What is the EDSC Positive Futures program?

Positive Education brings together the science of positive psychology with best-practice teaching.

The school’s journey with Positive Education began in 2012 with Positive Education focuses and values implemented across each year level and over time has evolved into the whole school approach launched in 2020.

Our Positive Futures program has some very clear goals:

We want to improve student quality of life and their engagement with others, including with their teachers
We seek to develop students in a more holistic way, with a stronger focus on wellbeing

There are six tenets of Positive Psychology that are embedded into our model:

Positive Health – Positive Self

Developing knowledge, understanding and skills to promote health and well – being.

Positive Relationships

Nurturing positive relationships based on respect.

Accomplishment

Generating hope and optimism through the accomplishment of personal and community goals

Positive Emotion

Building and experiencing positive emotion.

Meaning

Believing in serving something greater than ourselves.

Positive Engagement

Developing critical thinkers by promoting challenge, curiosity and creativity.

More resources and information can be found here:

https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/wellbeing-engagement-positive-futures

OCTOBER - Mental Health Month

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for managing our mental health. Lockdowns, social distancing requirements, travel restrictions, and the constantly changing position we find ourselves in is stressful. This makes prioritising our mental health and wellbeing more important than ever. Good mental health is when we can cope with the stressors of our daily lives, participate in loving relationships, contribute to our community, and work towards our goals. Everyone has mental health. And we can all benefit from looking after our own mental health and the mental health of our communities. The message is simple: “Look after your mental health, Australia.”

More resources can be found at https://lookafteryourmentalhealthaustralia.org.au/

Mental Health Week Dance Challenge

We can't wait to see your dance moves - follow the dance move choreography with The Jungle Body's Sheriece - it's easy and fun to learn we promise! Instant mood boost also guaranteed! Upload your version to Instagram Reels or Tik Tok and tag us @MentalhealthWeekWA

To get involved:

Simply learn and practice the moves via the You Tube video below.
Find the track 'Pump up the Jam' by Techtronic on TikTok or Reels
Record the dance steps and upload your dance routine to TikTok or Reels
Apply the correct track and add the hashtags #PumpuptheJamDanceChallenge #MentalHealthWeek2021

https://youtu.be/7g7ugc96hAY

Pump up the Jam Dance Challenge in full swing below - watch The Jungle Body CEO Tara Sumich bust the Mental Health Week moves! We can't wait to see your videos.

https://youtu.be/ulV8BrMuZEg

You will also find attached some Workplace and Young Adult calendars with daily tasks for good mental health throughout October.

Self-care and Mental health

Ideally, we all engage in regular self-care in which we do the things that make us feel taken care of mentally, physically, and emotionally. But this doesn’t always happen, and we may need to stop and take the time to remind ourselves we are important, too.

Sometimes our feelings become too much and we need to distract ourselves until we are better able to cope. We can also strategically change how we are feeling when things become too overwhelming.

WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

Self-care is important to maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself. It means doing things to take care of our minds, bodies, and souls by engaging in activities that promote well-being and reduce stress. Doing so enhances our ability to live fully, vibrantly, and effectively. The practice of self-care also reminds both you and others that your needs are valid and a priority.

EXAMPLES OF SELF-CARE

Clean
Cook or bake
Cross something off your to-do list
Exercise
Get a massage
Go for a walk
Listen to music or a podcast
Make art
Meditation
Mindfulness exercises
Play a game
Practice deep breathing
Read
Take a bath
Take a (timed) nap
Watch TV or a movie
Yoga

Distraction as a strategy

WHY SHOULD I DISTRACT MYSELF?

Activities are a great way for us to distract ourselves from our current emotions until we are better able to cope. When our level of distress is too high, we may not be able to effectively handle a situation and need ways to bring our emotional state down. Some suggestions may seem similar to self-care, but distraction activities serve a different purpose. One person’s self-care activity is another’s distraction technique.

EXAMPLES OF DISTRACTION ACTIVITIES

Call a friend (and don’t talk about what’s causing you distress)
Create something
Describe your surroundings using your five senses
Do a puzzle
Do something kind for someone else
Focus on a single task
Go out to eat
Go to an event
Hold ice
Listen to music or a podcast
Make a list of things (cars, dog breeds, music artists, etc.)
Take a hot or cold shower
Try something new
Volunteer
Watch something funny
Watch TV or a movie

Changing our emotions

IS MY RESPONSE WARRANTED?

Check to see if the situation warrants the response you’re having. Examine the facts. While our emotions are always valid, they are not always justified. Look to see if your emotional response matches the circumstances.

AM I BEING EFFECTIVE?

