From the Leader of Wellbeing

By practising self-compassion, we learn to accept ourselves where we are now and feel good about it anyway. This approach is highly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

– L. Waters, 2021

 

The importance of self-compassion

As we transition through to the end of another week of remote learning and lockdown circumstances, I can’t help but reflect on the term, my thoughts, my concerns and what adaptations I have made within my daily practice to exercise self-care for myself and my loved ones.

Self-compassion is a powerful way to deal with stressful situations. It’s about showing the same concern, kindness and care unto yourself as you would towards a friend. It helps you make yourself a priority and a part of the compassion circle. According to research by Kristin Neff, self-compassion includes self-kindness, mindfulness and common humanity – all of which are necessary for a healthy mindset. There are three benefits I want to stress:

Benefit #1 – Creating a buffer against negative issues

Self-compassion can buffer the negative effects of suffering. People who show self-compassion are less likely to experience anxiety and depression. Other studies focusing on the long-term impacts of self-compassion, show that this approach helps reduce the negative effects of stress over time. By applying this approach, we strengthen our abilities to cope with difficult situations. This helps explain why people who are compassionate towards themselves are also happier, optimistic and more satisfied with their lives.

Benefit #2 – Reducing trauma experienced during difficult situations (such as the pandemic)

Showing compassion towards the recurrent uncertainty we all experience during the pandemic creates a sense of emotional safety. This safety is what prevents us from being overtaken by fear. Other research supports this idea, as multiple studies have shown that people who practise a self-compassionate approach felt less traumatised by the pandemic and experience less anxiety.

Benefit #3 – Showing compassion to ourselves teaches our children that they can show compassion to themselves

Students typically learn from their parents. That means, if you practise self-compassion, your child sees this in action and learns that when they are tired/sad/struggling, they can soothe themselves through self-kindness and mindfulness. It also means they learn that everyone struggles and that suffering doesn’t mean they are weak or different – it means they are human and like everyone else. For students, it can help them deal with mistakes, failures and stressful events in a healthy manner.

#MSCW is part of the conversation

This week, the Student Leadership Team launched the beginning of Liptember, as a way of supporting women’s mental health during the month of September. This initiative includes staff and the sharing of videos to acknowledge their support and why we need to look out for one another as a community. To begin with, every Friday, we are encouraging all students and staff to wear their boldest lipstick to raise the awareness of Liptember

More will be posted on our Facebook page and social media, demonstrating the various ways that we keep the conversation alive and prevalent in our community. Earlier in the year, I was involved in an interview with Batyr, on behalf of Liptember, which confirms the priority that we place here at MSCW on supporting and educating our students to promote healthy mental wellbeing. Equally, the emphasis we place on how to #smashthestigma when navigating through our own mental health.

During this time, be aware of certain behaviours and signs that can indicate that your daughter may be struggling.

The first thing to look out for is changes in behaviour, such as:

  • Withdrawal from their friends or their family.
  • Lashing out at people and getting angry or upset really easily, including towards the people they care about.
  • Crying or becoming emotional.
  • Losing interest in activities and things they usually love.
  • Having changed sleeping patterns. They might be sleeping all the time, not sleeping much at all, or sleeping at strange hours (such as in the middle of the day).
  • Having a changed appetite. They could be eating more than usual, or less.

Please be sure to reach out to our various College support systems, such as:

Our College Counsellors are highly-skilled clinicians that specialise in adolescent mental health.

Alternatively:

  • Talk to your local GP as a starting point or a psychologist
  • Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800
  • Call Lifeline on 13 11 14
  • Dial ‘000’ if life is in imminent danger.

Mrs Sia Mastro, Leader of Wellbeing

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #6 & #8