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Tuesday 22/3/22

Niamh O’Connell Wellness

Where:  Gym

Time:     10am: 4C, 4D & 6th yrs

11am: 4A, 4B & 5th yrs

What will be discussed:
To introduce joyful self-care habits to students with simple steps for body and mind, confidence building and

motivational talk. Interactive stress-relieving techniques using mindful breathing to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.

Tech Tom

Where:  Gym

Time:     12.20 3rd yrs

1.50 2nd yrs

What will be discussed:

Mental health organisation that offers free and extensive support to those suffering from mental illness.

Angela Hayes will speak to our students about minding their mental health and the services and free counseling and services they offer.

2pm

Laura Mahoney

Google form to sign up emailed to students

Laura will discuss the link between Food & Mood as well as decoding food labels.

Breaktime

BAKESALE (Amber Flag)
Junior Lunchtime Board Games
Music in canteen

Wednesday 23/3/22

Paula Duggan Nutritionist

Where:  Virtual talks
Time:     10 am: 1st,2nd and 3rd yrs
11.20 am: 4th, 5th & 6th yrs

What will be discussed:
Topics include: Nutrition is actually more about inclusion than exclusion.Common nutrition trends & myths e.g., carbs, dairy, meat-free diets.Sports Nutrition - Hydration, Fuelling & Recovery. Pre-match & Post-match snacks & mealsWellbeing - positive attitude towards food, everything in moderation, reducing anxiety around food. "There are bad diets not bad foods".Exercise is not just for sporty individuals.

Midlands LGBT+ Project
Virtual talks.
1st yrs and TY. 9.30, 11am, 1.30, 3pm(Breakdown of talks tbc)

Staff Zumba class after school.
(4.10-5.10pm) (Afra O’Malley)

Breaktime

Staff Bake Off!
Junior Lunchtime Board Games
Music in canteen

Thursday 24/3/22

10amJK fashion show

This year's Junk Kouture TY students will model their dresses made from recycled materials. 1st yrs-Gym

14.50 Zumba class3rd yr girls - GymGoogle form to sign up emailed to students
A cardio and Latin-inspired dance

Primal animal movement for staff (4.10-5.10pm) (Kieran D)

Breaktime

BAKESALE
Music in canteen

Friday 25/3/22

10am6th year tea partyCanteen

11.30 Elma Walsh- Live LifeTalk: TY, 5th and 6th yrs-Gym
Donal Walsh, the Kerry teenager who touched so many lives when he came to prominence through his writings and subsequent appearance on RTE Brendan O’Connor’s ‘The Saturday Night Show’. Donal who fund raised tirelessly while battling Cancer has now had the Donal Walsh #Livelife Foundation set up by his family primarily in order to promote his anti-suicide #Livelife message. His parents Elma and Fionnbar visit schools and other venues where asked, to help promote his message.
Staff raffle
Staff brunch

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Louise Shanagher is a children's therapist, mindfulness teacher and Psychology Lecturer. She provides creative and well-being workshops, mindfulness classes as well as online and class training. She is the author of three books: The "Mindfully Me" series, Ireland's first series of mindfulness books for children.

- Jack Kornfield

Louise was featured and quoted in

Louise Shanagher is a children's therapist, mindfulness teacher and Psychology Lecturer from Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Louise has a BA and MSc in Psychology and further qualifications in Psychotherapy and Play therapy. She is passionate about creating a happier and healthier world. Her mission is to promote and nurture positive mental health while equipping people with valuable self-care tools that will last a lifetime. She works with children as young as preschool age and visits primary and secondary schools, nationwide. Louise facilitates adult mindfulness and self-compassion workshops and offers wellbeing and mindfulness training in the workplace. Louise also regularly gives training workshops for teachers and other organisations who work with children and young people.

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Louise Shanagher | Children therapist-Mindfulness teacher | Ireland

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Louise Shanagher is a children's therapist, mindfulness teacher and Psychology Lecturer. She provides creative and well-being workshops, mindfulness classes as well as online and class training. She is the author of three books: The "Mindfully Me" series, Ireland's first series of mindfulness books for children.

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Netflix Glow Up MUA!

