Chaplain's Corner

Hi Everyone! 😀

It has been a privilege to ring and speak to some of you and your children this week, letting you know that you are being thought of and to offer encouragement.  I loved hearing the voices of the children I usually work regularly with!  It has also been great to connect with you parents who have entrusted your precious children to me.  I am also aware that many are becoming ‘lock down fatigued’, so good mental health practices are very important to aid our coping and to encourage us to be positive.

I have also been doing some online courses and ‘attending’ webinars on ‘Mental Health’ as I endeavour to serve you with a growth mindset of increased knowledge. One common element of these learning opportunities has been ‘CALMING OUR MINDS & BRINGING OURSELVES INTO THE PRESENT’ and applying this to both ourselves and our children.

REMEMBER: MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO!  🙈🙉🙊

Sometimes when I am talking with my Hubby, he states, ‘I would like to get inside your head to see how it works’, as the thoughts I express ‘jump around’ – Bless his little heart!?  🥴

Below are some helpful hints to help you and your children to calm your minds and to develop positive mental health practices (paraphrased from Michael Grose’s Parenting Ideas website):

 Stay in the present   - The human mind is restless, taking us all over the place. It can make us feel happy recalling memories of loved ones or happy times and it can also drive insecurity connecting us to events in the past or future that fill us with dread, and make us feel anxious.  Kids’ wandering minds need to take a rest and settle in the present, stopping their mental chatter, giving them the chance to relax. Mindfulness is an essential mental health tool that enables children to keep their minds in the present moment, allowing them to feel safe and secure.

A mindfulness framework includes regular mindfulness exercises, doing one thing at a time, using mindfulness during an anxious moment, practising self-kindness and forgiveness.

Enjoy yourself at play - The term ‘child’s play’ is demeaning to children and dismissive of the place of play in our lives. Play is absolutely critical to our happiness and wellbeing. Borrowing from the work of Dr. Brene Brown, play is defined as any activity that’s fun (therefore highly anticipated), free (that is, self-directed) and involves flow (we don’t want it to stop). Play helps kids manage anxiety and depression as it lifts their mood and is therapeutic by nature.  Encourage a mix of alone and together play.

Spend time in nature   - Recent studies highlight what we already knew – that time spent in natural environments benefits our happiness, our sense of wellbeing and reduces stress and tension. The rejuvenating benefits of time spent in the bush or by the sea may be difficult to acquire during times of physical isolation but walks to the park, spending time under a favourite tree or even bringing some green shrubs inside have proven to be just as beneficial to children’s mental health.

Keep foundation behaviours - Routine behaviours such as waking at the same time, having breakfast, exercising, showering and dressing get us ready for the day ahead. They underpin productivity, learning and wellbeing. Remove the structure provided by these foundation behaviours and many children and young people struggle, particularly those who are prone to anxiety and depression.

Practise deep breathing   - Deep breathing instantly engages our capacity to relax and stay calm. When a child becomes anxious or fearful their breathing becomes shallow. Taking deep, slow breaths when they become overwhelmed by anxiety is the quickest way to return to a calm state. Deep breathing has great preventative powers helping the mind stay in a state of focus and calm.

Check in on feelings   - If children and young people are not tuning into their emotions they are missing a rich vein of information that will assist decision-making, learning and importantly, their wellbeing. It’s relatively easy to tune to into behaviour and our thoughts, but much harder to detect our emotions. The skill of emotionally checking in, developed by Prof. Marc Brackett from the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, helps children and young people to identify how they are feeling at any given time. It requires kids to stand still, close their eyes, take some deep breaths, identify and give a name to their feeling. This simple habit of checking, once practised and learned is a wonderful life skill to acquire.

SO ENJOY THE SUNSHINE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND LOOK FOR THE MANY SIGNS OF SPRING AROUND YOU! LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND EACH OTHER!  🌺🌻🌼

If you would like to contact me please use my email address below.  I am happy to provide encouragement and other support.  Please include your contact number in the email so I can contact you.  If there is anything that I can help you or your family with at this time please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Take care & stay well!  Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)   😊

Robyn.Mulholland@education.vic.gov.au