Culture and Wellbeing 

Wellbeing over the Summer

Over the holidays, and beyond for our school leavers, there may be times when students require support for their mental health and wellbeing, at a time when the school is not available to assist. By the end of each year, the daily school routine can become tiring and frustrating for some students and the summer break provides a welcome relief! However, once they are away from the school environment, some students can feel disconnected and become isolated from others and the usual support which the daily school routine can provide. As such, I encourage families and students themselves to be more mindful of student wellbeing and opportunities for support outside of the College over the school holiday period.

Monitoring your student’s wellbeing over the summer break and keeping the lines of communication open is critical to supporting their wellbeing. Frequent sleep-ins or late nights out with friends can sometimes be a barrier to connecting, so over the holidays extra effort is required to reach out to young people and spend quality time together.

Sometimes concerns for a young person’s wellbeing may go beyond what a family feels they can manage themselves. A well-timed visit to the GP can provide an opportunity for a young person to express feelings and receive any additional professional support they may need. Doctors can identify adolescent mental health issues and formulate mental health care plans, including referral to a psychologist where necessary. Involving the GP can role model the importance of managing our health and wellbeing in a holistic way. Most mental health concerns will link directly to physical symptoms, thus this direct route to the GP for advice is beneficial.

There are also free government services that can provide counselling and support for young people experiencing wellbeing concerns, including youth mental health service, headspace. For more information about this service go to https://www.headspace.org.au

Likewise, young people themselves can access great online support through websites such as https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/ and https://au.reachout.com/

I encourage our students take time over the holidays to rest, rejuvenate and prioritise their wellbeing, ready for a positive start to the school year in 2019.

Wishing our community a safe and happy holiday season!

Marni Harding

College Counsellor