As Wellbeing Prefect, Lara P-L supports our pupils by being a friendly and approachable mentor who the girls can talk to about any problems they may encounter on their Queenswood journey. She is especially keen to address the mental health issues which commonly affect young people. 

Here Lara shares her  first Positivity Pebble:

Dear Girls,

Today I would like to talk about maintaining a healthy body image and nurturing your self-esteem. So what does this mean? Well, a healthy body image is when you feel good about how you look, and when you feel comfortable with your body. Self-esteem is the opinion we have of ourselves, and if we have healthy self-esteem we tend to feel positive about ourselves and about life in general.

Nothing is more important than how you feel and think about yourself. Having a positive opinion of who you are and being able to recognise your own accomplishments, however small, is key to your wellbeing and something we often struggle to do in today’s society.

Personally, I have found that when you like yourself more and your opinion of yourself improves, you begin to feel much happier. You may even find that by accepting who you are, you’ll stop trying to get validation and attention from other people and your self-worth will come from within. We ourselves, are the most powerful mirror we can look into! So I suggest that you embrace who you are and not what or who you would rather be. 

Sometimes the ‘perfect’ images of people we see on social media or in magazines can trigger us to feel unhappy about how we look or to second-guess our abilities. Comparing how you look with friends or the celebrities you follow on social media might be upsetting. It's worth remembering that people are often showcasing the best aspects of their lives and that reality is often lost on Facebook or Instagram. You may find it helpful to limit the time you spend on social media or to redirect your attention to things that really matter.

Struggling to love and accept your body can be hard. Feeling as though your body shape is not represented in the media can make you feel defeated or ashamed and want to hide away. But you can change how you feel! Remember to appreciate your body, be proud of yourself and value others, no matter how they look. Most importantly, NEVER punish yourself in an attempt to achieve what you deem to be  ‘perfect’. What even is perfect?

Here’s a quote that helps me:

"Low self-confidence isn't a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practised, and mastered -- just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better." - Barrie Davenport 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend,

Lara P-L

Remember it is important to ask for help if you need it. You can always talk to the School Counsellor, the Chaplain or any adult at school. The Young Minds website also has helpful information - you can find the website here .