Words for Wellbeing - Edition 5 - April 29, 2021

Welcome to Words for Wellbeing

Welcome to your fortnightly Wellbeing newsletter. You’ll find new information to enhance your health and wellness to keep you Fit4Life. These will include shining a spotlight on signature character strengths; top tips from the science of wellbeing; Conversations on the Couch with our Emmanuel family; and, loads more. We hope you enjoy them and we’re happy to take requests if there’s something in the wellbeing realm you’d love to learn more about.

This fortnight we discuss the concerning trend of e-cigarette use and vaping; we talk about the pros and cons of gossip at school; we hear from Learning Diversity; revisit our character strength of perseverance; talk all things Chess @ Emmanuel College; there are some Mindful in May tips; we ask for expressions of interest for the Fathering Project; and, much, much more.

So sit back and relax as you take in everything on offer in this edition of Words for Wellbeing.

E-cigarettes/Vaping: A Concerning Growing Trend

There has been much recently in the media about the increasing trend of young people using e-cigarettes and vaping. As this trend grows and the belief that e-cigarettes are safe to use it is important to share some facts about the associated risks of vaping on a young person's overall health.

Vaping is the act of inhaling a vapour created by an e-cigarette. E-cigarette are infused with flavours with many containing high levels of nicotine and other chemicals that when inhaled cause severe damage to the lungs.

As a general rule, under Australian poisons laws, the sale, possession and use of nicotine in the form of an electronic cigarette is currently against the law.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive especially for teens.

E-cigarettes and e-cigarette liquid may contain nicotine, even if they have been labelled ‘nicotine free’. One e-liquid pod can contain as much nicotine as a packet of cigarettes. (rch.org.au/kidsinfo.fact sheets, 2020)

Health risks/impacts:

• lung damage
• brain development
• memory/attention
• increased risk of further addiction to other drugs
• nicotine poisoning 

The following is an extract from Kids Health Info supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation on e-cigarettes and teens:

Recommendations for parents:

As a parent and caregiver, you have an important role in protecting children from e-cigarettes.

The best way to protect your children is to never smoke or vape in the house, car or other places where there may be children nearby. Passive exposure to e-cigarette vapour can be damaging for children and young people.

In most Australian states and territories, it is illegal to use e-cigarettes in cars with children under the age of 16 present.

Parents should learn about e-cigarettes. It’s important to talk to your teen about the health risks of e-cigarettes. Many teenagers are under the misconception that e-cigarettes are safe. It is helpful to know what the different devices look like and the different words young people may use to describe using e-cigarettes. This will help you to talk about e-cigarettes with your teen.

Finally, if you are an e-cigarette user, always keep e-cigarettes and e-liquids locked away and out of reach of children.

How to talk to teens about the health risks of using e-cigarettes?

Talking with teens about risky behaviours is an important way for parents to help keep them safe. Parents are already good at talking to their teens about alcohol, smoking and drugs. E-cigarettes should be included in the conversation.

The earlier and more often you speak with young people about e-cigarettes, the more likely they are to listen. It’s important for parents to educate themselves, so they know the facts and what to say when the topic comes up.

Finally, young people are more likely to use smoking products if others around them do. Parents can lead by example by not using e-cigarettes at all, especially when children are around.

Key points to remember

• E-cigarettes and vaping devices heat e-liquids into an aerosol that users breathe in
• E-liquids may contain nicotine, flavourings and a range of harmful and toxic chemicals
• E-cigarettes are also known as vapes, mods, e-hookahs and juuls
• Using e-cigarettes is sometimes called ‘vaping’ or ‘juuling’
• E-cigarettes and e-liquids have not been safety tested by the TGA in Australia, and should not be considered safe

For more information:

Gossip @ School

GOSSIP AT SCHOOL: OUR GOSSIP GIRLS AND BOYS
by Linda Stade, Education Writer, www.lindastade.com

Gossip at school is responsible for so many of our children’s friendship and social issues.

Why does it happen?
It was Monday afternoon and I felt helpless as Chloe, a Year 10 student, sat on the couch in my office, knees pulled up to her chest, rocking and sobbing. She could barely tell me what was wrong, so we phoned her mother and asked her to come into school.

When her mum arrived, it came out that over the weekend, Chloe had spent time camping with her family. At the campgrounds, she had met a boy who attended a neighbouring boys’ school. They hit it off and hung out a bit. She liked him but it was all very innocent. He had a girlfriend.

