Community Impact Team Hosts Workshop Series on Mental Wellness

The North Reading Community Impact Team, in partnership with the O’Leary Senior Center is hosting an in-person workshop series on mental wellness. Hosted by North Reading Mental Health/Substance Abuse Clinician Laura Miranda, the workshops aim at providing attendees with a variety of mental wellness strategies. She said, “It’s important that we continue our outreach that was started during the lock down. Mental wellness is a continuing challenge for many, and we’re thrilled to offer these in-person workshops.”

On Thursday, August 19th, the first workshop was held with over twenty participants and focused on mindfulness. Guests were introduced to the benefits of mindfulness including better sleep, physical well-being and stress management. Miranda then led them through several practice breathing exercises. Participant Susan Luckiewicz commented, “My mind is always rushing. When Laura helped us practice, it’s the first time I’ve been able to relax in a long time. My whole body relaxed, actually, not just my mind.” She added, “I’m going to try them before bed to help me sleep.”

The workshop series will continue through the next three weeks. Miranda explained, “The goal is to offer a wide-range of skills for various aspects of mental wellness. We hope that one or several of the workshops resonate with our attendees and they learn new ways to take care of themselves during challenging times.” Kathy Sumner, who attended the first workshop noted, “What sets these workshops apart are that every person matters. No question is too small; all are important. Mindfulness reminds us to always take a breath.

Held at the Horseshoe Grille, the workshops include a free lunch thanks to a mini-grant from Winchester Hospital. The remaining topic schedule includes:

Thursday, August 26th: Decluttering the Mind and Home

Thursday, Sept 9th: Attending to Daily Living

Thursday, Sept 23rd: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Registration is rolling and still open. To register for an upcoming workshop, visit www.northreadingma.gov/CIT and click “events” or contact Laura Miranda at lmiranda@nrpd.org. Guests from neighboring communities are welcome.