SOS Wellness Workshop Background

“Insightful – I enjoyed it and learnt some important strategies for minding your mental health. I could use these strategies in my work and pass onto friends. It was very practical and applicable.”

A major part of our work is giving people the tools to improve their own mental wellness. For this reason SOS has developed the one day “Wellness Workshop” which aims to help people understand, take charge of and responsibility for their own mental health. We deliver these workshops to communities and charitable organisations throughout the country which are offered with no charge to participants, thanks to our wonderful funders the National Office of Suicide Prevention, the amazing people from all over Ireland who fundraise for us and our workshop partners. These workshops continue to inspire and enhance the lives of those who participate in them, and it is our mission to collaborate with local communities to ensure that all members of society have access to this service.

“ You can use it when you’re not feeling well but you can break down a problem into smaller chunks and deal with it rather than one big amount. It just helped kind of deal with things easily and get your mind in that frame. Now I find I’m managing things better because I’m not taking on one big giant task and I can do this much tomorrow. It’s better that way.”

The workshops are of benefit to anyone who is interested in investing in their mental health and wellness. Workshops are informal and relaxed. They are facilitated by people with both lived life experience of mental health difficulties, and people with experience of working in the mental health area. They combine personal testimony with practical tools and tips that you can use in your everyday life to improve your own wellness.

“I found the mindfulness the most beneficial because Caroline actually sat in the room and did them with you. I think the one minute at five different intervals throughout the day, I found the best. Because everyone might say that they’re really busy and don’t have time to do this, but she showed how easy it is to slot it in to your day to day lifestyle. To try and bring your anxiety levels back down. To try and manage your stresses throughout the day. You need to commit yourself to them throughout the day.”

Throughout the day the workshop looks at our thinking process, the wellness continuum, mindfulness, and the wheel of change. This is all done in a very interactive non-intrusive and fun way. Areas covered on the day include relaxation and stress management, understanding the relationship between thoughts and emotions, and developing a wellness toolkit and daily plan. Participants take home our Wellness Workbook which is a wonderful resource to help them build on the tools discussed throughout the day. We also have an online version of the Wellness Workshop which is free and accessible to all: www.wellnessworkshop.ie 

“I think everyone could benefit from it as it’s a practical, informative and empowering approach to mental health wellness.”