What's on the menu?

Get Relaxed

The aim of this session is to:

• Gain a basic understanding of mindfulness and relaxation and the usefulness of implementing these practices to assist with managing feelings of tension and discomfort.
• Increase awareness of current physical, or body state, together with the thoughts, fears and memories that intrude into the present moment
• Acknowledge and compare feelings of discomfort with those of freedom and relief.
• Promote curiosity and sample different mindfulness exercises from a position of openness, free of judgement.
• Normalise the challenge people may face with trying something new for the first time.
• Develop a list of relaxing activities that people can enjoy on their own or with others.

Say It Straight

The aim of this session is to:

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different communication styles, and to explore what styles of communication people use. 
• Consider the thoughts and beliefs that may stop people from standing up for themselves when their needs aren’t being met in a social context.
• Develop an understanding of the different aspects of communicating assertively, including without blame, taking ownership of feelings, describing rather than judging, and offering a compromise.
• Increasing confidence in being assertive by using these skills in different social situations.

Boost Your Confidence

The aim of this session is to:

• Consider the impacts of negative self-appraisal re: body image on both short-term (emotional distress) and long-term (patterns of avoidance, time, money)
• Normalise their experience through education and de-stigmatising language.
• Consider media consumption from a more critical perspective
• Increase people’s appreciation of diversity both in them and in others.
• Move towards self-acceptance through whole-of-person appreciation with a particular focus on strengths and values.
• Expand people’s lives through engaging in meaningful life experiences that might have been avoided due to body image issues.
• Experiment with different ways of re-connecting to people’s physical selves in a positive way through relaxation, mindfulness and increased self-care.

Healthy Thinking

The aim of this session is to:

• Normalise the experience of having problems and to recognise that problems can be solvable.
• Understand the difference between worrying and problem-solving
• Explore the vulnerability that is experienced in relation to confronting problems and that from a position of vulnerability we can create new opportunities.
• Conceptualise the six-step problem solving approach and practice implementing the model using a real-life example, or the case examples provided.

Keep Your Cool

The aim of this session is to:

• Normalise the experience of anger as an appropriate emotional response.
• Understand the difference between anger and aggression and to recognise that anger is a learned response.
• Begin to identify the physiological, cognitive and behavioural build up during an anger response.
• Conceptualise ‘anger as a volcano’ metaphor by observing different physical, emotional and behavioural cues in each state, including the consequences of each state.
• Explore people’s previous experiences of anger by examining the events before, during and after, with particular emphasis on the short-term and long-term.
• Introduce ongoing self-reflection by encouraging people to be their own ‘scientist’ or ‘experimenter’.
• Trial practical strategies to vent anger and/or aggression in a more meaningful and helpful way that is not damaging to people themselves or others.
• Enhance understanding of empathy and its impact on emotional responses.

Master Your Moods

The aim of this session is to:

• Understand why we have emotions and develop an awareness of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and actions.
• Understand sadness and anxiety, and how these emotions vary in intensity.
• Consider the truthfulness of people’s thoughts, and learn how to challenge thoughts and develop a more rational perspective.
• Explore the brief nature of emotions, the impact of judgement, and explore emotions as physical sensations. 
• Experiment with different ways of accepting and siting with emotions rather than act based on a temporary mood state.
• Increase activity and enjoyment by re-engaging in activities of achievement or pleasure

Sleep Well

The aim of this session is to:

• Share experiences around sleep and what might be impacting negatively on it
• Normalise the challenge people are facing within the context of our stressors
• Provide people with education around the importance of sleep as well as engage them in discussion
• Explore people’s current sleep routine
• Experiment with different ways of re-connecting to people’s 
  ‘physical selves’ in a positive way through relaxation, 
  mindfulness and increased self-care.

Get Active

The aim of this session is to:

• Enhance understanding of the short-term and long-term benefits of physical activity on physical and mental health.
• Be(come) aware of the recommended physical activity guidelines indicated by the WHO.
• Examine people’s current level of physical activity
• Acknowledge the challenges or barriers around being active or increasing physical activity in people’s routine by looking at the cost and benefits of exercise
• Develop a list of activities people are currently engage in or would like to engage in
• Develop a weekly activity schedule

Eat Well

The aim of this session is to:

• Understand the short-term and long-term benefits of good nutrition and balanced eating on physical and mental health.
• Be(come) aware of the recommendations for food and beverage intake, according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• Examine people’s current eating patterns and routines, and identify areas for change.
• Normalise and acknowledge the barriers to balanced eating or making dietary swaps.
• Identify current food preferences or things that people would like to try.
• Plan and set goals for making healthy food swaps or participating in meal planning and preparation at home.

Term 1 of 2023 is now fully booked. For more details or enquiries, please email headspaceSunshineCommunity@orygen.org.au