and one’s actions, it can cause misunderstanding and mutual frustration.

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In this session, we discuss why people with dementia may ask repetitive questions, become anxious or physically/verbally reactive. Participants will be immersed in activities that simulate sensory, environmental and communication changes – factors that may trigger a change in behaviour. We will also discuss examples of person-centered strategies.

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Currently, 56 per cent of Manitobans are impacted by dementia because they have a family member or close friend with a diagnosis. This seminar aims to help build a caring and supportive community by increasing awareness and understanding of dementia and its impact on the person and their family. Participants will discuss strategies for caregivers and how a dementia-friendly community can provide support.

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Fad diets are everywhere. The dieting industry makes billions of dollars because they are constantly searching for the next best diet. This cycle goes on and on, and we feed into it and pay for it! In this seminar, we’ll learn how to spot red flags when it comes to fad diets and look at making some healthy, sensible daily choices.

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Healthy eating is about feeling great, having more energy, and being as healthy as possible. All can be achieved by learning some nutritional basics and incorporating them into a routine in a way that works. Choose the types of foods that improve health and avoid those that raise the risk of illnesses. In this seminar, participants will:

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• increase knowledge and understanding of Canada’s Food Guide – including food groups and serving sizes.
• discover choices within the Food Guide.
• learn how to eat healthily on the job.
• learn the balancing act: putting it all together.

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Participants in this seminar will expand their range of healthy choices to include a wide variety of delicious foods and learn to use guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet. This introductory seminar will provide basic information about nutrition.

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With all the information available on eating well-balanced meals and snacks, we need to be able to make the right choice in the grocery aisle. When looking at a food label, it is important to know what the numbers and percentages mean. In this seminar, participants will analyze food label information. Participants will also:

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• learn about the nutrition information found on food labels including nutrition facts, the ingredient list, nutrition claims and health claims.
• learn to identify amounts of nutrients, calories and serving sizes on food labels.
• learn to use the “five per cent to 20 per cent” daily value guide to get less of some nutrients and get enough of others.
• compare food labels to determine which foods contain higher or lower amounts of nutrients or calories.

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Participants will understand how to make informed choices and become top detectives!

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Many Canadians regularly take vitamins, minerals, herbal products, homeopathic medicines and more. These products have come to be known as natural health products or NHPs. There are several key facts one needs to consider before deciding whether to take a supplement. In this seminar, we will:

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• review common supplements.
• discuss tips on how to make better dietary supplement choices, looking beyond marketing claims.
• learn to use food as the primary way to achieve nutrition and fitness goals.

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Participants in this seminar will gain a better understanding of whether they need to take supplements. Information on side effects, guidelines for use and myths will also be reviewed.

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