Feeling stressed? Try mindfulness and life coaching with Virginia Cooperative Extension

At the beginning of each year, many people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, eat better, exercise more regularly, take more time to relax, spend extra time with family and friends, or work on their finances. However, after a couple of months, the New Year’s resolutions began to fade and bad habits return.

But did you know it’s possible to change your behavior and reduce stress by practicing simple mindfulness strategies?

Samantha Harden, an associate professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is offering a weekly interactive webinar titled “Mindful Meet-Ups.” Each Monday from noon to 12:30 p.m., Harden will share different strategies to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. “Mindful Meet-Ups’” 30-minute webinars offer an inclusive, accessible, and practical place to experience what moment-to-moment awareness, movement, breathwork, and community can do for your emotional well-being.  

No equipment or experience is necessary. Register here for upcoming webinars and find additional resources by visiting Harden’s Physical Activity Research & Community Implementation website. Previous “Mindful Meet-Ups” recordings can be found here.  

Virginia Cooperative Extension community viability specialist Crystal Tyler-Mackey, and her human development program team have developed 30-minute weekly webinars called “Balancing Life” to equip adults with tools to navigate through many of life’s challenges. The webinars present information about overall wellness topics including mental and financial health, stress management, parenting, and personal resilience. Each Friday from 10 to 10:30 a.m. there is a different informative and inspirational guest speaker. 

Register here for the “Balancing Life” webinar. Previous episodes can be viewed here. 

Both of these programs are free and open to the public. Start your week on Mondays with “Mindful Meet-Ups”and end your week on Fridays with “Balancing Your Life.” Both programs will provide you with strategies to find a deeper meaning in your life and help you to make positive changes during 2024 and beyond.