By Monday morning, the rumours had begun. There was a cyclone of whispers. There was giggling and pointing and even some subtly aggressive pushing in the corridors on the way to class. By Monday lunchtime, Chloe was ‘a predator’ who had ‘stolen’ another girl’s boyfriend. By Monday afternoon she was socially untouchable, ruined by that hateful word… Sl*t. That word has been used to destroy women throughout history.

How did this happen? It’s hard to know, perhaps jealousy, tall tales, anger, fear? Probably all of the above. It doesn’t really matter. The perceived crime was never going to compare to the weapon of revenge…. Gossip. Word had spread in a heartbeat. There was innuendo, scorn, and a hatred that is saved for those who break the social and moral order of a teen community.

That said, gossip isn’t a weapon only used by teens. It is used at every age, in every social class, all over the world.  It is insidious. It is easy to initiate, difficult to counter and it can devastate the target. From an early age, we learn to recognise the power of gossip and as much as we all fear it, we have all been guilty of participating.

WHAT IS GOSSIP?
Technically, gossip is just conversation about someone who isn’t present. By that definition, we all do it constantly and it is almost impossible not to gossip. However, gossip can be broken down into three types; neutral, positive, or negative.

Research tells us that the vast majority of gossip is neutral, it is exchanging information in order to connect with others. About 75% of gossip is neutral. About 9% is positive, it celebrates other people’s successes and builds them up. 

Finally, there is negative gossip, the kind that damages a person’s reputation and social standing. Unfortunately, young people tend to participate in negative gossip more than adults. This is the kind of gossip that can break the culture of a school, a workplace, a sporting club, or any other community.

WHY DO PEOPLE GOSSIP NEGATIVELY?
Gossiping bonds us. There is an intimacy that comes with sharing information and struggles. Research shows that about 90% of this sort of gossip is venting and not meant maliciously.

Gossip polices the moral order. When a person steps out of the moral order that has been established and generally accepted, they can be pushed back into line with gossip. Young people, in particular, want to avoid being singled out, so will conform in order to avoid the special attention of gossip.

Gossip is a social currency. Kids in particular use gossip as a form of currency. The amount of information you have about others is a measure of how connected you are. Connection is status.

Gossip is entertainment. As hard as teachers try to make their lessons enthralling, the most interesting thing about school for most kids is…other kids. When something notable happens, it is discussed. If nothing notable happens, stories become embellished.

Gossip establishes identity. It creates an ‘us vs them’ mentality. Young people are especially drawn to this form of tribalism. They want to fit in and belong. Gossip helps establish membership and define strong boundaries to keep ‘others’ out.

WHO GETS GOSSIPED ABOUT?
A common belief is that gossip happens to everyone and then it moves on. That is often what we tell children when they are suffering, “Don’t worry, they will move on to the next person tomorrow”. The problem is, gossip does discriminate. There is usually more gossip about kids who are socially vulnerable. They may be vulnerable due to poverty, race, sexuality, or any other social discriminator, even just popularity. For example, a teenager who is Indigenous who drinks alcohol will be spoken about differently than their Caucasian peers. It’s not fair.

We have to break this idea that gossip is shared around equally, it isn’t. By saying it is, we invalidate the real discrimination that is going on. Gossip further disempowers those who are already struggling and perpetuates unhelpful stereotypes.

HOW DO WE CHANGE A CULTURE OF MEAN GOSSIP AT SCHOOL?

1. We know that the percentage of gossip that is mean is quite low. However, the culture of a school or workplace will be determined by exactly how small that percentage of mean gossip really is. It is therefore important to talk about gossip and call it out when we see it.

2. Knowing how to stop gossip is an invaluable skill. It is not easy for a young person to take control of a situation and do that, especially if they do not have a lot of social influence. However, if you teach them a few comments to use, it becomes much easier. For example:

• Why are you telling me that?
• I’m trying not to gossip so can we talk about something else
• I think we could talk about something nicer
• That’s my friend and I don’t want you to badmouth them

3. If they don’t think they can shut gossip down verbally, teach kids the value of their body language:

When someone is gossiping, look away and don’t say anything. Don’t smile or nod. Say nothing and then change the subject.

4. Even just acknowledging gossip is a problem and telling children that it won’t be tolerated will put them on notice.

FINALLY…
When I think about Chloe, I have no doubt she will be just fine, but I know she will internalise lessons from her experience. The worry is which lessons will she take on? Will she learn not to trust people? Will she learn that you’re never really safe?

