TOOLKIT FOR
HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS
Wellness:
Demonstrate personal resilience and the use of effective and safe self-care strategies in managing all dimensions of wellness throughout life transitions, including following health and safety policies.
You can demonstrate your wellness through:
- Recognizing that everyone faces challenges
- Caring for your physical, emotional, mental, social, environmental and spiritual wellbeing, seeking help when needed
- Being resilient and persistent when faced with biases, disappointments, setbacks and pressure from others, understanding that they are a normal part of life
- Recognizing that managing life transitions includes challenges, new learning, and sometimes, culture shock
- Following appropriate health and safety policies and procedures
Taylor’s family has been going through a very difficult time. Only 2 months after her dad moved out, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Taylor has been trying to help by doing extra work around the house, getting her younger brother and sister to school and working part-time to help pay bills.
Taylor is finding it all pretty overwhelming, though. One of her friends finds her crying in the bathroom and tells the school counsellor. The counsellor brings Taylor to her office and Taylor eventually tells her everything that is going on.
The counsellor explains the importance of self-care, helping Taylor understand that if she doesn’t take care of herself, she can’t help others. With the counsellor’s help, Taylor makes a list of free or inexpensive things she likes to do and promises to do at least one of those things in the coming week. Taylor also realizes that she hasn’t been eating properly. She commits to writing down what she is eating so that she can go over the list with the counsellor next week and come up with a better eating plan. Taylor had stopped attending her youth group. She sees that now, more than ever, she needs the support of her friends and the leaders she trusts.
Taylor leaves the counsellor’s office with more hope for the days ahead. She knows the next months will be tough but feels that she now has a solid plan for handling things.
