PMH Programs to start your health journey

Welcome to a new year! A clean slate, full of hope for the year ahead. January is a time of resolutions – often focused on improvements in health. Too often, New Year’s resolutions are well-intentioned but set goals too high to be attained, are not action-specific, and lack insight into why an individual is seeking Change. Resolutions made without clearly defined steps and understanding of barriers to success lead to frustration and abandonment of the plan before seeing any success. Long-lasting change starts with discovering why changes have not yet been made. Goals are attained when solutions to barriers are considered before they arise, and an alternate plan is ready to implement. Finally, sharing your plan with others provides accountability and leads to greater success.

The Health Promotion team offers programs that provide information and techniques to guide participants on their health journey. By delivering virtual programs, the barriers of winter weather, road conditions, and transportation have been removed while offering contact with others during the winter months. Three programs that align well with health goals are Get Better Together, Craving Change, and Strive to Thrive. 

Get Better Together is a session-based program (6 sessions over 6 weeks) suitable for people with a range of chronic health conditions. Program goals include improving personal skills as a self-manager of health concerns through goal setting, communication, problem-solving, healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, and medication use. 

The focus of the Craving Change® program is to help individuals understand their relationship with food. The program takes a look at our eating environments as well as explores how emotions and learned behaviours influence the decisions we make around food. By understanding why it is hard to change how you eat and identifying personal triggers, participants can learn to respond differently and maintain changes in eating habits. The program is one weekly session for three weeks (two hours per session). 

Are you thriving or just surviving? Through the Strive to Thrive program, participants will develop skills, knowledge and practices to thrive. The five-session program covers how physical and mental stress is related, thriving versus surviving, life transitions, resilience, and building connections. 

If this is not the time to participate in a structured program, there are many free and accessible options that meet the goals of improving physical, mental, or financial health. Look for these programs and individualized programs on the Prairie Mountain Health website under the “Programs and Services” tab. Additionally, find a link to “Public Classes and Activities” on the home page. Find out more about loaner kits for Physical Literacy and geocaching to put the fun into movement for kids and families. This year, make your health a priority.

Reference:  GBT-Pamphlet-ENG-2019-WEB.pdf (wellnessinstitute.ca)

Reference:  I’m a Member of the Public – Craving Change®