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The ability to monitor and manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that are productive to our well-being, relationships, and learning

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University of Boulder Colorado

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Taking care of your long-term mental and physical health is an important part of stress management. However, there isn't always time to take a nap, hike a fourteener, or read a novel. Thus, here are 25 ways to reduce stress in five minutes or less. From eating chocolate to meditating, there is a quick stress-relieving tactic for everyone.

1. Breathe
Slow, deep breaths can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Try pranayama breathing, a yogic method that involves breathing through one nostril at a time to relieve anxiety. The technique is supposed to work the same way as acupuncture, balancing the mind and body.

5. Give Yourself a Hand Massage
When there's no professional masseuse in sight, try DIYing a hand massage for instant relaxation that calms a pounding heart. Hands in general can carry a lot of tension. Apply some lotion and start kneading the base of the muscle under the thumb to relieve stress in the shoulders, neck, and scalp.

11. Try Progressive Relaxation
Anxious? Just squeeze, release, and repeat. Progressive relaxation involves tensing the muscles in one body part at a time to achieve a state of calm. The method ( also used by actors) is a great way to help fall asleep.

15. Eat Some Chocolate
Just a square (about 1.4 ounces) of the sweet stuff can calm your nerves. Dark chocolate regulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stabilizes metabolism.

16. Meditate
Five minutes of peace is all it takes to reap the benefits of meditation. There's evidence that just two quick bouts of silent meditation per day can relieve stress and depression. Find a comfortable spot in a quiet place, focus on your breath, and feel those anxieties start to disappear.

20. Laugh
Laughter is one of the sillier ways to beat stress, but there's science behind it. A fit of hysterics can increase blood flow and boost immunity. Check out a hilarious YouTube video (maybe a piano-playing pug?) for a quick pick-me-up.

24. Slurp Some Honey
Drown that stress in sweetness with a spoonful of honey. Besides being a natural skin moisturizer and antibiotic, honey also provides compounds that reduce inflammation in the brain, meaning it fights depression and anxiety.

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Taking care of your long-term mental and physical

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Connecting with self, purpose, others, content, and context. (Students, school community, curriculum, assessment, personal needs, life balance)

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As teachers, we encourage our students to have a growth mindset. We don't accept it when they say, "I can't do this," or "I'm dumb." We might even encourage them to use positive self-talk to calm themselves down or boost their confidence. But do you apply the same kind of growth mindset to your own teaching?

Daily affirmations can help you stay calm and confident even when faced with a challenging student or rough day. I recommend recording your favorite affirmations on your phone as a voice memo, saying each one twice. You can listen to them on your morning commute, and recite the second repetition with the recording. This might feel uncomfortable at first, but keep at it! The power of affirmations is in the repetition. You can also write them on a post-it note and post them on your mirror or in your planner. Here are 10 of my favorite affirmations.

1. I am a person of high integrity and sincere purpose.

2. I am a competent and capable teacher.

3. I treat myself and my students with kindness and respect.

4. I am becoming a better teacher every day.

5. I am making a difference in my students' lives.

6. The work I do matters.

7. I am thankful to have a challenging and fulfilling job.

8. I motivate and empower my students.

9. I believe in myself and my abilities.

10. I am peaceful and calm, and greet the day with ease.

Read more of Sarah's reflections on her blog, Years That Ask Questions.

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10 Daily Affirmations for Teachers | Teach For America

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Honest reflection can help you become a better teacher, but if you find yourself feeling resigned or disheartened, it's time to embrace a growth mindset.

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Internal self-awareness represents how clearly we see our own values, passions, aspirations, fit with our environment, thoughts, feelings, strengths, and weaknesses

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Finding Your Strengths--KPF Super Powers Self-Assessment

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Finding Your Strengths--KPF Super Powers Self-Assessment

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Just as we use children's strengths to support areas of need, we can, should, maybe it's we must...do the same for ourselves. Another way to think about strengths is to think of them as superpowers. Your superpower is the lifeline you are looking for! What's yours?

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35 Self-Affirmations that Will Change Your Life

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35 Self-Affirmations that Will Change Your Life

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Huffington Post

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If you believe the phrase you are what you think, then life truly stems from your thoughts. But we cannot rely purely on thoughts; we must translate thoughts into words and eventually into actions in order to manifest our intentions. This means we have to be very careful with our words, choosing to speak only those which work towards our benefit and cultivate our highest good. Affirmations help purify our thoughts and restructure the dynamic of our brains so that we truly begin to think nothing is impossible. The word affirmation comes from the Latin affirmare, originally meaning "to make steady, strengthen."

