#diary sections

[acadamiaa]

exercise and health

RECHARGING AND SLEEP

Wellbeing Bank: to build exercise and health through recharging your vital organs by having a deep sleep every night. 

You use an enormous amount of energy:

• thinking, studying, and being a contributing member of your school; your brain is a big energy user.  • naturally growing your mind and body

• doing good to feel good and experience positive emotions.

By the end of everyday:

• you are emotionally and physically drained • your brain and body need to rest and recharge for tomorrow 

• an uninterrupted deep sleep is the best way to do this

Describe how you currently recharge yourself through a deep sleep every night. 

____________________________________________________________

Research has proven very clearly that deep sleep is a must to:

• function well physically and psychologically • release essential growth hormones into your bloodstream • store learnt material in your long term memory during REM sleep

Sleep musts are:

• at least 9 hours every night • mobile/computer off after 9pm  • firm pillow and mattress 

• bedroom dark, quiet and well ventilated 

• no larger meals or caffeine near bedtime  • a bath or shower before bed • water to sip on

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to have an uninterrupted deep sleep every night?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Swapping hands - use your non-dominant hand to hold the spoon when having your breakfast cereal. When eating dinner swap the knife and fork between your hands. Describe how much you have to concentrate. 

RESILIENCE BUILDER

When members of your peer or friendship group are not coping, listening actively and empathetically to their concerns, paraphrasing back to them that you are present and not being judgemental will assist them. With a friend share a concern and practice listening this way. 

WELLBEING TIP

When outside wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV radiation. 

CHARACTER STRENGTH 

love

QUOTE

“A well spent day brings happy sleep.” - Leonardo da Vinci

WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

STRENGTHS SPOTTING - In the moment 

being on the lookout for myself and others using this week’s and other character strengths to achieve what they set out to do and learning from them. 

[acadamiaa]

self improvement

So, my school has diarys that are on the school lists each year, and there are these tips/advice pages, and I thought I might begin to post them here, because some of them are actually really good...

Each week has a theme, which might be strengths and emotions, positive engagement, exercise and health, meaning and purpose, relationships and optimism, or skills and achievement. 

Each weeks set up includes; tips and advice based on the weeks theme, with actions that you fill in to move toward these. A mindfulness activity. A resilience builder task. A section to write three things that went well that week and why. A wellbeing tip. A quote. A character strength. And a wellbeing fitness challenge. 

All of these will be under the tags ‘diary sections’ and ‘self improvement’, and will be updated weekly to biweekly (depending on my organisation) 

hope you enjoy 😊

[acadamiaa]

Skills and achievement

PRIORITIZING

Wellbeing bank: to strengthen skills and achievement through effective prioritising.

How often does your time seem to disappear?

·         Achieving what you set out to do doesn’t just happen

·         Planning what and when you will do it are essential

·         Connecting with yourself moment by moment is key

Prioritising turns good intentions into positive actions through planning your time.

Describe how you currently plan your time………………………………………………………………………………………

 Break up what you need to do into:

Musts:

·         Things you are committed to do, including family responsibilities, school, training, part-time jobs, etc.

·         Be aware of the time lost between your musts

Options:

·         Things that you have a choice in, including texting/phone calls, TV/videos, social media and socialising

·         Make them quality activities which reward your good efforts after you have accomplished something, not before.

 Complete a daily list of musts and options to create a clear picture of your time usage.

Actions:

What are two things I will start doing to develop my prioritising skills?

THIS WEEK’S QUOTE:

‘fortune favours the prepared mind.’ Louis Pasteur

 MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Life’s backpack – think of all the people, places, pets, and things that are important to you and why. Then pack your imaginary life backpack and carry it around with you everywhere you go.

 RESILIENCE BUILDER

There are certain character strengths and positive personal descriptors which will provide you with the self-determination to strive, thrive, and flourish. Choose five helpful strengths and five descriptors and why you chose them.

 THIS WEEKS CHARACTER STRENGTH

Love

WELLBEING TIP

You choose your attitude everyday: make good choices.

 WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1.        

2.        

3.    

WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

TELL ME MORE – interested learning

When listening to others, Before I speak I will ask them to tell me more about what they’re talking about at least three times

(1/?)

[acadamiaa]

POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT

Power of feedback

well being bank: to strengthen positive engagement through positively giving and receiving feedback.

giving and receiving developmental, non-judgemental feedback:

·        is a powerful way to build trust

·        focuses on what you are doing well

·        encourages you to try new approaches to grow your brain’s ability

·          assists others to strive, thrive, and flourish

·        may come from family, friends, or teachers

·        welcome and accept it

Describe how you currently give and receive feedback:

Your personal best ways to look at things:

·        are through the lens of your signature and top supporting strengths

·        so when asked to give feedback by someone, use the perspectives of your strengths.

