Healthy Lifestyle

This month's Wellness Spotlight focuses on Healthy Lifestyle and the impact that sleep, nutrition and physical activity can have on mental health. 

Our students will be learning about having a Healthy Lifestyle this month including getting enough sleep, tips for healthy eating, and fun ways to get and stay physically active. Our Mental Health Team - Student Advocacy Counsellors and Wellness Coaches - will be sharing resources with students, staff and families, and supporting activities and initiatives in our classrooms.

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

Here are some links that our team recommends for families to encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle at home:

• Teens and Sleep: Why You Need it and How to get Enough (Caring for Kids)
  Scientific research shows that many teens do not get enough sleep. To be at your best, you need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every day. While you might not always be able to get this much, it’s important to try and get as much as you can.
  
  
• Healthy Food Guide for Kids and Parents (Successful Families, Successful Kids)
  Learn about how eating healthy can help with your mental health.
  
  
• Indoor Family Fun Workout
  A kid-friendly, total body workout that can be done in 10-15 minutes without exercise equipment.

Watch for the Counsellor's Connections newsletter from your Student Advocacy Counsellor for more information about what is happening with Healthy Lifestyles at your school! For more curated resources, please visit the Healthy Lifestyle section of our Mental Health Resources for Families on our website.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CONTEST

Each month we are offering students, staff and families the opportunity to share their own stories related to our theme on our Engage NLPS website. You can write us a story or poem, make a video, draw or paint a picture, or tell your story in whatever other creative way you can think of. 

For March, here are some things you may want to consider when telling or creating your Compassion story:

• What is your favourite way to stay physically active?
• What is your favourite healthy snack?
• What strategies do you use to get to sleep or ensure you get enough rest?

Everyone who shares a story will be entered into a monthly draw for a prize, may have their story featured in our Wellness Showcase in May, and will be eligible for our year-end grand prize. Staff or students who submit stories will also earn entries for their school. At the end of the year, one of our schools will also win a prize for their whole school!

We will be sharing more ways to win on Facebook and Instagram. Like and follow us so you don't miss our posts.