NQT Programme - Session 1

NQT Session 1 - Personal Wellbeing and Mindfulness

This week we started our first NQT session for 2018/19. The first session was to think about Personal Wellbeing and Mindfulness through discussion and thought provoking activities, led by AHT and facilitator, Georgina ward.

Katherine Weare Emeritus Professor, Universities of Exeter and Southampton skw@soton.ac.uk report discusses that research identifies that the wider adult and workplace literature on the impacts of mindfulness, show:

• reductions in stress, burnout and anxiety, including a reduction in days off work and feelings of task and time pressure, improved ability to manage thoughts and behaviour, an increase in coping skills, motivation, planning and problem solving, and taking more time to relax. 
• better mental health including less distress, negative emotion, depression and anxiety. 
• greater wellbeing, including life satisfaction, self-confidence, self-efficacy, selfcompassion and sense of personal growth. 
• increased kindness and compassion to others, including greater empathy, tolerance, forgiveness and patience, and less anger and hostility. 
• better physical health, including lower blood pressure, declines in cortisol (a stress hormone) and fewer reported physical health problems. 
• increased cognitive performance, including the ability to pay attention and focus, make decisions and respond flexibly to challenges. 
• enhanced job performance, including better classroom management and organisation, greater ability to prioritise, to see the whole picture, to be more selfmotivated and autonomous, to show greater attunement to students’ needs, and achieve more supportive relationships with them. 

We look forwrad to welcoming our NQT back for the seocnd session on Tuesday 27th November.