Self Care and Wellness
Presented by Mike Gaskell, Principal, leader to leader mentor, author
Twitter: GaskellMGaskell
LinkedIn: michael-gaskell-922711100
Instagram: mgaskell0
Email: mgaskell0@gmail.com
Website: www.mikesmicrominute.com
Self Care: Be a great educator, be selfish first so you can take care of others second:
If you’re here, you are looking to find quick, effective ways to take care of yourself, and if you do, you will be a better educator too!
short, in the moment stress test
Activity- coffitivity
Demo 1
Work productivity
Demo 1 continued
Demo 1 Continued
Demo 1 continued
Why can you focus in a coffee shop but not in your office 3 minute read
Coffitivity is the link, there are apps for phones too
3 parts to a path of adult wellness:
Version of YOU
The Problem
We face tremendous challenges as they manage work/life balance. One of the greatest burdens is helping those in our school; a broad and diverse range of employees, students and parents. We became educators and leaders because we cared about and were recruited due to our capacity to help others. This is an extraordinary responsibility, more
Important now, than ever.
As professionals, self care must come FIRST, if we are to help others, second.
We get caught in day to day minutiae because we have to, right?
Social media misinformation and the game of telephone- a true anxiety trigger for educational leaders- remember the story?
Ok, so we’re supposed to take time, how? When? Where? I’m too busy and too in demand!!!
The Solution
Strategies to address the problem effectively and efficiently:
Demo 2
What do you do when you’re feeling anxious, and you don’t have a lot of time to go cool off, take a walk, or hit the spa?!?
Music can make us feel happy, sad, excited, energized, thoughtful and more.Music taps our emotions far greater and quicker then most sensory stimuli. When we are anxious, we don’t have time to go through our phone or online library and select the right one.
Believe it or not, scientists actually created an evidence based anxiety reducing song, knowing the impact of the tonal connections to the brain!
Demo 2 Continued
Feel Weightless! DEMO - earphones back
on!
Why does this song reduce anxiety so much?
The group that created "Weightless", designed the song in collaboration with sound therapists. Its scientifically engineered harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines help slow a listener's heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Demo 2 Continued
Resources:
Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent
*How about you? What did listening to this do for you??
Demo 3
Managing your diaphragm
Tools for when you have nothing with you
but your breath!
The 4-7-8 Breathing Method you don’t need your headphones just follow along
When we breathe deeply and systematically, we activate stretch receptors around the diaphragm linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. It’s especially powerful with the 4-7-8 method because we pause for 7 seconds in the slightly stretched position for a stronger “rest and digest” effect- more bang for your buck!
Demo 3 continued
Resources:
Scientists give proof about why breathing techniques are so effective in reducing stress
Free Breathing app for phone
How stacking strategies compounds the effects:
Other resources you can try on your own:
The science of gratitude
Practicing gratitude quickly and effectively, with a 1-sentence journal
Why does this work? How practicing quick bursts of gratitude affect the brain, short and long term
Resources:
The power of the one sentence journal
The science of gratitude (3 minute read)
Other resources on your own
The power of small wins
Five minute phone meditations
Helpers High
The effects of helpers high can last 2-3 days at a time!
Researchers discovered that helper's high is more than just a feeling. Biochemical analysis revealed that the high is accompanied by positive changes in the body's immune function and a lower level of stress hormones.
Beyond self care continued:
The 4 phases of Flow
Priming state (let it be messy but don’t attach to the frustration)
Release/relaxation (to remove the struggle)
Flow state (very big high), stay focused to seize on it, you can stretch your potential like never before
Recovery period- learning and memory consolidation state- flow is expensive, large energy consumer, it tires you out. So rest!
Beyond self care:
Finding the Best Version of YOU: Now that we’ve addressed the problem...reach for the satisfaction of deep work for a bigger reward- thrive by tapping your “flow triggers”
Deep work “maximizes the meaning and satisfaction you’ll associate with your working life,” Newport writes. This translates to healthier outcomes in life/work balance and wellness
4 hacks for flow (Steven Kotler):