How to Thrive With the Wellbeing Hive

We are presented today with challenging times – and also so much to be grateful for.

While our ancestors were called to war and lived through the depression, we are being asked to stay in our homes and isolate ourselves as best we can. In the modern world, this is a difficult task but not an insurmountable one. What we need to take back these days and make them full, rich and purposeful is a unique recipe for thriving – one that takes what we know about wellbeing at the best of times, and applies it to the circumstances we now find ourselves in.

Welcome to the St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School Wellbeing Hive.

The Hive is a meeting point for discussion and promotion of wellbeing for all members of the St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School Community – and beyond – and it gives us 9 facets to build and maintain our own wellbeing.

First it begins with 5 Daily Habits.

Daily Habits

These daily habits help us to keep the mind and body in peak condition and help us maintain the basics of good health.

Mindfulness

Although often confused with Meditation, Mindfulness is a practice of being quiet and present, allowing your mind to be quiet in any of a variety of ways. A good habit to develop is to take ten minutes out each day to breathe deeply, meditate or be present in a quiet activity. Reading is mindful, colouring can be mindful as can working on challenging puzzles. There are also plenty of apps out there that can help you form that meditative practice that many appreciate – Calm, HeadSpace, Smiling Mind to name a few.

Exercise

Your body needs at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. The challenge currently is to find ways to exercise that replace team sports that were often social outlets as well as fitness. Try to take advantage of the opportunity to take daily outdoor exercise – a run or walking the dog can be very refreshing. You might also embrace an indoor trainer or watching a fitness video on YouTube.

Creativity

Take some time each day to do something artistic or creative, to explore a spark within yourself. Paint, draw, write, dance, take photos, do origami or craft, build, sing, play music, cook, experiment, design, innovate (using a thinking tool), be entrepreneurial… be creative about getting creative.

Connection

The greatest challenge in lockdown is to feel connected to those we usually were able to see each day – and many people in your household may be struggling with this. We need to make connection a daily focus – give ourselves the gift of time with others each day – simply in new ways. Try to spend some quality time with the people in your household – something that allows you to have fun and show appreciation for each other. Play games, bake, do puzzles.

Also, ensure you connect with a friend or family member outside of your immediate sphere – perhaps via social media or even the good old-fashioned letter. Relationships take work to maintain, and remember that not everyone has a full household to feel warm in during lockdown. Hearing from you will make their day.

DEAR (Drop Everything And Read)

Drop Everything and Read! Work towards reading for 30 minutes per day – to expand your mind or to relax. Reading is very mindful. If reading is a challenge – start with ten minutes and work your way up. Seek assistance from English and library staff for a recommendation.

School Values

In addition, we encourage the community to continue to find great purpose in the four school values that reflect what is important in the world. After caring for ourselves with our five daily habits, we can use the school values more broadly to continue to develop ourselves as well-rounded individuals and to contribute positively to society.

Courage

Have the courage to challenge yourself today – to improve yourself physically, mentally or spiritually. Set a goal to learn something new or break a barrier and work towards achieving it. This could connect to any of the daily habits or be a special project you have designed on your own. Also have the courage to share your goals with others – this helps keep you accountable and to have a virtual cheer squad to celebrate your achievements!

Curiosity

Find out about the world today. This world is still a beautiful and fascinating place, even if our worlds seem small on a day to day basis. For students, this could be by showing curiosity in your studies, or by exploring other ideas that interest you. Curiosity makes people interesting!

Respect

Respect the people in your environment by being neat and tidy. The boys at Berwick Grammar will know the power of making their bed in the morning. Also respect others in your interactions with them – in person or online.

Character

Character is about doing the right thing and serving others – is there something you could do to make someone’s life easier today? Character is also connected to leadership – can you show leadership by finding a way to serve others and improve their experiences?

Exploring these 9 facets and more will be the focus of this project. For more insights follow our LinkedIn Page or follow us on Twitter @WellbeingHive.