Words for Wellbeing - Edition 1 - February 15, 2021

Welcome to Words for Wellbeing

Welcome back to school and to the first edition of 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.

In all of the term one editions, we’ll be re-introducing you to our Wellbeing team, beginning this week with our brand new Assistant Principal Students, Mrs Claire Wrigley. This week we also remind you of how to find us in our new location on McAuley campus; help our Year 7 families transition to secondary school; stress management strategies; review some of our character strengths; plus so much more!

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

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

Beginning the School Year: A Reflection

It is fitting to commence our first Words for Wellbeing for 2021 sharing with you the opening reflection shared with all staff on our first day at school by our Director of Faith & Mission, Mrs Helen Hodson.

In preparing for today, I couldn’t help but reflect on the events of last year and the challenges it presented us, our students and our wider community. Whilst we watch the world around us still in the grips of COVID, we are presented with the opportunity to look back on all that we achieved, whilst also being prepared for the reality that we are still going to have to roll with the COVID challenges this year.

When thinking about 2020, the movie Parenthood (for those of you too young to recall it was a movie from 1989) popped into my mind. What specifically came to mind was the Grandmother’s roller coaster analogy.  

She presents the idea that there are those in life that like to go on the merry-go-round, always seeing the same thing and being happy with things that never change. She compares this to the roller coaster ride, which is full of thrills and scary moments, never knowing what is going to happen next. I like to think that 2020 was a roller coaster like the Eejanaika - a rollercoaster in Japan, whose name literally translates to ‘what the hell!’ in English. We had lots of ‘Eejanaika!’ moments of not knowing what to do, we also had moments of great success.

Moving forward we are still on that roller coaster, as we are unsure of what the year ahead holds for us both as a school community and as a world community, yet we do know that we have an exceptional foundation to build upon with wonderful colleagues, school community and a belief in Faith, Hope and Love.

Converstaions on the Couch with Mrs Claire Wrigley, Assistant Principal - Students' Wellbeing.

We’re so excited to introduce you to our new Assistant Principal, Claire Wrigley in this very special first Conversation on the Couch for 2021. Mrs Wrigley has only been treading the floorboards at Emmanuel for a few weeks but already, her warm and open nature has allowed her to fit right in. We were a little sneaky and asked for a few personal tidbits about Mrs Wrigley from her husband. Here’s what he told us. Mrs Wrigley was a gun tennis player, club champion no less, back in the day, but sadly, all that cross-court action may have blown out her knees which have stopped her from being able to run. But that’s okay, because maybe she can get her thrills from roller coaster rides instead? Apparently NOT! Word on the street is that she makes a mean Malteser slice, something her Wellbeing team will be eager to put to the test asap! Mrs Wrigley’s husband tells us she’s a very lucky lady having married him, but somehow we think he is the lucky one.

Please enjoy getting to know Mrs Wrigley a little better, and make sure you give her a big wave and hello as you see her around school. She’d love to get to know you better too.

Which is worse, failing or never trying?
Never trying! We fail every day, failing shows we are human. If we never try, we never experience new things and we never push ourselves to see if we can succeed. Trying something new brings with its excitement and anticipation.

If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would makek you rich?
Teaching of course! As no two days are the same and it is a job where you get to meet so many people and support students to be the very best, they can be. Happiness is seeing students smile and the positive interactions you have with them, this makes me very happy!

If you could offer your fifteen-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Not to worry about what other people think and have a go, put yourself out there to experience new things.

Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
I only ever push the elevator button once as I know it’s going to get me to where I need to go! Pushing the button more than once will not get me there any quicker!!

What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
Dance like no one is watching!!

When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
At night just prior to falling asleep when I practice mindfulness.

How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?

Happiness is personal, it’s an emotion from within and what makes one person happy, which could be something very simple may not make others happy. Enjoy the small things in life, because they add up to many happy times!!

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Jacinta Arden, Kitty Flanagan, Michelle Obama  (too hard to choose just one!)

What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

Out for breakfast and then taking a long walk along the beach with my family.

What is your most treasured secondary school memory?
Time with my friends, you never have days like that again!

