This month's Wellness Spotlight focuses on Self-Care and the everyday actions people can take that will help them to maintain their mental, emotional and physical health. Practising self-care can reduce stress, increase resiliency and even living longer.
Our students will be learning about Self-Care this month as well as strategies to reduce stress, maintain a positive mindset and practise mindfulness. Our Mental Health Team - Student Advocacy Counsellors and Wellness Coaches - will be sharing resources with students, staff and families, and supporting activities and initiatives in our classrooms.
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
Here are some links that our team recommends for families to encourage and promote self-care at home:
- My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing by Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
This book introduces children to mindfulness, self-awareness and balance. Request it at your local library or check out this Read Aloud on YouTube:
- Exam Stress: 5 Things Parents Can do to Help (CBC News)
Tips for parents to help students reduce stress during exam time. - Take 20 with Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler
There are two episodes of this popular podcast that focus on self-care and feature Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director of Active Minds.
Watch for the Counsellor's Connections newsletter from your Student Advocacy Counsellor for more information about what is happening with Self-Care at your school! For more curated resources, please visit the Self-Care section of our Mental Health Resources for Families on our website.
SELF-CARE CONTEST
Each month we are offering students, staff and families the opportunity to share their own stories related to our theme on our Engage NLPS website. You can write us a story or poem, make a video, draw or paint a picture, or tell your story in whatever other creative way you can think of.
For January, here are some things you may want to consider when telling or creating your Self-Care story:
- What is one thing that you make sure you do regularly to take care or yourself?
- What difference has making self-care a priority made for your life?
- What are some fun self-care activities that you have tried that you would like to share with others?
Everyone who shares a story will be entered into a monthly draw for a prize, may have their story featured in our Wellness Showcase in May, and will be eligible for our year-end grand prize. Staff or students who submit stories will also earn entries for their school. At the end of the year, one of our schools will also win a prize for their whole school!
We will be sharing more ways to win on Facebook and Instagram. Like and follow us so you don't miss our posts.