Wellness Wednesdays: Mental Health and Well-being Tips for All

Connecting Challenge

SMILE! How does it feel to smile? How does it feel to receive a smile from a loved one, a teacher or colleague, or even from a friendly person you haven’t talked to before? We all have a part to play in our world to give and receive kindness, caring and love. Doing our part well means to intentionally make time for and be fully present with another person.
 
When you do your part by smiling, being positive, complimenting others, and making them feel special, we are opening a door to receive this kindness and caring in return. Let us not be too cautious with our care, let us dare to be kind and give freely of the gifts God has given us.
 
Today’s Wellness Wednesday begins with a Pep Talk about caring from Kid President. 

Try this:

As a class, group or family watch the following video from Kid President giving us a Pep Talk about the importance of positivity and smiling:

Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students! (3:54)
 
 
  1. Pick someone you have wanted to be better connected to (teachers to a student, parent to a child, child to child, peer to a peer).
  2. For 2 minutes every day talk with that someone about anything they want to talk about. Especially steer clear of topics associated with schoolwork, chores or work. Here are some ideas for conversation starters:
    • What was the best part of your day?
    • When you think of your favourite place, what comes to mind?
    • What has been weighing on your mind today?
    • What do day dream about?
  3. Do this with the same person every day for 10 days and see how your feelings for that person change and how your relationship changes too. 
Ask yourself, there is no wrong answer:

Predict how you might feel differently at the end of the 10 days than you did at the beginning.
Did you enjoy receiving someone’s smile and conversation?

Connecting to Our Faith

You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Further Learning

Children’s Book:
Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life: Tips from a Cook Cat for Having an Awesome Life by: Kimberly and James Dean
 
Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life: Tips from a Cook Cat for Having an Awesome Life by: Kimberly and James Dean
 
Parent/Teaching Website:
Social and Emotional Parent Toolkit – assisting children in their social and emotional development and growth, produced by NBC News Learn
 
 
Employees of LDCSB checkout WorkLifeHealth from EAP Provider Morneau Sheppell
 
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