Hopefully, she learns that sometimes people act very badly, and we feel absolutely awful, but no feeling lasts forever. Hopefully, she learns that she is stronger than she thought. And hopefully, we learn that it is possible to create a better culture for our children.

Taking Responsibility: Thinking about our actions

Director of Junior school, Mrs Hetherington and the junior school team are working with the students to ensure they understand the responsibility for their actions. Mrs Hetherington created this interactive display in the junior school area that challenges our students thinking.  

Students can stand and look at the display and see in the mirror the person responsible for their choices, grades, success, words and actions. We encourage all our students to take a look at the display in the D corridor. With responsibility for our actions comes ownership and personal growth.

Pay It Forward Day & Other Random Acts of Kindness

Pay It Forward Day is a global initiative that exists to make a difference by creating a huge ripple of kindness felt across the world with the hope that people paying kindness forward every day will make each day that little bit brighter. Imagine, small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can literally change the world for the better — and on April 28th Pay It Forward Day sets out to prove it! 

There are thousands of ways to show kindness to others - you are literally only limited by your imagination. The really GREAT news is that kindness doesn't only benefit the person you are being kind to, but it boosts YOUR wellbeing as well!

Here are some ideas you could try:

• Greet your classmates or workmates with a warm smile
• Help someone carry their bag or books
• Talk to a stranger
• Invite someone to join you at recess or lunch
• Pay a compliment to someone you usually don't talk to
• Include someone who might be on their own to join your group
• Thank your teachers for all of their hard work
• Show gratitude to someone who has helped you or been kind to you
• Bring an extra treat for recess to share with a friend
• Call someone you haven't spoken to in a while, just to say hello

14 Proven Benefits

The wonderful part of random acts of kindness is that there are not only benefits to the receiver but also to the giver. When we break down the benefits, we need to first look at the emotions that are associated with random acts of kindness. An important note is that emotional responses are based on whether they are normative or non-normative distinction (Exline, 2012).

1. Recipients of kindness can feel loved.
   
2. Recipients and givers of kindness can experience a sense of awe when they think about profound acts of love or virtue.
   
3. Whether you are recipient or giver or merely just a witness you can feel the benefits of an increase in oxytocin. Oxytocin is commonly called the “love hormone” and this helps to lower blood pressure, improve overall heart health, increase self-esteem and optimism.
   
4. Kindness can increase the feeling of strength and energy due to helping others.
   
5. Kindness can also make one feel calmer.
   
6. Less depressed.
   
7. Increased feelings of self-worth.
   
8. For those that volunteer their time or money for charitable causes, they often have fewer aches and pains.
   
9. Kindness is most similar to a medical anti-depressant. Kindness pushes your body to produce serotonin, which is commonly known as the “feel-good” chemical that provides healing and calming feelings.
   
10. Kindness decreases pain, by generating endorphins (the brain’s natural painkiller).
    
11. Stress, it has been shown that people that are more kind have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population.
    
12. Anxiety, the University of British Columbia did a study on a group of highly anxious individuals in which they performed at least 6 acts of kindness a week. After one month, there was a significant increase in positive moods, relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals.
    
13. Depression is reduced, mortality is delayed, and well-being and good fortune are improved when we give of ourselves.
    
14. Lowering blood pressure from giving acts of kindness, creates emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure, and therefore, oxytocin is known as a “cardioprotective” hormone. It protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.

Sources: Cassidy & Shaver, 2008; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007; Keltner & Haidt, 2003; https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness; Christine Carter, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center; Stephen Post, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Learning Diversity

Inclusive Education: Essential for some, but good for ALL!

Do you have a spare 30 minutes?  Enjoy this Australian Story item about Vincent Fantauzzo, Famous Australian artist. 

Character Strengths - Perseverance

Character strengths are the positive parts of your personality that make you feel authentic and engaged. You possess all 24 character strengths in different degrees, giving you a unique character strengths profile. Research shows that understanding and applying your strengths can help:

• Boost Confidence
• Increase Happiness
• Strengthen Relationships
• Manage Problems
• Reduce Stress
• Accomplish Goals
• Build Meaning and Purpose
• Improve Work Performance
• Discover your greatest qualities and begin using your strengths to build your best life.

What is Perseverance? 

Perseverance is such a relevant topic for all of us right now, especially after living through 2020 and the ongoing pandemic.

Trying to cope with everyday life has become challenging enough much less having to complete senior years of secondary school as well. Motivation is often more difficult to muster up and maintain and many of us have tried all of the usual ways to boost our enthusiasm but we’re noticing that those tools aren’t working as well as they normally would.

