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Please use this space to add other posts with ideas, resources or tools that can inspire others. Thank you!

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Please use this space to add other posts with ideas, resources or tools that can inspire others. Thank you!

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How to navigate through this learning experience

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Please watch this short video to understand the purpose of this learning experience

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Sharing Thoughts and Reflecting. Exit Ticket

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Sharing Thoughts and Reflecting. Exit Ticket

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One way to impact learning and make it stick is to reflect on what you read and think about how you can use it in your daily lives, personally and professionally.
I would like to thank you in advance for sharing your ideas and thoughts in the padlet by commenting on the post or adding your post below each column. These are totally anonymous, but feel free to add your name if you prefer. Also, please complete this FLEx-it Ticket once you have finished this module

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"Put on your oxygen mask on first, then assist others."

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Can You Choose One Character Strength that Is Your Greatest Strength?

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Can You Choose One Character Strength that Is Your Greatest Strength?

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Take a few minutes to reflect on your choice. Why did you choose that one? Was it hard to chose just ONE? How would you feel if you could choose 3 or 4 instead? Please add your thoughts to the padlet. Thank you.

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Icons_Classification of Character Stregths and Virtues

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Character Strengths. Take the VIA survey. 

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Character Strengths. Take the VIA survey. 

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Why take the survey?
The VIA Survey is the only free, scientific survey of character strengths in the world. Take this simple, 10 minute character test and discover your greatest strengths. Research shows that knowing and using your character strengths can help you:

Increase happiness and well-beingFind meaning and purposeBoost relationshipsManage stress and healthAccomplish goals

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Millions of people have taken the free VIA survey to discover their greatest strengths so they can use them in their everyday lives.

How is a Report different from the free VIA Survey?

Our free survey provides your rank order list of character strengths with the strengths that are most core to your identity at the top. A VIA Report provides personalized, in-depth analysis of your character strengths, including actionable tips to apply them to find greater well-being.

Explore Reports

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Millions of people have taken the free VIA survey to discover their greatest strengths so they can use them in their everyday lives. Our free survey provides your rank order list of character strengths with the strengths that are most core to your identity at the top.

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The 24 Character Strengths

In the early 2000s, something groundbreaking occurred in the social sciences: Scientists discovered a common language of 24 character strengths that make up what’s best about our personality. Everyone possesses all 24 character strengths in different degrees, so each person has a truly unique character strengths profile. Each character strength falls under one of these six broad virtue categories, which are universal across cultures and nations. See the full character strengths list here and learn more about each one.

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How could you use this activity with the adults you work with?
Do you think starting a meeting with something like this can make everyone more ready for the meeting? Time is always an issue and, how could we make the most of the meetings if we have our minds wandering?
How could you change/adjust this idea to best fit your needs?
Please add your thoughts on the padlet. Thank you!

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Check out this resource. Credit to Andrew Milne. You can follow him and his journey on Twitter @carmelhealth and his blog https://slowchathealth.com/
Please take a moment to answer these questions on the padlet:
Why did you select this resource?
What did you learn from this resource?
How can you apply what you learned to your daily life?

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see this?
How thinking "We" instead of "Me" can help you feel more fulfilled in life and thrive?

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Please listen to this audio, then, look at the following post and choose a picture

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Please listen to this recording. Look at the photos again and choose one that represents you when you have strong, positive emotions.

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How is this little experiment making you feel?
Why is important to be aware of your emotions?
Do you know that emotions last for 90 seconds? How could you use this knowledge to approach emotional situations with students or even colleagues?

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As I settled into my seat for a flight to New York City, the man sitting next to me told me his name was Bart and began chatting amiably. He was charming and poised, but his refined demeanor crumpled when he learned I was a psychologist. "God, I could use your help," he said as he slumped back in his seat.

Bart was an award-winning partner at a large architecture firm. Though he loved the creative part of being an architect, working with demanding clients was maddening. Sometimes he couldn't take the aggravation and would suddenly blurt out exactly what he was thinking. He had recently called his top client "a narcissistic blowhard." Not surprisingly, the man had taken his business elsewhere, as had many other clients.

