Wellbeing @ NPS

Has your family had a... Gem Chat? 

GEM Chats allow us all to practice the TRP principles each and every day and are a great way for families to connect with TRP at home. 

We STRONGLY encourage you as a family to start having these discussions at home. They're a great way for students to think about GEM outside of the school setting and to regularly practice strategies to improve mental health.     

This fortnights GEM chat!

The first GEM chat that we ask you try at home is - "What were three things that went well for you today?". 

This chat comes from the Gratitude component of GEM and helps our kids, and ourselves, to pay attention on what we HAVE and not on what we don't. 

Good luck! :) 

The TRP @ NPS!

Throughout 2023, we will be working closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community. The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience. Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community. 

This next presentation from The Resilience Project is all about Empathy and Kindness. Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practice this through being kind and compassionate towards other people. Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g. eating brussel sprouts!). Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based. 

View Part 3 of the series here 

Part 3 - Empathy: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-martin/

Here’s an activity to practise empathy and kindness: 

• Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message. 
• Make a plan for who you are going to gift an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do. 
• If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
• Follow up with each other in a few days' time, to ask how it went!  

Sources:Psychology Today,UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.