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Mental Health & Wellbeing Week at Wellington College Tianjin
Edward Batey
DSL and Pupil Support Lead (Whole School)
Art Teacher
Our mental health and wellbeing affect not just how we feel inside, but how we engage academically and with those around us. Here at Wellington College Tianjin, wellbeing is a cornerstone of all of our interactions every day. Wellbeing week, however, allows us to focus specifically on things we can do to both feel better and cope with not feeling so great when it inevitably happens. As well as activities run by our highly experienced classroom teachers, form tutors and counsellors, highlights outside the classroom included…
JUNIOR SCHOOL
A sensory walk for Junior School pupils, where they took a chance to step outside the classroom, enjoy the sun on their faces and engage with all of their senses. Sensory walks can provide multiple benefits for children, including improving their sensory processing skills, promoting physical exercise and motor development, reducing stress and anxiety, encouraging creativity and curiosity, and providing opportunities for social interaction and collaboration.
SENIOR SCHOOL
In Senior School, Year 12 enjoyed an opportunity to work with Shanghai-based art therapist and counsellor Ms Chen on a session entitled “Navigating Life’s Waves: Building Resilience and Managing Emotions”. They experimented using colours and symbolism to identify both positive and negative emotions.
We know that using art therapy in this way can have the following benefits:
1
Improved self-awareness: By expressing emotions in a nonverbal way, individuals may become more aware of underlying emotions that they were not consciously aware of before, helping them better understand their emotions and behaviours.
2
Reduced anxiety and stress: Engaging in creative activities such as art can help individuals relax and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
3
Improved coping skills: Through art therapy, individuals can develop coping skills to better manage their emotions and respond to stressors in healthy ways.
Finally, in a superb, pupil-led event by Nina and Lucien in Y12, we had the first ever Wellington College Tianjin Healthy Sleepover. Pupils from Y10-Y13 stayed in school overnight and explored ways in which they could relax and enjoy a refreshing night’s sleep. Sleep plays a crucial role in our overall physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep helps boost our immune system, repair damaged tissues and cells, improve our memory and cognitive function, and regulate our emotions. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
We hope to continue to build on our Mental Health and Wellbeing provision next year and bring more exciting and empowering opportunities.
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