Exercise is shown to decrease stress, tension, anxiety, depression and stimulates feel-good hormones (www.mhanational.org).

Try fitting some extra movement into your schedule this week!

• Take a walk on your one of your breaks
• Hit the employee gym for a stretch break
• Take advantage of Welia Center or Hinckley-Finlayson Fitness Center on these rainy days
• Walk to the mailbox
• Have a dance party with the kiddos

Write down two specific activities you complete each week related to the theme and get a prize! Turn your completed tracking sheet (below) to Wellness no later than Friday, June 3^rd.

In conjunction with the new school construction, the windows in the Welia Center Fitness Room (Mora) are scheduled to be removed on Monday, May 9th. To ensure member safety, we will be canceling Wellbeats classes on Monday, May 9th.

Check out these training opportunities coming up:

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Training  – May 10, 9am – 12pm (virtual)

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) is a training on reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms and medication, and is a proven response in suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention. The training will cover having conversations around lethal means and working with people and their families to reduce access to them. Certifications of participation will be provided.  

Providers, therapists, and community members can join to learn more about this important intervention strategy.  

Register for CALM Tuesday, May 10, 2022 from 9 a.m. – Noon 

For more information, please contact Jenilee Telander at Jenilee.Telander@state.mn.us.  

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) 

Learn the three steps anyone can take to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught gatekeeper training program in the United States, and more than one million adults have been trained in classroom settings in 48 states. This 1.5-hour class is for members of the community over the age of 16 who want to learn best practices in suicide prevention.  

A certificate of attendance is available for this class and will be sent after you fill out the evaluation. Register for an upcoming class: 

• QPR Tuesday, May 12, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.  
• QPR Tuesday, June 14, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

QPR for Agricultural Communities

Agricultural communities have unique needs and approaches to preventing suicide. This 1.5-hour QPR class is for members of rural and agricultural communities over the age of 16 who want to learn best practices in suicide prevention.  

A certificate of attendance is available for this class and will be sent after you fill out the evaluation. Register for an upcoming class: 

• QPR for Agriculture Tuesday, May 17, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. 

“Humans are wired to connect, and this connection affects our health.” Social connection affects our overall well-being, including mental health.

Our connections can bring us happiness, better health, and even a longer life! Here are some ideas to cultivate and nurture your relationships:

• Send a text to a friend letting them know you’re thinking of them
• Call a loved one on your way home from work to catch up
• Listen really well!
• Show your loved ones appreciation
• Meet up for coffee, a walk, lunch, etc.
• Send snail mail
• Say hi to someone new

Join the May Challenge! Write down two specific activities you complete each week related to the theme and get a prize! Turn your completed tracking sheet (below) to Wellness no later than Friday, June 3^rd.

*hint* Check your email for all the challenge details!