As we’ve discussed in previous editions of WW, our brain quickly adapts to the things that make us feel good, so much so, that those things stop making us feel good.

Perseverance is all about sticking with things. 

It means being hardworking and finishing what is started, despite barriers and obstacles that arise. The pleasure received from completing tasks and projects is very important to those who are high in perseverance. 

Sometimes we must dig deep and muster the will to overcome thoughts of giving up and other challenges that may arise. 

Perseverance involves organising oneself to support activities (e.g., scheduling breaks and sticking to them, rewarding in small ways along the way), but when all else fails, this strength helps us to barrel through until the project is done. This helps build further confidence for future successes and goal accomplishment. 

Perseverance involves the voluntary continuation of a goal-directed action despite the presence of challenges, difficulties, and discouragement. There are aspects to perseverance. It requires both effort for a task and endurance to keep the task up.

What the Science Says about Perseverance

The research tells us that those who are able to persevere when challenges are met are those who enhance their skill sets, talents and resourcefulness as well as building upon other character strengths.

People who persevere are seen as people who follow through on their commitments which is important for trust building in relationships.

Perseverance builds self-confidence and develops a general belief that things can be accomplished in life. There’s a real sense that personal control can be exerted so you can perform whatever you’re doing, effectively.

Perseverance in Action

Here are a few examples of perseverance at work in the world.

• When you find yourself struggling with a task, try paying attention to doing the best you can — putting in a strong effort — rather than focusing on the final outcome.
• Set small goals daily or weekly. Break them into practical steps so you have more of a chance of accomplishing them on time.
• Perhaps use a new method for setting goals like the WOOP method:
  
• W = Wish - what is your goal?
• O = Obtaining the goal - spend some time imaging what that will be like
• O = Obstacles - identify as many as you can
• P = Plan - come up with a plan to overcome every single obstacle you can foresee
  
• Think of new ways to use your grit and determination. Change up the way you’ve been doing things, even the space that you’ve been using. Keep things fresh and interesting for yourself and always remember to check in with yourself - are you using your growth mindset?

Emmanuel College Chess

Now that our wonderful new LRC is up and running, our Emmanuel community are once again enjoying the wonders and benefits of playing chess. With 10 built-in chess boards, our LRC welcomes our Emmanuel chess players, to sit down, challenge your brain and perhaps make a new friend or two.

Did you know that playing chess at Emmanuel has been around for the last 8 years, from casual games to Interhouse Chess Competitions, our students have successfully represented our college at Interschool Qualifying matches, State Championships and National Championships for the past three years running! In fact, we've already had one team qualify for the Interschool qualifiers for 2021 and are hoping for a second team to make it too.

Four years ago, International Master Leonard Sadler visited Emmanuel for the day to coach 30 of our players there's a plan in place for him to return for more coaching in term 3 this year!

In fact, there's a lot happening in the world of chess at our school with Mr McKenzie currently organising an Interhouse Chess Competition that will span two weeks, every lunchtime in the LRC, around weeks 4 and 5 of term. To be able to be kept in the loop with all things chess, join the Chess Club Google Classroom to find out all of the latest information about competitions and coaching opportunities - the details are in the flyer at the bottom of this article. And if you're still not sure, why not just call in one lunchtime and see what it's all about.

Speaking of classrooms, Mr McKenzie offers a Year 8 elective called Making The Right Moves, all about using maths to improve your chess game. Keep an eye out for that when you're making your subject selections.

Here are some quotes from some of our Emmanuel Chess Club players about the benefits of playing chess:

‘I enjoy chess because it helps with my concentration.’

‘Chess helps me learn how to problem-solve.’

‘Playing chess has helped me make new friends and find people who enjoy the things that I do.’

‘Chess helps my brain and memory to function better.’

Alternatively, if you have any other questions,email Mr McKenzie at amckenzie@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

And below is a video of Magnus Carlsen who became a Grand Master of chess at the age of 12! It seems you're never too young to learn to play chess.

For more on the benefits of chess, here is an excerpt from an article by Neil Mudd titled:

WELLBEING | The Pawn Identity : Chess & Wellbeing 

Chess Can Improve Your Memory

A poor memory can be annoying and frustrating. With its focus on tactics and evolving strategy, chess offers great benefits for both short term and long term memory. Over time, this memory improvement can leave you feeling better mentally and in a much better mood.