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Open to all year groups! An image inspired by Charlie Mackesy and positive quote. See Powerpoint for info.

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SHINE Festival is possibly the biggest gathering of inspirational Irish women ever. 

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SHINE Festival is possibly the biggest gathering of inspirational Irish women ever. 

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With over 80 speakers including Vicky Phelan, Laura Whitmore, Holly Cairns, Evanna Lynch, and many, many more, on topics such as mental health, mindset, career, diversity, individuality, the arts, sports, social issues, and sustainability. We’ll also have music, poetry, pledges, and even a treasure hunt!

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Shona fans will know that we love nothing more than to put on a big event! For us, it doesn't get much better than bringing as many girls and as many inspiring women into one room as we possibly can!

The last time we managed to do this was at SHINE 2019, check out the highlights here...

Last year, we were devastated to cancel all of our events, but we didn't take it lying down. Oh NO!

We have pulled together the dreamiest dream team with our friends at Beat102-103, iRadio, SPIN 1038, and SPIN South West, and are delighted to announce SHINE Festival 2021!

SHINE Festival is possibly the biggest gathering of inspirational Irish women ever. With over 80 speakers including Vicky Phelan, Laura Whitmore, Holly Cairns, Evanna Lynch, and many, many more, on topics such as mental health, mindset, career, diversity, individuality, the arts, sports, social issues, and sustainability. We'll also have music, poetry, pledges, and even a treasure hunt!

So, join us and the 100 schools and 20,000 girls already registered, for SHINE Festival 2021 which will be running from March 8th to the 10th - kicking off in celebration of International Women's Day. It is an empowering event for the women and girls of Ireland, bringing us together to interact in a safe and positive space, and to celebrate each other.

And here's the best news of all...

Thanks to our sponsors AIB, Life Style Sports, West Pharma and SAP Software Solutions, we can ensure that SHINE is inclusive and available to everyone. So, you've no excuse!

How can you access SHINE Festival?

1. Individual tickets are available free of charge with an option to donate. Shona is a not-for-profit organisation and all donations will be invested back into funding our ability to support girls and young women all over Ireland as they navigate this modern world. All donations, big or small are very welcome. You can get your individual tickets HERE.

2. All secondary schools are invited to sign up completely free! Teachers will be given access to the Festival and can then be accessed in the classroom or the link can be forwarded to students if remote learning is still in place. The invitation is open to all girls, from 1 year. If your school hasn't already signed up, why not mention SHINE Festival to your teacher and ask them to reach out to us at st to 6 th info@shona.ie

So, What's The Line-up?

You can't swing a cat in Ireland without finding a strong, smart, and inspiring woman. SHINE features women of all shapes, sizes, colour, ages, and abilities to bring you the most diverse and possibly largest-ever gathering of inspirational women EVER! We are thrilled that our host for this year is the beautiful and brilliant Angela Scanlon.

How Can You Get Involved With SHINE Festival?

SHINE Festival is for girls by girls. This whole event is for you! We know how hard the last year has been so we wanted to give you something to look forward to. Here's how to get involved!

1: Submit a piece of art in whatever form it means to you; spoken word, poetry, sculpture, music, singing, anything at all in either image or video format to be displayed in our art gallery to show your talents to the world and win some amazing prizes. Email us your art at info@shona.ie by the end of February to take part.

2: We have a hashtag for this event! #Shine4Shona. So why not post on Instagram who you are watching, what you are doing, and what you are enjoying most about SHINE?

3: Keep an eye on our Instagram Story here, as there will be A LOT of exciting announcements going up there!

So, are you as excited as us? There is less than 1 month to go until the most exciting few days of the year! See you all soon! And be sure to keep an eye on our socials (@shonadotie on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok) as we have a lot of surprises up our sleeves!!

If you would like to support us and the work that we do, you can donate below ❤

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Shona fans will know that we love nothing more than to put on a big event! For us, it doesn't get much better than bringing as many girls and as many inspiring women into one room as we possibly can! The last time we managed to do this was at SHINE 2019, check out the highlights here...

