From the Heads of House

Nurturing your mental health and wellbeing during the winter break

Term Two has been jammed packed full of House activities and friendly competition. We saw Loreto come away as victors for the Prep - Year 10 Field Day and Lourdes taking out the inaugural House Band competition. We have seen a new and exciting branch of House spirit emerging amongst our secondary students as they have settled into another term in their Clans and have been given new opportunities to represent their House proudly. We know that each of our students is anxiously awaiting the school holiday break to rest, relax and recharge after an eventful term.

As we write this, we have shivered through an unusually cold week and the Winter Solstice has signalled fewer daylight hours and chillier mornings - if only just for a short time. It can be especially difficult to nurture your mental health and wellbeing during the winter months. It is much easier to stay inside in front of the fire or under a warm blanket than to brave the cold. Many of us find ourselves hibernating for the winter and grapple with low mood due to the change in the seasons. Sometimes we can feel like our thinking is clouded, we avoid social interaction, we can have difficulty concentrating and take comfort in some hearty home cooked meals and we stop exercising.

These school holidays, we encourage you and your daughter to shake off your winter woes and take care of your mental health and wellbeing. Having some downtime is really important, especially in a society that puts a lot of pressure on us to be socially active and productive. Svensson (2017) writes “in a time when the average person consumes information at a furious rate, taking a few moments to catch up is more important than ever”.

Finding a quiet place or listening to a favourite piece of music is one way to slow down and check-in with your mental wellbeing.
Listen to your body. The low light in winter causes the brain to prepare for sleep more than it does in the summer. Try going to bed earlier or having a nap during the day.
Stock up on healthy and nutritious foods.
Move around. Walk around the house. Stretch. Climb the stairs in the house. Dance wildly to a song for 3 minutes. Movement is essential for wellbeing.
Focus on building positive emotions. Do something nice for yourself, or engage with something (a novel, a friend, a new hobby or skill).
Increase your dopamine levels by enjoying having fun with friends and loved ones.
Practice gratitude by journaling.
Reach out for help if you’re becoming aggravated with the winter weather.
Don’t forget that Tasmania is an awesome place to visit in the winter - why not be a tourist in your own state? From mid-winter festivals, to chocolate tastings, ghost tours, bushwalking in the snow, and other activities to enjoy, there is sure to be something to boost your mood.
Use this helpful scaffold provided by the Black Dog Institute. It will help you focus your self-care across the quadrants of spiritual, professional, physical and emotional.

We asked some staff and students how they were spending the holidays. From holidays, to books, to visits to the gym - it is evident that our Mount Carmel College community will be making the most of the break despite the winter chill to ensure they’re recharged for Term Three.

Emma Jenkins, Lynda Hudson and Phoebe Wootton

Heads of House

Rowe, K. (2018). ‘10 ways to take care of your mental health during the winter. Accessed from: brainmdhealth.com/blog/take-care-mental-health-during-the-winter/.

Svensson, J. (2017). ‘The way we think of self care is wrong, and it needs to change’. Accessed from: thecusp.com.au/way-think-self-care-wrong/18829