Cultivating Wellness
January 2024
Winter Time Activities
Tips, Encouragement, and Support for Parents and Educators
New Activities: Winter Mental Wellness
In January, we can expect cold temperatures, snow, and icy roads, which limit our outside activities in Michigan. January can also be viewed as a fun time for youth to make snowmen, sled, ice skate, and play outside in the snow. Visit Genesee County Parks for fun family winter experiences.
If the cold is a limitation, then a museum, planetarium, or play/concert can provide a unique experience. Try an escape room with friends and family. Have a board game night or play video games together. Use a snow day to have craft time. Never forget the power of reading out load to your children. Make sure to check out what the Flint Cultural Center has to offer! Visit Explore Flint and Genesee for more ideas.
We can enjoy January as a time to reflect on accomplishments in the past year and a renewed sense of purpose for the new year. To foster self-reflection, it is recommended to develop a positive mindset and find events and experiences that promote a sense of joy, relieve stress and help us maintain a positive outlook for the coming year. We suggest to ask yourself "how did I do this year?" with these helpful questions. We feel it is healthy to look back on the year, acknowledge your accomplishments, and evaluate areas to promote growth and development.
Other activates you might find helpful:
- Find a good book
- Winter sorting/cleaning (makes me feel better!)
- Exercise 30 minutes most of the days of the week
- Practice daily meditation
- Plan for future vacations and events
- Family movies (with lots of popcorn)
- Maintain daily routines
- Devote time to activities that bring you stress relief
- Practice attitude of gratitude thinking of things to be grateful for
Happy New to all and best wishes!
Resources on the importance of routines
Resources for Your Mind, Body, and Family
- National Alliance on Mental Illness-Genesee County Chapter
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
- The State of Michigan has created a Stay Well program that encourages individuals to Be Kind to Your Mind, providing access to support groups, help lines, webinars, behavioral health guides, and video resources. This Mindfulness and Stress Resilience Guide is one tool provided. Check the link to learn more.
- Michigan 211 helps to connect individuals to a variety of services, including mental health providers.
Cultivating Staff Wellness: A Holistic Approach
Supporting the whole child starts with supporting all the adults involved in the educational process. From direct providers, such as teachers and paraprofessionals, to those indirectly involved with student success (business, transportation, operations, human resources, etc.), a need for optimal self-care is shared to bring our best self to work each day.
The GISD has taken steps to develop a customizable wellness toolkit available to staff throughout Genesee County schools, programs, and GISD departments. This toolkit has been created to help administrators and managers implement and create sustainable staff wellness initiatives. While resources are often spread thin and opportunities for added programs may be far and few between, one key for programs and departments is to start where they are and commit to intentional moves toward creating and sustaining a culture of wellness.
The Cultivating Staff Wellness (CSW) Toolkit is based on SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness: emotional, physical, spiritual, environmental, occupational, financial, intellectual, and social. Complete the Cultivating Staff Wellness Registration Form so that your school, program, or department can access the CSW Toolkit.
GISD 31n Mental Health Team
To learn more about health and wellness for teachers, students, and families, check out our page on the GISD website.
Community Resource Spotlight: Flint Registry
For children and families impacted by the Flint Water Crisis, the Flint Registry exists to connect individuals to a variety of resources for support and wellness. For more information and resources for healthcare needs, please visit flintregistry.com/resources to learn more. Alexis Sharpe at asharpe@geneseeisd.org is also available to help support families looking for a wide range of healthcare access needs.