The Wellbeing Retreat this week provided a chance for the Year 10 students to pause, reflect and re-energise. The need to recognise their personal and academic strengths in preparation for their VCE years was a key topic in the plenary session. The students enjoyed a collaborative activity related to identifying strengths in themselves and others and sharing positive affirmations.

The character strength of Gratitude was the focus for the ‘Bags of Gratitude’ activity where the students each decorated a calico bag to collect the shared affirmations, as a reminder of how they are valued by their peers. Senior students report that these bags and character affirmations still hold pride of place on their Year 12 Vision boards.

Research into the benefits of gratitude has shown that expressing gratitude can be a key protective factor in maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing, and experiencing meaning. Students were reminded that feeling gratitude can assist with positivity and optimism but that more significant mental health gains are realised when gratitude is expressed. ‘The character strength of gratitude involves feeling and expressing a deep sense of thankfulness in life, and more specifically, taking the time to genuinely express thankfulness to others.’ [1]

The VIA Character Institute also notes that gratitude contributes to several physical and psychological health benefits, such as better cardiovascular and immune functioning. ‘Gratitude tends to foster the character strengths of kindness and love, and therefore is closely associated with empathy and with connection to others. The neurological benefits of the release of oxytocin which occurs when an act of kindness is performed contribute to this increased level of contentment.’

In her Mental Health Hacker presentation at the Wellbeing Retreat, Dr Casie Delmara shared that neurological research has found that ‘when a person authentically feels gratitude, the emotions of fear and anxiety cannot coexist’.

As one of the St Catherine’s School Values, Gratitude remains an integral aspect of the weThrive Wellbeing @ St Catherine’s program.

Reference: [1] VIA Character Institute