WELLBEING

Brain Downtime is Beneficial

You know that feeling when you start to read the same sentence over and over but you're no longer taking in the meaning but there is so much more to do but your brain is telling you to stop.  It's full.  It needs a little down time.

When we are at work or at school, we can obsessively check and respond to emails and work. Learning to switch this off during holidays can sometimes take effort, especially if you feel obliged to get some work done between surfing down at the beach.  Our brains are preoccupied with doing work or study much of the time.  Throughout history though people have worked out that such devotion to constant busyness does not necessarily translate to greater productivity.   Stillness is not just a holiday or an indulgence, it has been found to be indispensable to the brain.

Much evidence from various studies show the benefits of taking a vacation, regular meditation, as well as time spent in parks, gardens and other peaceful outdoor spaces like our amazing beaches; and how napping and unwinding whilst awake can sharpen the mind.  Many mental processes seem to require down time during the day, as it replenishes the brain's stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to help achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life.  

Downtime is an opportunity for the brain to make sense of what it has been recently learned.  We sift through those neglected mental post-it notes listing half-finished projects and we go over the aspects of our lives we would like to tweak as we search for solutions.

Some studies suggest that when daydreaming, the mind solves tough problems - an experience you may have had whilst taking a shower.  Epiphanies may seem to come out of nowhere, but are often the product of unconscious mental activity during downtime.

Therefore, here's a few great habits that will benefit:

• Take a 10 minute Power Nap - if you are running out of brain steam, taking a short nap can replenish those reserves and enliven your mind. Longer naps of 20 or 30 minutes are also beneficial but may give you a little grogginess. However, naps of just 10 minutes can immediately enhance performance.
• Spend more time outdoors - in the evenings, on the weekends and even during lunch breaks by walking to the park, beach or anywhere in nature.
• Meditation - Mindfulness meditation can help you to hone your ability to concentrate and strengthen memory, as well as slow down mind-chatter.
• Take deliberate mental breaks during the "in-between moments" in your day, e.g. commuting to work/school, lunch, a walk.
• Putting our computers away now and then and switching off.

Headspace Free Mental Health Ed. Sessions

Headspace is hosting a free mental health education session for parents and carers in Geelong, on ways to support young people when they are concerned about their mental health.

The session aims to:

• Strengthen your understanding of mental health and the warning signs that a young person is experiencing a mental health difficulty.
• Strengthen your understanding and skills in how to cope and where to find help
• Build awareness of local services and the various support services available.
• Strengthen relationships between local area mental health services, local schools, headspace centres and other community organisations.

14 September 2021 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../geelong-vic-parent-and...

27 September 2021 Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../geelong-vic-parent-and...

Just a reminder to those families in our community doing it tough, here is a quick guide to some great organisations that can help in times of Crisis.