Wellbeing

Parent Seminar: Building Resilience During COVID-19

Susie Mogg, Founder and CEO of Resilience In, will be presenting a webinar to FPS families about building resilience, managing stress and anxiety, and maintaining a positive outlook during these uncertain times. 

Specifically, Susie will talk about how you can manage stress, uncertainty, stay positive, handle worry and anxiety, stay socially connected, avoid ‘perfect parent’ syndrome, work from home and support your child’s learning and more!

• Topic: Building Resilience During COVID-19
• Date: Tuesday 25 August
• Time: 3:45 – 4:45pm
• Cost: Free

During the registration process, you will be asked if you have specific information you would like covered. This webinar will be conducted via Zoom. A link to join will be sent the day prior to the event.

~ Fairfield Primary School

For Children: Wellbeing During COVID-19

It is easy to forget the importance of wellbeing and mindfulness when we are trying to balance many different responsibilities, and are dealing with considerable change. In the classroom, mindfulness and wellbeing activities can be the ones to leave the timetable when extra events pop up. 

However, it is because of these changes and difficulties that it is extra important to take time to reflect on our wellbeing. A good way to start practising mindfulness regularly a home is to decide on a time as a family, whether it is daily or weekly/for 10 minutes or 30, to get the ball rolling. 

Mindfulness at Home

Below are some mindfulness activities you can do as a family at home. These activities are mostly aimed at children, but can be extra impactful when done together. Children learn by watching and observing those around them, so allow your child(ren) to observe you being mindful and help them with these activities:

• Squeeze muscles: Starting at your toes, pick one muscle to squeeze tightly, count to five and release, noticing how your body changes. Repeat exercise moving focus to different muscles in your body.
• Ice to water: Scrunch up tight like an ice-block, hold for 15 seconds, then slowly let go of the tension and melt.
• Belly breathing: Put one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest. Slowly breathe in from your stomach and expand like a balloon, then slowly breathe out.
• Blowing Bubbles: Look for the changing shapes of the bubbles, the colours and reflections. Try drawing the bubble after, or locking eyes on one bubble to follow where it goes
• Colouring: Colour something, anything! Focus on the colours and designs.
• Listen to music: Focus on the lyrics, maybe listen to one particular instrument on the track, or jump up and down and dance!
• Find the Rainbow: Find a relaxing spot and get comfortable. Look for and notice all of the red things around you, all of the orange, all of the yellow, etc. Mix up the order of the rainbow each time.
• Mindful posing: Find a quiet, safe place. Try the following poses:
  • The Superman: Standing with feet just wider than hips, fists clenched, arms reaching to the sky, stretching yourself as tall as possible
  • The Wonder Woman: Standing tall, with feet just wider than hips, fists placed on hips, and chest pushed out
• Spidey Senses: To turn on ‘spidey sense’ you need to be super-focused on smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch –like Spiderman. Try focusing on one sense at a time, this encourages the participants to pause and focus attention and awareness –encouraging observation and curiosity
• Safari: This can be done on a walk outside or in your backyard. The aim is to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies, and any other animals as you can. You can count how many or simply notice and observe what you find.
• Well-being activities: Have a look at the well-being activities that have been posted in your child’s Google Classroom from term 2 and term 3 for more family activities.

You may feel a bit silly at first, when squeezing your big toe or standing tall like Wonder Woman, but being silly is a great way to release your own tension and anxieties too. Older children may also feel silly or awkward when trying these activities, so laugh together about it and take in the serotonin!

A Reminder

Most importantly, remember to take care of your own mental health and wellbeing by finding time to do what makes you happy. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so take the time to fill up your own cup by reading a favourite book, going for that run, or sneaking the last pieces of chocolate, so you can give your family/your work/your class the energy they need.

For more information about the impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health, access the free course from the University of East Anglia, which has with useful articles and activities – see below.

~ Grace Clark, Year 4 Teacher