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Monthly Archives: February 2022

Psychologist’s Tips – National Day of Fighting Depression

 

 

WORTH KNOWING – What is depression?

February 23rd – National Day for Combating Depression

Yesterday we celebrated the National Day for Combating Depression, but it’s important to remember about this topic every day.

People often say that they feel depressed, but it is worth knowing the difference between sadness, which is normal in difficult situations and the disease, which is depression. It is an illness that affects our life, significantly reducing its quality. It is a mood disorder that can manifest itself at different times of life, in different forms and severity. Depression is closely related to our brain, because people who suffer from the disease have a reduced ability to produce serotonin – commonly known as the happy hormone. Depression is not a temporary feeling like sadness (emotion) and is usually not the result of just one unpleasant event in our life. People who suffer from depression feel sadness but also show other symptoms.

 

What are the symptoms of depression?

  • Feeling continually low and hopeless;
  • Losing enjoyment and interest in things;
  • Having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much;
  • Feeling constantly exhausted or having the loss of energy almost daily;
  • Having a sense of low self-esteem;
  • Decreased ability to concentrate and difficulty focusing on learning;
  • Negative thoughts about self and future;
  • Suicidal thoughts or self-harm may occur.

 

What we can do?

You can develop depression regardless of age; it is not a choice. It is an illness that is hard to deal with on your own, it also involves feeling of isolation. If you feel unwell, it is a good idea to talk about it with someone who can listen to you. For example, a parent or guardian, a teacher, a psychologist or school counselor, a doctor, or a friend.

Professional help is essential in treating an illness like depression. If you recognize symptoms in yourself do not delay – contact a specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist) or ask someone to help you.

Depression is not an excuse, a bad day or weakness. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed illnesses in the world that is treatable.

 

Sources:

  • NFZ o zdrowiu. Depresja, Warszawa 2020.
  • Materiały kampanii „Depresja. Rozumiesz – Pomagasz”, Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Warszawa 2018.
  • James, A., Stowell, L. (2018) Looking after your Mental Health. London: Usborne Publishing.
  • World Health Organization. Depression (WHO, 2018).
  • World Health Organization. 2017. Depression and other common mental disorders: global health estimates.

 

 

The text is written and prepared by school psychologist, Adrianna Pawlak.

Go Green! – Iodine and Vitamin C

Experiments during Go Green classes

In the Go Green classes, the students performed an experiment with iodine and vitamin C. They learned that iodine changes the color of starch to navy blue, and adding vitamin C to the starch solution causes its discoloration. When ascorbic acid (which is vitamin C) reacts with iodine, it is oxidized and the iodine is reduced. The more vitamin C, the faster discoloration occurs.

 

Valentine’s Day in Da Vinci’s

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Da Vinci’s International Primary School

Today we remember last week’s Valentine’s Day, which was extremely colorful and joyful. On that day, students hung school uniforms in the wardrobe and put on outfits in the colors of love – red and pink. The postal courier had his hands full because he had to deliver Valentine’s Day cards to all the children, and there were a lot of them. Cupid’s arrow caught everyone – students, teachers and school staff – and no one was left without a Valentine’s Day card. The icing on the cake were sweets that everyone could try. Filled with love, we are looking forward to the next Valentine’s Day, next year!

 

 

We really didn’t make a joke about the amount of Valentine’s Day cards – the students made a lot of them. In all of this they showed enormous creativity and imagination, for which a little focus was also useful.

 

Go Green! – Catalase Enzyme Experiment

Go Green lessons and potatoes

During the last Go Green lesson, students performed an experiment related to the catalase enzyme. What is it all about?

 

It turns out that fresh potato shows an interesting chemical activity. When dipped in a hydrogen peroxide solution, it causes oxygen to bubble. This activity is due to a special protein produced by the potato to protect it from oxidative stress. The enzyme in potato is called catalase. Almost all living things have catalase, including us! It breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. 

 

During the experiment, the students also tried to get answers to a few questions. How does temperature affect enzyme activity in potatoes? What happens when we put the boiled potato in hydrogen peroxide? And the second part of the Go Green lesson ended with making potato stamps.

 

Psychologist’s Tips – Valentine’s Day

 

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

 

Today we celebrate Valentine’s Day which is the international holiday of love. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and the need for love is in all of us. We can also spend this day with our friends who are important to us and we want to tell them about it!

 

Here are some tips on how to take care of relationships with friends.

 

#1 Acceptance

In a relationship we should accept others as they are, appreciate their strengths and weaknesses. Friendship is not only about what we have in common but also about accepting differences.

 

#2 Respect

Each of us is unique! Through friendship, we accept and respect that everyone is different. Remember that your friend is unique and express that.

 

#3 Support

In difficult times the support of friends is very important, sometimes just conversation or being close to the other person and showing that you understand.

 

#4 Empathy

It is the ability worth developing – to understand other people and to feel their emotions. If you see your friend going through a difficult time, try to be with them in their sadness. It is the same with joy! Experience moments of happiness together.

  

#5 Small gestures

Appreciate the kind gestures the other person makes to you. Remember that every small gesture is important! Do something nice for your friend too. Let it be selfless, simply because you like and appreciate someone.

 

#6 Actively Listen

Sometimes misunderstandings happen, but you always need to be able to talk to each other and especially listen. Be open to what others have to say and ready to listen to them.

