Wellbeing Journey (ASPS wellbeing Magazine)

As an international leader in wellbeing promotion, the United Arab Emirates holds its National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 as a key driver of public policy and a significant enabler of the Centennial 2071 Vision. The strategy aims to build a flourishing nation; connected communities and thriving citizens, prioritizing education as the key instrument for accelerating high-quality implementation and impact..

For many years, KHDA has worked with Dubai’s private schools to promote and enable initiatives to raise awareness and support the wellbeing of students and staff

This Magazine, builds on the legacy of the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census, providing a refreshed approach to wellbeing promotion and acting as a catalyst for wellbeing advancement across Dubai’s private school sector. As wellbeing becomes an essential part of school culture and pedagogy, this framework provides school leaders, students and educators with a common point of reference.

© 2022 Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

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And your Lord inspired to the bee, ‘Take for yourself among the mountains, houses [hives], and among the trees and that which they construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]. There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.”

(Holy Qur’an 16:68-69)

Welcome to the 1st issue of the ASPS Wellbeing magazine, “The

wellbeing Journey”

A very warm welcome to the first edition of ASPS Wellbeing Magazine. The aim of all the stories, experiences and knowledge shared in this magazine is to help advance discussions about wellbeing practices at ASPS. As schools catch glimpses of signs that we are collectively moving forward, its great to see that wellbeing, relationships and care are being prioritised.

This is a bumper issue full of brilliant and insight full articles, written by teachers, students and parents, it has interviews, art works , healthy recipes, wellbeing talks and so much more, as a collection it seeks to broaden the ways we think about wellbeing, exploring how it is embedded in our interactions, our relationships, how we learn to deal with conflict, how we help build important social emotional skills and how we learn to be in the world.

I hope you enjoy this issue, take what is helpful to you and continue to comeback and dip into ideas as you please. I can’t thank every single contributor enough, this magazine would not exist without you.

Thank you.

Summaiya Faraz GAB - Wellbeing.

WHAT IS WELLBEING AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Wellbeing seems to be a catch cry for all sorts of health and social programs – but what does it actually mean and why should you care about it?

Aristotle considered the idea of Eudaimonia1 – humans flourishing and living well, as imperative to the human condition. More contemporary definitions of wellbeing can be found in the Oxford Dictionary2, where wellbeing is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy.

But why is wellbeing important?

Wellbeing is fundamental to our health and overall happiness. Having a strong and well-adapted sense of wellbeing can help us overcome difficulties and help us achieve our goals in life. Research has shown that a greater sense of wellbeing relates to increased physical benefits, such as lower incidences of cardiovascular disease, stroke and sleeping problems, and with increased productivity and creativeness in both employment and personal lives wellbeing is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy.

How do I increase my wellbeing?

Wellbeing is holistic – we must look after all the aspects of our lives if we wish to increase our wellbeing.

Enhancing your wellbeing isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it.

Martin Seligman’s PERMA theoretic model of happiness, helps us to understand the elements that contribute to our happiness, and in turn, our wellbeing. By breaking down the broad concept into smaller, more manageable aspects, we can identify how we are tracking with our wellbeing and where there might be room for improvement.

Eating a healthy balanced diet, getting enough sleep and exercise, and creating healthy habits to look after your physical health are some of the easiest ways to help develop your sense of wellbeing