Balance
We create balance in our lives by using tools to help us support our wellbeing and keep ourselves mentally fit.
Mental fitness
Fitness is not only physical, it's also mental and there's a connection between the two. Maintaining our mental fitness is one of the key aspects of healthy wellbeing.
These are extraordinary circumstances we’re living in right now. We all need to find a way of resetting and finding our place in this new normal. We may be experiencing unsettling feelings around social distancing or community lockdown.
Building your mental fitness means building resilience, boosting your wellbeing and finding your new normal.
"Mental fitness = Healthy wellbeing"
5 Ways of Wellbeing
The 5 Ways of Wellbeing are five simple things you can do in your day to day life. Use these five ways of wellbeing as a checklist to help actively manage your health and stay mentally fit.
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Connect, me whakawhanaunga
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Give, tukua
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Take notice, me aro tonu
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Keep learning, me ako tonu
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Be active, me kori tonu
Te Whare Tapa Whā - Four sides to your wellbeing
Te Whare Tapa Whā - The four equal sides of the wharenui create a balanced wellbeing. By making sure that all four sides, or dimensions, are being supported in your life, you can balance your wellbeing and mental fitness.
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Taha tinana (physical health)
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Taha wairua (spiritual health)
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Taha whānau (family health)
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Taha hinengaro (mental health)
Planning your days
Setting up a routine
Setting up routines helps to create your new normal. Routines create certainty in uncertainty.
Your daily and weekly routine:
- Prioritise ‘to dos’
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Don’t micromanaging every 15 minutes
- Look at balance in the day and over the week.
Example daily routine
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Start by anchoring your day by scheduling in some regular activities, for instance mealtimes.
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Add in the 5 Ways of Wellbeing checklist to make sure that each day you are making sure you are doing activities that are good for your wellbeing.
| Time | Activity | Wellbeing ways |
| 8am - 9am | Wake up, breaskfast, teeth, tidy room, laundry, take care of your home. |
Take notice Give |
| 9am - 10am |
Fresh air/fitness:
Walk the dog, walk round block, skipping rope, exercise sequence, yoga (there’s lots free online).
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Be active |
| 10 - 10.30am |
Hot drink and snack. Cuppa and connect.
Chat with people in your bubble. Connect over social media.
|
Take notice Connect |
| 10.30 - 12pm |
Learning:
Check Moodle/course emailsCourse work. Do a couple of tasks. Write a strip of paper where you got up to, so you know where to start the next session.
Change the tasks every 30 minutes. Do a couple of stretches in-between tasks.
|
Take notice Keep active Keep learning |
| 12 pm - 1pm |
Fresh air and lunch.
Sit outside with a drink of water.
|
Take notice |
| 1pm - 2pm |
Check-in with classmates, lecturers, check course emails
Learning session: Following on from the previous session, 1-2 tasks. Check out the COVID-19 Learner Toolbox
|
Keep learning Give Connect |
| 2 pm - 3.30pm | Relax, create, projects, play. | Keep learning |
| 3.30pm - 4pm | Fresh air and exercise. | Be active |
| 4pm - 5pm | Cuppa and Check-in with friends and family.Organise a skype call, ring your neighbour, write and email to a family member, message a funny meme to a friend. |
Give Connect |
| 5pm - 7pm |
Chore time
Dinner prep and dinner time
|
Give |
| 7pm - onwards | T.V., movie, Netflix, board game, cards, or old school games |
Take notice Keep learning |
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Quiet time.
Reading, crossword, word search, Sudoku, or a gratefulness journal
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Take notice Connect |
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| Sleep |
Learning with children
Trying to juggle childcare and study can be difficult! Here are some ideas for learners with children at home.
| Tips for home learning |
| Ministry of Education - home learning classed in year groups |
| Maths |
| Maths basics |
| Maths at home |
| Being active with your children |
| Born to move - Les Mils on demand |
| Cosmic kids yoga |
| Go Noodle for families |
| TV and movies |
| Netflix educational video list |
| The Literacy shed |
| Activity ideas |
| Kidspot.com |
| Lego challenge |
| Action for healthy kids |
| Skip.org.nz |
| Resources |
| Google arts and culture - virtual reality tours |
| Te Papa Muesum - Whānau challenges - He Paki Taonga i a Māui - short films |
80 Activity ideas
