Ottawa-Gatineau Unit Briefings and Onsite Workshops

Briefing descriptions

• Fundamentals of Healthy Sleep
  Designed with Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members in mind, this briefing is ideal for any adult seeking to develop and maintain healthy sleep habits. Participants will gain foundational knowledge about the critical role sleep plays in overall health and performance. The session also highlights strategies to identify critical areas in which individuals can take action to enhance their sleep quality.
  
  60 minute briefing
• Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness
  This briefing introduces the Mental Health Continuum and equips participants with practical tools to support mental well-being. Attendees will learn how to recognize early warning signs of distress and how to connect individuals with appropriate support resources—both within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and in the broader community.
  
  (60 mins, or 90 mins)  
• Top Tips for Managing Stress
  Stress is a part of life—but how we respond to it can significantly impact our physical and mental well-being. In this briefing, you'll gain a clear understanding of what stress is and explore practical strategies to manage it effectively. Learn how to reduce distress, build resilience, and take control of your stress response in everyday situations.
  
  (60 mins)
• Essential Nutrition
  Let’s get back to the essentials! Explore the Canada Food Guide’s recommendations for healthy eating and discover how small, sustainable changes can positively impact both your mental and physical well-being. Choose from one or more of the topics below.

  • Nutrition Fundamentals (60 mins)  
  • Understanding Food Labels (60 mins)
  • Meal Planning & How to Stretch Your Food Dollar (60 mins)
  • Mindful Eating (60 mins)
• Fueling for Exercise
  This briefing provides evidence-based nutritional guidance to help you choose the right types, amounts, and timing of food and fluids to meet your energy needs. Whether you're training for a specific athletic event, preparing for deployment, or maintaining an active lifestyle, proper fueling is essential to achieving your goals. Learn how to optimize your nutrition to support performance, recovery, and overall well-being.
  
  (60 mins)    
• Addictions Awareness
  This briefing provides an overview of addiction, including why individuals may turn to substances or behaviors, the underlying causes, and how addiction develops along a continuum. Participants will learn to recognize risk factors and early warning signs, and explore practical tips for lower-risk use of substances, gambling, and gaming. The session also outlines support resources available through the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and in the broader community.
  
  (45 - 60 mins)  
• Health Promotion Program Overview
  An overview of available Health Promotion (HP) programs, campaigns, and upcoming initiatives. This briefing will provide you with a greater understanding of HP and of how to engage your local HP team to foster a culture of health and wellbeing within your unit.
  
  (30 - 60 mins)
• Effective Communication
  Every relationship benefits from a safe and respectful way to address both everyday disagreements and deeper, more sensitive issues. This briefing helps you enhance your personal relationships by building effective conflict management and communication skills. You'll explore the causes and costs of conflict, learn the foundations of collaborative communication, such as active listening skills and the speaker-listener technique to support healthy relationships.
  
  (3 Hours)
• Managing Angry Moments
  Learn how to recognize your anger triggers and respond with greater control. This session explores the link between stress and anger, introduces practical tools like coping thoughts and assertive communication, and offers strategies to build resilience and improve personal well-being.
  
  (60 or 90 minutes)