Summer Holidays

Learning at Home - Nature Photographs

This week as part of our gardening project we asked trainees to connect with nature and take a photograph of a flower, an insect, a bee, a tree or a bird.  Thanks to the staff and trainees for sending in their beautiful photographs over the last few months. We look forward to putting together our photo time capsule when we return to the centre that captures plenty of positive memories from this unique and unprecedended time of our lives. 

Managing your online wellbeing

Today is the last day of wellbeing month and we are asking trainees to reduce their screen time.  Here are the top 10 tips for managing your online wellbeing.  For more info go to webwise.ie

Learning at Home - Covid 19 Posters

This week the trainees were asked to do some research on COVID-19 and to design a COVID-19 poster, here is a snapshop of some of the posters sent in by trainees.  They have captured all the important messages for the new normal that we have to abide by every day - good hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks etc.  

Connecting with the senses

Check out this final meditation video  'Connecting with the senses' by John Graham put together especially for Sligo CTC for wellbeing month. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/2VfbkgE9l9Y

Pasta with garlic, olive oil and chilli

A delicious simple recipe by Mairead to try out over the holidays 😋

Recipe by Mairead

Gardening with Aideen - Sunflowers

This sunflower was planted by seed back in April during lockdown and finally bloomed this week 👏💛

Connect - 'Gardening and connecting with nature'

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Gardening with Aideen - Watering

Watering Tips

• Conserving water  - start out little by little conserving water.

• How to water - vegetables need varying amounts of water depending on the stage in their life,     

   the type of plant, and the texture of the soil.

• Be conscious of evaporation - water early in the morning or late at night.

• Stay on top of weeds - this means that your plant won’t have to compete for water.

• Work on your soil - when your soil is poor quality it will suffer more from too little or too much 

   water.  For more info go to www.giy.ie

Connect - Art with Catherine

Some more mindful colouring with Catherine or if you want to colour online go to:  https://coloring-pages.info/mandalacoloringpages

Face Coverings

From today face coverings must now be worn in all shops, retail settings and shopping centres as well as public transport.  Protect yourself and others and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  

Watch this video to ensure you are wearing your face covering safely.  

Source:  World Healh Organisation
www.who.int

Learning at Home - Photography Challenge

Some more lovely photos taken as part of wellbeing month by the hairdressing trainees of nature, the colour green and things that make me happy  📷

Wellbeing Month - Connect

This is the final week of Wellbeing Month and the theme is 'Connect'.  Make time each day to connect. Connect with the people around you and as a result we feel more secure and happier.  This week we are going to do some activities for connecting with nature, art and design, connecting with yourself by doing mindful colouring, meditation and reducing your screen time.  Have a lovely week 😀

For more info go to www.mentalhealthireland.ie

Motivational Monday

Illustration by Catherine

Photography Challenge - Things that make you happy

Today's challenge is to 'watch the sunset'. Some beautiful snaps of sunsets and skies sent in this week!

Photography Challenge - Something the colour green

Learning At Home - Photography Challenge Photos

Thanks to everyone for sending in their amazing photographs this week 📷 

Plenty of nature, the colour green and photos that made us all happy captured  😀

Take Notice - 'Calm the mind without trying'

Check out this short introduction to meditation video 'calm the mind without trying' with the fantastic John Graham.  John has worked successfully with groups in our centre on a number of occasions and he has put this lovely meditation session together especially for Sligo CTC as part of Wellbeing Month.  Enjoy and thank you John! 

https://youtu.be/nfhWGyA_hR4

Photography Challenge - Nature

Some more fabulous nature photographs taken by trainees and staff for our photography challenge 🌼

COVID-19 - Face Coverings

Regulations to enforce the compulsory wearing of face coverings on public transport came into effect this week. The Government has announced that face coverings must now be worn in all shops, retail settings and shopping centres.Watch this video to ensure you are correctly wearing a face covering.  #StaySafe

For more info go to:  https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/aac74c-guidance-on-safe-use-of-face-coverings/

Take Notice - Photography Challenge

A snapshot of some of the beautiful photographs taken by our trainees for their photography challenge this week as part of wellbeing month.  The themes are well captured:
1. Nature 2. Something the colour green 3. Things that make me happy 😀

Take Notice - Gardening with Aideen

Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up about 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead.  Some good types of waste are: vegetable/fruit peels, spoiled, rotten or moldy fruit, cut grass, leaves, weeds and eggshells.  Watch this interesting little video from www.giy.ie to find out more about composting.

