Month of Giving: YMCA helps teens, young adults cope with anxiety through ‘Y Mind’ program

Facilitators lead closed sessions that explore strategies in mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help build healthy coping skills and psychological resiliency.

For the second year in a row, Global Calgary is partnering virtually with four local charities over the holidays – including the YMCA – as part of the Month of Giving Campaign.

This year, the campaign is focused on mental health and food insecurity – two societal issues that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The YMCA program ‘Y Mind’ aims to help teens and young adults in Calgary manage stress and anxiety.

Facilitators lead closed groups of eight to 12 people in sessions that explore strategies in mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help build healthy coping skills and psychological resiliency.

While many may think of the YMCA as a place to work on your physical health, Kaia Kjar, general manager of health programs, knows a focus on mental wellness is crucial.

“If you are, for lack of a better term, paralyzed by fear and not able to go and take advantage of these amazing opportunities that are out there, then you miss out on a lot in life,” Kjar said.

“So learning how to cope with those tough feelings early on, and recognizing that we all experience these things, and how to move through those feelings is really important.”

The program is carried out in two age ranges: teens aged 13 to 18 and young adults aged 18 to 30, and is targeted to those who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and stress.