Amygdala Hijack

Bart was a victim of the "amygdala hijack," a term coined by Dr. Daniel Goldman, a psychologist who studies emotional intelligence. Dr. Goldman created this phrase based on research by Dr. Joseph Ledoux in The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life, which explores the powerful influence of a brain region called the amygdala.

The amygdala is a small area, deep in the center of the brain, that plays a huge role in emotional functioning. It's responsible for your primitive reactions to dangerous stimuli, often referred to as the "fight, flight or freeze" response.

Because these life and death reactions are vital to survival, your brain wires information from the outside world to the amygdala faster than it does to other parts of your brain. This enables the amygdala to instantly take over and bypass the frontal cortex, the part of the brain in charge of planning and reasoning. When the amygdala is in charge, you act without thinking. Helpful if a bear is chasing you. Not so helpful at work, and other bear-free zones.

Sometimes our brain can't tell the difference between a bear, an annoying client, or a tailgating car. This is when the "90-second rule" comes in handy.
90 Second Pause
According to Harvard brain scientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, ninety seconds is all it takes to identify an emotion and allow it to dissipate while you simply notice it. When you're stressed, pausing ninety seconds and labeling what you're feeling (eg., I'm getting angry), tamps down activity in the amygdala. MRI studies of the brain show that this "emotion labeling" calms the brain region involved in angry outbursts and helps you regain control. Dr. Bolte explains.
"When a person has a reaction to something in their environment," she says, "there's a 90-second chemical process that happens in the body; after that, any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop." "Something happens in the external world, and chemicals are flushed through your body which puts it on full alert. For those chemicals to totally flush out of the body, it takes less than 90 seconds. This means that for 90 seconds you can watch the process happening, you can feel it happening, and then you can watch it go away." "After that, if you continue to feel fear, anger, and so on, you need to look at the thoughts that you're thinking that are re-stimulating the circuitry that is resulting in you having this physiological reaction, over and over again."
Dr. Taylor's research suggests that mindfulness - the practice of bringing your attention to your present moment experience without judgment - can help emotions move through you quickly. That's great news. Unfortunately, changing how you react to your feelings is harder than it sounds.

Let's explore how to put Dr. Taylor's research into action by looking at common challenges and roadblocks, and how someone like Bart might deal with them.
Putting it into Practice
There are three steps to allowing an emotion to dissipate in 90 seconds: Identify it, label it, and observe it without trying to change it. Let's look at each of these in turn.

Emotions usually begin with physical responses. For example, anger may show up as chest tightness, rapid heartbeat, agitation, sweating or feeling hot. Some people initially experience their emotions as thoughts. For example, in meetings, Bart is often full of judgment toward his clients.

Challenge: Bart, like many people, is out of touch with himself. He rarely thinks about his feelings, thoughts or body. If you asked him what he was feeling at any given moment, he wouldn't know. Likewise, he can't identify the physical sensations that accompany his anger until it's too late to stop an outburst.

Solution: Someone like Bart can start by simply paying more attention to himself. To do this, he could set an hourly reminder to take an internal weather report by asking himself, What's going on in my body? What am I thinking right now? As he checks in, Bart should pay close attention to physical "tells" of his growing anger, such as restlessness or stomach tightness. He might notice mental signs, such as harsh judgments or an intense desire for his clients to leave.

This step involves simply naming the emotion, such as I'm feeling angry. Do this as a neutral observer might, without judgment.

Challenge: Bart isn't skilled in identifying his feelings.

Solution: Having a cheat sheet helps. When I work with clients who don't know what they're feeling, I ask them to pick between five options: mad, sad, glad, afraid, or ashamed. This list is easy to memorize. It's a multiple-choice question and "none of the above" is not an option. (However, you might pick more than one, as you often have multiple feelings at the same time). When Bart notices physical sensations and asks himself " What am I feeling?" he may not know the answer. That's ok. He can follow up by asking himself, If I had to pick between mad, sad, glad, afraid, and ashamed, what would it be? Although this question may seem reductive, regularly answering it builds self-awareness. This is crucial, as you have to be aware of a feeling in order to observe it moving through you, which is the last step.

