Wellbeing Week: Rest and Relax

Good Morning everyone! We hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Today is Day 1 in Wellbeing Week and our focus is to rest and relax. You have all worked tremendously hard during this term and we would like to encourage you to take some time to stop, relax and take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you.

 

Why is it important to relax?

When you are calm, your body is in what is known as “rest and digest” mode. Your breathing and heart rate is normal, and your muscles are relaxed. When you experience a stressful event, your body automatically goes into what is known as “flight, fight or freeze” mode. Your heart rate increases, your stomach stops digestion, and your breathing becomes more shallow. The purpose of relaxation techniques are to get yourself from “flight, fight or freeze” mode back to “rest and digest” mode.

 

What techniques can I use to rest and relax?

There are many different kinds of relaxation techniques that you can try out. Lots of children and adults find these helpful particularly when they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious. Which relaxation techniques will you try today? Have a look at some of our suggestions below.

 

Breathing

Deep breathing helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream, opening up your capillaries. It has a physical effect on your body to help you calm down.

Rainbow Breathing: Arms start at the side of your body; arms go up as you breathe in and go down as you breathe out. Notice how your arms create a rainbow shape above you. Repeat this several times.

Teddy Bear Breathing: Lay down on your back and put a soft teddy or toy on your belly. Breathe in and move your teddy up, then breathe out and bring your teddy back down. This will help you to use your belly to take big deep breaths. How did it make you feel?

 

Mindfulness

Being mindful helps us to deal with worries that we might have. It can help you learn how to solve a worry or problem you might have.

Movement Break: With an adult, have a stroll around your neighbourhood or the local park, making an effort to spot things you have not noticed before. During the walk, stop for a minute and concentrate only on the things you can hear.

 

Mindfulness Jar: With an adult, fill a jar almost to the brim with water, tip in some glitter, and fasten the lid firmly. You can then shake the jar and focus on what happens as the glitter swirls and then settles.

 

Feelings

All of us experience different feelings at different times. There is a normal range of emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, nervousness) that we will all experience at different times in our life. Sharing our feelings can ease our worries and give us solutions to a problem.

 

Gratitude list: Think of at least three things throughout your day that you are grateful for. It can be something very simple such as your favourite toy or best friend. Repeat this every day and over time, you will find that you have a long list of reasons to be thankful for what you have and enjoy the life you are living. If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, read your list to remind yourself of who, and what, is good in your life.

 

Express Yourself: Express your emotions by creating a picture showing how you are feeling and talk about your picture with a family member. Remember, sharing your feelings can ease your worries and give you solutions to a problem.

 

Prayer

Remember that you can pray at any time. Thank God for all the positive things in your life and ask for help with anything you are struggling with. You are not alone!

 

We look forward to hearing about which relaxation techniques you have used and which ones you found most useful. Wishing you all a restful and relaxing day!