‘Less is more’ one of the Mental Health Ambassadors said matter-of-factly, during one of our student meetings. ‘Sometimes there are so many smaller things going on they get missed.’
This got me thinking about how we could do wellbeing week differently this year. How could we focus on one theme and embrace it with intention – and even better, across the whole school?
Self-Regulation seemed like an obvious place to start – something we could all relate to. That feeling when our heart races, our thoughts become jumbled and we notice everything feels a bit faster and less grounded – how do we regulate ourselves in that moment?
Earlier in the week we explored ‘dopamine dressing’ and encouraged everyone to dress in clothes that made them ‘sparkle and shine.’ A ‘protest against gloom’ and a nod to the iridescent quality of nature. On national guide dogs’ day, we invited a guide dog mobility specialist, Ellie, and her dog Bella, to teach us about what was involved in matching and training a guide dog.
The Junior school worked with Stefan Kraus, our Art Psychotherapist, to explore how we could be strong like a tree; sometimes the branches and leaves would be rustled and shaken but their roots remained strong and grounded. This was an intentional link with our Breathe programme, a celebration and focus on nature and the benefits to our wellbeing. Fortune cookies were shared as a reminder to look after our future selves by finding what supports us in the more challenging moments – and the importance of being prepared. And a beautifully scented workshop taught students how to create an aromatherapy creation for every form group, something to ground every class and relax us into the bank holiday weekend ahead.