Welcome to our Year 7 Families.

In other years, your Wellbeing team have had the opportunity to speak to our Year 7 families in person, but due to COVID restrictions in 2020, we shared a video instead. Here is a copy incase you haven’t seen it yet:

Because the transition from primary to secondary school is such a significant time of life, we thought it’d be a great idea to share some of the information from our original presentation, including some simple to learn anxiety management tools that will come in handy for settling the butterflies when you’re making new friends, going on school camp and eating lunch with your friends.

One small step for schools, one giant leap for families

The transition from primary to secondary school is one of most significant milestones in our lives. It’s a period of much change in a relatively short time frame which can make it exciting and daunting all at once, particularly for first time families.

Outside of the first two years of life, the rate of brain development in adolescence is more rapid than ever before and it’s something to keep in mind - just because our teenagers begin to look like adults, doesn’t mean their brains are the same as adult brains - meaning, we can’t really expect them to function as adult brains do.

Let’s consider for a second some of the main differences between primary school and secondary school:

1. Different classrooms and different teachers
2. Larger school layout to navigate
3. New classmates from all walks of life
4. Different subjects to navigate and learn
5. New rules, new uniform, new expectations
6. Brains undergoing reconstruction
7. Changes to sleep-wake cycles
8. School camp

Adolescent Development

Now let’s consider some of the biopsychosocial changes that occur during adolescence by watching these fabulous YouTube clips from MindMatters (now Be You) and Dan Seigel on the changes the teenage brain goes through.

The most noticeable and obvious changes in adolescence are the physical changes in puberty which can cause some worries and stress as young people might compare themselves to their peers and ask “Am I normal?”

We can help our young people to have positive body image through providing accurate information and education about physical changes, including the concept that different transitions occur for different people at different times as well as  teaching them  critical media literacy skills about techniques used by the media to manipulate images, how to analyse and challenge media messages and teach students skills to handle such pressure.

Adolescent brains are a work in progress and not like adult brains and so we can’t expect them to function like adult brains.

This construction process begins in the back of the brain in the area that drives our emotions, the front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, is remodeled last.

The prefrontal cortex is the decision making part of the brain, responsible for one’s ability to plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses.

Because the prefrontal cortex matures relatively late, adolescents at times rely on a part of the brain called the amygdala to make decisions and solve problems particularly in emotionally charged situations.

The amygdala is associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behavior.

In adolescence, identity development, developing relationships and increasing independence are key developmental tasks.

This doesn’t mean parents, family, teachers and other adult relationships are not still vital and necessary, they definitely are, but developing a sense of connection and belonging to their peer group is a vital stepping stone into adulthood later in adolescence.

It can only occur safely under the guidance of adults with firm appropriate boundaries in place and a support system to fall back on.

Often adolescents require more time to process information and need instructions repeated more calmly and succinctly, as well as benefitting from explanations or alternatives.

It is often better to identify and suggest preferred behaviours rather than tell adolescents what not to do.

Generally the outcomes are better when teachers approach adolescents in an emotionally neutral manner and focus on their own behaviours, language and timing as well as those of the adolescent.

Helpful tips

Tips for Parents

1. Keep calm.
2. Don’t talk too much – listen more.
3. Look for compromise and negotiate.
4. Use humour.
5. Set very clear boundaries.
6. Avoid confrontations or ultimatums.
7. Only argue over things that matter.
8. Don’t constantly remind them of mistakes.
9. Talk while doing something together.
10. Let some things go.
11. It's ok to make mistakes, remind your child they can and will make mistakes and that these are proof that they are trying.  Remind them consistently that there is no mistake they can make that you can’t work through together.
12. Friendship take time and effort, so reassure your child about the qualities we seek in good friendships.
13. Communicate any issues concerning bullying or gossip with school, if you find that bullying has become part of your secondary schoolers experience, contact their pastoral care teacher or year level co-ordinator so they stay informed.
14. Manage their health ensure your secondary schooler receives a good balance of sleep, healthy eating and exercise each day.  Remember, their adolescent years are one of their biggest growth stages.