Affirmations do indeed strengthen us by helping us believe in the potential of an action we desire to manifest. When we verbally affirm our dreams and ambitions, we are instantly empowered with a deep sense of reassurance that our wishful words will become reality.

Affirmations are proven methods of self-improvement because of their ability to rewire our brains. Much like exercise, they raise the level of feel-good hormones and push our brains to form new clusters of "positive thought" neurons( http://www.arlenetaylor.org/brain-care/953-affirmation). In the sequence of thought-speech-action, affirmations play an integral role by breaking patterns of negative thoughts, negative speech, and, in turn, negative actions.

The art of the spoken word is critical in crafting our futures. As a teacher of spirituality, it is my firm belief that we influence the universe word by word. If we dictate to it our wishes, it will respond. When we utter a sound, we emit a sound wave into the universe. This sound wave pierces through the air and becomes a real object. It therefore exists in our world, intangible and invisible. No words are empty words, as every syllable we speak engages energy towards or against us. If you constantly say "I can't," the energy of your words will repel the universal force against you. But if you say "I can!" the universe will endow you with the abilities to do just that. So speak away; relinquish your fears and purge your anger, predict your own future and live up to your potential with the 35 affirmations that will change your life:

1.) I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents.

2.) Today, I am brimming with energy and overflowing with joy.

3.) My body is healthy; my mind is brilliant; my soul is tranquil.

4.) I am superior to negative thoughts and low actions.

5.) I have been given endless talents which I begin to utilize today.

6.) I forgive those who have harmed me in my past and peacefully detach from them.

7.) A river of compassion washes away my anger and replaces it with love.

8.) I am guided in my every step by Spirit who leads me towards what I must know and do.

9.) (If you're married) My marriage is becoming stronger, deeper, and more stable each day.

10.) I possess the qualities needed to be extremely successful.

11.) (For business owners) My business is growing, expanding, and thriving.

12.) Creative energy surges through me and leads me to new and brilliant ideas.

13.) Happiness is a choice. I base my happiness on my own accomplishments and the blessings I've been given.

14.) My ability to conquer my challenges is limitless; my potential to succeed is infinite.

15.) (For those who are unemployed) I deserve to be employed and paid well for my time, efforts, and ideas. Each day, I am closer to finding the perfect job for me.

16.) I am courageous and I stand up for myself.

17.) My thoughts are filled with positivity and my life is plentiful with prosperity.

18.) Today, I abandon my old habits and take up new, more positive ones.

19.) Many people look up to me and recognize my worth; I am admired.

20.) I am blessed with an incredible family and wonderful friends.

21.) I acknowledge my own self-worth; my confidence is soaring.

22.) Everything that is happening now is happening for my ultimate good.

23.) I am a powerhouse; I am indestructible.

24.) Though these times are difficult, they are only a short phase of life.

25.) My future is an ideal projection of what I envision now.

26.) My efforts are being supported by the universe; my dreams manifest into reality before my eyes.

27.) (For those who are single) The perfect partner for me is coming into my life sooner than I expect.

28.) I radiate beauty, charm, and grace.

29.) I am conquering my illness; I am defeating it steadily each day.

30.) My obstacles are moving out of my way; my path is carved towards greatness.

31.) I wake up today with strength in my heart and clarity in my mind.

32.) My fears of tomorrow are simply melting away.

33.) I am at peace with all that has happened, is happening, and will happen.

34.) My nature is Divine; I am a spiritual being.

35.) My life is just beginning.

You can utilize any of these affirmations alone or create your own unique combination based on your personal wishes and needs. What is most important is to establish a profound communication with the universe -- so say it with conviction, say it in your own unique voice, and make it happen in the real world.

Affirming my love,
Dr. Carmen Harra

To connect with Dr. Harra on Facebook, click here.

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35 Affirmations That Will Change Your Life

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If you believe the phrase "you are what we think", then life truly stems from your thoughts. But we cannot rely purely on thoughts; we must translate thoughts into words and eventually into actions in order to manifest our intentions.

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Brene Brown: Daring Classrooms Leadership Assessment

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Brene Brown: Daring Classrooms Leadership Assessment

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Daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are teachable, observable, and measurable: Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into our Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise.