Chess Can Help You Relax

If you frequently find yourself unable to relax, playing chess is the perfect way to wind down. Chess is a low-key game that allows you to be quiet and reflective, which in turn allows you to achieve a more relaxed mental state. Lowered stress levels are key to better mental well-being.

Chess Can Direct Your Focus

In today’s modern world, where so many digital devices offer instant gratification, it can be hard to focus, contributing to negative mental well-being. The game’s emphasis on foresight and reflection improves the ability to focus by giving you something to focus on.

Chess Can Help You to Socialise

Socialising is important for your mental well-being; even if you aren’t the most extroverted individual, regularly socialising can help maintain a happier mood and improve mental well-being. Chess is a great for interacting with other people in an unpressured, low key way.

Chess Is Simply Fun

There’s no reason to overlook one of the best ways that chess can improve your well-being: it’s simply fun to play! Chess lets you practise different strategies trying to beat your opponent, and whether you are playing with friends or family, the game lets you spend time with the ones you love.

Final Thoughts

There are many different chess sets to choose from, whether you are a first-time player or a long-time chess fan. It’s a game that will help improve your mental well-being over time, so don’t overlook chess!

What do you want to do when you leave school?

Hands up if you’ve ever been asked that question…

Two hands up if you don’t know the answer and feel overwhelmed by the pressure to know!

For a little perspective, here’s a great reminder that you don’t need to know your entire future right now.

• At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.
• At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.
• At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.
• At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.
• At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a single parent living on welfare.
• At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook.
• At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.
• At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.
• At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.
• Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.
• Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.
• Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40.
• Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42.
• Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.
• Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.
• Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57.
• Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78.

Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21.

It’s more than okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. You never know where you’ll end up tomorrow.

Never tell yourself it’s too late.

Never tell yourself you missed your chance.

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough.

You can do it. Whatever it is that sets your soul on fire.

Mindfulness in May

Mindfulness practice may be simple, but it isn’t easy. Many of us give up too soon when we haven’t had immediate benefits or when we’ve had unrealistic expectations about what it is. In fact, sometimes we stop practicing because we haven’t found the best way to practice for us.

Here are some take-home messages about mindfulness from mindfulinmay.org.

Mindfulness changes you psychologically, cognitively, and physically.

Choose mindfulness, and you are deciding to be happier, less stressed, more focused, and more creative while improving your sleep, immunity, and your life expectancy.

But there is one more thing. Mindfulness also offers an incredible opportunity to flourish in life. You will learn how to stop, breathe, see beauty, and live with compassion and joy.

While mindfulness does not change all that happens to you, it does change your relationships with what happens.

It provides space between events and how you respond. At that moment, you can ask yourself: ‘how do I want to act?’ and ‘how do I want to live?’.

FIVE TIPS FOR CREATING A MEDITATION HABIT THAT LASTS

The benefits of mindfulness are so widely known now that most of us know we should be doing it regularly, but no matter how much we want the benefits, keeping a habit can be hard.

Who doesn’t want to feel less stressed, less angry, and more emotionally balanced? And in case you’re not already convinced, did you know that meditation increases the size of the hippocampus – the part of the brain responsible for memory?

However, like flossing our teeth, we might KNOW it’s good for us, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to actually follow through on intentions – even if we declare to our dentists: “Yes, absolutely, I will floss more from now on!”

Here are some tips to help those of you who WANT to be meditating, but you simply just haven’t succeeded yet at maintaining a habit yet.

START SMALL, GRADUALLY INCREASE

In order to establish a new habit – like a daily meditation practice – we have to make shifts in our lifestyle, which can be challenging if we try to go from zero to expert-level-yogi in the course of a day. Instead, we have a much better chance of succeeding when we create tiny habits, which we can gradually increase over time.

James Clear, author of the immensely helpful book Atomic Habits, says it perfectly:

‘What if you started thinking of your life goals, not as big, audacious things that you can only achieve when the time is right or when you have better resources or when you finally catch your big break … but instead as tiny, daily behaviors that are repeated until success becomes inevitable?’

Start with creating a very small, achievable habit, and “anchor it” to an existing habit you already have – like brushing your teeth. So, for example, after you brush your teeth each night, make a commitment to meditate for just one minute. Once this becomes something automatic that you don’t need to think about any more, meditate for two minutes, then three, and so on… until you finally achieve 10 minutes a day.

CREATE AN APPOINTMENT IN YOUR CALENDAR

If you had a very important meeting with the CEO of a company at your dream job, would you cancel it at the last minute because “I don’t really feel like it right now”?

Nope!

