SEL Yourself: Eight Ways to Refresh, Reboot, and Recharge
By Scott B. Freiberger
Pop open the pizza box, uncork the champagne, ignite the silver sparklers, and blast the boom box! Together, we made it through one of the most challenging and unpredictable school years of the century. The literature offers myriad methods for students to better manage their emotions, sharpen learning skills, and actualize academic achievement. I’d also penned a pertinent piece on how educators could better support students via a social-emotional learning lens, and offered empathetic insights in a separate, encompassing article rife with relevant resources. However, people outside the education profession should yen for ken that teachers themselves may need support during these turbulent times. As this idiosyncratic school year concludes like an immense inoculation, welcome breathing space is not only necessary, but also particularly pressing. Here are eight ways to refresh, reboot, and recharge.
1. Book Club Boogie
Take off the tie, delve into the dernier cri, and do the book club boogie! Ms. Catherine Addor, a respected educator at Greenburgh Central School District, created a convivial book club to connect with colleagues and prattle with peers. The good-natured group meets Monday evenings for 30 minutes, finds prose fun, and improves their diction with fiction. Ms. Addor pointed out in a recent LinkedIn post that forming a book club focused on fiction has led to deeper interpersonal relationships, improved well-being, and serves as a keen reminder to decrease mental strife and enjoy everyday life.
Reading is a stress-relieving pastime for many, [because] the simple act of turning a page [allows people] to forget the anxieties of the real world. Consider investing in levelheadedness and supporting a local bookstore. Then, invite some colleagues, family, and friends to partake in the palaver, and create newfound, cultivated connections. The book choices are ultimately yours, and the friendships formed may last a lifetime.
2. Ready for Popcorn Delights? Try Marvel Movie Nights!
Many educators have been burning out faster than the proverbial candle at both ends. In essence, emotional evenness and establishing equilibrium is a sine qua non for every educator. Movies, especially comedies, are known to cause cachinnation. When you watch a movie, it relaxes your mind because you don’t have to think about anything else while watching. In addition, many companies are recognizing the dignity and respect teachers truly deserve, so feel free to add seasoning to your cine-reasoning and personalize your motion picture present. Try live-streaming or Zoom it with a family member or friend. In the words of comedic legend Jerry Seinfeld, “I can’t go to a…movie by myself. What am I [going to do], make sarcastic remarks to strangers?”
3. TV Time may be Sublime
Speaking of the clean king of American comedy, the wonderful Seinfeld wit and sensational comedic slapstick is so sharp it could make all the bees in America—USBs, marry when they find their honey, and then style their hair with golden honey combs. Who is the colony’s favorite singer? Sting! Are you folks for bee jokes? They’re all the buzz! For light-hearted bee humor, see Seinfeld’s signature cartoon, Bee Movie. You may not bee-lieve how breezy some of the jaunty jokes are (okay, I’ll now stop droning like a bombinating mumble bee).
For many, settling into Seinfeld is like, “A festivus for the rest of us.” Or, and just like that, Sex and the City remains a singular entertainment show for adults on cable television, nearly two decades after the last episode had officially aired. According to a recent pair of studies, under the right circumstances, meaning matching a glass of wine with an episode of “Friends,” tranquilizing in front of the telly may help the brain bounce back from exhaustion. For example, “A pair of 2012 studies in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science found that re-watching old favorites can give us a mental boost.”
Is it real or just for fun? Could master magician Michael Carbonaro fool everyone? Watch his top-rated hidden-camera, magic TV show to find out! For a medical-related laugh, watch my former acting camp bunkmate, Zach Braff! Dunk your donuts with Homer Simpson, Netflix, cartoons, or peculiar penguins; whatever you decide to choose, write your own TV reviews! Chillax. It’s your time and you’re worth it.
4. Exercise for Healthy Highs
Energetic to exercise? Studies show that lots of laughter can totally tone your abs. Laughter has been found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormone levels, enhance T-cells that improve wellness, tone your tummy, help cardiac health, release endorphins (natural painkillers), and basically help you feel better. So, nix the evening news and try a silly sitcom! Leveraging life levity is like treating your frontal lobe and limbic system to a Poison performance of “Nothin’ but a Good Time!”
