WELLBEING 

TIPS ON SUN SAFETY 

• At a glance
  • UV or ultraviolet radiation is a type of energy from the sun. It can be very harmful to your skin.
  • If the UV Index Forecast is 3 or more, you should protect yourself from the sun.
  • Tanning is a form of sun damage you can see.
  • Get in the habit of following the five SunSmart steps: slip on clothes, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.
  • The ingredients in Australian sunscreen are safe.
  • Speak to a qualified health worker if you have questions about sun safety – don't believe everything you read online.

Here is an excerpt from an article from Generation Next  - by Amy Dawel, Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University

We teach kids to look after their bodies – here’s how to do the same for a healthy mind – 

How can we approach mental health prevention for kids? Positive psychology – or the study of wellbeing – offers some clues. Here are three.

1. Prioritise real life relationships

Humans are social creatures and loneliness — which affects many young people — is a key risk factor for poor mental health.

When we connect in-person we “synchronise”. This means people’s behaviour and brains come into harmony, helping them to feel connected and treat each other well.

Interacting online disrupts this synchronisation.

So we need to help young people build good quality relationships in real life.

One of the keys to building good relationships is making time for them. This includes prioritising in-person activities that you enjoy doing together. For example, playing games or sports, taking a walk, or making a meal together.

2. Learn how to overcome challenges

Research also suggests “mastery” is important. This is the sense that we can learn new skills or take on challenges and overcome them. This helps people feel that their actions matter and that they have some control over their world.

Mastery is particularly fulfilling when we tackle something that is intrinsically motivating – where we value the activity in and of itself, not for any extrinsic reward, like winning or wages.

Intrinsic motivation is personal. It could be anything from the joy of playing sport with teammates (even when you lose) to satisfaction experienced in learning the piano.

So it’s important young people have opportunities to pursue things they are genuinely interested in and that challenge them along the way.

3. Create opportunities for positive emotions

All of this ties into a third essential ingredient for human wellbeing: positive emotions.

These range from awe to gratitude, joy and curiosity. They improve both our psychological and physical health.

We can’t have positive emotions all the time – life is inevitably up and down. And sometimes sad, bad or unlucky things happen. It’s important that we feel and express these emotions too.

But we can foster a greater balance of positive emotions by deliberately scheduling activities we enjoy and paying attention to how we feel. This does not have to be complicated or expensive. It may involve small things like pausing to appreciate a beautiful butterfly during a walk or noticing the taste of a yummy meal.

Link to the full article - We teach kids to look after their bodies – here’s how to do the same for a healthy mind - Generation Next