Chappy Jenny's Report
Welcome to the new semester. I feel re-charged and ready for the next half of the year, and I hope you do too. Last week I went on the annual Chaplaincy conference with 700 Chaplains from around Queensland, Northern Territory and ACT. I met and networked, up-skilled and was really encouraged. I attended some interesting electives that I can incorporate into my role here, learning about restorative justice, communication, and a framework for understanding poverty.
Power of Positivity…
Recently in doing some reading about positivity, I came across a study that sampled people’s thoughts, feelings and actions throughout the day, to determine what they were focused on, and how they were feeling. The research came to a conclusion that “a wandering mind is an unhappy mind.” It determined that when people allow their minds to wander, it leads the mind to thinking about potential worries of what could happen, tending then to think negatively and to have feelings of unhappiness.
The type of mind-wandering we are talking about here is not the creative, day-dreaming type of thinking, but rather more about noisy thinking and stressful worries that gets us off track. The conclusions of the study were around the importance of staying focussed on what was happening, and being mindful about redirecting negative thoughts into positive territory.
So how do you keep your mind from wandering to those thoughts that don’t contribute to having a more positive outlook? Here are some suggestions:
- Breathing - the slow breathing type
- Interacting with nature – take a walk, play with a pet, look out the window
- Physical Activity
- Meditation, prayer or mindfulness activities
- Eliminating known stressors
- Practicing attentive listening
- Performing concentration exercises
To help you stay positive, especially when your emotional batteries need recharging, find ways that work for you to feel relaxed and happy. Be mindful of where your thoughts are taking you, and choose to think happy. And always look for ways of being kind and helpful to those around you.
Chappy’s Christmas in July…
This fun night is next week – Friday 26 July! I’ve watched the movie – “The Grinch”, and it is so funny and has great lessons that will warm your heart and make you feel happy. With a Christmas in July theme, you can come dressed in your Christmas festive gear, and get excited to see Santa early this year. For the entry price of $8/person, you also get a sausage sizzle, drink, and can enjoy Christmas moves, craft and activities.
Please let me know if you are able to help out with the night. I am in need of some extra adult volunteers who could help with serving dinner, or help with registrations, craft activities, or pack down. Your help would be much appreciated.
Blessings,
Jennifer Bennett