It is exam season and more important than ever to maintain positive mental wellbeing. Breaks are vital and preferably not too many facebook/instagram/snapchat breaks!

And if you aren't taking exams it's still important to take quick breaks!

Here are 5 ways to re-energise, re-focus and calm down in a quick 10 minute break...

I recently read Tsunami Kids; not only was the book an inspiration and beautiful testament to humanity, but it also helped me to reflect on resilience. Rob and Paul, the authors’ of Tsunami Kids, have faced many challenges in their lives and throughout their book reflect on how they overcame these. 

“People often want to know how we coped in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami and how we managed to move on. I’ve always felt that our parents have been there all along. The skills and maturity they gave us guided us. For me, after the wave hit, I felt that all the training, skills and knowledge that Mum and Dad gave us over the years kicked in.” pg 167

So what are the skills and knowledge that Rob and Paul refer to? I believe they come in 3 categories:

• Sport – taught them focus, drive and served as a very good distraction when they needed some time away from reality. I think sport is one of the most basic ways in which you can boost yourself. Physical activity can boost many of your “happy” hormones and if you like team sports they are also social and help to build relationships.
  

• Perspective – growing up abroad exposed them to many things including the fragility of human life and the reality of poverty. I believe that perspective can help you to realise what you have, rather than focus on what you haven’t got; it reminds us of what is really important in life. Often we become trapped in our own mindset but perspective can free us and challenge us to look at things differently.

• Helping others – during their childhood they were encouraged to help others. I believe that helping others can be one of the greatest ways in which to build your own self worth, esteem and confidence. If you can make a difference to someone else then you have purpose and this is extremely empowering.

Rob and Paul have inspired me and reminded me that we as humans have the ability to overcome great challenges. It isn’t easy but if you are looking for ways to overcome your own challenges I encourage you to try: sport; perspective; helping others. 

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Listen to others but also listen to yourself. 
If you don't listen how will you share an honest answer? Instead of always telling others what to do, instead of always telling yourself what to do, maybe just listen and you will find the answer. Listen to your emotions, not just to the words you say. When you start to listen you might start to identify patterns: notice what makes you smile; what makes you nervous; what excites you; what hurts. When you start to listen to yourself you might start to understand what makes you tick, why you avoid certain things, why you make certain mistakes, why you believe in certain limitations. Listening is the first step to honestly understanding who you are and why you do what you do. 

I will listen to myself carefully this week and hopefully I will have some insights to share with you soon! Listen to yourself and see what you notice.

Whenever I think about listening I have to think about Ernesto Sirolli who shares some very funny stories about the importance of listening when it comes to international development and entrepreneurship. You may not be starting your own tomato farm or trying to solve the crisis of horse manure in Manhattan but you probably need to start listening too! As Ernesto Sirolli says, listening is VERY HARD to do!