On Monday 20th March 2018, Dr Isabel Fernandez spoke with parents on wellbeing and resilience at the first Connect Learn Engage parent seminar of the year. She explained that we can understand happiness better when we have experienced pain. She suggested ways that we could convert anxiety into positive actions and provided us with some helpful coping strategies that would promote the development of resilience.

Life is difficult at times, but we can plan with how to deal with it!

Dr Fernandez defined resilience as adapting well in the face of stress and the ability to bounce back. She explained that resilience could be learned and described factors that could enhance our wellbeing and resilience as:

  • Caring and supportive relationships
  • Capacity to make plans
  • Positive view of self

Dr Fernandez encouraged us to identify our unhelpful ways of thinking as the way we think effects the way we feel and what we do. Do we view the glass as half-full or half empty? It’s not the event that causes us distress, it’s the meaning we attach to it!

Some strategies to try:

  • Daily Record of unhelpful thinking
  • Self-talk - How important will this be in 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months?
  • Strengthening relationships
  • Reflect on your values – What do you value most? What is important to you?
  • Setting boundaries
  • Assertiveness – stand up for yourself in a confident polite, honest way
  • Develop the practice of mindfulness

Thoughts are in your head …. feelings are in your heart …. Actions are what you do!

Finally, the seminar ended with some practical suggestions for ways we could all build our own resilience and that of our children.

  • Build and strengthen relationships
  • Build independence
  • Focus on managing feelings
  • Create opportunities for personal challenges and appropriate risks

Mistakes are proof that you are trying!

Save the date for our upcoming Connect Learn Engage seminars:

  • Term 2  - 30th May, Christina Self
  • Term 3 – 13 September, Ashlee Harrison:  Zero 2 Hero
  • Term 4 - 16th October,  Anglicare:  Languages of Love and Children