The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and your opportunities for growth as a daring leader. On average, the assessment takes less than ten minutes, and you will be able to print or email the results to yourself.

We do NOT store responses or results.

Deep gratitude to everyone who worked on this three-year assessment project. Special thanks to Dr. Ronda Dearing, our senior director of research, and to the MBA and EMBA students at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

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The Daring Leadership Assessment will help you gauge your strengths and opportunities for growth as a daring leader. Based on the work and research of Brené Brown.

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So you've done the quiz and you know what your top core values are. Now what? Here are some reflection questions that'll help you make meaning of your core values and think about how to use them:

Which of your core values feels easiest to uphold? Which feels hardest?

If you had only one top value, which would that be? Why? How are your other values related to this top core value?

Recall a time when you embodied or acted on a core value. You may have made a decision based on a core value. What happened? What made it possible, or even easy, for you to act on that value?

Recall a time when your own actions violated one of your core values-when you didn't uphold a core value or made a decision that conflicted with a core value. What happened? When did you realize you were acting in opposition to a core value?

Can you identify a time when your core values felt like they conflicted with each other? Perhaps you had to make a decision, but felt pulled between two options because of your core values. What happened?

Recall a time when one of your core values was tested by other people at work. What happened? How did that experience help you understand your values better?

What's Next?
Post your values where you can see them. In the morning, set an intention to act on a specific core value. Think about what it would look like for you to act in alignment with that value. Where might there be opportunities during the day to do so? At the end of the day, reflect on how you upheld your value. When did it feel easy to do so? When were you challenged? In the moments when you were challenged, was there another core value that you might have been unconsciously trying to uphold?

When you don't feel good about something that happened-someone says or does something that upsets you-see if there might be a connection with a core value. Perhaps one of these felt unappreciated or violated. Perhaps you violated your own core value.

How have your core values help you make decisions, connect with others, and expand your resilience? Please share in the comments!

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Exploring Core Values: Beyond the Quiz - Onward

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So you've done the quiz and you know what your top core values are. Now what? Here are some reflection questions that'll help you make meaning of your core values and think about how to use them: Which of your core values feels easiest to uphold? Which feels hardest?

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Self-Awareness in Early Childhood Classrooms: Feelings and Sensations Word List

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Self-Awareness in Early Childhood Classrooms: Feelings and Sensations Word List

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Discover your hot buttons

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Creating a plan for strengths, goals, and triggers

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Self-Care Strategies for Challenging Behavior

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Self-Care Strategies for Challenging Behavior

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Self-Care strategies to help you work through challenging behavior

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1. How am I caring for my heart?

2. How am I caring for my body

3. How am I caring for my mind?

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Increase your self-awareness with one simple fix

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We’d all like to believe we’re self-aware, but in reality, the facts point to a more sobering truth. Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich has spent the last 4 years researching what it truly means to be self-aware, and in the process, has made a surprising discovery about human perception. In this illuminating talk, Eurich dissects common misbeliefs about introspective thinking and provides a simple way we can get to know ourselves just a little bit better.

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Taking Care of Your Mind: Why Curiosity Matters

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Taking Care of Your Mind: Why Curiosity Matters

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Taking Care of Your Heart: Everyday Gratitude Ideas

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Taking Care of Your Heart: Everyday Gratitude Ideas

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Spirituality/Connection in Early Childhood Classrooms: Gratitude Prompts for Early Childhood

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Spirituality/Connection in Early Childhood Classrooms: Gratitude Prompts for Early Childhood

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Great for mealtime conversations and transitions

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Gratitude Prompts  for Early Childhod Classrooms

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Being aware of our environment, social dynamics, and situational cues. Situational awareness can help us "read the room" and is a key skill for maintaining relationships.

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Ability to deeply listen and have a great read of people. Empathy and active listening play a large role in social awareness

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Go for a walk outside or observe in your classroom using all 5 senses.

5 Things you SEE
4 Things you can TOUCH
3 Things you HEAR
2 Things you SMELL
1 Thing you TASTE

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Ahead of Time: Print out pictures of families and clipart of comfort items--blankets, stuffed animals, paper and crayons, water, food, tents/shelter

Make up a story about how you’re on a ship, and you’ve found yourself on a deserted island. You don’t know where you are, and you feel scared. Have children walk around and pick out items they need to feel safe. Put the objects on the island and talk about how those objects (or people) make them feel.  Children can also draw objects on the island if there isn't a picture to represent their idea.