So why not create an appointment to meditate and put it into your calendar in the same way you’d log any important event, and then show up as if it were just as critical to your life as a job interview or an exam.

It’s so easy for us to put our own wellbeing at the bottom of our lists, but taking care of your emotional and physical wellbeing is vitally important – and always will be. So schedule in time for yourself and treat this appointment with the absolute respect it deserves.

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS YOUR SUCCESS

Along with clearing your schedule, clear a space somewhere in your home that invites you to want to sit down and zen out. 

See if you can set up a yoga mat or cushion somewhere quiet in any room where you can close the door and escape for 10 minutes. If you’re lucky enough to have a nook for this, you could even create a meditation altar with things like a candle that burns a scent you love, incense, singing bowls you can play to mark the beginning and end of your practice, and any small ornaments or pictures that might inspire your practice. 

We don’t have to be spiritually inclined to benefit from this. When you burn incense or a candle each time you meditate, you’re using scent to create an association between the activity and the smell. The more you pair the two together, the more your mind will associate that smell with the memo: Now is the time we sit in silence and tune into the breath and body.

In time, this association will lessen any restlessness you might have. 

MAKE PLANS FOR DISTRACTION AND FALLING OFF COURSE

While none of us want to begin a new endeavour expecting that we’re going to fail, we can help ourselves succeed by making plans ahead of time for the moments when we might fall off track.

With a paper and pen, take some time to think about what might come up for you that will get in the way of this new habit.

It might be sabotaging thoughts that you often have when you try to make changes.
It could be getting called into work.
It might be a knock on the door from a sibling who needs something urgently.

Be realistic about all the things in your life that have the potential to derail you. 

And now, for each of these, create a plan for how you’ll work around it. It might be along the lines of: If I’m called into work during a meditation session, I will make a commitment to practice just 5 minutes of meditation instead before bed tonight. 

Know that as you build a habit, you are most likely going to fall off track now and then. This isn’t failure; it’s part of the journey. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of returning your attention to where you want it to be – over and over.

So if you fall off, just get back on that horse as soon as you notice you’ve strayed from your intentions, and keep going.

REWARD YOURSELF

Make a list of small rewards that bring you joy. It might look something like this:

A single cube of chocolate.
A hot cup of your favourite beverage.
Taking some time out with a magazine you love reading.
A phone call with a beloved friend.
An episode of a TV show you love. 

Each time you meditate, remember to give yourself a small reward. Like training a dog, we can train our own brains to behave by creating neural pathways, so that instead of a difficult task being hard and boring, the brain comes to see that difficult task = fun treat!

Once you’ve established that pathway, you will not have nearly as much resistance when that appointment alarm goes off on your phone and you know it’s time to settle into your meditation nook.

The Fathering Project

Anzac Biscuit Recipe

Although Anzac Day has passed, it's never a bad time to have an Anzac biscuit!

Fit4Life, Wellbeing @ Emmanuel College

Your 2021 Fit4Life Wellbeing Team are, from left to right, Jodie Fleming (School Psychologist), Rachele Sloane (Wellbeing coordinator), Claire Wrigley (Assistant Principal Students Wellbeing), Tracey van Rooy (Student Wellbeing Intake Officer). You can look forward to meeting us all through the Conversations on the Couch in coming editions, or, in person anytime!

We have moved but we are still located on McAuley campus. You’ll now find us upstairs in the Convent, at the end of the Year 7 corridor, directly above the Heritage room.

Can’t follow my instructions? Here are some videos coming from The Stage, the front office, and from the Year 7 corridor. Simply click on the links for a speedy tour.

We also have spaces on Rice and Goold campuses. Teachers, parents and guardians and students are all able to refer students to us. If you'd like to catch up, simply email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Fit Bits

Our weekly Fit Bits links are designed to energise, motivate and encourage us to take brain breaks and mindful moments throughout each day for our minds and our bodies.

EMPATHY with Simon Sinek

BRAIN BREAK

MINDFUL MOMENT

MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEW

We hope you’ve found something useful in this edition of Words for Wellbeing.

Our past editions of Words for Wellbeing contain useful reminders about how to cope with the changes that stage three lockdown brings. You’ll find all of our past editions online - just follow this link and enter Words for Wellbeing in the search bar: 

Stay tuned for our next edition of Words for Wellbeing!

In the meantime, if you need to contact Wellbeing, please email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au to organise a catch up or just to check in or offer us any suggestions or feedback on our Words for Wellbeing.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Love from your Wellbeing Team