Wellness content that is curated by the BVR Health & Wellness Team to help you stay grounded and resilient throughout the year.
Take Good Care.

What’s New: Embracing winter and nurturing connections

Many of us experience a noticeable shift in mood, energy, and mental focus during the winter months. In an effort to navigate the shorter days and colder temperatures, we’re taking a look at ways we can “lean into” winter this year.

It’s our hope that you can take one of the following recipes, activities, or resources–recommended by Beaver faculty and staff–and use it to “lean into” the season.

RECIPES

Hearty soup recipes to keep you warm (article)
Roasted butternut squash soup recipe (YouTube)
Sheet pan roasted red pepper soup (Instagram)

ACTIVITIES

Cross-country ski lessons, rentals, and more in Weston, MA (website)
Museum of Fine Arts (discounted rate for educators!) (website)
Movie: The Holiday (2006) (streaming on Netflix)
Movie: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (streaming on Max)

RESOURCES

Life Kit’s expert guides to move forward in 2024 (website)
Hygge: the Scandinavian term about achieving a cozy, contented mood through comfort and conviviality (article)

If you’d like to suggest an addition to this list, email Luke James.

A reminder that by practicing mindfulness we can stay present in the moment. Meditation is one form of mindfulness; so is journaling, breathwork, doing yoga, and going for a walk in nature. In other words, mindfulness is taking a moment and taking the space to just be.

We want to offer a couple of ways you might fill your cup and actively recover—even (or perhaps, especially) during your school day.

MINDFULNESS MOMENTS
Wednesdays, 11:50-12:10,
A variety of mindfulness moments will be hosted in Roger’s Room. You can expect guided meditation, light stretching/yoga, relaxing music, and a moment to center yourself before continuing with your day. This is a space to not only take good care of yourself, but also connect with others.

WALKING GROUP
Every other Tuesday, 11:45-12:15
A walking group is being piloted as an opportunity to work mindfulness into your week. The group will meet every other Tuesday at 11:45 for a short walk outside. Anyone who may be interested should connect with Anna Jones.

JOURNALING PROMPT
What are some things that make you feel cozy, comfortable, and calm?

This simple chart gives a quick look at how our nervous systems work – we are either activated through our sympathetic nervous system or deactivated through our parasympathetic nervous system. Stimulus is on a continuum from pleasant to unpleasant.

Our nervous system has a job to do – alert us to perceived threats, harm, and danger and calm us when relationships are soothing and close. We all tend to tilt towards the “danger” side because it keeps us alive when actual threat is present. Anxiety speeds up every aspect of our nervous system as it activates our body to potentially fight, flight, or freeze. Because of this, in times of crisis, like we have been experiencing, we need to take extra care of ourselves and each other.

JOURNALING PROMPT
Am I feeling activated or deactivated? Pleasant or unpleasant?

Check-in with yourself: How am I feeling? stressed? calm?
Feel your stomach rise and fall with each breath
Feel the various physical sensations of an emotion
If you are feeling happy, what sensations are happening to your body; If you are feeling sad, where do you feel it most; If you are anxious, is your body tense?
Notice thoughts as they pass through your mind
Pay attention to all the sounds in the room
Notice what happens in the body when you are under stress
When stressed and overwhelmed ask yourself if this is a big problem vs. a little problem
10-10-10: Ask yourself will you be thinking about this problem in 10 minutes? 10 days? 10 years?
Is a thought renting space in your mind? Maybe it is taking up space without paying the rent.
Watch the thoughts that arise when there is boredom
Notice sensations involved with eating and the flavors of the food
Practice gratitude daily and expand it outward, appreciating the people and the things you encounter. Keep a gratitude journal and look at it often, especially in times of stress.
Positive affirmations: Write them down on pieces of paper. Read 3 before you start your day.
Practice compassion: Consider the thoughts and feelings of others and let tenderness, kindness, and empathy be your guides.