‘Kindness club’: Ashley Bloomfield on health and wellbeing project Pause Breathe Smile

Few people understand high stress levels and their impact on mental health quite like Sir Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly

Kiwi health legend Sir Ashley Bloomfield is taking a jab at teaching kids important life skills.

As the former “face of Covid” in New Zealand, few people understand high stress levels and their impact on mental health quite like Sir Ashley Bloomfield.

Which is why the Napier-born, Wellington-bred scientist and former director general of health, who became one of the most recognised people in New Zealand history, says it’s vital to teach our children some emotional wellbeing techniques for their future.

These days, Bloomfield is involved in several health and wellbeing-related projects, one of which is Pause Breathe Smile (PBS), a mindfulness programme designed to grow and improve mental health tools for primary and intermediate schoolchildren.

He is also a professor at the University of Auckland and the interim chief executive of public Crown Institute ESR.

“I got involved with PBS because I wanted to work with a Kiwi organisation that aligned with my own personal values, that also had some solid science behind it, and evidence to show that it was effective,” says the dad-of-three, who has been married to Libby, a fellow doctor, for 34 years.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield is involved in several health and wellbeing-related projects, including Pause Breathe Smile. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly

“There’s a lot of speculation behind the reasons for the global trend of kids struggling with their mental health, including length of screen time, access to phones from an early age, the pandemic and a decrease in one-on-one interaction.

“The role of PBS is to try to equip children with a set of tools and skills that they can use when they meet challenges, including those that can provoke anxiety.”

A new report out last week shows teachers are noticing a significant change in kids who are being taught mindfulness and wellbeing techniques.

“Kids who were feeling anxious or stressed, or were struggling to regulate their emotions, are less disruptive, less withdrawn, more engaged and able to concentrate, which is very encouraging,” Bloomfield says. “We’re also seeing benefits for both boys and girls, and Māori and non-Māori, and there’s a te reo version of the programme too, which is great.”

Growing up with a primary school teacher as a mother, Bloomfield has a deep-rooted respect for teachers and understands it’s hard for them to do their job if there’s a disruptive influence in the classroom.

“I have so much admiration for teachers. Those of us who work in adult workplaces see the impact of people’s behaviour on our own function every day. Imagine having 25 to 30 students all with their own needs, with different issues in their individual lives?

“I’ve heard some lovely stories about kids who are sharing what they’ve learned in the programme with parents and whānau at home – just like they do with a lot of things they learn – so there are wider benefits too.

“I like the idea that behaviours like kindness are infectious. Kindness has benefits to both the person doing the kind act and the recipient of that act. I’m a fully paid-up member of the kindness club!”

Sir Ashley Bloomfield is a "fully paid-up member" of the kindness and mindfulness clubs. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly

And, of course, he isn’t just paying lip service to the importance of mental health. He and Libby, who is currently doing a Masters in counselling, are also fully paid-up members of the mindfulness club – even if he is still on his learners!

“This was a key challenge for me because I always thought sitting down and meditating, doing mindful stuff, was a waste of time, when I could be doing other things. Because Libby is a much more seasoned mindfulness practitioner, she is very good at taking care of her own wellbeing.

“Doing a job like I was doing, where the stakes are so high and the stress so relentless, becomes your normal to the point that you forget what you’re doing isn’t normal. It’s a sort of addiction in a way, because if you’re a busy person, you can justify avoiding things perhaps you aren’t so keen on doing. But in part because I felt an obligation to try mindfulness as I’m part of the programme, I wanted to try. And now I have, I’m a big fan.”

And when he does need some guidance to get him back on track, Libby is there. “After all these years, we’re pretty in tune with each other,” he smiles.

“These days, she has so much on, I’m quite enjoying being the one who can be there for her, to respond to her needs and make her cups of tea.”

He freely admits he’s learning as much from the programme as the teachers and kids.

“The main thing I’ve learned is that resilient people aren’t the people who just keep going,” he says. “Resilient people are people who know their boundaries well and take active steps to stay in those boundaries.

“We all feel it physically when we are under mental and emotional stress – it’s important we listen to that and act accordingly,” says Bloomfield, who unwinds with walks and bike rides with family and friends.

“Take a day off, spend time with friends and family,” he advises. “Work on expanding your resilience capacity by doing things that fill the tank so that when the pressure is on, we have reserves to draw on.”

Learn more

Pause Breathe Smile has been fully funded by Southern Cross Healthcare since 2020 and has been implemented in more than 500 schools, reaching more than 150,000 students. For more information, visit pausebreathsmile.nz