Mia & Ashley's MessageBoard

Stress Less

Matthew Johnstone, well known author, illustrator and presenter, talks about the methods to reduce stress, manage anxiety and lift your mood. He spoke recently in Maroondah and offered 10 top tips for looking after yourself.

1. Talk to someone
2. Create random acts of positive distraction
3. Have a digital detox
4. Learn how to quiet your mind
5. Say ‘thank you’ & be grateful for what you already have (we will talk about this below)
6. Make time for the things that bring you joy
7. Exercise regularly
8. Eat well
9. Assess your values
10. Sleep well

And…

Be self-compassionate

Statistics show that mental health is prevalent in our society with one in five (20%)

Australians aged 16-85 experiencing a mental illness in any year and almost half (45%) Australians experiencing a mental illness in their lifetime.  Looking after our mental wellbeing needs to become a greater priority for us all and learning prevention strategies is a great start.

Gratitude – ‘Wants vs Needs’ *

There’s a range of research that says experiences bring people more happiness than material goods.

The same principle applies to family life.

There’s a temptation in our current culture to ply our kids with stuff.

It’s hard as kids want stuff – clothes, toys, gadgets, technology. The reasons are varied including:

“…because it’s new.”

“…all my friends have one.”

“...you’ve always given me stuff.”

Differentiate between needs and wants

One filter you can use when kids come to you asking for stuff is to ask, “Is this something you need or something you want?”

Kids often want a great deal of stuff but they don’t necessarily need stuff.

Help them understand the difference.

Better to spoil them with experiences such as:

• One-on-one time with a parent (do something together)
• Two–on-one time with parents (spending time with both parents)
• Going somewhere new and fun (a park, museum or movie)
• Doing something outside (walking, playing a game, camping in the backyard)
• Doing something risky and new (giant swing, catching a train alone and meeting them at the station)

The list of experiences you can provide is endless so you don’t need me to point them out.

But think about the experiences versus the stuff that you provide for your kids. If you err on the side of giving kids heaps of stuff at the expense of experiences, then I encourage you to swing the pendulum the other way.

Doing so will save you money and take more of your time, but will result in richer relationships and a myriad of memories sure to outlast any stuff you buy them.

* written by Michael Grose - www.parentingideas.com.au

Ashley Wallace -  Student Welfare Officer