So here you are getting back into the swing of things. This is the time of year that counselors have quite a flow of students who feel like they are falling apart. Why? Deadlines, endless projects, preparing for presentations and finals. The work seems endless and the time of day in which you have to complete work seems limited. I'll never forget working in a school and having two young ladies walk into my office. They were in their first year of the IBDP Programme (11th grade) and they noticed that their peers were not sleeping, surviving on junk food and caffeine, a few were self-harming, some were having panic attacks, and they feared one was suicidal. "What happened to our class? We used to be so happy as a group." I asked a very simple question and they both cried. "When is the last time you had a good laugh?" I asked these young ladies what they did as little girls that made them feel positive emotions. Needless to say, a few minutes later they were outside skipping across the PE field, and they came back to my office giggling and energized.
I'm going to encourage you to think about time in your day where you can incorporate healthy, unstructured time to play to increase your positive emotions. Think about morning breaks, free time after lunch or school, or right when you get home. Make this time part of your schedule. Free play might look like jamming with a band, playing chess, climbing a tree, dancing with friends, going on a social outing, playing tag during your morning break, and so on. While you think you are getting ahead by only making time for academics and structured activities, I'm here to tell you there is a healthier, happier way.
If you remember back to my first post to you, I stressed the importance of thinking about PIES. By solely taking care of intellectual health and throwing physical, emotional, and social health on the back burner, you can quickly find yourself out of sorts.
I'm going to encourage you to think about time in your day where you can incorporate healthy, unstructured time to play to increase your positive emotions. Think about morning breaks, free time after lunch or school, or right when you get home. Make this time part of your schedule. Free play might look like jamming with a band, playing chess, climbing a tree, dancing with friends, going on a social outing, playing tag during your morning break, and so on. While you think you are getting ahead by only making time for academics and structured activities, I'm here to tell you there is a healthier, happier way.
If you remember back to my first post to you, I stressed the importance of thinking about PIES. By solely taking care of intellectual health and throwing physical, emotional, and social health on the back burner, you can quickly find yourself out of sorts.
| Benefits of play for teens: Helps develop area of brain used for planning and making good decisions More imaginative and creative in the real world Improves executive function in the brain (self-discipline and self-control) Increases tolerance and compassion for others Betters abilities to cooperate and compromise (Hartwell-Walker, 2015) |  |
 | Benefits of experiencing positive emotions from healthy experiences: More resilient Increases productivity, activity, and creativity Improves overall health Others see you as likeable and friendly Increases helpfulness Perceive life as more meaningful (Lyubomirsky, 2008) |
You are not a machine. All of the benefits listed above should help you to see that ensuring you have time for free play will help you stay balanced. Get your friends together and start having a healthy dose of play time and I bet you will find you are far more productive when the time comes to hit the books.
Hartwell-Walker, Marie. "The Benefits of Play." Psych Central. 2015. Web. 12 Feb 2016.
Lyubomirsky, Sonja. The How of Happiness. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.
Photos 1&2 Helen Smith, Oman, 2014.
Photo 3 Lauren Wells, Vietnam, 2015.
Lyubomirsky, Sonja. The How of Happiness. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.
Photos 1&2 Helen Smith, Oman, 2014.
Photo 3 Lauren Wells, Vietnam, 2015.
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