 "Please Mind Your Head Week”
Organised and promoted by pupils from pupils from 2WM and 2DB (Mr. Ferguson’s SPHE class) Introduction This week is “Please Mind Your Head” week in our school. This means remember to please look after yourself – you need to. Last weekend is finished. But another one waits for you. This week reminds us that we are all on a journey – physically, spiritually, individually and collectively. But your journey is unique to you – so keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need. So today and the other days this week, there’ll be something different happening. You’ll hear some music, see some posters, get some gentle advice and maybe even have a chat with someone you haven’t with before. We hope you enjoy the ‘something different’ ; we hope you look after yourself and remember – look after you Each day we’re going to share with you an important way to look after yourself – we call them each one of these ‘a Pillar’ as they are strong and will help to support you at all times. The first pillar is Connect Pillar One: Connect Evidence shows that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing. Many of us would like to spend more time with the people who are most important to us but sometimes life just gets in the way of that. We must make time to connect with the people that matter to us. By nurturing these relationships we feel happier and more secure, giving a better sense of purpose. Here are some tips to stay connected:
Remember : The most important things in life are the connections you make with others Pillar Two: “Be Active” Today we continue to pass some gentle advice to help you look after yourself a little better. After hearing yesterday about how important it is to ‘really connect’ with those around us, today we hear about the second pillar of a healthy mind - being ‘physically active’. With the weather improving it’s great to be able to get out into the sunshine. Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Evidence proves there is a link between being physically active and good mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing means being feeling good about yourself and about the world around you and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want. Being active doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. You need to find physical activity that you enjoy and can fit into your daily/ weekly routine. This may be a daily walk to the shops, kicking the ball around, swimming or a weekend walk. Also physical activity can help maintain wellbeing and good mental health in a number of ways: Physical activity helps with mild depression. Evidence shows it can protect people against the onset of depression and anxiety. Physical activity causes a chemical change in the brain which can help change our mood. Physical activity brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge – all of which help improve wellbeing. Finally, a bit of trivia about being active. We all know the sports brand ‘Asics’, but do you know what it means ? It is Latin for Anima Sana in Coropre Sano translating best as have a healthy body in a healthy mind. In other words our body and mind should be looked after equally and are depenedent on each other. So get out and enjoy the sunshine and enjoy being active ! Pillar Three: “Take Notice” Today, the 3rd Pillar of keeping a minding our head is to encourage us to ‘take notice’ It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing. Taking Notice is also called Mindfulness. It is easy to incorporate mindfulness into your life and can be a very powerful tool if learnt and practiced daily. Mental wellbeing means being feeling good about life and yourself and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want. Many think about wellbeing in terms of what you have; your income, car, house or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think have the biggest impact on wellbeing. To Take Notice is to notice the sights, smells, sounds and tastes you experience as well as your thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next. It’s easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living in our heads. An important part of Taking Notice is to reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they are experiencing. It can be something as simple as the feel of your knife and fork in your hands. To summarise, and in the words of Saint Mother Teresa who worked with the forgotten and ill people of KolKatta. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies Pillar Four: “Keep Learning” Today, our fourth pillar of advice to maintain a healthy mind is to “keep learning” Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new approach to a class subject and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen. Learning new ‘things’ can boost your self-confidence, self-esteem, build a sense of purpose and help us connect with others. Setting goals and working towards them plays an important part in the way learning influences wellbeing. Many forms of learning involve contact with others which connects us to our communities and peers. There are so many ways to learn new things without spending any money such as : Take up a new hobby over the summer break Look up a new recipe and cook it for yourself or family Take on that DIY project you’ve been putting off- like clearing out your bedroom ! Remember : The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you! Pillar Five: “Give” Today, the last day of our “Please Mind Your Head Week” in CBC, we finish with the last pillar of advice : “Give”. Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing. From small acts of kindness to volunteering, giving can give you a sense of purpose, community and connectedness. Sometimes we think of our wellbeing in terms of what we have; our income, car, home or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think has the biggest impact on mental wellbeing. Scientists have shown that giving to others can stimulate the reward areas in the brain helping to create positive feelings. Helping others also gives a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth. Giving comes in many forms… here are a few ideas:
Remember : We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. We hope you have enjoyed this week of raising awareness about looking after yourself. We hope that you have found the experience to be rewarding. The morning-time music, posters and announcements have all been designed and chosen by our Second Year pupils of 2WM and 2DB. Thank you to all who have taken part. “Please Mind Your Head” Music played over the school intercom at 8:40am (5 minutes before classes begin)Monday “Can’t stop the feeling” by Justin Timberlake Tuesday “Shotgun” by George Ezra Wednesday “Be Brave and Believe” by Declan O’Rourke Thursday “Claire de Lune” by Claude Debussy Friday “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince Thank you to our 2nd years and Mr Ferguson for this great initiative, Comments are closed.
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