Both health and well-being are central themes in Lyfta's storyworlds. Also,
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 is to
Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. The SDGs are one of the cornerstones for Lyfta's learning materials. In our educational philosophy, we define well-being in the following way:
"Well-being refers to the interconnected dimensions of physical, mental, and social well-being. It is a general term for the condition of an individual or group. Sustaining well-being includes choices and activities aimed at achieving physical and mental vitality, social satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, and personal fulfilment."
In Secrets of the Opera visitors meet, among others, a ballet dancer called Terhi. She loves to eat hamburgers. In her story, Terhi explains how a professional ballet dancer plans a healthy diet. The Awra Amba storyworld introduces Mulaw-Lanchi, a nurse who sees in her work how misbeliefs, such as alternative medicine, can affect people's physical health. In the Dinnertime 360 storyworld we meet Anni, a teenage weightlifter who has to timetable her meals according to her training. Dinnertime 360 viewers also get to visit three other homes and experience how dinner, regardless of any cultural background, brings together family members to enjoy both physical and mental nutrition. Through these and other Lyfta stories, visitors gain many perspectives to maintaining a healthy lifestyle that supports holistic well-being.
So well-being isn't a potence of the physical body only, but one of our minds as well; emotional, mental, intellectual and spiritual well-being are also important to take care of. According to
The Guardian newspaper "one in 10 children – an average of three in every classroom – has a diagnosable mental health problem, and 75% of mental health problems in adults have their roots in childhood."
There is an increasing demand to include well-being as part of the curricula. And that is what we, at Lyfta, are striving to be a part of. For example, Anni's story in Dinnertime 360 opens up perspectives into resilience. In Secrets of the Opera, Tomi, a former ballet dancer and current makeup artist teaches us about growth mindset, and Hanna shows us what to do when "it all gets a bit too much", helping us to understand mindfulness.
We all experience a great deal of different emotions on a daily basis. How we interact with the world around us depends on our emotional responses. It is of great importance that we equip students with enough knowledge and skills to be in charge of their own life and well-being.
As no person is an island, we can also spread well-being around us. And that doesn't need to be a ponderous wrestle. If we learn from early on how our mere existence can communicate sincerity and kindness, we can share a gift that actually makes us richer. Collaborating, sharing and comparing experiences, and just hanging out together are easy ways to increase comprehensive well-being.
If you like the artwork created by our illustrator Mirella Baas,
download it! It is a great way to spark discussion on well-being. We would also love to hear about those discussions or your opinions. You can share them on our
Facebook or
Twitter.
Would you like to know more about World Health Day? In spirit of this year's theme, Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere, the World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared a
quiz on how much you know about Universal Health Coverage.
