ABERDEEN, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Participants learned how to manage their stress, de-clutter their minds and sleep better with techniques they can do right at home during the Self-Care Wellness Fair Wednesday in Aberdeen.
The event was held at K.O. Lee Public Library in partnership with the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce. Staff say they got the idea for the fair when they began sharing wellness tips in the office.
”We thought, ‘Well, if we’re having these conversations among ourselves, it would be great to share it with other people too. Really, it’s just a way to make our whole community healthier,” said Lisa Anderson of the Chamber of Commerce.
Presenter Rebecca Christiansen, Director of Counseling at Presentation College, said one of the best tips to de-stress is to unplug from technology and current events.
”We have got inflation, we’ve got global illness, school shootings, disrest, there’s a lot of negativity. So, for people to be able to step back from that is really important,” said Christiansen.
Many of the presentations were centered on the techniques participants could do at home.
“Being able to find relaxation and meditation techniques that work in the home, it’s accessible, it can be right now. Because while we’re inundated with stress, stress can also be a good thing too. The key is really being able to handle it so it’s not handling you,” said Christiansen.
Amber Hanson of Heart and Sole Foot Zone Therapy spoke on how foot work can help with physical stress.
”Working with your feet and getting some of the tension out of them that goes throughout the day, if you’re touching your feet and rubbing them, you’re connecting those points that go to the rest of your body,” said Hanson.
Other techniques included meditation, breathing exercises and journaling.
Renae Scherbenske attended the Wellness Fair to find tips on how to manage stress while working with her preschool program.
”The one that most stuck out was the sleep one, things that I’m doing wrong personally. So, I can go home and fix those and correct them and hopefully educate my staff on it too,” said Scherbenske.
This was the first year of the afternoon Self-Care Wellness Fair, but Chamber of Commerce staff say due to the stress in today’s society, they’re considering hosting more than one each year in the future.
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