Category: blog
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5 ways PESA 2022 conference has created change in our lives
What a magnificent event the PESA 2022 conference was.The combination of being back in person, reflecting on the last few years and hearing the research that is coming out from this time left us feeling deeply optimistic. As a result of attending and contributing we are more committed than ever to our mission of playful…
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3 things that saved my mental health this year
I love to run. It’s never fast. It’s never stylish. But since I was a child I have delighted in it and I have been addicted to how I have felt during and after a dash outside. In fact, I crave the feeling of it and genuinely get excited the night before a run. Jogging…
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Our approach to capturing our impact: the story of the University of Wollongong
“Stories are data with a soul.” Dr Brené Brown 5 years ago we started Grow Your Mind. Immediately we could see its impact. 12 year old boys, frequently in trouble, were drawing stunning pictures of what it feels like to flourish. 5 year olds were telling us about the brain, their guard dog (the amygdala)…
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Episode 6, Season 3 is here: Lost in the Woods
Star of the Show: All of the animals! Character Strengths: Creativity, Leadership and Honesty. Allow me to set the scene of the final episode for Season 3 of the Grow Your Mind podcast. There is an over enthusiastic librarian. A theft has occurred. A promise between friends is broken. A struggle of what to do…
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Episode 5, Season 3 is here: Ouch this hurts
Star of the show: The Wise Owl (prefrontal cortex) 3 character strengths: Perspective, Self-Regulation and Perseverance. Last year we received an email from a primary school in Sydney’s inner west “Help! How can we support students who miss out on a leadership role in year 6?” Regardless of age we are all familiar with the…
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Episode 4, S3 is here: Generous Assumptions
Star of the Show: The Sifting Sooty aka the Reticular Activating System Focus Character Strengths: Social Intelligence, Curiosity and Generosity Do you think people are doing the best they can? For example, someone cuts you off in traffic. Or a friend doesn’t call you back in a timely fashion. Perhaps a person in the street…
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Episode 3, S3 is here: The Invisible Line
Focus strengths: Respect, Empathy and Confidence. Star of the show: The Sensitive Octopus (aka the insular cortex) In this episode the 12 year old hosts zoom in on boundaries, knowing them and setting them. Boundaries are simply what we define as ok and what is not ok. Easy enough definition but a huge struggle for…
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Episode 2, Season 3 is here: Keep it but free
Focus strengths: Courage, Flexibility and Honesty. Star of the show: The Guard Dog This week’s episode begins with musings around saying sorry. The kids being interviewed are asked if they find it easy or hard to apologise, whether it is even important to say sorry when you have done the wrong thing and if an…
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If music be the food of engagement – play on!
We have created Grow Your Mind songs. They are catchy, cheesy, playful, meaningful and quite simply rock. Hear from our fantastic Grow Your Mind ambassador, Rachel Borthwick on why and how music moves us.
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Big year, big changes, big feelings: why student wellbeing is more important than ever.
Let’s discuss the impacts of the past 2 years of student wellbeing and how poor mental health affects students behaviour, performance and outcomes in the classroom. What a time to be a kid. The ups. The downs. Even the backflips. Usually kids like rollercoasters, but the one most of us have been on for the…