Allow the feeling to come and go without judging or trying to change it

Feelings are like ocean waves - they rise, crest and recede, all day long. Dr. Taylor's research shows that the entire "wave" process takes 90 seconds if you identify, label, and accept your emotion. This last step involves allowing the feeling to exist without trying to shove it down or deny it, or conversely, magnify it or make it a big deal. Simply observe it.

Challenge: Feeling your emotions can be painful, confusing, and scary, and it's natural to want to avoid them. Luckily, you can build up your tolerance for emotions much like you can strengthen muscles by going to the gym. When you practice observing and accepting your emotions, you are going to the "emotional gym." This psychological workout builds better self-awareness which results in fewer amygdala hijacks. (read here for more benefits of feeling emotions)

Challenge: Your emotions overwhelm you, like waves that never recede. This is a common dilemma that can be traced to your thoughts. When you feel stuck in a feeling Dr. Taylor says to "....look at the thoughts that you're thinking that are re-stimulating the circuitry that is resulting in you having this physiological reaction, over and over again." Journaling can help you to get your thoughts down on paper and reduce the emotional charge behind them.

Additional roadblocks to developing the 90-second habit:

Forgetting. You're busy; you've got a full life.

Solution: Like Bart, set a timer to remind yourself throughout your day to breathe and check-in with how you're feeling. Start your day practicing mindfulness with a quick meditation. Apps such as Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace have meditations as short as one minute.

Discouragement. Like any new habit, it takes time to learn to notice and label feelings and then to allow them to dissipate. At first, you'll do it messily.

Solution: Don't do it alone. Research shows that building new habits is easier when you do it with others. Connect with others who are working on the same thing. Find an accountability buddy who will help you show up to the emotional gym each day. Be patient with yourself by focusing on progress, not perfection.

Taking it further: Want more guidance on how to form or break habits? Check out Charles Duhigg's book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.

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As I settled into my seat for a flight to New York City, the man sitting next to me told me his name was Bart and began chatting amiably. He was charming and poised, but his refined demeanor crumpled when he learned I was a psychologist.

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Want to write thank you cards to your students but don't know how to start?
Look no further.
Credit to Andrew Milne on this one too.

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Please access this padlet as an extension of this module

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Please access this padlet as an extension of this module

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I am reading this book at the moment and she delves into feelings of vulnerability and fear. It has made me reflect a lot about being vulnerable by also taking care of myself and how to express this as a leader or members of a team.

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I agree Leti. Self care is not selfish. We need to be kind and care for ourselves so we can then care for others. Alison

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I enjoy reading Eckhart's books and listening to his podcasts. They help me to reflect and think deeply about positive practices and changes I can make in my thinking and behavior. "The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but your thoughts about it.”

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I read this book a few years back when I was in Japan. It was really powerful for validating how real an effect nature has on our well-being. I miss “forest bathing” every weekend.

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I have not read this one, but based on an interview & how much I loved her other book, I think this can be good at looking at things that actually are likely to help you when you are suffering from a deep loss, rejection or heartbreak.

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It was amazing that i can give myself an opportunity and a bit of quiet time to look back and look around the people around me who have given their love, care and support to me.

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It was amazing that i can give myself an opportunity and a bit of quiet time to look back and look around the people around me who have given their love, care and support to me.

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This podcast is awesome & explains the things that can contribute to happiness.

I believe the course was free before. I’m guessing it still is. Definitely worth a listen!

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Yale’s Laurie Santos gives a crash course on how to feel less stressed and depressed.

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I agree, it's easier said than done... but it's nice to be reminded and encouraged to do this. It's not selfish but part of what helps us to be present for others.

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I really enjoyed this Ted Talk and regularly come back to it. I've used it a few times as a provocation or an inclusion but also as a reminder and self-reflection.

