Resilience

The final term of the school year is a crazy time in schools. End of year reporting, class allocations, timetabling, budgets and planning for next year swamp us at a time when our energies are low and many of us feel we are running on empty. By the end of the year we are more likely to be sensitive, ‘thin skinned’ and emotional because we are run down and in need of that well-earned break. We shouldn’t be surprised. The same thing happens at this time every year. The important thing is HOW we respond to this challenge. Monitoring our self-talk and our sensitivity are particularly important at this time of the year. We are far more susceptible to allowing irritations that would not…

The default move for getting more done is to do more. That can work and it can also waste a lot of time, energy and attention doing stuff that just doesn’t really matter.       We also need to know when to stop doing things. This week, create some stopping rules so you’ll know when to stop doing something. Here are 8 situations you might like to consider setting some rules that you should abide by. Inspired by Donald Sull and Kathleen Eisenhardt’s book, Simple Rules. Email – When have you spent enough time on email? If you are checking school email at night, set a time limit. You’ll be amazed at how much gets done in 15 minutes if we set…

Self-talk refers to the internal dialogue we have with ourselves, the thoughts and messages that run through our minds on a daily basis. That little voice inside your head tells a story. The stories we tell ourselves are a specific form of self-talk, where we create narratives about ourselves, others and the world around us. These stories shape how we see the world, what actions we take and what we think about ourselves. The impact of self-talk and the stories we tell ourselves is significant. Positive self-talk can boost our self-esteem, motivation and resilience. By replacing negative thoughts with empowering and supportive ones, we can cultivate a more optimistic outlook and improve our mental health. For example, reframing a setback…