Wellbeing Support

Over the past fortnight the Wellbeing Team have collaborated with Toolbox Education, a mental health organisation which takes a range of psychological skills for everyday life and makes them relatable for high school students.

On Monday August 5, five young people led our Year 12s at Clyde North through two workshops – The Inner Critic and Procrastination. Our students could choose which one appealed to them. On Monday 19th August the College Wellbeing Team led the students in a follow-up session, which included meditation, mindfulness and practical tasks to help consolidate their learning from the previous session. 

With the well-documented rise in levels of anxiety and depression among young people, it is vital that they are provided with the knowledge and skills to help them navigate their own lives and experience satisfaction and success. Positive thinking habits have the power to create healthy relationships and desired life pathways.

Procrastination explored the way our thinking can lead to putting things off, feeling more stressed than usual and not achieving a goal we set our sights on. Practical strategies like breaking up the task, giving oneself a reward, taking small actions and recognising one’s habitual thinking patterns all lead to lessening the procrastination habit.

The Inner Critic, as the name suggests, examined how we talk to ourselves in ways that hold us back. Part of our mind acts like a “judge” and students learn that it’s beneficial to challenge that part of their thinking sometimes and to talk to themselves as a friend rather than an adversary. We also compare ourselves to others in ways that are unhealthy. Students examined the benefits of self-compassion, acceptance and self-forgiveness.

Parents and caregivers can also support their children by modelling these thinking patterns in their own lives and supporting their children to find their life balance.

The collaboration with Toolbox Education proved to be beneficial and students were able to identify and state the benefits for themselves.

Thanks to Sara, Ernie, Michelle and Nadia from the St Peter’s Wellbeing Team for making this program available and supporting our students.