Wellbeing

Harmony Week

This year, Harmony week commenced from Monday, 17 March, coinciding with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This week is a time to celebrate the great strides that Australia has made towards multiculturalism and cultural diversity. The horrific incident that occurred in Christchurch last week illustrates what a fractured relationship between cultures can lead too.  It is important for us as the wellbeing team to acknowledge such events that happen in the community, and to encourage responding in a healthy and helpful way. There are a number of strategies and ways to talk with young people about the trauma that can facilitate a helpful response. These include:

• Ensure the individual has accurate information about the event, correcting any misunderstandings or rumours
• Encourage expression of emotions and communication through writing, drawing or creating artwork
• Support maintenance of familiar activities in order to minimise any further change and to ensure that their world can remain secure and predictable.

Getting involved in Harmony week can be easy! This year the chosen colour is orange. The colour orange represents social communication, acceptance, and diversity. We encourage the Doncaster Secondary College community to get involved by wearing something orange from the 17-23 March to show support for this important cause.  

Mental Health in Elite Sports

Starting conversations around mental health plays a key role in educating comprehending and understanding this complex topic. That's why we applaud elite athletes like AFL’s Jesse Hogan for coming forward and sharing his experience with clinical anxiety, which led to his poor, public decision-making. As we know, not every case of anxiety looks the same and it can be very hard to tell the difference. For example, what is the difference between clinical anxiety and experiencing feelings of anxiousness? That's a great question!

Clinical anxiety is a persistent feeling of excessive worry. This feeling of worry can also produce physical symptoms that last for a long period of time. In comparison, normal anxiety is brief and typically in response to a stressor. Moreover, these general feelings of anxiety do not interfere with an individual’s entire life. It is with great courage that we applaud athletes like Jesse to acknowledge and spread awareness about the prevalence and impact of anxiety. 

Remember! Anxiety is a very normal reaction to stress and can sometimes be used as a motivator to get things done. If you are concerned about your level of anxiety, please speak to your local doctor and they may recommend a Mental Health Care Plan. More information about this can be found here: https://headspace.org.au/blog/how-to-get-a-mental-health-care-plan/

Aimee and Jaimee

DSC Wellbeing Team