After: Take the objects children selected and place some or all of them in your classroom Safe Place

Other Important Self-Regulators: Deep Breathing, Daily Routine, Classroom Safe Place, Co-Regulation

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Kristie Pretti-Frontczak

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Situational Awareness and Decision Fatigue

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Situational Awareness and Decision Fatigue

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Teachers Make Roughly 1500 Decisions a Day!

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Teachers make about 1,500 decisions per day, which can lead to decision fatigue, a situation in which the brain is so exhausted and overloaded with decisions that it either looks for shortcuts or stops working altogether. Decision fatigue often leads teachers of reading to outsource our decisions to manuals, guides, and social media platforms that offer the promise of a quick fix. This outsourcing is a natural outcome of trying to cope with decision fatigue, and we've all been there.

The unfortunate consequence, though, is that outsourcing often leads to teaching that misses the mark, and we end up needing to reteach concepts when our students are ready for them-which can lead to more fatigue.

A good way to triumph over decision fatigue is to focus on the decisions that have the most impact. In our research, we found three decisions that are worth reading teachers' attention. They all start with letting students be your guide-by doing so, you regain the trust in the intuitive expertise that helps you thrive.

Decision 1: What Books Do I Make Sure End Up in My Students' Hands?

The more students read-actually read, not skim or pretend read- the stronger readers they become. Students are most likely to read when they get lost in the story of a great book and when they study a topic they're curious about. And a pivotal study found that students increased the time they spent reading by 60 percent when they had classroom libraries.

There's no magic list of books that will motivate all students to read. However, we've found that books fly off the shelves when they are relatable, represent something the students have faced in their lives, focus on topics that feel a bit edgy, and have plot lines that help readers develop empathy for others with very different life experiences.

When teachers decide to make book selection a priority in their classrooms, students are more likely to become independent readers. Student book talks, book blogs, and robust classroom libraries help students gain easy access to books they want to read and can read.

Decision 2: What Kinds of Conversations Should My Students Have About Their Reading?

The question is not, "Should we let students talk?" but rather, "How much and what kinds of talk?" Teachers see an increase in both engagement and understanding of texts when they open up space for daily conversations during read-alouds, shared reading, independent reading, and book club experiences.

The key is to offer students general choices about what to talk about, so conversations don't feel forced and artificial. Invite students to generate a list of conversation topics with you and then let them choose what's most compelling to them. For example, the list might include the main character's wants, or whether the narrator is trustworthy, or whether students would want to be friends with a character.

All in all, it's critical to remember that students benefit from a few minutes a day to talk before, during, and after reading.

Decision 3: What Kinds of Writing Should I Encourage My Students to Do About Their Reading?

Students benefit from keeping a reading notebook where they choose how to document and develop their thinking. The notebooks are filled with a variety of entries for which the student feels that he or she is part of the audience, in addition to the teacher.

Just as bookmarks are used to remind readers of where they left off in a book, notebook entries can help students save their thinking in those places and remind them of where their thinking left off. These notebooks become personalized, safe spaces for taking risks in their thinking. Treating the notebooks like the currently popular bullet journals lets students know they can be creative.

Readers tend to record three types of thinking in reading-notebook entries:

Right-now thinking: Readers write about what they're thinking in one part of the text.

Over-time thinking: Readers write about ideas that are formed from noticing patterns in multiple places in the text.

Refining thinking: Readers look back at their thinking and develop it even further.

Students benefit from notebook entries where they choose how they write about their thinking-and teachers encourage creativity, visual representations, and a variety of entries over time.

We want to help you spend your decision energy wisely. If you focus on three main decisions, your teaching will be streamlined. So the next time you're in the midst of decision fatigue, give yourself a break and remember that not every decision is worth your precious energy. Find the balance that works for you and your students.

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Teachers make about 1,500 decisions per day, which can lead to decision fatigue, a situation in which the brain is so exhausted and overloaded with decisions that it either looks for shortcuts or stops working altogether. Decision fatigue often leads teachers of reading to outsource our decisions to manuals, guides, and social media platforms that offer the promise of a quick fix.

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A Cheat Sheet if You're Feeling Stuck with Change

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Understanding emotion in ourselves and others.

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Brené reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own emotions.

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Elevating Early Learning Experience with EQ

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Elevating Early Learning Experience with EQ

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Elevating Early Learning Experiences Through Emotional Intelligence