“Move Your Body, Lift Your Mind: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise.

When you set exercise goals, you may often focus on the physical benefits, getting in shape, building muscle, managing weight, etc. But exercise also has a remarkable impact on your mental and emotional well-being. That’s because of something called the mind-body connection.” Rachel Goldman, PhD

On Wednesday 3rd June year 11 will be taking part in the national mental health initiative “2026 Push Up Challenge”. Working as a team within their homerooms, students will complete 3,307 push ups (or squats, lunches, push outs) over 23 days. This number sadly reflects the number of people who lost their lives due to an acute mental health issue. Through the activity students will broaden their knowledge regarding the availability of support services and develop strategies to better manage stress and improve general social and emotional wellbeing.

Historically the students have embraced the challenge and found the activity not only to be informative but also a lot of fun. Starting the day with some exercise and a laugh can improve mood and set everyone up for a great day.

Although this is not a fundraiser the team is registered with the national site and can be sponsored. All funds are donated directly to headspace Griffith. Due to the age of our team members and the sheer volume of members my name has been used as a reference only.

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/suehone/the-push-up-challenge

Please feel free to send messages of encouragement and we will keep you updated with how the challenge proceeds.

The Wellbeing Team have also been having some conversations regarding social justice issues and how there is a direct link to our wellbeing and circumstances are often out of our control and often influenced by either environmental factors or society in general. The cost of living continues to rise, and world events can place additional stress on families and have a flow on effect on a community as a whole. With the onset of winter brings cooler weather and this too can be a contributing factor to lowering people's mood.

Together we discussed a variety of ways that we could make a positive difference that was not only practical but also beneficial to both the recipient as well as the contributor. We have chosen the catch phrase “Share What You Can” and it is an invitation to those who are able to share donations of nonperishable items with all donations being shared between St Vincent de Paul and LCN (Linking Community Network, lead agency within our region, Women’s Refuge & Youth Refuge and homelessness specialised service).

Whilst we may be very familiar with the great work of St Vincent de Paul many people may not be familiar with how the donations given to LCN will be utilized. LCN have a community pantry which is located at their office which is there to provide top up groceries for community members who may need assistance, particularly out of hours. The community pantry is also designed so that people can make donations any time as it is attached to the wall. The pantry contains canned and dry goods that have kindly been donated. These may also include baby food, UHT milk and cereal.

The initiative itself reflects the Catholic ethos of care and service, and it is an example of putting our faith into action by working towards supporting those who are disadvantaged or marginalised.

Obviously, there are benefits to the recipient, but did you know donating significantly improves emotional wellbeing. The act of giving stimulates the brain's reward centers, releasing "feel-good" chemicals like dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. This boosts self-esteem, provides a greater sense of purpose, and reduces stress.

The Yr 11 Wellbeing Team will be collecting donations from Monday 22nd June until Thursday 2nd July. There will be collection boxes located near the kitchenette in the L block as well as the staff room. More details will be included in our next newsletter.

We would welcome all donations of dry goods or non perishable items but please ask that they still have a best before date. If you would like further information or clarification please do not hesitate to contact me.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the significance of this week being Reconciliation Week which includes National Sorry Day honouring the strength and resilience of Stolen Generations survivors.

Regards Sue Hone

(School Wellbeing Support Worker)

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