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Healthy recipes from Paula's Nutrition talks

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Healthy recipes from Paula's Nutrition talks

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Unlock hundreds of mood-boosting meditations, relaxing sleep exercises, focus music, and more with our biggest offer of the year.

It's the healthiest, happiest deal you'll find this Black Friday, and it won't last long.

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Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace

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Live a healthier, happier, more well-rested life in just a few minutes a day with the Headspace app.

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The fear of threat, or anxiety, is like a strong gust of wind. It drags you in and makes you want to fight it or run away.

Instead, face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions.

Anxiety is a natural response to fear, threat and apprehension. However, when anxiety is extreme or goes on for a long time, or the response to a threat is disproportionately large and affects a person negatively, it may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and respond very well to a form of treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT.
When you face your fear, you will reduce the threat and glide.

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Clear Fear is the latest app from award-winning teenage mental health charity stem4.

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CHILL ZONE

Listen to audio recordings of guided relaxation and mindfulness meditations to help you get, and stay, in a more relaxed and mindful headspace.

FACING FEARS

Overcome your fears by gradually facing them in small manageable steps.

CBT-BASED TOOLS

Interactive cognitive-based tools to help you reorient your thinking, and behavioural strategies to help you take action and make lasting positive change.

QUICK RELIEF

When you need anxiety help fast, use these quick and easy tools to help you take a breath, ground yourself, shift your thinking, and take steps to cope.

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Is anxiety getting in the way of your life? MindShift™ CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.

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Free online Stress Control classes - HSE.ie

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This programme helps participants recognise the signs of stress. It covers topics including how stress affects our bodies and our thoughts. It teaches skills to overcome panicky feelings and tips to getting a good night’s sleep.

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Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

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Moodfit | Fitness for Your Mental Health

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Improve the fitness of your mood with proven tools & insights using Moodfit's free mobile app. CBT, mood journal, gratitude, mindfulness, inspiration & more.

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An app to help you manage down anxiety, depression and loneliness. Join our wellbeing community

SAM is a non-profit, community-backed wellbeing app to help you monitor and manage your mental health, with self-help techniques to help with anxiety, depression, loneliness and coping. SAM is informed by clinical best practice and academic research.

SAM provides a range of self-help techniques organised into several main wellbeing themes, together with tools for recording and monitoring changes in your mood. The social cloud feature allows users to give and receive support from others.

SAM was developed by a team of researchers from the University of the West of England working with Bristol-based digital studio MyOxygen. The development was based on clinical evidence and followed a user-centred design process to successfully deliver a mobile app that helps you to:

Monitor your feelings and chart mood levels over time.

Discover guided self-help techniques including games and multimedia for challenging unhelpful thoughts.

Share advice and ratings with the SAM community through the Social Cloud.

SAM is currently unfunded and ad-free for all users.

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SAM is a non-profit, community-backed wellbeing app to help you monitor and manage your mental health, with self-help techniques to help with anxiety, depression, loneliness and coping. SAM is informed by clinical best practice and academic research. SAM provides a range of self-help techniques organised into several main wellbeing themes, together with tools for recording and monitoring changes in your mood.

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Forest is an app helping you stay away from your smartphone and stay focused on your work.

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A Lust for Life, present this six-part podcast series, “It All Works Out” with the class of covid-19

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We all have nightmares about the horrors of the leaving cert, but the leaving cert class of Covid-19 have had one of the hardest leaving cert years in Irish history. Award-winning mental health charity A Lust for Life, present this six-part podcast series, "It All Works Out" with the class of covid-19" - who have had - and continue to have - an unprecedented and traumatic year.

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A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity in Ireland

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To help us through this winter lockdown, Dr Malie Coyne, Clinical Psychologist, Author and member of our Mental Health Advisory Panel brings us this special broadcast 'lockdown support for parents'.

Dr Malie supported parents over the first lockdown as part of our Covid19 lockdown broadcasts. Following this, she brought us the Parenting with Compassion broadcasts which featured special guests discussing their experience of parenting.

This broadcast series is suitable for everyone as Dr Malie addresses uncertainty, overwhelm and lockdown fatigue.

