Another day of eating over 50,000 calories...

Good afternoon Year 13,

I hope you're all happy and well and maintaining some sort of routine. If you haven't already, you'll be hearing from your tutor over the next week for a quick catch up. They'll be calling your parents but if you're around, it'd be lovely for you to have a quick chat with your tutors too. I've made a few phone calls already and it was really lovely to hear how well you're doing and how hard you're all working.

I am doing my best to maintain my sanity in my tiny one bed flat! Here are some of things I'm trying to do to take care of my physical and mental health:

• Maintaining a normal sleep routine. It is really important to try and wake up at a fairly normal time. I know it can be difficult when you haven't got to get up for anything but it'll really help you feel better and be more productive.
• Exercising! My Achilles is giving me a bit of jip (probably because I went from doing no running to running everyday) so I'm now doing some YouTube videos with Joe Wicks 😊
• Keeping in touch with my friends and family online (although I've deleted HouseParty now as apparently hackers can get in to your phones?!)
• Work, work, work, work, work is keeping my busy and giving me a purpose so keep churning out those essays/maths papers/coursework and send them to your teachers.

But also, there has been a lot of this...

And a bit of this... 

So please know that it is OK not to be OK right now. A lot of people are definitely not OK right now.

If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or you're overthinking whilst trying to sleep, here are some handy tips:

Box breathing technique 

Breathing in through the nose for a count of four, holding the breath for a count of four and then breathing out through the mouth for a count of four. Repeat this five or six times, saying to yourself internally ‘breathing in’ as you do so and ‘breathing out’ as you do so. 

54321 breathing technique 

This is a well-known grounding technique. It involves using all your five senses to help you to get back to the present. It starts with you sitting comfortably, close your eyes and taking a couple of deep breathes. In through your nose (count to 3), out through your mouth (to the count of 3). Now open your eyes and look around you. Name out loud: 5 things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window) 4 things you can feel (the silkiness of your skin, the texture of the material on your chair, what does your hair feel like?) 3 things you can hear (traffic noise or birds outside?) 2 things you can smell (hopefully nothing awful)1 thing you can taste (it might be a good idea to keep a piece of chocolate or other food you enjoy handy. Take a small bite and let it swill around your mouth for a couple of seconds, really savouring the flavour). Take a deep breath to end. 

Distracting brain games 

There are several ways to distract your mind so it stops thinking about whatever it is that is worrying you and focuses on something that isn’t emotionally driven. Here are my favourite two quick ways to do it: Pick a colour. How many things in different shades of that colour can you see around the room or out of the window? Still feeling stressed? Pick another colour. Or, count backwards in sevens, starting at 100. It isn’t that easy and requires you to concentrate. This one can also be helpful to do when you are finding it hard to sleep. 

Talk to someone 

Talk to someone you feel safe and comfortable with about how you are feeling. Identify those people who are more helpful during times likes this so you can pull on them when needed. Keep contact numbers close at hand and think about writing a well-being plan to identify what would be helpful for you during times of difficulty.

Remember that the school is still very much here for you as a support system, so email me or Mrs Bruney if you're struggling or email change4me@salesian.surrey.sch.uk

And if none of that works, then hopefully this video of puppy Murphy will help? 🐶

Helping others

As I've said to you many times before throughout our time at College together, another way of making yourself feel better is by helping others. Here are just a few things you could be doing at this moment in time to help others during this crisis:

• Support foodbanks. You can find your local foodbank and find out what they're most in need of here: https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/
• Support the homeless. There are some excellent charities out there but one that you may want to donate to is 'Shelter' here: https://england.shelter.org.uk/donate
• Support older people. Stay connected with your grandparents by giving them a daily call.
• Give blood. 
• Support small businesses. During these challenging times, it's important to support local businesses, even if it is from afar.

Here are some incredible individuals who are showing kindness all around the world during these difficult times...

You'll be excited to know that we have a guest post for my blog today.... Father Kev!

RAMBLINGS FROM FR KEVIN’S SITTING ROOM

Hello to you all. It has now been about 10 days since we came to a sudden stop in Sixth Form. It feels like much longer. I’m sitting in my small sitting room, desktop on, laptop on, and mobile in hand. In the last 24 hours, I’ve face timed on skype, zoom, microsoft team, and WhatsApp. I was invited on to House party but I had looked at my face enough on a screen for today. I am on a very steep learning curve when it comes to technology. I never knew there were so many apps offering the same thing, and everyone seems to have their preferred one. Yet there is something about seeing someone’s facial expression that really makes a difference in how we feel about the conversation and how we feel about ourselves. A nod, a smile, a frown can communicate more than any words can.  We are built to express, to communicate and relate. I suppose that is what can make this experience of isolation more difficult;  we don’t have that regular and everyday contact with friends, wider family and teachers and people on the street. We have to plan any contact we have. But that contact is essential for staying sane and sensing with how life is shaping up.

I’m not a person who naturally keeps to a daily routine but I’ve had to. How’s your routine going? Are you getting the balance right between work, exercise, down time and quiet time? Try to plan in some reflective time in the day, whether it is writing a short journal or simply reflecting on how the day has gone and how you felt. Over the last week, I’ve learned so much about myself, as well as about a variety of apps. This time could be an incredible and special time in which you may learn so much about the inner workings of your emotions and your spirit, if you give yourself the time to listen. If you allow yourself this time to listen, you will grow so much over the coming few weeks and go to university/the world of work better prepared for what you will experience. 

Over the coming two weeks we will celebrate Easter. It will be strange because even the Churches have shut because of the health crisis. We, in the Salesian community, will be lighting a fire in our garden and processing through the house to our little chapel with a large lit paschal candle (don’t try this at home!) on Holy Saturday evening. Everything this year will small scale and home made; and home made and small scale can have its great blessings.  One thing will not change, you will be in my prayers and thoughts this Easter. If you have a moment please say a prayer for me and the community and all your teachers. A time like this can help us recognise what really matters in life, and generosity and gratitude are the greatest gifts we can share this Easter. Stay healthy and stay safe. God bless you, Fr Kevin

Right folks, that's all from me today.

Please keep emailing me if you have any questions or worries at all.

Missing you all.

Mrs Clarke x