In the world of education thriving is not a nice to do – it’s essential.
Educators do what they do to help others thrive but need to remember to do the same for themselves. Creating a thriving school requires a commitment to placing thriving and wellbeing at the centre of the school community and can be supported by thriving leadership, staff development and curricula.
Thriving, Resilience and Mental Health in Schools
Thriving and resilience are two sides of the same coin – they are both important to our well-being and they support each other. Thriving is just as important when life is hard, it just might mean we have to rely on others a bit more, ask for help, be ok with not being ok, look after ourselves and our own well-being and recognise that it won’t last for ever. Working through setbacks and taking the good when it comes along is all part of thriving.
Thriving isn’t the same as happiness – it’s more than a feeling and it won’t always mean things are easy. It’s also about what we do, as much as how we feel in the moment. For schools, a focus on thriving helps create the right conversations to encourage prevention, identification and communication about mental health, as well as wellbeing.
