How to enhance your wellbeing

Kelly Southworth

Editor

This year has presented countless challenges to our community, and we have been committed to helping Carey families navigate this uncertain period. In response to this need, we curated a three-week wellbeing program, the Invitation to Wellbeing, to encourage all members of the Carey community to build the habit of dedicating some time every day to ensuring our wellbeing needs, and that of those around us, are being heard, considered and tended to.

Each day of the week was dedicated to a different aspect of wellbeing:

• Move it Monday: exercise and physical wellbeing with forensic, adolescent and sports psychiatrist Adam Deacon

• Creative Corner Tuesday: creative wellbeing with counsellor, life coach and former musical theatre professional Will Centurion

• Mid-Week Rev Up!: spiritual wellbeing with Senior School Chaplain, Revd Gerry Riviere

• Staying Connected Thursday: family wellbeing with childhood development expert Dr Arne Rubenstein

• Foodie Friday: nutritious recipes for our inner wellbeing with food and travel writer and Old Carey Grammarian Sofia Levin (2007).

These five experts took us through an insightful journey and challenged us to honestly consider our wellbeing needs. We asked them a few questions about how to prioritise our wellbeing and inspire others to do the same.

Why is your area of expertise important for our overall wellbeing?

Arne: Being a family member will naturally have its ups and downs. It can be the best or most distressing experience but definitely has a huge influence on our wellbeing and overall health. Whole family wellbeing speaks to the idea that, within families, we have the ability to support each other and this will be more effective than each person having to find their own way.

Sofia: I have a slightly obscure take on food as it relates to wellbeing. Of course physical health is crucial, and what you put into your body is important, but food also has the power to bring joy and break down barriers. That means food is not only good for the soul, but it is also good for the world.

Gerry: There is a spiritual component to all our lives: we long for meaning, we want our lives to count and we feel fulfilled when we contribute to the lives of others. Spirituality is derived from our inner life and how we relate to others and our world. This gives our lives direction, purpose and meaning.

Adam: Exercise is like a wellbeing elixir. It improves our physical health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. It boosts the immune system to protect us from other ailments, and there are enormous mental health benefits, including better sleep, improved mood, reduced stress and anxiety, increased concentration, memory and productivity and enhanced socialisation and associated decreased sense of loneliness and isolation. And, most importantly, it’s fun.

It’s so important to make sure your own tank is full before opening yourself up to the needs of others. Start by making your bed every morning – even if the rest of the world is in chaos, you can still keep your own house in order.

What inspired you to dedicate your career to helping others?

Arne: Having worked for 20 years in medicine, I know that in times of crisis and uncertainty, our immediate concern will naturally be for our families and those closest to us. But in order to best support others, it is critical to make sure that we are safe and functioning well. I left my medical career because I saw that many of the issues I was dealing with started when people were still in the family home and impacted the rest of their lives. I decided to focus my work on the important developmental years when a child becomes an adult.

Gerry: I was blessed to have a mother who encouraged me to put myself in the shoes of those less fortunate, and taught me to think about what I could do to help those in need. Once I decided to become a follower of Jesus, I understood that helping others was part of the deal. Sometimes helping others can be emotionally difficult, but in many cases it is energising. Small acts of kindness and care not only bless those receiving them, but they provide a sense of satisfaction for those giving them.

Will: Throughout my 20-year career as a performing artist, I navigated many highs and lows. There were times when I needed psychological support, but it was difficult to find someone who understood what it is like to live and work in the arts industry. When I finally did, part of our work together led to me discovering my passions outside of performing: mental health, psychology, counselling and life coaching. The rest is history – I graduated from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and opened a mental health service in Melbourne that focusses on the needs of performing artists and creative minds.

Adam: In school, I witnessed some mental health struggles when that wasn’t something that was discussed or understood very well. I’ve particularly focussed my psychiatry career in the youth forensic sphere where I meet some of the most disadvantaged and neglected children in the state. They have almost all been given a tough start in life. I’d like to hope I can help them to develop opportunities to thrive. I’ve also worked as a sport psychiatrist, helping athletes manage their mental health. I think athletes should similarly be supported so they can mentally thrive in the face of the pressures of their work.

What self-care activities do you recommend?

Gerry: Some of my happiest moments at Carey are when I am with a group of students either volunteering at the Homework Club for children whose parents were refugees, or working on a project with Habitat for Humanity which provides low-cost housing for people who may otherwise be homeless. Helping others is truly ‘the gift that keeps on giving’.

Will: It’s so important to make sure your own tank is full before opening yourself up to the needs of others. Start by making your bed every morning – even if the rest of the world is in chaos, you can still keep your own house in order. Another strategy is to create an Inspiration Hour. A couple of times a week, paint, doodle, play, listen to music, read poems, tell stories – do anything that taps into the creative side of your brain. Our creativity is not just for the sake of performance or productivity, it is also a source of self-care.

Sofia: Self-care to me means allowing good quality, ‘unhealthy’ food into your life now and then for the sake of enjoyment – that is, your mental health. Cooking can also be meditative and a form of self-care – it is truly rewarding to create a meal from raw ingredients. Baking or cooking for family, neighbours or friends can be good not only for your own wellbeing, but for others, too.

Adam: Sleep is probably the most undervalued activity to foster mental wellbeing. Whilst it is often difficult to prioritise sleep, if you can get a good block of sleep most nights each week, it will help you to restore your batteries. Of course, I also recommend exercise. I try to exercise around six days a week and I like to link up with friends as much as I can, but running alone is my time to practice mindfulness.

Arne Rubenstein’s GOLDEN check-in

G How are you going overall?

O What have you been occupied with, what have you been doing?

L What have you liked recently?

D Has anything been difficult?

E What are you excited about? Are there things you have been worried about?

N What support do you need?

What is the main message you want to leave with the Carey community?

Arne: The GOLDEN check-in we shared in the Invitation to Wellbeing sessions is a perfect way to keep track of each other in both the short and long term (above). It allows us to genuinely find out how family members are going.

Will: No matter how challenging times are or how much change you are forced to manage, creativity will always be a source of purpose and healing. This year has been tough, but you can still find ways to escape that chaos and find fulfilment. Creativity is strength, it is hope, it is inspiration and, most importantly, it is a form of repair.

Sofia: Think of food as something that provides more than nourishment; think of it as a chance to consider nature. Be grateful for all the work that goes into what ends up on your plate. Remember that food can be an adventure, an opportunity to try something new and discover more about other cultures.