‘Bouncebackability’

Last week the children were celebrating and sharing what makes them unique as part of our ‘I Am Me’ week. This was a successful week which engaged the children in activities and discussions around the themes of difference, tolerance, friendships, strengths and individuality.

This week it was the turn of the staff to engage and reflect with a particular focus on our ability to have ‘bouncebackability’. Yes, this is a real word and is in the Oxford English Dictionary – well so I was told by Jonthan Peach from the Art of Being Brilliant as part of his Wellbeing Workshop delivered to us all on Sunday. Football fans might recall Iain Dowie using it in a now famous post-match interview way back in 2003.  

‘Bouncebackability’ refers to our capacity to recover quickly from a setback, to succeed after failing and to literally bounce back. One of the key messages was around the importance of our mindset and the notion that ‘what you think you become’. Because what we are thinking triggers how we are feeling which then determines our behaviours and then the outcomes associated with them - positive or negative. So, as we strive for ‘happiness’ and to be the best version of ourselves (Jonathan Peach and the Art of Being Brilliant team refer to this as being a 2%er as opposed to being a Mood Hoover!) the answer lies in not what happens to us but how we respond.  

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” 

Viktor E. Frankl 

In reality, choosing the positive thoughts and controlling our inner chimp, as Prof Steve Peters refers to it, is not always easy. But the good news is that we can all do it. The beauty of the human brain is that it can be adapted, it thrives on hardwired habits, processes and routines. We just need to practice through constant repetition then our brains, or more specifically the frontal lobe, will be programmed with positive, constructive and helpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours that will help to calm and reassure the irrational, inner chimp part or, to be more scientific, the limbic system.  

So where and how do we start? Maybe start by considering what beliefs and behaviours would be helpful to you in this current time. Try seeing situations as normal, accepting whatever is in front of you and tell yourself this time will pass. Plug back in to one of the Character Strengths we teach the children and have referenced in previous newsletters; that of Gratitude. As this has been proven to have huge benefits including improved mental, physical and relational wellbeing.  

So, I’d like to end this article by expressing my gratitude for the way you and the whole DESS community has worked together to keep each other safe this term. Oh, and for the fact that we’ve got a 5-day weekend next week!  

Take care and stay positive... 

Mr. Clarkson