Resilience – Page 4 – Happy Schools

What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

August 17, 2023

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…

Is It Good Or Bad

June 29, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

As humans, we have a tendency to categorise things as either good or bad. This cognitive bias is deeply ingrained in us and affects our daily lives in various ways. We tend to judge events, experiences and people based on this binary thinking, which can be limiting and counterproductive. It is not helpful to judge situations as good or bad as this can affect our mental and emotional wellbeing. Judging situations as good or bad can create unnecessary stress and anxiety. When we label a situation as bad, we tend to focus on the negative aspects of it and ruminate over it. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and despair, which can affect our mental health. On the…

Promoting Resilience in the Teaching Profession

June 16, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

Teachers and other staff who work in schools are faced with many challenges on a daily basis. From dealing with difficult students and parents, to managing a heavy workload and meeting high expectations. It can be easy to become overwhelmed. Resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity, is a critical skill to develop. One way to promote resilience is through self-care. This includes taking care of your physical, emotional and mental well-being. This may mean setting aside time each day for exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep and practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing to slow our minds. It’s also important to make time for activities you enjoy, such as reading, spending time with friends…

Perfectionism – What’s it costing you?

June 1, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

A large number of staff who work in schools are parents. Working parents today (especially mums) feel enormous pressure to achieve: happy and contented children ✓ amazing relationships ✓ well-nourished family ✓ clean and tidy home ✓ well cared for extended family ✓ ‘Awesome’ kids’ parties ✓ fit, healthy, vibrant and immaculately dressed ✓ gorgeous home ✓ financial security ✓ and the list is endless. Trying to keep all these balls in the air ‘perfectly’ all the time is contributing to the epidemic of stress, anxiety and depression in high functioning parents. What’s so great about being ‘perfect’? It hides the fear. Fear of uncertainty. Brene Brown says that we perfect ourselves and our children to avoid shame or blame,…

7 Day Sleep Prescription

May 11, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

Like eating, drinking and breathing, we need to sleep to survive. Sleep is just as important to our health, as diet and exercise. It is just as important in supporting life as food, water and oxygen. You can’t be at your best if you aren’t sleeping well. Unfortunately, many aspects of modern life work against us achieving quality sleep. Improving our sleep can lead to improvements in many other aspects of our life, including how we feel, what we eat, how we learn and how we react to others. Most of us realise the importance of getting a good night’s sleep however, the anxiety that we experience in trying to get to sleep makes the situation worse. In Dr Aric…

Do You Look After Yourself?

May 4, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

Recently I was suffering from “man flu”. Men are always the last to know that they have it. Luckily my gorgeous wife was able to point it out to me. Apparently, “man flu” is when a man has a slight cold but they think it is the end of the world! Now, I am not a believer in “soldiering on”. I believe that when my body is ill I need to rest and let it get better. Consequently, I cancelled several work and social appointments. Now, I could have gone along but it was just not worth it. There was a slight chance I could have infected the person I was meeting (and depending on their air-conditioning system, half of the…

The Power of Keeping your Cool

April 27, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

Many of us have done it. After losing patience, we’ve become a bit snappy with a room full of students or raised our voices a level or two higher than we should have. It happens. The longer you teach, the more probable an incidence (or two) becomes. Responsive, Not Reactive Once a teacher loses it with a class or student, it takes some time to rebuild that feeling of safety and trust within those four walls, so it’s wise to avoid heading in that direction. If you are a new teacher, it’s important to develop good habits around routinely using a calm and appropriate voice level with your students. (We’ve all heard the explosive teacher down the hall in another…

The Joy of Change (Part 2)

February 16, 2023

Stevef

Behaviour Management

In part 1, I talked about the neuroplasticity of the brain and the importance of the heart level emotional connection of the “what’s in it for me if I change” component. Learning If we want someone to do something different, we have to give them enough information, knowledge and training to feel supported and confident that they can do what is being asked of them. Learning makes a huge difference. It is also the way to keep our brains young and vital; and not just simple stuff – we have to learn things that are completely different or something we have never done before. Even before I learned about this, I had always had a dream to play the harp.…

The Joy of Change (Part 1)

February 9, 2023

Stevef

Resilience

This is my next mission – to help people understand that change is possible and can be joyful. The good news is that science says we can change! We are not hard wired. A leopard can change its spots. Well, maybe a leopard can’t, but we can! Essentially, neuroplasticity describes the brain’s ability to set up new connections – everything in life is about connections, at a brain and heart level. The Brain Level and the Power of Focus and Attention I somehow knew this when I was 23 and practicing as a new, enthusiastic, and excited physical therapist. I was working in the neurological ward and I used to explain to my stroke patients that the first time they…

Make Them Laugh

December 8, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

Modern life is exhausting, stressful and the pursuit of happiness plagues our thoughts, making us exhausted and unhappy. How can we rise above all the obstacles and create a pathway to happiness? Make them Laugh!! Be an inspiration to others to feel good in the present moment. I have found the answer to my pursuit of happiness. Laughter Yoga. Don’t dismiss it until you have tried it. You’ve heard laughter is the best medicine, right? Yes! How can we sustain laughter in our lives to get the benefit when humour is subjective or not the same for everyone? Laughter Yoga makes a sensational difference in the world by turning laughter into therapy with positivity. There are three simple aspects to…