Stay Healthy

• Get plenty of sleep (aim for 8 -10 hours)
• Shower daily
• Use a good antiperspirant deodorant
• Wash and clean your face daily
• Brush and wash clean your face daily
• Drink plenty of water (aim for eight glasses of water a day)
• Eat well during the day and avoid too many sugary treats

• Walk your dog, or somebody else’s
• Go for a run
• Go for a bush walk with friends
• Take an aerobics class
• Take up a sport eg netball, baseball football soccer, dancing, gymnastics, boxing, wrestling
• Join the local gym
• Try rowing or canoeing

Stress

Signs of Stress

• Inability to sleep properly
• Not being able to eat – disinterest in food
• Lack of interest in friends and things you usually enjoy doing
• Crying often and feeling down in the dumps
• A feeling of being unable to cope
• Acne or other skin problems
• Headaches
• Aches and pains
• Frequent sickness
• Low energy levels
• Increased heart rate in the absence of exertion
• Sweating

Stress Management

The main chemical involved in this physiological response is called cortisol, a stress hormone made in our adrenal glands. As soon as our brain perceives a threat, our amygdala – a small, almond-shaped section of our brain central to our emotional processing – signals for cortisol to be released to prepare our body to either stay and ‘fight’ the threat, or to run-away from it, ‘flight’.

We’ve all experienced the fight or flight response before: our heart beat increases; our breathing becomes quick and shallow; we get butterflies in our bellies; we might get hot and cold; sweaty palms; feel sick etc. Cortisol activates our sympathetic nervous system and that speeds everything up.

Normally, once a threat passes, our nervous system is able to return to a state of equilibrium and we are able to feel calm once more. This happens once our parasympathetic nervous system is activated to slow everything back down.

But if the cause of our stress doesn’t go away, just like the threat of the coronavirus isn’t going away in the near future, we remain on high alert, and those uncomfortable feelings of stress remain.

Even people who normally cope well with stress may be feeling the effect of the pandemic as it impacts our ability to get outdoors, exercise and socialise – all things that help us manage stress in everyday life.

To help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system and to return your body and mind to a more relaxed state, we’ve put together four simple, easy to use strategies, proven to be beneficial in the management of stress and anxiety.

Controlled Breathing

Breathing is one of the first things to change automatically once our fight or flight response is activated. When we subconsciously detect threats in our environment our survival instinct aims to increase our oxygen supply to the muscles in our major muscle groups so that they are prepared to either stay and fight the threat, or run to safety.

So, how do we get more oxygen into our bodies? We breathe it in. You'll usually notice when you are anxious your breath becomes faster and shallower as you attempt to obtain more oxygen into your body.

To nip the fight or flight response in the bud, we can take back conscious control over one of the first things that changes when we are feeling anxious, our breathing.

Try this simple controlled breathing exercise.

1. Hold your breath and count to six.
2. Exhale slowly to the count of three, forcing all of the air out of your lungs.
3. Then, inhale slowly and deeply to the count of three.
4. Repeat the exhale/inhale process nine times.

Once you've completed that full cycle, one minute will have passed and you should notice your anxiety symptoms have or are subsiding. You can easily repeat the controlled breathing cycle one more time and that should be enough to have returned your body to a more relaxed state.

Feel free to get creative with the counting. You might inhale for 2, hold for 3 and exhale for 4, for example. It doesn't matter, as long as you count.

The counting is important because it occupies your cognitive space that you might otherwise use to worry!

Tip: Practice this one when you are feeling calm. It needs to become an automatic process that you can easily access when you are stressed or anxious, so don't wait until you are stressed or anxious to try it out, it won't work. And don't worry, no one needs to know what you're doing. You can use this one anyway. I do it ten minutes before an exam or interview and it works like a charm.

Legs Up the Wall - Yoga Pose

This is a yoga pose designed to do everything that is wonderful for us, especially activate the parasympathetic nervous system which has the opposite effects to the sympathetic nervous system during fight or flight. This one slows down our breathing and our heart rate and promotes relaxation, among other things. It's also wonderful for insomnia. Just 15 minutes of lying in this position has the equivalent effect of three-hours sleep!

