Strength in Adversity

Wendy Kenbeek

Home Group - 7C

During many Home Group lessons this year, the students of 7C navigated through strength-based territory so that they would not only know their strengths, but are able to recognise their strengths. 

We know the research shows that understanding and applying your strengths can help boost confidence, manage problems, reduce stress, increase happiness, improve work performance, build positive relationships and accomplish goals. That’s all great, but how do our students perceive the impact of their strengths? 

Going through yet another lockdown, many students feel lonely. It was interesting to see that, when they showed me what they were doing to help them cope, a strength-based approach was at the heart of managing their wellbeing. 

Oscar Hagarty

Year 7

My top character strengths are Honesty, Fairness, Curiosity, Kindness and Appreciation of beauty and excellence. 

A strength-based approach to problems such as lockdown can affect your wellbeing positively. This is because your strengths are your... well …strengths! A default in your mind, a go-to answer. 

Using these strengths to guide you through life is a great way to go, as it sends a positive message to your brain saying; I can do this, I am good at this, I do this all the time. And spinning off from that, during these strange times we turn to our strengths to guide us, and they do just that. People may not realise it, but they are using their strengths all the time, through every conflict. I have used mine by realising all of the fantastic things there are in my own household that I can use to entertain myself. That is my Appreciation of beauty and excellence kicking in. In many different situations, different strengths will kick in. That is why using and being conscious of your strengths is good for you. 

Lamu Tamang 

Year 7 

Having to do a fifth lockdown in Victoria has definitely been puzzling for many people, as we are unsure when this tremendous virus will end! Personally... this  lockdown has really changed my wellbeing and it is a fact that lockdown can really effect the way you feel. 

While doing Remote Learning, part of me always wondered if this virus was going to end, and if we could have more freedom! On some days I would ask myself “What if we have to do remote learning again, next year?” or “Will we ever go back to school?”. These were the questions that just never went away and seemed to stick to my head. So when I started to realise that this lockdown/virus really started to affect me, I found out that using my signature strengths could really boost up my mood, and make me feel less distraught about this whole situation. 

My signature strength is Love, and ways I used it to help me was by spending more time with family. Family is the most important thing in life, that should be cherished forever by all humans! During this lockdown I was able to go on walks with my family which I really enjoyed because being with them made the whole vibe really chill and loving. In this scenario my strength, Love, came in because I was connecting to the people I loved more than ever. This really changed the whole perspective, not just for me but my whole family. 

So that being said, while we are all at home don’t let virus stop you from being you!

Daniel Phillips

Year 7

I have been showing my strength of Love to my parents by exercising and not sitting down or sleeping all day. I have also shown my strength of Perseverance by being with people to practice hockey even though the season is off for now. I also have been showing Love to my mum by going running with her. I have also used my strength of Love of Learning by showing that I can adapt to a more stressful environment and still develop good habits from it, and I also have been trying to do breathing exercises each night.

Amira Malik 

Year 7

I can now see how much my strengths impact my overall wellbeing, mental and physical health. There are many examples how my strengths connect with what I've been doing to help my wellbeing and health including:    

Kindness: I made my siblings food that they can test - for example I made them a mug cake to try. This impacted my wellbeing by making me mentally happy and proud of myself.     

Gratitude: I spend a lot of time with my cats, but since lockdown started I have realized even more how much I love them and how they are a big part of my life. They always make me smile and I feel this had impacted my mental wellbeing health a lot.  

 Love of Learning/Self Regulation: Since in class we have not got that much time to read, it has reminded me how much I miss and love reading. I have decided that I will start reading for a minimum of 20 minutes per day,  going outside, and having a break after class. This, I feel, will help me unwind, relax and help me mentally and physically.   

Humor: Walking with my friends once in a while gives me a chance to unwind and relax. I can have a good laugh and a lot of fun. This helps my wellbeing physically and mentally as I'm walking for around 2 hours most of the time and having a talk with someone outside my household.