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Some Health Skills That Can Change Your (School) Life

Have you ever heard the saying that school should teach you the skills you need in your future life? Yet, between math, English, and PE, you wonder: Are these all the skills I need? 

 

The answer is no. School also gave me a fair insight into human relationships. Making friends, dealing with my high school nemesis, building partnerships for homework, and getting on the teacher’s good side, these are some of the essential networking skills I learned at school. 

 

But how about health skills? School didn’t exactly train me to become a mental health or physical health coach. But it was the perfect environment to explore those skills. With lots of students facing pressure every day, bad things could happen at any time. We’ve all seen a friend clam up after a hardship. Or perhaps we worry about someone who’s got fragile health. And I wanted to help them. I wanted to be here for them. Does this sound familiar? 

Being unable to react to health crises that happen around me wrecks my mood and makes me feel powerless. School fails to empower students to take action. The motto is: Wait for a grown-up. But in reality, grown-ups don’t magically wake up one morning with health skills. It is something that needs to be taught. So, the real question I want to ask is: Why wait for someone else when I can learn the skills for myself? 

 

The first aid skills

I worry about people’s health all the time. One of my best friends has a heart condition. I always wonder what I would do if she suddenly passed out. My answer is that I don’t want to wait for someone else to magically appear with life-saving skills at the right moment. I want to be able to react and save her. So, that’s why I’ve been looking at first aid courses such as this one https://cprcertificationnow.com/products/cpr-first-aid-bloodborne-pathogens-certification-online to learn more about giving CPR. Honestly, it makes a big difference in how I feel when something bad happens, and I am more confident I can help until they can see a doctor. 

 

The mental health mindset skills

I hate a day when everything seems to go wrong. At first, it’s one little thing, and then the other, and then it feels like the entire world is out there to get me. Here’s an important word to remember: Mindset. My mindset completely changes how I perceive the day. So, when something upsetting occurs, I have a choice. I can let it ruin my day. Or I can save the emotional processing for a more convenient time, such as explained here https://www.girlspring.com/the-mindset-that-saves-me-a-bad-day/. Developing a mindset that protects you from rough times can create a positivity cycle. And it’s exactly the mindset I need when my friends are having a bad day. It helps me reflect on the situation when I’m ready rather than having an impulsive and emotional reaction that could poison the situation even more.  

 

I think health skills can help me balance my reactions to be able to help those I care about. In a medical emergency, for instance, I feel confident I can react fast to assess the situation and provide immediate care until doctors arrive. But when I see a mental health issue, I also appreciate the importance of taking my time to respond emotionally. The bottom line: I can be someone who helps rather than someone who waits for help. 

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