Gratitude and a Positive Mindset

In our ever-changing, fast-paced, and often unpredictable world, it is very easy for students to feel overwhelmed and stressed by the challenges they face. From assessment tasks to the fall out from a social situation gone wrong, none of it is easy for a developing teenage brain. There is one thing that students can try and while it isn’t easy developing this as a habit, it can be an effective strategy that makes a great difference – adopting a positive mindset is that strategy.

A positive mindset is more than just hoping for good things or wishful thinking. It’s a way of approaching life with optimism, resilience, motivation, and a belief that good things can happen if we are open enough to seek them out. The points below breakdown the numerous benefits of cultivating a positive mindset and offer some practical suggestions as to how to foster it in our lives:

Tips for Cultivating a Positive Mindset

• Practice Gratitude.
  Gratitude is the practice of acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of life. It has numerous benefits for mental, emotional, and social well-being. Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. Gratitude shifts a student’s focus from what is lacking to what they have in their life. Ask them “What was your favourite part of today?” Practice this every day and over time it becomes a great positive habit.   
  
  
• Surround Yourself with Positivity.
  Encourage students to surround themselves with positive influences. Whether this be friends who lift them up, inspirational books, music, or podcasts, or even motivational posters. Find what works for them. Everyone is different.
  
  
• Challenge Negative Thoughts.
  When you notice your child dwelling on negative thoughts, challenge them as to whether the thoughts are based on facts or just a series of assumptions and speculation. A healthy and positive perspective is one that is realistic and based more on facts not the unknown.
  
  
• Find the Silver Lining.
  Help your child to develop the skill of seeking out the silver lining in difficult situations. Even in challenging times, there are often valuable life lessons to be learned. These are opportunities that can be harvested.     
  
  
• Positive outlets.
  Encourage your child to engage in some form of mindfulness activity or have a positive and healthy outlet when they experience frustration and stress. Sometimes students need to vent. This is natural however their venting must be completed in appropriate ways. Physical activity, like a run, walking the dog, or a bike ride are great and healthy options. Doing something creative can work for some as well. Sport (and training for it) can also be a great way for people to burn up some frustration through physical activity.

Developing a positive mindset is a wonderful strategy that can empower students through their formative, teenage years. It can foster fantastic habits that will serve them well beyond their schooling years and early adulthood. By consciously choosing a positive outlook and adopting strategies to cultivate it, students will be well equipped to navigate life’s up and downs with optimism and motivation. Their resilience will grow. Embracing a positive mindset is not about ignoring challenge or of difficulty, but instead it is about empowering ourself with strength.     

Leadership Passport – Update

Skill development remains at the core of the Leadership Passport model. We understand that students are not born leaders, but they can grow and develop into wonderful leaders, not just at school but also in the wider community, if given the time and the opportunity to do so. Leadership skill development takes time and a lot of practice and so it is wonderful to see so many students volunteer to begin their journey of development this year.

Currently, we have 77 students who are working their way through Level One. Well done to these brave students for taking the first step in their personal growth. They are now setting about completing the requirements and seeking advice from staff along the way. The evaluation sections present in each passport provide the student with high quality feedback from staff so that they can target areas of weakness moving forward, growing strong in these areas with repeated effort. Just like training in sport, once a skill has been identified as a weakness, it needs to become an area of focus if we are to get better in time. 

Well done Level One legends.

A big congratulations to Lexie Forbes and Kaity Harms who both have completed all the requirements of the Level One passport and have transitioned onto Level Two. Well done, ladies!