Student Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Breakfast Club - Now at Wellbeing

Breakfast Club is open to all students so please join us 8am - 8:30am Tuesdays and Thursdays at Wellbeing for some free healthy food to start your day!

Social Media & Mental Health

Social media can be a great platform for staying connected. We can get in contact with friends and loved ones easily, talk to people from the other end of the earth, and see how the people we care about are going. We can join groups of people with similar interests and learn about causes we find important. Ironically, though social media is built for connection it is also a double-edged sword. While it can foster relationships, excessive use of social media can also bring about feelings of isolation, loneliness, sadness or frustration.

Common negative experiences of social media include:

Feelings of inadequacy (e.g. life, appearance)
Fear of missing out (FOMO)
Cyberbullying
Limited time for self-reflection
Sleep problems

But how do you know if social media is impacting you negatively? Look out for these signs that you’re:

Using it to distract yourself from school or work
Using it is a higher priority than interacting with people in real life
Feeling compelled to scroll when you’re lonely or bored
Feeling compelled to post to make others feel jealous or upset
Feeling irritated or anxious if you can’t check your feeds regularly

If you feel like social media is affecting you negatively, these are some steps that may help with improving your relationship with social media:

Reducing time online

Studies have shown that using social media as little as thirty minutes less a day can decrease feelings of anxiety, sleep problems, FOMO, and loneliness.

Turning off your phone at specific times of the day

This may include at school, when spending time with friends IRL, when at social events, or when having a meal.

Leaving your electronic devices out of your bedroom when you sleep

This is the perfect time to unwind and let your devices charge. Exceptions to this may include listening to calming music, rain sounds, or brown noise to help sleeping.

Disable push notifications

Applications are designed to “hook” us and compel us to regularly check in with them. Turning off these notifications can help you take control of your focus and personal time.

Pay attention to how often you check your social media

If you feel you compulsively check them, look at weaning yourself off checking by decreasing how often you open them.

Removing or spending a vacation away from social media

If spending time on platforms is significantly causing distress, perhaps consider if you need to disable your account or step away for a day or two.

Take time to focus on relationships IRL

Engage more with friends, family and loved ones. Maybe consider volunteering or joining a club. Social media fills the need of connection. Whether we are highly social or more introverted, everyone can benefit from connection in a way that works for them.

Looking for things to do these holidays?

Check out events in your area!

What’s on in Knox: https://www.knox.vic.gov.au/whats-happening/events-activities-and-festivals/events-calendar

What’s on in Whitehorse: https://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/whats-happening-whitehorse

YouthConneXions (Box Hill): @youthconnexions

Engage Workshops (Knox): @knoxyouthservices

Resources & Support Services

The Wellbeing Team have compiled a range of resources and support services for students and families to access via Compass under Community (the two people) – School Documentation – For Students/For Parents – Wellbeing Resources.