WELLBEING MESSAGE FROM OUR COUNSELLOR

Dear Parents, Students and the School Community,

Hope you are all staying safe and well, coping with your work, school & social adjustments and restrictions around Covid-19.

2020 will certainly be a year to remember for its turbulent uncertainty and unpredictable landscape that we have all had to adjust to. I hope you can also reflect and appreciate the positive values that have been rejuvenated and refreshed throughout this year, such as reconnective family times while in lockdown and appreciating the small things we are grateful for and have taken for granted as we get swallowed up in our busy lives. We can all sometimes become consumed with the negative overflow of any situation, especially one as massively devastating world-wide as COVID 19. We could try to view it differently and frame it in a positive way so it can improve our mental and emotional wellbeing, and help us cope better with the changing world we are living in.

The following are some helpful strategies that may support you and your family while navigating through this difficult time:

• Each morning, write down 3 things you are grateful for.
• Think of those positive opportunities the current situation has presented for you.
• Use the above two points as a focus when sitting quietly and practising a mindful minute or minutes (whatever you can manage) during your day. This is very helpful to re-ground yourself and regain focus.
• Reframe your thinking: when things are stressful and you feel anxiety and being overwhelmed creeping in, say to yourself, “How could I look at this differently?” I think you will surprise yourself how many ways you can look at the same situation, and the mental, emotional benefit of reframing those thoughts.
• Journaling your thoughts and feelings, at a time when you are emotional, overwhelmed and stressed, it is a great way to release pressure and let go. This is also beneficial to read through at a later date when things are going well and reflect on the positive achievements you have made since then.
• Stick to a routine, write a schedule to help keep you focused and motivated, also, include a healthy wake/ sleep pattern to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
• Limit social media and COVID conversations, especially around children. This can consume you, as the information is often sensationalized and can become frightening for children to hear.
• Expect behavioural issues in children and respond gently with a focus on safety and attachment. Children rely on routines constructed by others to make them feel safe and to know what comes next. Positive reassurances and emotional connections will support children to get through this uncertain time.

I hope this advice is helpful to all. We can’t control a lot of what is going on in the world right now but we can control how we react to it. By making some small changes and adapting our behaviour to support the wellbeing of ourselves and our families, we will all get through this together!

I wish you all the very best during the remainder of the remote learning period and look forward to seeing all the happy smiling faces when we return to school.

Please take care of yourself and your families, stay safe and well.