Introduction to Wellness

Learn how wellness can be affected by stress, exercise, executive functioning and mindset so you can make the changes necessary to improve your general wellbeing.

Wellness programmes build community and help students feel more balanced.

They have a better academic experience and believe themselves to be a part of the school community.

Building and maintaining the emotional wellness of the school community is a key component to any approach that endeavours to optimise student success.

There are three key ideas that sum up much of what we are talking about when we discuss wellness in schools. First is a quote from The World Health Organization:

They say that health cannot be measured simply by the absence of illness, but is more a combination of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.

Second, when schools effectively implement high-quality SEL programs, academic achievement increases, incidence of problem behaviors decrease, relationships improve, and the climate of classrooms and schools changes for the better.

Finally, stress is contagious.

Based on these three research backed ideas, I believe improving the wellness and addressing the stress that students and teachers experience is a worthwhile endeavour. As you work your way through this book, I invite you to take away any strategies and resources that resonate with you. Here is my list of some concepts I believe are absolute.

1. Students who develop social emotional skills (SEL) have improved academic outcomes as well as better classroom behaviour

2. Developed SEL skills present students who are more likely to graduate from high school attend university, have strong relationships and be goal oriented

3. Teaching resilience is very important

4. Developing resilience can reduce the level of disruption that stress has on a person

5. Strong executive functioning skills are key to academic success, reduced stress and general well-being

6. Strong communication and healthy student/teacher relationships improve a student’s approach to learning

7. Resilience and growth mindset can be taught