How to connect in 2022

Welcome to a new year of FamiliesConnect online workshops!

We know that human connection is vital to our health. The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that a lack of connection can be more harmful to our health than obesity, smoking or high blood pressure. Living in the aftermath of a tragedy can make you feel especially isolated.

Our series of monthly online workshops are designed to help Threads of Life members connect with one another, and at the same time learn a little about coping with tragedy.

The first of the series is a perfect topic for January, brought to us by Laura Collins. Laura was beginning her Dietetic Internship at Hamilton Health Sciences in 1999 and one month later her brother Brent was killed in a workplace accident. Despite being devastated, she was determined to graduate with her class to make her brother proud and was hired at McMaster Children’s Hospital upon completion of her internship, launching her career in family and pediatric nutrition.

Laura will host a workshop on mindful eating. Here’s how she describes the session:

Laura Collins, Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of experience in family and pediatric nutrition.

Mindful Eating, A Journey to a Healthier You 

Please join me on January 26, 2022, for a mindful eating journey to discover what’s important for your body, mind, and wellbeing. We will be discussing healthy eating habits, setting realistic goals, simplifying mealtimes, understanding the food/mood connection, recognizing hunger cues, and exploring reasons why we eat. 

We will focus on intuitive or mindful eating. Food is an important fuel for the body so let’s examine ways to nourish your body and mind. Eating well, active living, adequate sleep and stress management are all part of self-care which helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Several of these topics have been discussed during recent Threads of Life online FamiliesConnect sessions.  

Dealing with daily stress, grief and loneliness, as well as the added burden of a pandemic, can derail even our best intentions especially when it comes to eating. Healthy eating requires mindfulness, which is the awareness of when, what and how much you eat. Be kind to yourself, embrace self-care, respect your body, and set realistic goals to help you manage pitfalls and celebrate your accomplishments.I look forward to our interactive discussion in the new year. Come to listen, learn and interact with other Threads of Life family members as we discuss eating well in a safe, non-judgmental online platform.Your body and mind will thank you for taking the time to learn more about this important topic. Hope to see you there.

I can’t wait to join Laura for this session! You can register for Mindful Eating: A Journey to a Happier You right here. 

And don’t miss the other great FamiliesConnect workshops we have lined up for you! 

• Introduction to Expressive Arts with Story Cards and Poetry
• Sharing the Healing: How to Help Others Find Threads of Life
• Dreams, Signs, and Coincidences: Ways our Loved Ones Stay Connected
• Increase Your Sense of Awareness of True Kindness and True Friendship
• Tragic Optimist or Cynical Pessimist
• Plus sessions on mindfulness, guilt, family dynamics, tears and healing, writing your story, and music, expectations and letting go.