As Gandhi so wisely once said, “There is more to life than increasing speed.” Yet, the opposite is precisely the expectation people in the 21st century seem to have for themselves; the human race is what many have become, instead of human being. It is often good to just be. Many feel that they have to go twice as fast to stay in the same place; called the Red Queen Effect from Alice in Wonderland. We are increasingly encouraged to take the fast lane in everything we do. As this mentality creeps into every aspect of our lives we start to make poor choices especially with processed and takeaway foods, and therefore, our health and quality of life suffers. We stop taking the time to taste and savour what we eat or to enjoy time away from the pressures of life. When was the last time that you just stopped?
Beneficial strategies to introduce to your girls that will make their journeys far more satisfying and enjoyable include:
taking three or four five-minute timeouts every day to stop, breathe deeply and stretch
turn off their phones for 30 minutes
dream of places they want to visit
write a gratitude journal
colour in
They could also:
watch mother nature shine
do neck, hip, ankle, arm and shoulder rotations
do a Mindfulness Activity.
With the holiday period just around the corner, I encourage you all to make yourself a priority if only for a few minutes each day. You are worth it and your deserve it.
Mr Ryan Cheers
Deputy Principal - Students