Committing to Wellbeing
Happy 2023!
As I look to the year ahead, I am reminded of the important work we have advanced at Crescent related to health and wellbeing. January is when we prioritize conversations and activities focused on being emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially well. In Home Forms and Mentor Groups, boys have been engaging in activities related to their mental health, stress management, and executive functioning. They’ve even spent time reducing their anxiety by having time with therapy dogs. I suspect that many of us use the new year to consider ways to improve the wellbeing dimensions in our own lives.
As I look to the year ahead, I am reminded of the important work we have advanced at Crescent related to health and wellbeing. January is when we prioritize conversations and activities focused on being emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially well. In Home Forms and Mentor Groups, boys have been engaging in activities related to their mental health, stress management, and executive functioning. They’ve even spent time reducing their anxiety by having time with therapy dogs. I suspect that many of us use the new year to consider ways to improve the wellbeing dimensions in our own lives.
Recently, I attended a Lunar New Year luncheon celebration with over 150 Crescent parents. It was a full sensory experience and I learned so much about the cultural, culinary, and historical diversity of our families. At one point during the lunch, fathers were asked to describe the commitments they made during the pandemic to support their family’s wellbeing — habits that are being carried forward into their daily family lives. I was deeply impressed by what I heard. One dad said, “I put my children at the centre of my life, and decided to move permanently to Canada and focus on my physical health. I’ve lost 30 pounds and have never felt better.”
These types of commitments are what we are trying to instill in the boys through Crescent’s STEM 1.0 pathway: Sleep soundly, Think clearly, Eat smarter, and Move more. In partnership with performance physiologist, scientist, author and Crescent alumnus Dr. Greg Wells ’89, the school has produced a suite of educational tools for staff, students, parents, and alumni to be well. We want our school to be a place where boys come to be well. Indeed, top performers across all sectors — business leaders, medical practitioners, entrepreneurs, and sports icons — are now speaking openly about wellbeing as foundational to their success. Why shouldn’t we expect the same in our own lives to leverage our health, longevity, and legacy?
Deep and restorative sleep is my focus for this coming year. I am actively tracking my progress through wearable technology, and have changed some morning and evening routines to optimize the restorative power of sleep — such as consolidating memories, enhancing creativity, regenerating my immune system, and repairing my muscle tissue. I am reducing caffeine intake in the morning (this is especially difficult for me), limiting my screen time before bedtime, and keeping a dark sleep space. So far, I am making good progress. While a few upcoming international trips may set back some early progress, I am very motivated to carry on.
I invite you to consider your holistic health and wellbeing as a primary area of focus this coming year; it might just change your life.
Vertitate Stamus et Crescimus
