Celebrating a
‘week of wellbeing’
Brookes School has been playing its part in the nationwide Mental Health Awareness Week with its own virtual ‘week of wellbeing’ topics and tips.
Wellbeing is at the heart of our ethos with students of all ages taking part in positive education sessions throughout the year. Before the lockdown the school had plans for a ‘week of wellbeing’ with activities for all of our Brookes families.
Instead, because of the lockdown, we decided to share useful information, tips and tools in five key areas of wellbeing – kindness, growth mindset, resilience, exercise and gratitude. Here’s a rundown of each of the topics and the links we shared:
Monday – Kindness:
Today it’s KINDNESS – the theme of this week’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek led by Mental Health Foundation. Kindness is vital to good mental health. It’s also contagious and it’s one thing that’s well worth spreading! Find out more.
Tuesday – Growth Mindset:
Developing a GROWTH MINDSET is today’s topic in our ‘week of wellbeing’. With a growth mindset you improve by putting in the effort, enjoying the learning and celebrating the progress as much as the end result. At Brookes we support our children – from our Montessori early years through to GCSEs – by sparking their curiosity, unlocking their creativity, giving them confidence to learn from setbacks and motivation to take on greater challenges. And besides enhancing ability and performance, a growth mindset can also improve mental health. Find out more.
Wednesday – Resilience:
We’re halfway through our ‘week of wellbeing’ and today’s topic is RESILIENCE – the capacity to stay healthy, give and receive support from others, and flourish, whatever life may throw at us. At Brookes, students of all ages take part in positive education and wellbeing sessions. They learn how their brains work, what drives emotions and how to recognise them – in themselves and others. Resilience is ever more important in today’s high-pressured, rapidly changing world. The practical tools and tips we provide give our students the skills to build resilience and overcome life’s inevitable challenges. Find out more.
Thursday – Exercise:
Physical activity is known to improve mental health. But did you also know it can make your brain work better? EXERCISE is today’s topic in our ‘week of wellbeing’ because today would have been our Cherry Trees sports carnival – one of the many highlights in the Brookes school calendar! Coached by older students, our youngsters have the opportunity to show off their gross motor skills – running, balancing, throwing, jumping, climbing. Besides having a lot fun, exercise also makes brain connections for focus, memory, decision-making and mood – all important in the classroom and throughout life! Find out more.
Friday – Gratitude:
GRATITUDE is the final topic in our ‘week of wellbeing’. Appreciating the good things in our lives – rather than what’s missing – is proven to have a huge positive effect on mental health, relationships, resilience and future success. Find out more. One of the exercises our students take part in is to keep a ‘gratitude journal’ – being thankful for positive moments each day and each week. This is even more important in situations like the current lockdown. Why not give it a go? What do you have to be thankful for today?