Wellbeing
Wellbeing Likes!
Things to Make You Smile
During this challenging time of social isolation due to COVID-19, we'd like to share some positive news and videos with you:
- Farmer's gift of sunflowers to put smiles on strangers' faces
- Discover the Mental Stillness App. It's a free, evidence-based meditation resource.
- P!nk and her daughter Willow Sage Hart sing "A Million Dreams" and "A Million Dreams (Reprise)" from The Greatest Showman: Reimagined.
A Powerful Opportunity for Change
Can the challenges we face during the coronavirus pandemic help us reconsider what matters most and how we live our lives?
Read this reflection by David Forbes.
Drew Hanna, Student Wellbeing Team - Youth Worker
How to Deal with Change
By Bernadette Bannister
Life is full of change. This has never been truer than in these past few months. For most of us, COVID-19 has forced us to significantly adjust the way we live. Many people find change stressful, but there are strategies that may help us to cope.
- Be honest with yourself about how you feel. Everyone deals with change differently. Whatever you’re going through right now, you’re not alone. It’s often good to share your thoughts and feelings in a diary or with a trusted friend.
- Remind yourself of when you have successfully managed change in the past. What did you learn from those experiences that might be able to help you now?
- Be kind to yourself. It’s a difficult time right now and it’s okay to be stressed.
- Find ways to relax. One simple technique you can do anywhere, is called square breathing. This involves breathing out for four seconds, breathing in for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds and breathing out again for four seconds.
- Develop a good sleep routine. Getting enough rest can have a huge impact on your ability to manage your emotions.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling to cope, it’s important to reach out for help. Learning to adapt to change, will help you to feel less anxious, improve your friendships and achieve your goals in life.
You Are Not Selfish
By Mirella Rodda
During these uncertain times, please remember that you are not selfish:
- To have boundaries
- To communicate your thoughts, feelings and needs
- To speak up for what you want, and to make your needs as important as others.
- To change your mind
- To tell others how you want to be treated
- To say NO without feeling guilty
- To prioritise your happiness
- To reassess relationships that may be stressful/chaotic
This is a vital topic, and the answer for us is to become increasingly more aware of it. We have all been conditioned to think it's selfish to prioritise our own needs first. To do things just for us - to care about our needs.
There's a huge myth within our culture that selflessness can often mean self-neglect. Resulting from this behaviour is "resentment / burn-out", and when you're burned out, you simply cannot enjoy the good moments in your life. When burnout occurs, the body depletes the serotonin "happy hormones" by just trying to keep ourselves going. We no longer have the brain chemistry to "just be happy", not to mention to enjoy many other activities we planned.
Putting yourself first is truly "not selfish". When your needs are already taken care of, you can give genuinely, and without expectation. It is the way to show up in the world from a space of well-being. It's how we give authentically.
All students are welcome to visit Wellbeing at school to discuss this topic further.