Face your fear of the unknown diet and Get Strong with five feet of vegan fury, well-known nutrition consultant and accomplished athletic trainer, Melody Schoenfeld. In her latest book, Diet Lies and Weight Loss Truths, a scientific guide to making sense out of dieting and exercise, Ms. Schoenfeld guides readers on evaluating different diet plans and implementing realistic diet-planning strategies. For a common sense guide to healthful vegan cooking, peruse Pleasure Not Meating You. Get in shape and, like a vegetarian vampire, sink your teeth into the vegan lifestyle!
Whether you take your dog for a jog, hike it, bike it, or yearn to yoga, exercise is medically proven to improve physical and mental health, and elevate mood. Start small and set generally realistic goals. Then, monitor your progress and develop a healthy diet. Be sure to celebrate any fitness successes with reasonable rewards (unrelated to food). According to the American Heart Association, brilliant health benefits of repeated exercise include a more manageable mass, lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, suitable sleep, and more appropriate muscle tone.
5. Escapar
In his striking, sugary pop song “Escapar,” Enrique Iglesias reminds listeners that, “You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape…” However, now would be a practical point to ungrapple the grapnels and untangle the social media ungulas to unplug, unwind, and leave the virtual rat race behind. One medically-reviewed article suggests too much online time brings the brain to release dopamine, causing a drug-like reaction, which may lead to addiction. A social media “cleanse” could help to set legit online limits, so consider annulling apps and eliminating unnecessary notifications. On a pertinent podcast, listeners were advised, “Start with one or two changes that really matter to you… [and consider] some simple rhythms throughout the day, such as a two hour tech-fast.” Give your mind (and finger joints) a rest—you’ve earned it!
6. Life’s a Beach!
Step outside, walk this way… The sun is scintillating, and seagulls are soaring high above the serene seashore. If life’s a beach, why not relax at one? A respected college source suggests teachers take education-related, professional development books to the beach. However, my own vacay take is to give your mind a well-deserved break. During the summer, dive into pristine ocean waves rather than lengthy lesson plans. “The only reason teachers should be awake at 6 a.m. on vacation is to watch the sunrise…Getting that well-deserved beauty sleep also helps to strengthen your immune system.”
According to a respected clinical psychologist, “Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild[,] meditative state.” Indeed, a day relaxing at the beach may be the panacea within our reach. If you can’t currently sunbathe at the best beaches in the world, swing by a small-town one for some mellow fun in the summer sun.
7. Give Great Gratitude
Yes, it’s true, being thankful is good for you! There are many ways giving gratitude improves overall mental health and well-being, so take the time to give thanks more than one national holiday a year. Being thankful…helps you get through life’s tough times, because you can easily call to mind all of the good things in your life. Improve friendships, restore relationships, and refresh family ties. You may even opt to journal your life journey to recapture recollections and give gratitude for what you’ve been given.
Reflecting on relationships and praising the process are quintessential components of being human. In Raising Human Beings, Dr. Ross Greene emphasizes empathy, choice, collaboration, and voice in parenting; what better way to model healthy relationships for children than to give gratitude. Sending thank you cards, even electronically, also indicates consideration. This summer, consider revisiting responsiveness and take the empathy train to appreciation station.
8. Pursue your Passions
Aside from guiding students to achieve academic success, which continually ignites my passion to be an inspirational, reflective practitioner, a crest in my career was being named the 2018 TESOL International Teacher of the Year. When asked what advice I would offer aspiring professionals in the field, I had remarked, “Pursue your passions and excellence will follow. For example, you may be sagacious with statistics, but if you enjoy crunching your abdominal muscles far more than crunching numbers, chances are you will not be terribly successful in the long-term if you pursue a career as a statistician. The most successful individuals are passionate about what they do and persevere in the face of adversity.”
Pursuing passions is about quality of life improvement. Here are some key questions to consider:·
· What could you be doing?
· What are your hobbies and interests?
· What books are you reading?
· If you could do anything, what would you do, and why?
· If you could go anywhere, where would you go, and why?
· Aside from winning the lottery, how could you be happier?
· Aside from winning the lottery, how could you be happier?
There are many suggestions for teachers to unwind from the work-a-day grind. Take this time to consider your circumstances, delve into honesty, cherish your children, and pursue your passions. Order the piña colada large, and refresh, reboot, and recharge. Have a sensational summer!
*A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Melanie Zubcic, an outstanding New York educator, who had suggested I pen an SEL piece that focuses on improving the quality of mental health and emotional life specifically for educators.
This article also appears here.
BIO
Scott Freiberger is an attentive administrator and a passionate pedagogue who advocates for ELLs/MLLs and students with special needs. Follow him on Twitter: @scottfreiberger
