Employee Wellness is offering a monthly Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Series during winter 2016.

“We have prepared a comprehensive schedule for the winter with informative sessions facilitated by counsellors provided by Shepell-fgi, Memorial’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider,” said Kathleen Wall, wellness consultant with the Department of Human Resources.

To accommodate lunch schedules, sessions will be repeated twice on each offered date in A-2071 (from 12-12:50 p.m. and 1-1:50 p.m.).

To reserve your seat at any of the sessions, please email Kathleen Wall at kwall@mun.ca.

For information on the sessions, please see the below listing.

Topic: Setting and achieving your goals
Date: Thursday, Jan. 14

Setting goals can help you achieve your desires in life. However, relatively few people actually prepare their objectives, perhaps because they feel that they do not have the time, the skills or resources to do so, or they are hesitant to commit to their achievement. This session will address the common challenges participants may face as they begin to focus on their positive future. It will also discuss proven strategies to design goals, evaluate their completeness and implement a plan to achieve them.

Topic: Heart smart
Date: Thursday, Feb. 11

There is plenty of media attention around being heart healthy, but what does it really mean?  Terms such as cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fatty acids are discussed frequently but can be confusing. Getting reliable information on heart health risk factors is essential in order to understand what they mean and how managing them can improve your health. This session will discuss the meaning of these important concepts with participants, and provides super food selections and practical tips for living a heart healthy life.

Topic: Effective communication at work
Date: Thursday, March 10

In order to communicate effectively, individuals have to master the techniques of effective listening and self-expression. These skills involve verbal and non-verbal behaviours as well as the ability to speak with persuasion and confidence. This session will look at both of these essential sides of the communication equation. It will address key communication elements such as active listening and show participants how to present messages in a way that is more compatible with the receiver’s style.

Topic: The sandwich generation
Date: Thursday, April 14

Balancing work and family at the same time can be difficult for anyone, but for people in the sandwich generation (those who care for children and elderly parents) life can be especially demanding. Children need parents to look after their physical needs, take an interest in their activities and give them emotional support and guidance. As parents age (and particularly if they become ill), they may need their children’s help with personal care, financial matters and routine errands and tasks. This seminar will encourage participants to tune into important considerations in their lives with respect to caring for elderly family members, caring for children and grandchildren and caring for themselves.