These will broadcast live on Facebook every Wednesday at 8:30pm on both Dr Malie Coyne and A Lust for Life Facebook and you can watch them back on our Facebook, IGTV and on our website.

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To help us through this winter lockdown, Dr Malie Coyne, Clinical Psychologist, Author and member of our Mental Health Advisory Panel brings us this special broadcast 'lockdown support for parents'. Dr Malie supported parents over the first lockdown as part of our Covid19 lockdown broadcasts.

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A Lust For Life - Irish Mental Health Charity in Ireland

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Clinical Psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne has kindly developed an online Exam Stress Management Course exclusively for our A Lust for Life readers. We asked Malie to create this course for young people as we are aware of the pressure you may be under leading up to the exams. Stress is a common reaction, which can be managed and reduced with the right strategies. Malie will share these with you in weekly articles, taking you right up to exam week. The focus is on helping you to cope; but there will also be tips for the close adults in your life on how they can support you through it.

Exams are part of the "game" of life

Exams are an unfortunate reality of life. An unnecessary evil some might say or a necessary rite of passage towards an important goal. It depends on how you look at it. The weeks before exam-time can be a really stressful time, which is totally understandable given the amount of pressure you may be experiencing. You are not alone in how you feel.

You may worry you haven't studied enough, or that you won't live up to people's expectations. It doesn't help that everyone talks about exams non-stop. Listening to your friends with their own fears, parents getting hyped up, some teachers warning you about the earth stopping consequences if you don't study. Not to mention the pressure you may be putting on yourself. Rest assured, feeling stressed before exams is totally normal.

I personally can't say that I agree with the system's way of evaluating young people's abilities, as exam results are not a measure of your value as a human being. Exams don't measure your true intelligence, creativity or even your future success. But as things stand, exams are part of the "game" of life and you have to get through them. I will try to help you to get out the other side in one piece, and more than that, with the happiness and success you truly deserve.

"There are many ways to skin a cat"

Because people keep telling you "this is make or break time; you have to do well or else", you may think that doing well in the exams is the only way to achieve your goal. In reality there are many pathways to reach a goal. Perspective is not easy to see right now. There are a lot of different ways to get what you want if you don't get the results you had hoped for. I know many older folk who are still changing careers, so firstly, it is okay not to know what you want and secondly there is always a way to do what it is you want to do in life. Finding that thing that you love doing and are good at is a lifelong process.

The positive side of "stress"

Exams are one of the many challenges life will bring you. You would not get stressed if something wasn't important to you. Stress can be good in small amounts as it can help you to get motivated for what's ahead. In her book The Upside of Stress (2015), Dr. McGonigal says that it is not stress on its own which is harmful, but the belief that it is harmful which can do the damage. This new way of looking at stress, also called "the new science of stress", is explained in Fiona Forman's article, where she suggests that we should embrace stress rather than panic at the first sign of it:

"When we remind ourselves about the benefits of stress, we produce hormones which can help our bodies and minds to feel stronger. If we start to feel the physical signs of stress, it is helpful to welcome these signs as a reminder that our bodies are helping us to deal with the challenge ahead, and to try to harness this energy in a positive way".

Is it stress or anxiety?

When stress gets out of hand it becomes anxiety. The main difference between healthy levels of stress and anxiety is that you will have a lot more worries and physical signs when you are anxious (e.g. unable to relax, nerves in your stomach). Anxiety also really interferes with your daily life. If the pressure feels bigger than your ability to cope, I would encourage you to talk to someone you trust. It is better to seek help early rather than to struggle on.

To find out more about stress and anxiety, take a look at these information sheets on coping with stress and what is generalized anxiety. Another interesting resource is this TED Ed. video on how stress affects your memory and brain. I also like this funny clip of exam stress explained with Buckaroo.

Identifying your worries and taking action on what you CAN control

Ever notice how when worries are piling on top of you, it's hard to think straight? One simple exercise I ask young people to try is:

1. Make a list of all the things that are worrying you

2. Focus on the ones you feel you have some control over

3. Defer the worries you have no control over for now

4. Identify realistic actions you can take to reduce each worry

Try this for yourself using this worksheet.

