Wellbeing Workshop with Toolbox 

This Term, the Year 7s partook in an interactive workshop that focused on creating a ‘toolbox’ to help facilitate emotional regulation. 

Teenagers often find it hard to regulate their emotions. A minor disagreement can lead to an outburst or a meltdown - or complete withdrawal. This can result in frustration and anger in the classroom.

When we’re constantly being shaken up by events and thoughts throughout the day, it's no wonder that a little moment can bring about an explosion in emotion. Without the appropriate tools to release emotion in a healthy way, relationships can be fractured.

This workshop focused on teaching students how to identify the build-up of emotions inside of them, what their triggers are and how to ‘self-soothe’. 

Some of these ‘self-soothing’ strategies included:

• Knowing what makes you ‘burst’ – whether it be due to unfairness, low energy, embarrassing moments, falling short or missing out. 
• Lowering your body temperature – through splashing water on your face, holding an ice cube or even cradling a water bottle on your cheek.
• Shifting your attention – focusing on 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can task. Filling up your short-term memory with number patterns is also a good strategy.
• Slowing down your breathing – aiming to breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, breathe out for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds and repeat. 
• Using some energy – whether it be through going on a jog or even holding a squat for 20 seconds.
• Tensing and relaxing – alternating between tensed and relaxed muscle groups with 5-second intervals.

These strategies will continue to be part of our lessons as we endeavour to help our students become emotionally healthy individuals. We also encourage you to prompt your children to use these strategies at home when you see their emotions ‘building up' to prevent an overwhelming ‘burst’. 

For further information about these strategies, please do not hesitate to contact me at rebecca.harvey@hcc.vic.edu.au.

Rebecca Harvey 

Head of Secondary Wellbeing