Cultivating Wellness

While schools focus on the how-to of academics, this monthly newsletter aims to emphasize support, encouragement, and connection to optimal mental health and wellness. The goal is to share tips and strategies that are simple enough to incorporate into an already full plate. At the very least, this newsletter is a regular reminder that we are in this together. We are all human and are all desperate for small successes and even more in need of a worthwhile connection.

January in Michigan can have some climate related challenges. Examples include extremely cold temperatures, icy roads, and frequent cloudy days, which limit our outside activities and sometimes make you wish you could spend the winter in a tropical location. However, we can enjoy Michigan's winter months by participating in healthy activities that promote our mental well-being. To support mental health, particularly during winter months, we need to find events and experiences that promote our creativity, and joy, relieve stress and help us maintain a positive outlook.

January is International Creativity Month, so you can start the New Year by exploring activities that celebrate everything from letter writing, reading a book, completing puzzles, painting, or learning to play a musical instrument. January is also a great time to learn about important people in history, including Benjamin Franklin and Martin Luther King Jr. You can also visit local community centers, schools, or health care organizations to develop new outlets for self-expression. Occasionally, on a cold or snowy day, you experience true happiness by sitting next to a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate, and a muffin.

Promote mental wellness in the winter with these activities.

. Read daily

· Limit the time you watch television and play videos games

· Exercise 30 minutes most of the days of the week

· Practice daily mediation

· Plan for future vacations and events

· Jot down last year's highlights and set goals for the New Year

· Devote time to daily activities that bring you joy

www.geneseefun.com

www.geneseecountyparks.org

www.awesomemitten.com

www.exploreflintandgenesee.org

www.frankenmuth.org

The Importance of Routine for Kids

The Importance of Routines and Schedules

7 Healthy Habits for a successful school year

https://camillestyles.com/wellness/how-to-stay-organized-at-life/

• National Alliance on Mental Illness-Genesee County Chapter
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• The State of Michigan has created a Stay Well program that encourages individuals to Be Kind to Your Mind, providing access to support groups, help lines, webinars, behavioral health guides, and video resources. This Mindfulness and Stress Resilience Guide is one tool provided. Check the link to learn more.
• Michigan 211 helps to connect individuals to a variety of services, including mental health providers.
  

Supporting the whole child starts with supporting all the adults involved in the educational process. From direct providers, such as teachers and paraprofessionals, to those indirectly involved with student success (business, transportation, operations, human resources, etc.), a need for optimal self-care is shared to bring our best self to work each day.

The GISD has taken steps to develop a customizable wellness toolkit available to staff throughout Genesee County schools, programs, and GISD departments. This toolkit has been created to help administrators and managers implement and create sustainable staff wellness initiatives. While resources are often spread thin and opportunities for added programs may be far and few between, one key for programs and departments is to start where they are and commit to intentional moves toward creating and sustaining a culture of wellness.

The Cultivating Staff Wellness (CSW) Toolkit is based on SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness: emotional, physical, spiritual, environmental, occupational, financial, intellectual, and social. Complete the Cultivating Staff Wellness Registration Form so that your school, program, or department can access the CSW Toolkit.

Our team is committed to promoting wellness in schools as well as in our communities through support of students, staff, and parents. We strive to highlight what's working in wellness, bring you relevant and helpful information for wellness, and to provide connections to community resources that may assist with wellness.

To learn more about health and wellness for teachers, students, and families, check out our page on the GISD website.

For children and families impacted by the Flint Water Crisis, the Flint Registry exists to connect individuals to a variety of resources for support and wellness. For more information and resources for healthcare needs, please visit flintregistry.com/resources to learn more. Alexis Sharpe at asharpe@geneseeisd.org is also available to help support families looking for a wide range of healthcare access needs.