Be gentle on yourself and don't beat yourself up if you don't get to everything on the list, it's all about priorities and beginning to tackle the worries you can control beginning NOW.

A word of advice for parents and close adults

Your role is really important. Please don't nag or add pressure to an already pressurised situation. Of course you want the best for the young person but it is important to remain calm and keep your expectations out of it. The best thing you can do is to support them unconditionally; build their confidence; remind them of their successes; encourage them to exercise, relax and sleep well; feed them nutritious food; look for signs of too much stress.

Every young person is different so ask them what would be most helpful to them. Maintain an open relationship so they can talk to you about any worries, and encourage them to seek help if their stress levels seem unmanageable. Click here for a good leaflet "coping with exam pressure: advice for parents".

Mastering stress and the elements of the "game"

I like the metaphor used by SpunOut.ie of comparing exams to a "game", as it helps to put perspective on this difficult but temporary time in your life. Like any other game, exams have their rules and ways that you can learn to perform well at them.

Stress can be broken into four parts: what you feel; what you think; what you do; and how your body reacts when you are under stress. Just as you would in preparation for an important game, over the coming weeks we will look at each of the four parts of stress in turn. I will train you in taking control over your stress and mastering the rules of the game.
"Don't feel defeated by the pressures of daily life. Get in control of your stress before it takes control over you" (Madhumita Murgia).
For more information on my work, go to drmaliecoyne.ie or follow me on Facebook (Dr. Malie Coyne) or on Twitter (@maliecoyne)

I was delighted to share the best bits of my A Lust for Life Exam Stress Management course with Fifth and Leaving Cert students to help them approach exams like preparing for a marathon at the Zeminar Youth Summit 2016 (RDS Dublin; 11th Oct 2016). I also cover how the optimum amount of stress can be harnessed for a good performance. This is also useful for teachers and parents.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for information purposes only and represents solely the opinions of this author. If you are seeking help with an emotional or mental health issue, we would strongly encourage you to contact your GP and / or for you to contact support services in this link.
The information on this website is NOT a substitute for proper diagnosis, treatment or the provision of advice by an appropriate health professional.

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A Lust for Life Exam Stress Management Course Week 1: "Mastering the game of exams"

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Clinical Psychologist Dr. Malie Coyne has kindly developed an online Exam Stress Management Course exclusively for our A Lust for Life readers. We asked Malie to create this course for young people as we are aware of the pressure you may be under leading up to the exams. Stress is a common reaction, which can be managed and reduced with the right strategies.

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Drive and Listen

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Listen to local radio stations while driving through the cities around the world. Istanbul, Berlin, London, Paris, New York City and many more

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https://heywood.ie/seachtain-na-gaeilge-music-week/

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15 MIN TIKTOK DANCE PARTY WORKOUT - Full Body/No Equipment

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Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast - with everything you need to hear to get on top of your anxiety.

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Listen to Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast on Spotify.

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Free 24/7 text service
https://text50808.ie/

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https://www.pieta.ie/

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"You OK", doesn’t offer a magic solution to the complex emotions we're all feeling, but it does offer a safe space to hold those emotions, to engage with them and to take a moment in the madness, to mind our mental health.

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Five Ways to Wellbeing - Mental Health Ireland - By Helplink.ie

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What causes anxiety and Depression – Inside Out

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What causes anxiety and Depression – Inside Out

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What causes anxiety and Depression - Inside Out | Mind Set - By Helplink.ie

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The Five Ways to Wellbeing – Take Notice

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The Five Ways to Wellbeing – Take Notice

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The Five Ways to Wellbeing - Take Notice - By Helplink.ie

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Five Ways for Tough Times: Be Active - By Helplink.ie

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Mental Health Ireland No matter what our mobility and fitness levels, simply getting up and moving and adding a little exercise to our day can make a big difference to how we're feeling during tough times. Mental Health Ireland's Miffy talks to us about being active, whether it's a free online work out, a stroll outside if possible or a run around the garden.

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Body Scan Meditation (Tame Anxiety) - By Helplink.ie

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Kahoot! Movie Quotes 4th / 5th / 6th years 

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Kahoot! Movie Quotes 4th / 5th / 6th years 

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!