The pose is easy to do, find yourself a wall, lie on your back with your bottom close to the wall, with your legs straight and resting up the wall, arms straight with palms up. Bliss. You could do this prior to going into an exam, or before completing any other anxiety provoking activity. It's also great just before bed to help with sleep.

Some recommended apps for reducing stress

Smiling mind: free mindfulness app developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance into your life, its very youth friendly. 

Breathe 2 relax is a smart phone app with instructions and exercises in a diaphragmatic breathing, a documented stress management skill.  Includes detailed information on the effects of stress on the body

Sanvello provides guided deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises, daily anti – anxiety Sanvello provides guide deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises, daily anti-anxiety activities, and tools including a mood tracker.  Year 7s can record their own thoughts, which can help them understand their thinking patterns and recognise possible anxiety triggers.

And of course, Jodie's all time favourite:

Calm: The #1 APP for sleep, relaxation and meditation. This one has a small cost associated with it, but it’s worth every cent. It also forms a large part of our daily meditation practice on Rice campus. Email us to find out more wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

‘The greatest weapon against stress is the ability to choose one thought over another.’ William James

Write it Down

Another piece of pure and simple genius is to write down all of your worries and feelings. This helps to activate your pre-frontal cortex, engaging your 'thinking' brain, whilst emptying your working memory, calming your worries and leaving you with space to focus on the task in front of you.

Reframe or Label It

One final and very quick strategy is to be able to cognitively evaluate any stress or anxiety in a productive way. One way to do this is to label what you are thinking or feeling:

Sometimes it can be helpful to simply say to yourself:

"That's just a thought."

"That's a feeling."

Or,

"Oh look, that's just my anxiety talking, this situation isn't really a life or death one."

You could also acknowledge your mind for doing its job, albeit doing it too well.

"Thank you mind. I know you're just doing your job and helping me survive, but I think I've got this one covered."

You can also put it into perspective and give it a positive reframe.

"I'm feeling a little bit anxious which is a positive thing because a little bit of anxiety will actually help me stay safe."

We can't wait to hear your feedback on how you went with any of these strategies. Best of luck!

Mindfulness Practice

Every morning, Tuesdays to Thursdays, our school psychologist Jodie runs a 15 minute mindfulness meditation practice at 8.30am in the chapel on Rice Campus. All students are welcome, although over the years, it seems to be something the Year 12 students embrace with both hands.

Begin working with one sense per day. You can begin your day with this practice but then extend your practice throughout the day, being mindful with that particular sense. Which part of sense awareness is purely physical, and which part is in your mind?

Touch

Awareness of touch can begin with the sensation of your body against your cushion or chair, the sensation of your clothing against your skin, wind or temperature against your skin, or the parts of your body that are touching and resting on the other parts of your body. For example, your hands on your thighs.

Sight

With your eyes open, softly focus towards the ground ahead of you. Stay here, noticing the quality of light, colours, forms, or actual objects. As you spend more time or as the meditation deepens, try slowly lifting your gaze, taking in more of the space around you. Without “looking for things”, notice what comes into your view.

Smell/Taste

Without looking for smells or tastes, rest the mind in open awareness, open to the presence of smell or taste. Which smells are ever present, and which smells arise and fade? Is there a particular taste in your mouth? Does it change over time? This is a great exercise to continue off the mat, or to try during your meals.

Hearing

With your eyes closed, bring your awareness to the sounds you can hear from outside the room you’re in. Count the number of different sounds. Then bring your focus into the room. What sounds can you hear now? Now choose one sound only to focus on, noticing it come and go and change, not trying to alter it in anyway, simply noticing.

Flexing our character strengths

At Emmanuel College we work together to create a culture and an environment that values and promotes all aspects of health and wellbeing, where students are nurtured to develop the skills and capabilities they need to flourish and be Fit4Life.

The character strengths of our individual students, our collective classrooms and staff, and of the college community at large underpin all that we do at our college to achieve just that.

Our Words for Wellbeing Newsletters will regularly shine a spotlight on the 24 Character Strengths and today, in light of all of the uncertainty we are facing in the world due to COVID-19, we have chosen two strengths which are also our College Values – Hope & Love.