Learning at Home - Mindfulness Colouring

Some beautiful mandala colouring from our trainees 😀

Take Notice - Art with Catherine

Mandala Colouring is a graph concept, which is to replicate intricate and circular patterns to form a unique design, combining elegance and sophistication.  The Mandalas are not the easiest to draw and colouring these require your full attention to get them right! In fact you will have to be very careful and meticulous to color them without exceeding the proposed areas.  Colouring and drawing is a great way to switch off and concentrate. 🎨 For more online colouring go to:  https://coloring-pages.info/mandalacoloringpages

COVID Tracker App

COVID Tracker is a free app for your mobile phone.  It will help us to protect each other and slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ireland.  Using the COVID Tracker app along with the existing public health measures will help us all stay safe when we meet up, socialise, work or travel.

To download go to:  https://covidtracker.gov.ie/

Wellbeing Month - Photography Challenge

This week the theme for Welbeing Month is 'Take Notice'.  It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing.  Get your camera out this week and enjoy this photography challenge 📷

Motivational Monday

Illustration by Catherine 

Wellbeing Month - Be Active Week

Ryan and Zikrullah taking part in some of the 'Be Active' activities this week for wellbeing month.

Be Active - Bottle Challenge

You need a bottle full with water/liquid.

Hold the bottle with both hands straight out in front of you for as long as you can.

Repeat it more than once if you can!

Check out the demo by Steve for the bottle challenge

Be Active - Bodyweight Blast

30 Second Blast 

Work for 30 seconds doing the exercises as many times as you can

Repeat the exercises more than once if you can!

Check out the demo of the bodyweight blast by Danny: 

Be Active - Gardening with Aideen

Gardening is considered a moderate physical activity that boosts physical and mental health.  The physical activities of gardening include digging, weeding, watering, pruning, cutting the lawn etc. The best thing is that the garden is a green gym that burns calories, build muscle, de-stresses the mind and all from the advantage of your own home.  It is open air and connects you to nature.  We are very lucky to have our own CTC garden under the guidance of Aideen trainees can get involved with planting and maintaining the garden.  For more inforation on gardening and growing plants go to www.giy.ie

Red and Black Currants ready to be picked

The tomatoe seedlings are ready to be transplanted

Be Active - 20 Benefits of Walking

Be Active - Cardio Buddies

Social Distancing Cuppa Challenge

Well done Diego on your great effort with the tea bag challenge today 👍

Photo Time Capsule

Some more photographs sent in for our photo time capsule project:

Wellbeing Month - Social Distancing Cuppa

Everyone has become very aware of keeping two metres from each other the past few months, so with this in mind we would like you to try our social distancing challenge! Keeping two metres from a cup you have placed on the ground, attempt to throw a dry tea bag into the cup. Try as many times as you like but make sure you keep that distance 😀

Check out the demo by Danny of the 'social distancing cuppa' challenge

Wellbeing Month - Be Active

This week as part of wellbeing month we will have range of activities for 'Be Active' week and demonstrations from our sports tutors Danny and Steve.  Please take part and enjoy the week 😃

For more info on getting active go to:

https://www.getirelandactive.ie/

https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/together/

Motivational Monday

Illustration by Catherine 

Life during COVID-19 - Collooney Waterfall

Thanks to Karam, computer trainee for sending in this fantastic video clip he took while out for a lovely walk yesterday of the waterfall in Collooney.  A nice end to the first week of wellbeing month 😃

Keep Learning - Pancake Challenge

Sligo CTC Time Capsule Photos

Sligo CTC are making a collection of images to capture this unprecedented time of our lives.  When the centre reopens we will put all the photos together in a photo album and store them in a time capsule to be opened on a future date. Thanks to all our talented trainees and staff for sending in their photos 📷   

The 5 ways to Wellbeing

This month we celebrate wellbeing in the CTC while we continue to work and learn from home.  We will look at some of the actions over the coming weeks we can all take to protect our mental health and maintain positive wellbeing during uncertain and challenging times.  This week we are concentrating on the action 'Keep Learning' - taking photographs, reflecting on the past months, mindful drawing, colouring, reading, trying out a new app and cooking.  Check out this video and follow the five step plan to maintain and improve your wellbeing:

For more info check out:  mentalhealthireland.ie 

Gardening with Aideen - Birdwatching

Why don't you get outdoors today and connect with nature 🐦
To learn some more about the birds and wildlife in you garden check out:  https://birdwatchireland.ie/irelands-birds-birdwatch-ireland/garden-birds/

Poster designed by Joey, Computer Trainee

Gardening with Aideen - Transplanting and Dealing with Slugs

Some spinach and lettuce transplanted this week into window boxes

Top tips and tricks for dealing with the villain of the garden - Slugs