The plants and animals are hibernating and in the season of deep rest and as humans this ‘should’ be a natural cycle for us too but often at this time of year we are busier than ever! So as always this is your gentle nudge from the HeadStart team to remember to include yourself on your to do list, YOU matter! It’s important that we take time to rest and recover.
For school leaders we know that supporting pupil mental health and wellbeing is a main priority. The most effective way of supporting pupil mental health and wellbeing is through championing a whole school approach. Supporting staff wellbeing is an essential component of any whole school approach.
Some practical tips to support your wellbeing at Christmas:
- Make time for things that YOU enjoy 😊
This is vital to top up your own levels of wellbeing. Arranging catch ups with friends and family, watching Christmas movies, taking time to cook or going for walks in the fresh air, wrapping presents with xmas songs on – all can provide opportunities for mini wellbeing top-ups!
- See people from outside of school
Some of your closest friends might be your colleagues but try and increase time spent with people you wouldn’t see at school. Arranging catch ups with friends and family is another strategy for topping up your wellbeing by building relationships and mentally ‘detaching’ yourself from work.
- Plan when you are going to do work
Education staff often use holidays to catch up on work that wasn’t completed during the previous term. Plan when you are going to do this so it doesn’t spread into your relaxation time.
- Turn off your school email
Constant notifications and an expectation to reply rapidly can cause work tasks to leak into time dedicated for relaxation with your family or friends. Not only can this lead to tension, but it also reduces the amount of time available to detach and recover from work. Set some professional and personal boundaries, use an automatic reply function to make those trying to contact you over the holiday aware of how often you will be checking your email.
- Schedule time to just ‘be’ for relaxation and rest
In Winter we are designed to sleep and rest more and move through days a little slower. If you feel tired this is your body’s wisdom speaking to you! We all need rest and recovery, allowing our brains and bodies to rest is essential for wellbeing.
- Let go of ‘perfect’ to manage your stress
It’s a hectic time of the year and everything just needs to be good enough! Allow yourself to be present and enjoy the magic and sparkle without heaping a load of unrealistic pressure on yourself. Take a look at the Christmas stress bucket below for some healthy stress relievers.
Published: December 12