The Importance of Health – Jennifer Oaten

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” WHO, 1948.

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health with the phrase above, and it is still used today. It refers not only to the absence of disease but the ability to recover and bounce back from illness and other problems.

Our recently launched Mental Health Strategy encourages us:

To work together to ensure that all Santa Maria College students have the skillset to manage their wellbeing*, tackle challenges and thrive in school and life. (*Wellbeing = emotional, mental, physical, spiritual and social wellbeing.)

This fits closely with the WHO definition of health.

Health Week gave us all an opportunity to improve and protect our health and wellbeing by connecting with the people around us and with God; being active, becoming informed to make good choices, reflecting and looking out for others.

Many excellent activities were offered for staff and students throughout the week thanks to our dedicated team of Health and Physical Education staff and several student-led initiatives.

Physical Health

Opportunities aimed at assisting our bodily functions to work at peak performance which included:

  • Yoga
  • Jungle Body
  • Boxing and Fitness
  • Rock Climbing
  • Just Dance
  • Football: Bring a Friend

Mental Health

Opportunities aimed at taking time to reflect, connect and look out for others which included:

  • Meditation
  • Launch of the Blue Tree Art piece by Junk Metal Artist
  • RUOk? activities
  • Blessing of our conversation benches
  • Painting of our Blue Tree

Spiritual Health

Opportunities aimed at taking time to sit and be still, to pray and to connect with God, which included our weekly:

  • Rosary
  • Mass

Year 10 students excelled in the displays, demonstrations and activities they created as part of their Health Expo. The Health Expo was designed to raise awareness on a wide range of health issues from social media addiction, to stress, concussion and spinal care, to name only a few. Both the girls who developed the displays and the girls who visited the stalls gained a great deal of knowledge and understanding.

Everyone’s health is important. We need to work together to look after our own health and the health of others.

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