MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK
that attended were really struck by how much hydration, diet and sleep patterns can affect you physically and mentally – watch out for the boys asking for ‘9+ a day’ (5-a-day is a thing of the past!) The Dulwich Mile – a one mile walk around the perimeter of the College campus – highlighted the positive effects of being outdoors and being part of a community, as many of our pupils chatted to boys in the Senior School during this walk. In addition, Years 3 and 5 took part in a brilliant Yoga session, with a focus on balance and connecting with one’s inner self. Learning various postures and mindfulness techniques, the pupils explored ways that balance can help them in their everyday lives. And finally, we had 10 minutes each day dedicated to every pupil and member of staff stopping whatever they were doing and engaging in a period of relaxation - Drop Everything and Relax (DEAR) – whether that be mindful colouring, mindfulness or simply reading quietly. Hopefully, there was something tangible for every pupil to take away from this week to help them feel just that little bit better about themselves, as well as making others feel valued and appreciated too.
bucket to symbolise strategies which can help them to release negative feelings and find more balance in themselves. There were a number of College- wide events taking place, and it was wonderful to see such a strong Junior School presence at these. Matt Lovell, a nutritionist who has worked with some of sport’s biggest teams (England Rugby from 1999-2015 and British Athletics) and is currently a consultant for Manchester City, gave a really powerful talk about nutrition and sleep. The boys
n Mental Health Awareness week has provided an opportunity for all of us to review the balance in our lives with regards to our own mental health. Whilst we know that worry comes from a variety of sources, it is important for our pupils to know some strategies that they can adopt so that they can not only cope with tricky situations, but hopefully so that they can ultimately find a positive outcome. The Wellbeing lessons this week for each class focussed on each pupil creating their own ‘worry bucket’ and identifying things that can cause them worry. They then labelled taps on their
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