June 2022 – Happy Schools

Be Careful About the Assumptions You Make

June 30, 2022

According to Stephen MR Covey we see another person’s behaviour and make assumptions about their intentions. If we think their intentions are good, we are more likely to trust them. If we are suspicious of their intentions or believe that their intentions are selfish and not in our interests, we are less likely to trust them. However, the same behaviour can be interpreted different ways. It all depends on how the person ‘reads’ the other person. Emotional intelligence is important. Research shows that ‘accurate person perception’ or being able to ‘read’ people is very beneficial. However, the vast majority of us are not as good at reading people as we think we are. Far from it! University of Chicago professor,…

Clearing Your Head When Feeling Overwhelmed

June 23, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

As a teenager I sustained a life-threatening injury when, during a match, a hockey ball struck me in the head and damaged my temporal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for auditory perception, speech and language and memory. To help me through school and university, I needed to develop methods to reduce excessive cognitive loading and instill strategies to aid in my decision-making processes. To do this I had to develop simple strategies to clear my head of overwhelm and to simplify complex information into ways that were easy for me to digest and remember. Out of my challenges, came ways that I now use with others to help them simplify the complexity of their work. If I attempt…

Top 5 Tips for Feeling Happy

June 16, 2022

Stevef

Engagement

There is a clear link between our health and our happiness. We know that the happier we are, the healthier we feel. The more that we can manage the stress in our lives and experience happiness, the more resistant we are to ill health. Working in schools means working with people. At times people can be unpredictable and difficult to deal with, especially when our reserves are running low. This can create challenging situations. Ultimately it is how we respond to these situations that has an impact on our stress levels and our happiness. We do have choices. Recognising that we have the power to choose how much things affect us is the first step in increasing our own happiness.…

Life Is Not the Way It Is Supposed to Be- Part 2

June 9, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

In part one I paraphrased a quote from Virginia Satir “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. It’s what we chose to do with it , that makes the difference.“ So, how serene are you? Do you ever have a feeling of equilibrium or a deep sense of contentment? (mind you I have not in the past few months!!) What events – and more importantly thoughts – disturb your equilibrium? Are you able to find peace in the chaos? Have you had a situation in the past where you have just accepted things as they are and worked with that situation as it evolved? Do you listen to intuition or hunches…

Life Is Not the Way It Is Supposed to Be- Part 1

June 2, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

I found this fantastic quote and thought ‘wow’! “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.“ Virginia Satir Of course! But often it’s the most obvious things that we lose sight of in this age of super uncertainty, fear and stress. These last two years has been one of tumultuous personal change and fear for most people. I think that’s why this quote had such an impact on me. There is an element of acceptance or surrender that is necessary for us to flow with the tidal waves of life as opposed to the struggle involved in battling the…