HOPE

‘We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.’
Catherine McAuley

Hope involves positive feelings and expectations for the future, focusing on good things to come. Hope is more than a feel-good emotion. It is an action-oriented strength involving agency, the motivation and confidence that goals can be reached, and also that many effective pathways can be devised in order to get to that desired future.

What the Science Says About Hope

Research findings show that Hope is associated with life satisfaction and wellbeing. People who are hopeful are less likely to be anxious or depressed. If they do become anxious or depressed, those feelings tend not to overwhelm them. Hopeful people tend to be healthier, happier, and more successful. Hope leads to people living longer.

Examples of this Strength in Action
Wondering about how to flex your Hope muscles?

• Continuing to approach your school work with motivation and intent to learn regardless of where you are, knowing that the current circumstances are temporary
• Remaining optimistic about future plans even if they have to be delayed or postponed due to our current social restrictions
• Planning for future activities and being mindful of what you will feel grateful for when you can return to your normal routine.

LOVE

Love as a character strength, rather than as an emotion, refers to the degree to which you value close relationships with people, and contribute to that closeness in a warm and genuine way. Where kindness can be a behavioral pattern applied in any relationship, love as a character strength really refers to the way you approach your closest and warmest relationships. Love is reciprocal, referring to both loving others and the willingness to accept love from others. There are four types of love, each with a biological and evolutionary base:

• Attachment love: parent for child; child for parent
• Compassionate/altruistic love: kindness
• Companionate love: friendship
• Romantic love: spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend

What the Science Says

Research findings on the benefits of the strength of love found Love tends to facilitate tolerance, empathy, and forgiveness in relationships, which contribute to the health and longevity of those relationships. It is one of five strengths most associated with enhanced life satisfaction. The practice of loving-kindness meditation, in which you cultivate feelings of warmth for yourself and for others, has been shown to boost this strength in addition to a wealth of positive outcomes for the body and mind.

Examples of this Strength in Action
Here are a few examples of Love at work in the world.

• Carving out some time each week to experience uninterrupted quality time in your closest relationships.
• Going out of your way to offer support to your friends or family when you see they are stressed or having a bad day.
• Give them the gift of supportive words and your honest concern.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this refresher on Hope & Love. You can look forward to our regular section reviewing our character strengths in the coming editions of Words for Wellbeing.

Safer Internet Day

Last week, the eSafety Commission released the results of some valuable research they conducted into the way Australian’s use the internet in their lives.

This research provides a glimpse into the digital lives of teens, how they deal with negative online experiences, the types of information they need to stay safe online and the information sources that they trust. It also looks at the types of positive online behaviours in which they engage.

The research is based on a survey of 627 teens aged 12-17 in September 2020.

Key findings
Online lives

• Teens spent an average of 14.4 hours a week online.
• 9 in 10 teens used the internet to research topics of interest, watch videos, chat with friends and listen to music.
• 8 in 10 teens played games online with others.

Social media

• Teens used an average of four different social media services – YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat remain the most popular app/platforms.
• TikTok (formerly Musical.ly) – has shown the greatest growth, from 12% of teens in 2017, up to 38% in 2020.

Negative online experiences

• 44% of teens had a negative online experience in the six months to September 2020.
• The top three were being contacted by a stranger or someone they didn't know (30%), receiving inappropriate or unwanted content (20%) and being deliberately excluded from events/social groups (16%).
• More than 80% teens took some form of action after a negative online experience.

Online safety information

• Three quarters of teens wanted more online safety information delivered through trusted channels including:
  • their school or an online safety class – 43%
  • a trusted eSafety website – 40%
  • from a parent/carer – 38%.

Positive online behaviours

• 9 in 10 teens had engaged in at least one type of positive online behaviour.

Nearly all teens who had a negative experience online engaged in positive online behaviour afterward.

The great news is that the eSafety Commission are also offering free webinars for parents on a variety of topics to help your teen stay safe online. Click this link to find out more!

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.

ENERGISER

BRAIN BREAK

MINDFUL MOMENT

MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC

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