 

#7 Honesty

Express your opinions in a way that is cultured and does not offend anyone. A good relationship is one in which you can always tell each other the truth and share your own thoughts.

 

#8 Trust

It takes time to develop a friendship and it can be compared to a hike together where many challenges and adventures occur. It’s a time when you get to know each other and it’s good to build trust and give the other person the feeling that they can rely on you.

 

#9 Time Together

Spending time together is a good opportunity to create new memories. If you feel comfortable in each other’s company, there are plenty of ideas to plan activities such as a bike ride, movie night or board game night.

 

#10 Be yourself!

When dealing with others, remember the most important thing – don’t pretend to be someone you’re not or try to prove anything. Your friends like you for who you are, because each of us is unique!

 

 

 

The text is written and prepared by school psychologist, Adrianna Pawlak.

Go Green! – Fluffy Slime

February’s Go Green Classes

Fluffy slime, a substance created with the use of shaving cream, can really be fun for children. Its consistency changes depending on the amount of cream added, and experimenting with the ingredients is a great opportunity to see how the mass is formed. And that’s exactly what our students were researching during the last Go Green classes.

 

Psychologist’s Tips – How to take care of your well-being in the New Year?

 

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WELL-BEING IN THE NEW YEAR?

10 TIPS FROM PSYCHOLOGIST

WHAT TO DO TO MAINTAIN GOOD MOOD AND MENTAL HEALTH? 

 

New year means new challenges, so it’s worth considering what role mental health plays and how many different factors can affect our mood. But what is this well-being? It is nothing more than a state of feeling good and the ability to function well in life (school, home, work). Sounds like no big deal right? The author of one model of well-being is M. Seligman, who was a precursor to positive psychology. Seligman identified the most important areas of well-being.

What are the areas of well-being :

  • Feeling good – influenced by self-confidence, optimism, personal growth, inner joys;
  • Functioning well – which includes, for example, commitment to responsibilities, relationships with others, healthy habits;
  • Accomplishing- which refers to reaching one’s goals and intentions;
  • Flourishing – seeing meaning in the activities we undertake and being aware of the impact of our attitude on the world around us, e.g. helping others, volunteering (Seligman, 2011). 

What can we do to take care of our mood ? Read the following advice!

 

#1 GOALS 

Think about your goals for the coming new year, write down your thoughts and ideas for achieving them.  Make a “TO DO LIST” and tick off a point each time you accomplish a task. Create a MOTIVATION BOARD with pictures related to your plans and dreams – it will definitely boost your motivation!

#2 HEALTHY HABITS 

Incorporate a few new healthy habits into your daily schedule such as a glass of water for breakfast, fruit for lunch, an afternoon walk, stretching, 15 minutes of reading a book in the evening. Schedule your activity on a calendar and track your progress – it will be fun and very rewarding!

#3 HOBBIES AND NEW SKILLS 

What do you like to do in your spare time? Ask yourself this question to consider what new interests you might develop this year. Learning new skills can have a positive impact on your mood, self-esteem and will certainly allow you to have a nice and creative time!

#4 ACTIVE RECREATION 

Staying active and exercising regularly keeps our mood up, reduces stress, improves mental health, and makes us more energetic! If there’s such a possibility,, enjoy a walk outdoors, take a bike ride, or do yoga on the grass. Choose an activity that you enjoy!

#5 RELATIONSHIPS 

Spend time with family and friends, with people you feel comfortable with. Ideas for time together: board games, puns, movie night or common conversation. 

#6 BALANCE 

When we have many responsibilities, it’s hard to find time to relax. However, don’t forget that it is very important! Plan your day to include time for relaxation and activities that you enjoy. 

#7 LIMIT MEDIA 

Our phones accompany us every day, and these days we do most of our work on computers. We are ONLINE all the time, which makes us forget how much fun we can have without devices like smartphones, tablets, or computers. Find a time during the week when you turn off all your devices and be OFFLINE! It can be a whole day, or just a few hours – take the challenge! 

#8 KEEP A JOURNAL 

Keeping a daily journal can help improve your mood and self-esteem. At the end of the day write down a few sentences about your successes, nice memories and positive experiences, what good happened during the day. Such a summary will allow us to reflect for a while. 

#9 HELP OTHERS

Get involved in a volunteer or project where you can help others! You can also do something nice for a classmate, for example a small gesture like that can be a lot of fun and rewarding!

#10 BE NICE TO YOURSELF

Think back to a time when you did something nice for yourself. Treat yourself as if you were treating your best friend. When things don’t go your way, don’t criticize yourself. Instead, accept yourself exactly as you are now.

 

Sources:

  1. Seligman, ME. 2011. Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York, NY, USA: Free Press.
  2. Seligman, ME. 2011. Pełnia życia: Nowe spojrzenie na kwestie szczęścia i dobrego życia. Nowy Jork, NY, USA: Free Press. 
  3. Balica, M. 2021. What is well- being? Policy Research Paper. https://ibo.org/globalassets/publications/ib-research/policy/what-is-well-being-eng.pdf
  4. Schab, LM. 2021. Jesteś kimś więcej, niż myślisz dla nastolatków. GWP Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne.

 

The text is written and prepared by school psychologist, Adrianna Pawlak.

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