Generation Wellness Blog

  Source:https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work

Quotable: "The greatest competitive edge advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged brain. When the human brain is positive, creativity triples, productivity rises by 31 and we live longer, healthier lives."

These research based habits include:
1. Gratitude
2. The Doubler
3. Exercise
4. Stillness
5. Kindness

Play means to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

How does play relate to wellness, you might ask? Well, play is vital to human development, lowering stress levels, and increasing creativity. 

• Researcher Stuart Brown, MD believes that play is at the core of creativity and innovation. When we’re in a relaxed and playful mood, It’s easier to learn a new task, complete a task, or solve a problem. He points out that play can mean snorkeling, scrap booking or solving crossword puzzles; it’s anything that makes us lose track of time and self-consciousness, creating the clearing where ideas are born. 

Also, when we play, we are more likely to engage in laughter because we’re having fun. Laughter enlivens us. Both literally and figuratively. 

• Research has shown laughter reduces levels of stress hormones, increases infection-fighting antibodies, and also improves blood flow to the heart, all...

QUOTABLE: "I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I'll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful, and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here. I have things to do, people to impress, and places to go." 

Listen to this inspiring talk from Rita Pierson, an educator who truly understands how relationship building is so important. She talks about giving students purpose, supporting them, looking for the positives, and even more. This TED Talk has gone viral, for a very well understood reason. Every kid needs a champion, and you can be that champion!

Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion#t-433250

We would like to thank the 2,500 educators and all of the schools and organizations we had the opportunity of working with in August 2021. We know that this school year is different and we hope that you left our trainings feeling inspired and equipped with simple tools for a resilient school year. Thank you for everything you do!

Educators are the super heroes of our country and we know that you will always find a way to rise no matter the circumstances. This video provides a snippet of the back to school professional development virtual events. Keep shining!

This school year was different than most. Never have we ended in-person learning in March due to a pandemic. More than likely, you’ve experienced a combination of frustration, joy, sadness, early mornings, late nights, confusion, resiliency, uncertainty, ups and downs...

There were lessons, there were pivotal moments and there was simply just never enough time. This school year will never happen again - your students are different now and so are you. Take some time to capture the lessons, so that you can create an even better school year to come.

REFLECTION EXPERIMENT:
Take a moment to reflect on your school year. Answer some or all of these questions over summer break:

• What created the most joy this school year?
• What was my greatest challenge?
• What was my biggest lesson this year?
• How did I show up effectively for my students?
• How did I show up ineffectively for my students?
• What is one thing I’m proud of?
• What will I do more of next school year?
• What will I do...

A high school senior started a unique club called We Dine Together to make sure no one in his school sits alone at lunch. As Steve Hartman reports, the message is to make outsiders always feel accepted.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdDa2outstI&feature=youtu.be

Like many, we've struggled to find the right words to support our students, families, and communities during this past week of heartache in the United States. We've heard from many educators who serve these young men and women. Here's what they've said:

• "I pride myself on being a leader, yet I don't know what to do right now to lead."
• "I'm a Caucasian educator and I don’t want to say the wrong thing."
• "I'm an African American educator and I wish other people understood ____________."
• "My husband is a police officer and I also believe that black lives matter."
• My students are sharing their emotions and experiences on Zoom. How can I provide support?"
• "I’m afraid of being shamed or criticized for my lack of knowledge and experiences."

Last week we hosted a 90 minute discussion for 500 educators (video clip above). The response was overwhelming and many of you expressed interest in another "Le't Talk About It" session.

You're invited to a safe space to talk about it. Rjay...