On Thursday evening during Orientation Week, the College hosted wellbeing expert Adrienne Buckingham who presented an informative and interactive session to College Members on practical strategies to protect and support wellbeing.
Having taught in New Zealand, the UK and Kuwait, Adrienne is a highly experienced high school teacher. She is also a regional trainer for the NZ Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience.
In her interesting and lively presentation to all first-year College Members plus some returners, Adrienne highlighted the many benefits associated with higher wellbeing which include better academic results and less anxiety and depression. Her talk was titled “Kicking for the surface: practical strategies to protect and promote wellbeing”.
Wellbeing can be defined as “feeling good and functioning well”. Wellbeing literacy is very important, says Adrienne. We need to know what drives our own personal wellbeing and how we can manage it. Her presentation included various useful frameworks including the "Take 5" model which has been widely adopted in the UK: Keep learning, Be active, Take notice, Connect and Give.
Adrienne emphasised that we all need the skills of wellbeing and resilience which can be learned. We should also practice mindfulness, be grateful, choose carefully where we focus our attention, stop trying to be perfect (self-compassion is important) and foster hope.
(Story by the Master, Dr Charles Tustin)