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Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work | TED Talk

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We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

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Please get a piece of paper and a pencil and draw/trace your hand. Then think of five people who are really important to you, who are always there for you, and write their names on top of your fingers. Now think of how these people are here for you, what have they done to support you or what would they do. Write those things next to the fingers or on the hand.
How do you feel about these people? Do you go to them for the same things?
Please feel free to share in the comments an idea of how you could use this activity in your own setting. Would it be something you could do in class? How else could you have others thinking and acknowledging who is there for them? How their crew is?

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Like the metaphor for recharging our batteries as I think of taking care of myself like this. Solar charged batteries for sure ;-)

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040
She has some great episodes to listen to!

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You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life... more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You're dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale--the most popular class in the university's 300-year history--Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness. For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show and to sign up to our newsletter visit: happinesslab.fm

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life... more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You're dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale--the most popular class in the university's 300-year history--Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness. For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show and to sign up to our newsletter visit: happinesslab.fm

Happiness Lab

Terrific! Best thing that I've discovered since the other big C began.

Favorite Podcast

This podcast is really insightful and really has helped me feel happier and more compassionate. I think that all of the things that are covered are very helpful and make me realize what I can do to help others and myself. I think when others are commenting on things that they think don't seem relevant they have not listened to enough of this podcast because everything I have heard has helped and seemed relevant to me. Thanks for all the great work!

Quarantine

Started listening after several weeks of just feeling "blah" in quarantine. Besides being enjoyable to listen to, this is the rare podcast that has inspired me to make real-life changes and i've noticed feeling happier already.

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the happiness lab with dr. laurie santos

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‎The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos on Apple Podcasts

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‎You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life... more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You're dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better.

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I watched a couple of videos from the selction board and really liked "An Experiment with Gratitude." Often we feel gratitude, appreciation and love for people and things, but we never get to express it. I have always made it my mantra to tell people how grateful I am for them and express it especially when the moments of joy and appreciation arise. Wayne Dyer once said, "do not die with your music inside of you" meaning, tell people how you feel while you still can. It is of no use once they are gone and cannot hear you. This experiment also showed statistics of how your happiness increases when you express gratitude. Loved it.

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I connect with the bush fire. I burn inside and outside. I am not able to put out the fire by hiding my emotions and as time moves without resolving the emotions, the fire keeps spreading, I find that I always need to put out the fire quickly before it spreads further.

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When ever I don't take care of myself or my health is low, I am not functioning at my best. I realise this effects my optimal functioning as a teacher, colleague, parent, friend and partner.

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As many have mentioned, how can I pick one, however if i had to I would chose Honesty. Honesty to my own values and when interacting with others.

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I chose Kid President because he is hilarious and sums up life from a kids perspective... the best and most positive perspective. I learnt that we all need to try to take a little slice of kid presidents positivity into the day and it can't not rub off on others.

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I would like to focus on one student's character strength that I see each lesson at least once a week. Either taking them aside to tell them of what I observed from the lesson that showed one of the character strengths, or if there is not an opportunity to email the student to tell them.

Aim: I am hoping to lift student self confidence, know that someone recognises their strengths, and encourage the student to continue to use their strengths.

Aim #2: to uplift students who struggle in class academically or socially so they see that they have strengths as well.

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This month is our school's Gratitude month". I suppose it is a good time for me to think about this topic.

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The Secret Link Between Gratitude and Performance

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The Secret Link Between Gratitude and Performance

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The article reminded me that the importance of the relationship between gratitude and performance is multifaceted and can vary across individuals and contexts. However, practicing gratitude in personal and professional life can amazingly change our performance, well-being, and overall success.

Tatiana

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I connect with an autumn tree in the field of storm. When I recognize that I am in negative emotional state, I remind myself that it will pass like nasty autumn weather or spring storm or winter blizzard. It helps me to accept negative emotions. Allow myself to experience and validate my feelings without judgment.

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Self-compassion helps us develop inner strength and resilience. By offering ourselves some understanding, we build a foundation of self-acceptance and self-worth. This inner strength empowers us to face challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and recharge our batteries.

Self-compassion also reminds us that we are not alone and encourages us to seek support from others, fostering connection and a sense of belonging. When powerful again, we can function better, and be better professionals, parents, children, and friends.

Tatiana