How is your day going so far? Mine....well...my two-year-old just offered me a bite of her cinnamon roll. The bite that was in her mouth. She then took the half of cinnamon roll I planned to eat. Good thing she is adorable. She is always on my list of daily gratitude.
I hope that you are making an effort to start your day with a gratitude. When I meet with students I always start the day with a Goal & Gratitude.
Having a positive plan and a positive outlook on the day can help us to be happier and more successful.
This time of year it is easy to get stuck in grumpy and sad moods. It is cold, cloudy, and dark. With the limited amount of daylight and sunlight during the day it is not uncommon to experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Fellow Michiganders we are #7 on the Farmers Almanac's list of the cloudiest states in the US. According to their records Michigan experiences only about 170 days with sun a year. Of those days with sun, only about 65-75 days will be clear and sunny. OUCH! That's depressing....really. It is a SAD depression.
I recently started a blog for our families to follow. Mindfulness at Home This week I focused on the topic of SAD and how our families can help their students.
I have touched on this subject previously but felt it worth a reflection. Right now is a difficult time for many. We have a limited amount of sunlight and it is cold, keeping us inside and not experiencing fresh air. Added to this we are working from home/learning from home. We have limited to no contact (in person) with others outside of our immediate family. Also, it's the holiday season. Holidays can be fun, exciting, and beautiful for many; but not for all. For some of our students there is a limited amount of food in the home, no decorations, and no cheer. Some students don't celebrate and perhaps feel left out of the holiday conversation.
Using mindfulness skills of our own we can sit with our own feelings and take inventory. We can check in with ourselves.
I start every day asking students for one goal and one gratitude. I end every day asking them; "How did you help today?" and "what did you today that mattered?". These questions help the students look beyond what they did not accomplish and what frustrated them. These questions get them to look beyond themselves and see the whole day and others.
A great mindfulness practice of extended gratitude toward others, letting them know they are your gratitude can help boost mood. Studies have shown that one act of kindness for another person and one gratitude visit, can boost your mood for months at a time.
Imagine making it through these cold, sunless winter months with a positive outlook and uplifted mood!
I encourage you to take time before the two week break to sit and write out your gratitude, extend gratitude to one other person, and engage in one random act of kindness.
Then share this mindfulness with your students. Help them find ways, from home, to expend gratitude and kindness.
-Teach them to send a friend or staff an email.
-Help them set up a google meet to extend gratitude.
-Give them ideas to help around the house. -this week I have had students share that they have been helping clean the house as their daily "how I helped".
-Get creative! Send students a winter greeting card with a picture inside for them to color and give away.
It doesn't take more than a few positive words to help boost another person. Well doing research for this post I watched a video that stated that on an average day we often experience more negative emotions than positive emotions.
Take time today to help yourself and your students change the number of negative to positive emotions. Send someone some cheer. Start your day with cheer.
I am grateful to all who take the time to read this blog. Thank you!
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