Wellbeing

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM EVENT DAY

On Friday 2nd December, BSC celebrated the 16 Days of Activism (Against Gender-Based Violence) Campaign with a special event day held onsite at the College.

Partners from Headspace, GippSport, Yoowinna Wurnalong Aboriginal Healing Service, GCASA (Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault), the HEY Project, 54 Reasons, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, photographer Pollyanna, and Bairnsdale Police all attended on the day offering activities and giveaways for all students.

Activities on offer included badge making, outdoor games, a pop-up photo booth and creating messages of respect and artwork, whilst members of the Wellbeing team, Learning Support Assistants and VCAL students cooked up a storm on the BBQ, giving away hundreds of sausages to hungry students. To finish up the event, Wacky Wombat Entertainment wowed the crowd with his stage performance of fire juggling and unicycling.

The Wellbeing team would like to thank all the partners, staff and students involved in helping to make the day such a wonderful success.  

WELLBEING TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

WELLBEING TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

EAT WELL

It’s super important to have a good balanced diet with less of the bad things (like junk food and lots of sugar) and more of the good things (such as veggies, fruit, whole grains and water). This can help with sleep, energy levels and general health and wellbeing.

SLEEP WELL

Getting a good night’s sleep helps you feel energised, focused and motivated. Developing a sleeping routine (even through the holidays) can help you sleep much better. Try to wake up around the same time each day, get out of bed as soon as you wake up and go to bed around the same time each night.

BE SOCIALLY ACTIVE AND GET INVOLVED

Social relationships are really important to your general wellbeing. Spending time with friends is also really important for keeping and building on existing friendships. Getting involved with volunteer work, hobbies, clubs or committees, or sports can help you feel connected to your wider community while also meeting new people

PLAY

Play is important for staying mentally healthy. Devoting time to just having fun can recharge your battery, revitalise your social networks and reduce stress and anxiety.

ACTIVITIES TO TRY OVER SUMMER

Find a casual job - If you’re old enough, perhaps look for a casual job. This will allow you to earn extra pocket money, gain skills and meet new people. 

Organise and explore - Make a list of places you would like to visit and/or things you would like to try. Take up a photography course or find another course that interests you.

Creative projects - Get your creative juices flowing! Revamp your bedroom or create an art piece. Invite a friend over or ask a parent to help.

Get active - Get out on the oval and kick a footy with mates, check out the local skate park or go for walks.

Volunteer - Give back to the community and gain some great experience. 

Remember to also look out for your friends and loved ones and check in to see how they are doing. If you are worried about them, let them know that you are there to help.

SELF-CARE BINGO FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!

Sextortion - it's a scam and it's trending

The Australian Federal Police through the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is seeing a concerning global trend of teenage males being targeted to send explicit images of themselves and then blackmailed. This is called sexual extortion, or sextortion.

The AFP is urging families to have important safety conversations ahead of the school holidays to prevent young people from becoming victim. This crime can have serious wellbeing and psychological impacts.

How does sextortion start?

• Unsolicited friend and follow requests on social media
• Direct messages on one app and then being asked to keep chatting on a secondary app
• Conversations suddenly and quickly becoming sexualised
• Requests for sexualised images or content. 

What can families do?

• Have open and regular conversations about your child’s online activities and interactions
• Know what platforms, apps and games they are using and who they are interacting with
• Remain open and approachable, victims will be reluctant to come forward if they feel they will be punished or blamed
• Ensure your child knows that it is okay to leave conversations if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe
• Support your child and know how to respond. The Online blackmail and sexual extortion response kit has been created to recognise sextortion and get help. 

The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is here to keep young people safe from online sexual exploitation and abuse. 

You can make a report via accce.gov.au/report 

For further information, resources and advice visit thinkuknow.org.au 

Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time

“I feel tremendous guilt,” admitted Chamath Palihapitiya, former Vice President of User Growth at Facebook, to an audience of Stanford students. He was responding to a question about his involvement in exploiting consumer behaviour. “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works,” he explained. In Palihapitiya’s talk, he highlighted something most of us know but few really appreciate: smartphones and the social media platforms they support are turning us into bona fide addicts. While it’s easy to dismiss this claim as hyperbole, platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram leverage the very same neural circuitry used by slot machines and cocaine to keep us using their products as much as possible. Taking a closer look at the underlying science may give you pause the next time you feel your pocket buzz.

Click on the link below to read more.