Get good at savoring!
With the countdown to winter break upon us and activities ramping up with any holidays you celebrate this time of year, our wellness can take a back seat pretty quickly! This is a great time to remind yourself to be gentle with yourself and give yourself some grace. Wellness is a journey and it begins with our mindset. In case you would like a reminder, here is a chart that captures our work in the mindset session when participants rewrite fixed mindset to growth mindset statements. It is always a great refresher and a reminder to speak to yourself as you would speak to others, in an encouraging and compassionate way.
Another important concept to remind yourself of at this time of year is our negativity bias and that our negative experiences or emotions weigh more heavily on our minds than positive ones. Basically, our brains are wired to notice, remember, and respond more strongly to bad news or unpleasant events. And our inner critic can be a tough companion this time of year if we are getting upset with ourselves for not getting to the gym, eating that cookie, or getting away from our healthy habits due to a more packed schedule. We might become more annoyed with students, colleagues, and family members as our stress ramps up, thus causing us to focus more on negative situations rather than the positive moments.
One strategy for helping with our negativity bias is to Get Good at Savoring. So many of us are rushing through our lives like our hair is on fire. We obsess about productivity and neglect the essentials of a fully lived life. Psychologists have found that the happiest healthiest people make a point of “Savoring.” This means when something good is happening, they slow down and take it in. How you can practice it: Actively and consistently make the time to mindfully appreciate and reflect on your daily wins or moments worth savoring such as:
helping a student correct a mistake
helping a student feel better about something they are upset about
sitting with your cup of coffee or tea
reminding yourself of how far you have come on your wellness journey
spending time with your pet
noticing the morning sunrise or sunset
Take a moment to think about what your savoring moments are, and then make sure to notice them during the day - your brain will thank you : )
We wish you a peaceful and healthy winter break; please schedule in time for yourselves!
