Positive  Performance Psychology

Mental Fitness Challenge

Some of the lessons undertaken by Mooroopna students, around this topic, have included gratitude and mindfulness. Students have begun the Mental Fitness Challenge, online, as part of the Black Dog Institute’s Bite Back program. This program provides teenagers with weekly challenges to help them improve their mental fitness, improve their friendships and focus, increase their happiness and reduce stress.

Pictured above is the Student Dashboard - the first three weeks of challenges for the Bite Back Mental Fitness Challenge. Students have completed Gratitude and will be working on Mindfulness in Week 4, Term 2. This topic and its challenges are timely due to students working within the remote learning environment.

Last week, students took part in a yoga session and made ‘brain dough’ – play dough scented with lavender oil or other essential oils - to assist with reducing stress and anxiousness. Students learned that the proportion of the brain’s processing areas dedicated to sensory functions like touch and smell were much larger than other areas, and this is where the play dough making practical session was a part of their Learning Task.

If anyone is interested in the yoga session that students followed, here is the link to the YouTube clips:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXU591OYOHA&list=PLui6Eyny-UzwxbWCWDbTzEwsZnnROBTI      

Kylie Hoskin