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Navigating Life with Brand and Flow

By: Maren Fuller

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Background

Many teenagers feel helpless in life. They feel out of control with their school work, jobs, sports and social life. They often experience depression and don’t know how to manage it all.

George Livengood claims that depression can be caused by social conflicts and academic pressures, as well as other factors (Livengood 1).

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Background

Many studies have been done focusing on why teenagers are struggling, but not on a solution to how they can overcome that

Stanford Children’s Hospital explains that many reasons why teens continue to have depression are that parents and friends don’t know how to help them (Stanford Children’s Hospital 1).

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Brand and Flow

Michele Carter and Brian Fuller

Helps people take charge of their challenges
Studies how they feel about themselves (Victim vs. Choice maker)

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Definitions

Victim- lets challenges control

Brand- who someone is

Flow- mindset

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Gap

Only focused on adults
Never tested on teenagers
Could be wrong for kids, could be perfect

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Question

How will high school students respond when they are approached with a way to change their mindset and improve their lives?

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Hypothesis

When the students are presented with the option to take charge of their life, the majority will respond positively.

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Setting

Ms. Marcilliat’s 2 Health Classes - Second Semester

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Methods

Students take pre survey before lectures
Taught Brand and Flow January 19th and 21st to periods 2 and 4
Students are left to ponder and apply for about a month
February 15th debriefing with Fuller and Carter
Students take post survey

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Flow

Before lectures, students took pre survey, asking them questions about how well they handle stress, what causes them stress, what gives them happiness, etc. First day started with flow, then next day was brand. Different assignments students took part in to help them better embrace the program. Combo of group work and individual work. While Brian and Michele were teaching, I was sitting to the side and observing how the students responded to them when asked questions or to participate in work.

Second period overall was more shy and was less responsive to the speakers on the first day, while fourth period was slightly more talkative. The second day, both classes were more talkative, which proves that they became more comfortable with the speakers and they were more willing to participate. However, the amount of participation they gave was graded, which provided an incentive to talk. The students paid attention when the adults were talking and very few were focused on something else. They took the class seriously.

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Flow

Started with charts for states of flow: students had to remember what state of flow certain levels of stress and skill were. For example, high challenge and low skill would be apathy and low challenge and high skill would be relaxation. People want to get into a state of flow, which is high challenge and high skill. Skill refers to how well someone is able to complete a task and challenge is how difficult a task is.

After this, the students were required to go with a group to a specific state of flow and write down how that state affects themselves, others, and what triggers that state. They could write this in regards to themselves, or someone they know. They were them asked to present their answers to the class. My responsibility was to walk around while the students wrote down their responses and observe their conversations. I took notes on how well the students were communicating and how well they were able to present. I noticed many valuable and informative conversations while I was walking around in both classes. Second period presented more anxiety when asked to present, while fourth period presented more confidence.

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Brand

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I am grateful for…

I will focus on…

I will let go of…

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Post Survey

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Survey Results

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Survey Results

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Conclusion

Hypothesis overall confirmed
Brand and Flow has the ability to help students
Results aren’t as strong

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Limitations

Short time frame
Only had three phrases as a reminder
Ms. Marcilliat couldn’t let Brian and Michele teach longer
Graded participation

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Future Implications

Implement program in other schools
Teach to teachers
Interest from Rock Canyon

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Works Cited

ouncil, National 4-H. “New Survey Finds 7 in 10 Teens Are Struggling with Mental Health.”

New Survey Finds 7 in 10 Teens Are Struggling with Mental Health, 17 June 2020, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-7-in-10-teens-are-struggling-with-mental-health-301078336.html.

Diener, Ed, and Martin Seligman. “Very Happy People - Ed Diener, Martin E.P. Seligman, 2002.”

SAGE Journals, 1 Jan. 2002, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9280.00415.

Emmons, Robert, and Michael McCullough. Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An ... - Greater

Good. 2003, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf.

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Works Cited

Gilbert, Daniel Todd, and Timothy D. Wilson. “Miswanting: Some Problems in the Forecasting

of Future Affective States.” DASH Home, Cambridge University Press, 1 Jan. 1970, https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/14549983?show=full.

Kahneman, Daniel, and Angus Deaton. “High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not

Emotional Well-Being.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 21 Sept. 2010, https://www.pnas.org/content/107/38/16489.

Livengood, George. “Risk Factors and Warning Signs: Is Your Teenager Depressed?” Discovery

Mood & Anxiety Program, 8 May 2019, https://discoverymood.com/blog/is-your-teen-depressed/.

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Works Cited

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Teen Depression.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education

and Research, 5 June 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20350985.

Preidt, Robert. Pandemic Has Harmed Mental Health of Nearly Half of U.S ...

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-03-15/pandemic-has-harmed-mental-health-of-nearly-half-of-us-teens-poll.

Stanford Children's Hospital. “Default - Stanford Children's Health.” Stanford Children's

Health - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, 2021, https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=understanding-teenage-depression-1-2220.

World Happiness Report. FAQ, 2021, https://worldhappiness.report/faq/.