Program Highlight: Health & Wellness

I am, Denisha Harbinson, the new Health and Wellness Coach for Family Scholar House. My main goal is to help participants with any health-related goals. The most common questions I am asked are about meal preparation and workout ideas.  I meet participants where they are and try to get them where they want to go. At Family Scholar House, we call this the intersection of life. I will meet with participants in person or virtually, whichever is more accommodating to their schedule. Another way I like to reach participants is through health fairs, physical challenges, meet and greets, demonstrations, and other fun programs. At a recent meet and greet, we discussed how to make a healthy snack out of commonly found pantry items. Then we cooked together.

 Health and wellness is a passion of mine therefore my job at Family Scholar House never feels like work. Through this role, I’m about to be more intentional about empowering my community. As we enter the last quarter of the year, something to keep in mind, is building healthy habits is a process and not a marathon. You should start with 3-7 day goals, then work your way up to 30-day goals. Some examples of goals are meditating for 20 minutes, reading a self-help book, doing aerobic exercise for 30 min, and limiting screen time. One general goal that will help remind you to complete each task is staying organized. Create a to-do list and put it somewhere visible to help remind you to finish your tasks. This includes creating time limits for tasks. Practicing positive self-talk will help to encourage you to complete your task and feel confident about reaching your goals. Remember to make time for yourself, practice self-care, and stay positive.