Student Health & Wellbeing
“Students with good mental health and wellbeing are clearly better equipped to cope with the everyday demands of school life. On the other hand, learning is inhibited for those students with poor mental health and wellbeing (Sawyer, 2000). Improving wellbeing leads to improved performance in the work-place and in the classroom. As a result, schools and organisations that want to improve results are increasingly targeting wellbeing.” An Education Brief by Luke McKenna
As part of Pastoral Care program, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the wellbeing of our students. Equipping students with the tools to deal with what life brings their way is at the heart of what we do. The following article explores a range of ways to improve one’s wellbeing. This term there are many opportunities for students to be involved from social justice initiatives (give), SACCSS' and Cluster Sport (be active) or simply taking time to reflect, discover, explore (take notice).
SIX WAYS TO WELLBEING
Research shows that these six ways can improve your mood, strengthen your relationships and help you cope when life doesn’t go to plan.
1. Be Active… Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Click here for some ways to Be Active.
2. Keep Learning … Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do. Click here for some more ways to Keep Learning.
3. Give … Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you. Click here for some ways to Give.
4. Connect … With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections with support and enrich you every day. Click here for some ways to Connect.
5. Take Notice … Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you. Click here for some ways to Take Notice.
6. Care for the planet … look after your community and the world. Make small changes to your life that will reduce your energy use, recycle more, leave the car at home, use low energy light bulbs, small steps to a greener life can make a difference. Click here to find out some more ways to Care for the planet.
These are actions that are shown by research to improve people’s wellbeing. They can’t change our circumstances but building them into our daily lives can help us feel better, no matter what our starting point.
Visit https://youtu.be/uhm2p2yerUc to view a short clip about the “Six Ways to Wellbeing”
“Six Ways to Wellbeing” content created by liveitwell.org.uk and used under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share-Alike 4.0 International License.