·        aim to inspire positive emotions in them

·          avoid saying hat you think the other person wants to hear

·        offer positive alternatives to negative approaches

·        say ‘you’ not ‘we’; the feedback is about them, not you

·        listen and speak with your eyes, ears, or heart

·          avoid encouraging a ‘victim’ mentality of blaming, justifying, and storytelling

·        discuss possible, then probable, then preferred strategies.

When receiving feedback:

·        listen and process what is being said

·        avoid thinking about your reply; just listen

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to improve how I give and receive feedback?

1)

2)

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Changing names - if you were to change your first and surnames, describe what your new names would be, why you chose them, and how you would act and feel.

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Negative thinkers look for what is wrong in what they are doing and with a fixed mindset keep doing the same things and eventually give up. They use negative self-talk. Describe a time you have been in this position and how did it feel? What are two things you could have done to turn the situation around?

THIS WEEKS CHARACTER STRENGTH

Zest

WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1)

2)

3)

WELL BEING TIP

Don’t text everything; deliver your message in person.

WELL BEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

DISCOVERY LEARNING - Being curious

mindfully focusing my attention and energies on discovering one new thing about me, my friends, my family, my school, or my community.

THIS WEEKS QUOTE

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[acadamiaa]

relationships and optimism

FEELING SOCIALLY CONNECTED

Wellbeing Bank: to nurture relationships and optimism through building positive relationships. 

Feeling that you are socially connected and belong: 

·        are major factors in enjoying a healthy state of wellbeing

·        this releases pressure inducing chemicals into your bloodstream

·        as such, effort in building relationships is a must

Experiencing positive emotions often: 

·        broadens your attention to think creatively and flexibly

·        which builds your engagement with the present moment and yourself

·        describe your current feelings of being socially connected and belonging

benefits of feeling socially connected include:

·        better physical and physiological health

·        more likely to achieve what you set out to do

·        experience less depressive feelings

·        your positive attitude is contagious and the ripple effect is that others feel happier too

·        upward spirals of relationship growth are ignited

neuroscience has discovered that we have mirror neurons:

·        they sense and copy the feelings, expressions, and actions of others

·        when someone smiles at you, it’s almost impossible not to smile back

·        the opposite is also true; they mimic negative feelings, expressions, and actions

·        connect with optimistic, grateful people; avoid pessimistic thinkers

ACTIONS:

what are two thing that I will start doing to increase my feelings of being socially connected?

1

2

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Optimistic thinkers look for what is right in what they are doing to inspire themselves to generate and seek new strategies to try and persist with to overcome challenges. They use positive self-talk. Describe three times you have changed your thinking and approaches to overcome a challenge or setback; how did you feel?

WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1

2

3

WELLBEING TIP

Aim to have nine hours uninterrupted sleep every night.

QUOTE

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves” - William Arthur Ward 

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

The good stuff - describe times in your life when you felt great joy, real pride, and total fulfilment in what you did. 

WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE 

Emotions Spotting - mindfulness feelings

Being mindful of positive, negative and mixed emotions I feel and notice others feeling and watching for the intensity of emotions rising in myself and others. 

This weeks character strength is Forgiveness.

[acadamiaa]

Strengths and emotions

STRENGTHS ACTIONING AND HABITS OF MIND

Wellbeing bank: to develop strengths and emotions through understanding how to think to action each of my top strengths

While you may have identified your signature and top supporting strengths: 

·         Do you think the same way for all of them or do you change your thinking for each of them?

·         You will be able to use your strengths more effectively when you can think the best possible way for each of them

·         Remember, lifting your efforts to learn new approaches will grow your brain’s abilities; growth mindsets

There have been 16 different ways to think for different situations called habitats of mind: 

·         For each of your signature and top supporting strengths identify which are the best habitats of mind to use

·         Write them on your strengths wheel

1………………………………………………………………………………………

 2...........................................................................................................

3.............................................................................

4.....................................................................................

5.................................................................................

6...............................................................................................

7...........................................................................................................

8.........................................................................................................

When you are looking to use a particular strength:

·         Make a conscious effort to use the most suitable habits of mind you identified for it

·         Then actioning your strengths will become more effective to achieve what you set out to do

Actions:

What are two things I will start doing to learn how to think for each of my signature and top supporting strengths

 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE:

“I do the very best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing it to the end” - Abraham Lincoln

 MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Five senses – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses

 RESILIENCE BUILDER

Throughout years 9 and 10 you have had to build your skills in preparation for years 11 and 12. With a friend brainstorm ten challenging situations you will need to overcome to inspire your best possible self to shine in the senior years. Who could you ask to assist you for each of them and what emotions could you feel?

WELLBEING TIP

Have a trusted champion; someone prepared to give advice that you may not want to hear. 

 WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1.        

2.        

3.        

 WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

OTHERS MATTER – acts of kindness

Looking for at least two opportunities to give myself to make others’ lives better and recognising when others do kind things for me by thanking them.