We don't know what the future holds, and trying to predict it is a stressful business. So, why bother? Embracing uncertainty and being able to adapt to unexpected circumstances is a skill set that cannot be crafted overnight, and yet it is, nonetheless, of paramount importance for future generations. While we cannot control external events such as war, crashing economies, or even other people's behaviour, we can control internal events. By internal events, I mean the little habits that accumulate to our overall well-being.
The one thing that students can exert control over is how well they look after themselves. Having witnessed first-hand the chaos the past 3 years have inflicted on Olea students, it is clear that in order to thrive now and in the future, we need to prioritise wellbeing above all. Students aren't explicitly taught how to look after themselves, so we'll share some positive habits here (in French & English).
I would suggest students reading this article to pick one realistic goal from each section that you can achieve each week. Each wellbeing habit has six different suggestions, so have a play around with them and see which one suits you best!
How To Excel In Life
Comment Exceller Dans La Vie
Mind
L’État D'Esprit
Commit to daily meditation either in the morning or evening (or both)! Engagez-vous à méditer quotidiennement le matin ou le soir (ou les deux)!
Build in 5 one-minute breathing breaks throughout the day. Prévoyez 5 pauses respiratoires d'une minute pendant la journée.
Start a journal to express your inner thoughts. Commencez à écrire un journal pour exprimer vos pensées intérieures.
Tune in to yourself. Hone the ability to disconnect from your screens. Connectez-vous avec votre moi interne. Tâchez de vous déconnecter de vos écrans le plus possible.
Begin each day with three positive affirmations and gratitude statements. Commencez chaque journée avec trois affirmations positives et des déclarations de gratitude.
Reframe negative and unhelpful thoughts into a growth mindset. Recadrez les pensées négatives et inutiles dans un état d'esprit de croissance.
Academics
La Vie Scolaire
Know that you can only do your best. Sachez que vous ne pouvez que faire de votre mieux.
Work smarter, not harder. Longer hours do not mean better results. Travaillez plus intelligemment, pas plus dur. Des heures plus longues ne signifient pas de meilleurs résultats.
Do not compare yourself to others. Ever. Ne vous comparez pas aux autres. Jamais.
Support those around you by offering words of encouragement. Soutenez ceux qui vous entourent en offrant des mots d'encouragement.
Challenge yourself to explore new concepts that you find interesting. Mettez-vous au défi d'explorer de nouveaux concepts que vous trouvez intéressants.
Make sure you understand key points before moving on. Ask for help if you need it. Assurez-vous de bien comprendre les points clés avant d’avancer. Demandez de l'aide si vous en avez besoin.
Body Health
La Santé
Ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Assurez-vous de dormir au moins 8 heures par nuit.
Create a ritual before you sleep to wind down, such as 15 minutes of bedtime reading. Créez un rituel avant de dormir pour vous détendre, comme par exemple 15 minutes de lecture au coucher.
Use spontaneous opportunities to get outside and run about in nature. Profitez des occasions spontanées de sortir et d'apprécier la nature.
Consume 5 pieces of fruit or vegetables per day; start small and build your way up. Consommez 5 fruits ou légumes par jour; commencez petit et progressez.
Try new foods! Make a list of foreign restaurants and ask for the most popular dish. Essayez de nouveaux aliments! Faites une liste de restaurants étrangers et demandez le plat le plus populaire.
Social
La Vie Sociale
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Maya Angelou
Get more involved in your local community by volunteering. Impliquez-vous davantage dans votre communauté locale en faisant du bénévolat.
Share compliments, messages of support, jokes and book recommendations with others. Partagez des compliments, des messages de soutien, des blagues et des recommandations de livres avec les autres.
Place yourself in joyful, fun and uplifting activities with no attachment to their outcomes. Placez-vous dans des activités joyeuses, amusantes et édifiantes sans aucun attachement à leurs résultats.
Try new things as often as you can. Know and accept that you are constantly learning and opening your mind to new experiences. Essayez de nouvelles choses aussi souvent que vous le pouvez. Sachez et acceptez que vous apprenez constamment et ouvrez votre esprit à de nouvelles expériences.
Spend quality time daily with at least one person who is important to you. Passez quotidiennement du temps de qualité avec au moins une personne qui vous tient à cœur.
Undertake random acts of kindness towards others. Entreprendre des actes de bonté au hasard envers les autres.
By Olivia A. Halsall, MPhil Research in Second Language Education, University of Cambridge 2019-2020. An international private educator since 2016 having mentored over 500+ students across 4 different continents, Olivia is also TEFL qualified and a member of the Chartered College of Teaching 2021. She is the Founder of Olea Education.
If you are an education expert (i.e. either a published academic to master's level and/or an experienced teacher of 5+ years) and would like to feature an article in The Olea, please submit a title, scope of article contents, and a 50 word (bilingual) biography to olivia@oleaeducation.com and we will get back to you!
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