Weekly Wellbeing
Gratitude
It is soooo great to be back and have all staff and students back onsite! Although celebrating the easing of restrictions, having experienced so much adversity in the past 18 months, it would be very understandable for us to start becoming quite negative about life. Obviously, based on the title of this article, I am about to explore more about gratitude. This by no means diminishes the experiences and traumatic events that some people have endured with regards to COVID lockdowns and the recent weather event. If this is you, please seek professional support to help you to process all that you have been through/are going through. I have included links at the bottom of this page to assist you.
Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, argues that gratitude has two key components: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” In the second part of gratitude, he explains, “we recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves…We acknowledge that other people…gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.”
(What is Gratitude https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/ Accessed 16th June 2021)
There is so much research being done about the importance of gratitude and the impact that it has on our brain, our wellbeing and those around us. Click here to explore more about gratitude, what it is and how to practise it.
Here a just a few things that I am grateful for:
Component One | Component Two |
Health and Access to Health care
| Scientists, Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Cleaners, Engineers who make life saving medical equipment |
Household amenities: clean water, power, gas, flushing toilets
| Power, Gas and Electricity Providers |
Safety
| All levels of Government, Police, Security guards etc
|
Nature
| Park Rangers, Local Councils, Landscape gardeners, etc |
A house to live in
| Builders, Architects, Drafts people, Town Planners, Plumbers, Electricians, Concreters, Bricklayers etc |
Access to quality education for me and my family
|
Universities, Teachers, Administration Staff, Education Support Staff, State and Federal Governments, Children, Maintenance teams, Canteen Managers etc. |
Employment
| Great people to work with within CHPS. For some, access to employment assistance funds and services etc.
|
Access to an abundance of food and clothing
| Farmers, manufacturers, truck drivers, refrigerators and mechanics to maintain them, Customer service assistants, shelf stackers, bakers, butchers, fruiterers etc.
|
| A way to dispose of rubbish | Garbologists, Recycling and Sustainability experts, truck drivers.
|
Transport | Car, train, tram, and plane manufacturers, mechanics, engineers, people who work on the petrol rigs, Service station attendants, Train divers, Conductors, pilots etc.
|
| Support | Friends, Family, Allied Health professionals, staff at emergency departments, Community volunteers running sporting and other clubs, Religious organisations etc. |
My goodness, I could have kept going and know that I have missed both things and the ‘source’ of those things! This coming weekend, I encourage you to sit down as a family and not only explore what you are grateful for, but the people behind what you are thankful for. I am sure that this will include being thankful for each other and the strengths that each person brings to your family.
Helpful links and numbers if you need support
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 – Counselling and Support, Lifeline – 13 11 14 – Counselling and Support,
Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 – Counselling and Support, Safe Steps – 1800 015 188 – 24 hr Family Violence Service
Parents Beyond Breakup – 1300 853 437
Until next time,
Julie Reid, on behalf of the Wellbeing team