Examine whether what you’re doing is helping or hurting the situation. If it’s making things worse, do the opposite of whatever it is you feel like doing. Commit to it. If you want to stay home and isolate, force yourself to go out where there are people. If you’re angry and want to yell, try avoiding the person who your anger is directed towards.

https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/

Wellbeing activities

Here are some activities that you or your children may like to try at home.

MIND

Activity 1: Mazes and Labyrinths

A maze is a path that has dead ends, twists and turns and is designed to help you focus, reduce distractions and clear your mind.

Two-dimensional mazes offer the ability to see the entire course at one time, though the hardest ones will take time to solve. While labyrinths are often seen as thoughtful, peaceful spaces for quiet reflection, mazes tend to attract those more interested in solving puzzles and facing challenges.

A labyrinth has winding, curved passages, forming a “unicursal,” or one-way path from the outside toward the centre. Working your way through a labyrinth, you will change direction often, but theoretically should not feel lost or confused as you wind through the space. Often the labyrinth is purposefully engineered so that it takes a long time to get to the middle, encouraging slow, meditative contemplation while navigating many twists and turns.

Why not try your hand at a maze and a labyrinth and see which one you prefer?

Click here for a maze!

Click here for a virtual labyrinth walk!

Activity 2: Colour by Number

Colouring can be a calming activity that can be used to help lower stress levels and improve overall wellbeing.

Click here to access colour by number page. You can choose to colour online or print the page and colour by hand if you have access to a printer.

Activity 3: Paint the world

Have you ever wondered to draw the Eiffel Tower, Snoopy or a steam train?

Try this drawing tutorial where you can choose from cartoon characters, landmarks and architecture, animals or many more.

Grab a piece of paper and a pencil and click on this link to get started!

BODY

Activity 1: Take a walk

Walking has physical benefits like lifting your heart rate and increasing circulation, and allows you to get outside in nature and get some fresh air and Vitamin D.

Take a walk in a safe space around your neighbourhood. Invite a family member with you and

Activity 2: Running Art

Modern technology means that not only can we run, but we can track all sorts of information about how we run using apps like Strava. This activity requires you to go for a run/walk and track your activity using a smart phone app so you can produce evidence of your activity.

Check out an example of some Strava art.

Activity 3: Yoga for Teens

Yoga can improve physical fitness, reduce stress and anxiety, improve optimism and self-esteem, and encourage creativity.

Check out one of the many online yoga routines by clicking this link!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kgZnJqzNaU

Activity 4: MADFIT Workouts

If you're looking for an activity to get your heart pumping and your body moving, then why not join one of the MADFIT workouts.

Some examples include:

Low impact full body HIIT workouts
Rockstar workouts
Stress Relief workouts

All you need is some active wear, a drink bottle and a small space free from furniture! ALWAYS consider safety first, and remember to warm up before starting!

You could even grab a few friends together & zoom chat as you complete the program!

Click on this link to get started!!

SOUL

Complete a Random Act of Kindness

A lot of things may feel out of our control at the moment, but kindness is something that we can always control. When we do nice things for other people, we start to feel better too!

One thing that we have seen all over the world is that kindness is prevailing in uncertain times. People are coming together to sing on balconies in Italy, others are helping those who are vulnerable or lonely - like collecting groceries, writing letters or calling them for a chat.

Here are some suggest random acts of kindness that you might consider today:

Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while	Tell a family member how much you love and appreciate them	Make a cup of tea for someone you live with
Help with a household chore at home	Send someone you know a joke to cheer them up	Tell someone you know that you are proud of them
Arrange to have a cup of tea and virtual catch up with someone you know "Tea Time”	Send an interesting article to a friend	Reach out to call a friend, family member or neighbour who is may be lonely
Send someone you know a picture of a cute animal	Offer to skill share with a friend via video call - you could teach guitar, dance etc.	Send an inspirational quote to a friend
Donate to a charity	Arrange to watch a film at the same time as a friend and video call	Spend time playing with your pet

For some awesome ideas, check out the Random Acts of Kindness website at this link!

Wellbeing Wheel Challenge

The Wellbeing Wheel challenge has been extended to Week 3 this term so any students that have not completed the challenges you still have one more week to upload your entries.

Positive Futures Book of The Week

This gorgeous little book looks good enough to eat - or at least consume the words of wisdom within. Over 150 inspirational tips and quotes inside show the way to a living caring, confident, mindful and happy life. Get Self Care and learn how to truly look after and love yourself.

Also available in the series: Happiness, Self Care, and Mindfulness.

Rebecca James

Student Engagement and Connection Learning Specialist

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