Mohawk College hosted its third annual Health and Wellness Expo Monday night. This was an opportunity for students and teachers to gather and learn about different methods to keep a healthy lifestyle.

“The students in their second year…host [the event] and what they are doing is bringing awareness to health [issues],” said Chantal Szpak, a professor in the Health and Wellness Fitness program  “There are 52 booths covering topics from nutrition to goal setting, environmental wellness, intellectual wellness, spiritual wellness and any kind of physical activity, emotional mental health, anything like that we are covering a variety of topics.”

The Justice and Wellness department was packed with students visiting booths; they walked around with a sheet showing how many booths they had attended, and what they learned.

Szpak hoped that people attending the event walked away a little bit healthier. “Whether it’d be from sleeping or how to relieve stress or [learn] new information to make them healthier individuals.”

Adam Sousa, a member of the Wellness Committee, managed a booth that taught people about managing stress and anxiety and how to identify it. “So we have a four step technique breathing test, what it’s for is if you are feeling stressed out…..paying your bills, work school, all those things will stress you out. Having this technique in your pocket will remind you of those situations that you’re in.”

Sousa then explained the breathing technique to manage anxiety “Breathe ….four seconds in, hold of four seconds, four seconds out and just repeat that for about a minute and remember where you are.”

This was just one of the many booths offering advice. The event provided students with better alternatives to dieting, advice on exercises and tips for getting all the nutrition you need to stay healthy on a tight budget.