February 2023 - Compassion
Hello and welcome February!
Thank you to all students and staff who shared their favourite things to do for self-care. We hope you continue to take time for self-care and discover more of your favourite things to do! It is important to include self-care in your daily routine to reduce stress and help your overall wellbeing.
For the month of February, JAWS will be focusing on Compassion. Compassion is the ability to recognize the suffering and hardship of others and take action to support them. The root of compassion is love, kindness, and empathy. To have compassion and empathy, you must find something within yourself that can relate to the feelings of others and join them in times of hardship. JAWS we will be focusing on self-compassion and having compassion for others through Random Acts of Kindness. We encourage students and staff to show kindness to them self and others through small acts such as:
- Call a loved one
- Create positive bookmarks and leave them in random library books
- Let someone go ahead of you in line
- Ask someone about their day
- Invite someone for a walk
- Drink more water
- Say something positive about yourself
Make kindness the norm.
3 pieces of self-compassion are:
- Self-Kindness: Be as caring towards ourselves as we are toward others, offering ourselves warmth and unconditional acceptance
- Connection: All humans are flawed works-in-progress, and everyone fails, makes mistakes, and experiences hardship in life
- Mindfulness: Be aware of the moment-to-moment experience in a clear and balanced manner, allowing all thoughts, emotions, and sensations to enter awareness without resistance or avoidance
Self-compassion is not self-pity. Recognizing that everyone experiences hardship and that the situation or feelings are temporary can help build resilience without self-criticism.
Here is more information about the importance of compassion and empathy:
Being Kinder to Yourself - YouTube
How to Strengthen Your Child’s Self-Confidence with Self-Compassion - Blog
Teen Self-Compassion - Website & Video
For more resources, check out the Compassion page of the NLPS website.
If you would like us to connect with your child or your family, you can contact us at the school at 780-623-4271.