Promotion of healthy behaviors is one of the jobs of schools and educational institutions. A healthy mind and body are essential for the development of school children. That is why the championing of wellbeing in schools is necessary to increase the performance and overall life quality of students. This also helps them develop into healthy adults. The provision of good quality University Assignment Help services is important to reduce stress and increase student well-being.
What exactly does wellbeing refer to?
You might have heard of the term, but most people do not realize that wellbeing is a multifaceted concept. Well-being is a broad idea including several aspects of physical health as well as mental health (University of Westminster, n.d.). It refers to a person’s ability to be fit and happy. For students, it includes the following facets:
- Social: this refers to their potential to have healthy relations and create a supportive network for themselves.
- Emotional: this refers to their capability of regulating their negative emotions and being hardy during stress
- Physical: this refers to their potential to improve their physical health by working out and eating a balanced diet.
Why is it so important in schools?
Improving the wellbeing of students in schools is important for the following reasons.
- Reducing the harmful effects of mental health issues
Students can have difficulties coping with the various issues they face at school. if they are not resilient, they are risk of developing mental health issues, such as depression. Wellbeing is important to help them cope with the stresses of life so they can go forward and achieve their life goals. Wellbeing is important for their success.
- Improving academic performance
Wellbeing is necessary for students to achieve their academic goals. As a student, you may have experienced stress in your life related to exams or giving a presentation. Wellbeing ensures you have the required skills to fight through these difficult tasks. A higher level of wellbeing makes sure that you do well in your studies and succeed at school.
- Creating healthy individuals in society
Students are the future of society. If they are taught to be healthy while they’re young, they’ll grow up to be healthy individuals. This way, they can develop into healthy leaders of the future. If the society is mostly made up of stable, happy people, you can imagine the ways it can benefit from it.
So, how can schools increase student wellbeing in schools?
Schools can enhance the wellbeing of students in several ways.
- Teaching mindfulness techniques to students
Mindfulness has become a buzzword in recent years, and for good reason. It is a great way to improve your mental health and make you control your negative emotions. Students can be taught mindfulness techniques in school to help them reduce feelings of anger or hatred.
These techniques involve focusing on the here and now to help the mind relax and become aware of the moment. Students can be taught to focus on parts of their bodies, or on their breathing. Schools can take a few minutes out of the busy schedule to let students practice mindfulness on a daily basis.
- Encouraging parents to increase their relationship with the child
Parents can be a great source of support for children (Australian Christian College, n.d.). Schools should encourage parents to be there for their children and improve their relationship with them. The more quality time parents spend with their child, the better the chances of them becoming more resilient to the stressors of life. This greatly helps improve the social wellbeing of students.
- Using technology to assess student wellbeing
To improve the wellbeing of students, it is important to assess it. Schools can use software to track the wellbeing levels of their students to see how they are feeling. With advanced software, schools can keep track of every student’s emotional and physical needs and manage them as required.
- Training of teachers to improve their knowledge of student wellbeing
Teachers are the first line of support available to students in schools. They can take the role of parents in a school setting and are important for guiding and helping students along their academic life. Teachers are great sources of identifying the signs and symptoms of distress in a child. So, they need to be trained in such areas to improve their ability to see when a child needs help and what the best way to respond is.
- Yoga as a part of physical education (PE) lessons
You may have heard of the numerous benefits of yoga in helping calm the mind. But yoga is a great way to exercise and stay healthy. Many schools now give yoga lessons to students to help them improve their emotions and get into the habit of relaxing.
Research shows that yoga also helps improve sleep, something that is vital for school going students (Harvard Medical School, 2020). Yoga can be made a part of PE lessons at school. It can help students be happier and healthier.
- Hiring professionals to come in and speak to students individually
Mental health issues can create difficulties for students to speak up, as they may feel embarrassed and different from others. Schools can increase the conversation around wellbeing and mental health and make it less of a stigma. Sessions as “Tea & Talk” create a healthy environment in which students can freely talk about their issues to a mental health professional.
These sessions are given individually. By having a friendly chat with a professional, students can feel better about a lot of issues. Even school staff can take advantage of these sessions and speak up about issues they are struggling with.
- Organizing speeches and webinars to increase wellbeing awareness in schools
Another way schools can increase wellbeing awareness is through organizing webinars and speeches by professionals. They can come in and speak about important issues such as happiness and anxiety, and how to deal with them. By letting students know it is okay to speak about these issues, schools can encourage students to think seriously about their wellbeing.
