MY WELLBEING JOURNEY – YEAR 12 CHALLENGING MY BEST SELF
TO CREATE THE TYPE OF LIFE THAT I WANT FOR MYSELF
To generate the motivation necessary to achieve this, you will need to be self-determined, which is feeling a sense of Autonomy, a sense of Competence and a sense of Connectedness. Reflect on where you think you are at for each of these.
A healthy state of wellbeing is feeling optimistic and hopeful about today and for your future, because you know that you are working towards challenging your best self. NAME CLASS
AUTONOMY:
I feel that I have the freedom and independence to make choices. Usually Sometimes Not Yet In what areas of my life do I want to be able to make my own decisions? Do I have choice to do this now?
COMPETENCE: I feel that I have the capabilities to support my choices. Usually Sometimes Not Yet What skills, strengths and personal attributes will I need to be able to make good choices? Do I have them yet?
CONNECTEDNESS: I feel that I belong to groups and am valued by others. Usually Sometimes Not Yet What type of people will support and enable me to develop these qualities to make good choices? Who are they?
Acknowledgement: Ryan & Deci
CHARACTER STRENGTHS WEEKS
There are six Character Strengths Weeks spread throughout this journey. They provide you and your class with opportunities to practise using your strengths to build a resilient state of wellbeing. They are also fun to do at home with your family. The order of these weeks are: Gratitude, Kindness, Bravery, Honesty, Creativity and Teamwork
From the website www.learningcurve.com.au, download the Strengths Weeks sheets from Individual Resources/Character Strengths Weeks and the Wellbeing Awards Certificates from Individual Resources/Wellbeing Awards.
“What is necessary to change a person is to change their awareness of themselves.” Abraham Maslow
INDEX OF RESILIENT WELLBEING LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES – YEAR 12
Choosing to choose is the
ABOUT THIS WELLBEING JOURNEY
This Lesson: WHY: for you to choose to challenge your best self by deliberately practising the lessons and activities in this journal. HOW: begin by doing the Essential Lessons to gain an understanding of the ingredients that make up your state of wellbeing, resilience and Big Five Health Check In. Developing your wellbeing and resilience is a work ethic and ongoing journey.
1. Getting started: there are six Essential Lessons that you need to do first: They are: page 4 –PERMAH+ = Your Circle of Resilient Wellbeing; page 5 – Continuum of Mindsets; pages 6 & 7 – Goals, Grit & Growth Mindsets; pages 10 & 11 – Resilience to Respond Well; page 13 –Term One Self-Determined Goals; and pages 124 & 125 – Character Strengths
2. About 40% of your state of wellbeing is determined by your own thoughts, words and actions, so it makes sense to contest unhelpful thoughts and adopt optimistic outlooks on life.
3. Enjoy doing the weekly PERMAH+ wellbeing lesson and the nine resilient wellbeing activities, two of which are rotated each week. Doing the weekly Big Five Health Check In will help you be more aware of your wellbeing. These lessons and activities are also on the website www.learningcurve.com.au as interactive activities.
4. Each weekly PERMAH+ lesson is broken up into: WHY? – the wellbeing learning intention for what you will learn in the lesson. HOW? – the strategies to practise to cultivate them into resilient habits. DO? – focusing on the questions to apply what you have learned.
5. The Big Five for Health is for you to be aware of and monitor what you need to do to stay healthy, (page 24). At the end of each week summarise how well you went for each one by colouring in how you rated your efforts.
BIG FIVE HEALTH FOCUSES.
Colour the sections to reflect how well you went.
It will benefit you to understand the different feel-good brain chemicals and what releases them.
Endorphins – for boosts – released through exercise, physical stress, laughing, being outside in the sun and they reduce feelings of pain.
Dopamine – for pleasure – released through expecting rewards and doing things you enjoy, gives “natural highs” and associated with addictions.
Serotonin – for moods and wellbeing – released during positive emotions, digestion and when you have feelings of being valued by other people.
Oxytocin – for feeling loved – released by physical touch, kindness, empathy, eye contact, social connections and feeling loved and cared for.
Four neurotransmitter chemicals which contribute to positive feelings •
Acknowledgement: P – Lyubomirsky, King & Diener, E – Hunter & Csikszentmihalyi, R – Norrish, Robinson & Williams, M – Cotton, Bronk & Damon, A – Hendren & Sheldon, H – Norrish, Robinson & Williams
“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” Ain Eineziz
YOUR LIFE ROLES
This Lesson: WHY: for you to think about what your different life roles involve. HOW: reflect on what you need to do to be self-determined to fulfill each role well. As a young adult, there are an increasing number of different roles that you are expected to be actively involved in. These include as a family member, as a senior student, as a community member and as a person developing a career for yourself.
OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOKS
Understanding and consciously using my strengths every day.
Understanding my interests and personal values in life.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS
Understanding how to self-regulate my emotions and impulses.
Understanding and showing that other people matter.
Understanding how to connect with myself and others.
My self-expectation is:
Understanding how my best self can overcome challenges.
ME: WHO I WILL BECOME
Understanding how to live an ethical and optimistic life.
My self-expectation is:
ME: MY SELF-IMPROVEMENT PLAN
EDUCATION SKILLS
Understanding how to grow my brain’s abilities.
ME: WHO I AM NOW ME: AS A STUDENT
Understanding how to think and change my thinking.
Understanding how to build social-connectedness with others.
Understanding how to develop essential learning skills.
My self-expectation is:
Acknowledgement: Ben Shahar
Understanding how to cope with the ups and downs of school.
CHALLENGING VISIONS
Understanding myself to identify possible careers.
Understanding my best self, goals and self-expectations.
ME: INSPIRING MYSELF
Understanding how to welcome challenges to grow myself.
My self-expectation is:
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” Mae Jemison
Understanding the type of life that I want to live.
SENSE OF PURPOSE
This Lesson: WHY: for you to discover a purpose to strive for, which gives you meaning and drive in what you do. HOW: answer the questions in the lesson and reflect on things that mean a lot to you which give you a sense of purpose in your life. Japanese people call their reason for waking up every day their ikigai. Not having a purpose in your life can lead to a lack of motivation to do what you need to do.
What is something that means a lot to you which gives you a sense of purpose in your life and why?
Look at the diagram. What is your ikigai, your reason for waking up every morning?
What do you love?
What does the world need?
What are you good at?
What jobs interest you?
What are little things you do which make a positive impact on others’ lives? And what would happen if you stopped doing them?
Who is someone you admire who has a strong sense of purpose to help other people?
Acknowledgement: Frankl & Nakanishi
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Carl Jung
Experiencing You
WHY: by having a self-image of what you want people to think of when they first meet you, you will be able to practise body language which sends those messages.
HOW: when people read body language messages that you unconsciously send, they signal to them what your intentions are. Practise your body language to ensure you are putting out images and intentions which accurately reflect who you are. In the world of social media where people are constantly posting pretend images of themselves, be very aware of not falling into the same trap.
Acknowledgement: Diener & Biswas-Diener
DO: what are two character strengths (pages 124-125) that you want others to think of when they first meet you?
1
2
When is a time that you felt someone misread your body language to form an impression of you that you didn’t want them to have?
Which character strength can help you with Experiencing You? (pages 124&125)
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.” Leo Tolstoy
GRATITUDE WEEK
This week, enjoy making a positive difference to other peoples’ lives by creating activities using the strength GRATITUDE, to grow relationships with your family, friends and school community.
Gratitude Week worksheet and Gratitude Wellbeing Award are in Individual Resources on www.learningcurve.com.au
RESOURCEFUL ME: I ADAPT
To be successful in Year 12 it is important to be confident in setting goals, targets and strategies. What does each of these terms mean to you?
Acknowledgement: Seligman & Peterson
Fabulous First
5
Acknowledgement: Sheldon & Adams Miller
Minutes: when is a time that you did what your mind and heart told you was right for you?
WEEKLY HEALTH FOCUS
Colour the sections to reflect how well you went.
Exercise daily
BARELY LITTLE BIT ENOUGH MOSTLY HEAPS
Sleep well
BARELY LITTLE BIT OK MOSTLY HEAPS
Drink water
BARELY LITTLE BIT ENOUGH MOSTLY HEAPS
Eat healthy
BARELY LITTLE BIT HALF HALF MOSTLY HEAPS
Feel positive
BARELY LITTLE BIT OK MOSTLY HEAPS
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?
MY GOAL THIS WEEK
What do I want to achieve this week?
MY GOAL NEXT WEEK
What do I want to achieve next week?
Social Connection
WHY: by accepting that a healthy feeling of social-connectedness is essential for your personal and academic growth, you will value your connections to your family, friends and teachers more.
HOW: believing that you and other people matter, and showing empathy and kindness to each other builds your resilience to adversity. When you are struggling, even though you don’t feel like it, go out of your way to be with others; your feeling of connection and sense of belonging will generate positive emotions in you to lift your spirits to feel more optimistic.
Acknowledgement: Diener & Biswas-Diener DO: when you feel that nobody understands your issues, who are two people that you can share these concerns with?
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” John Lennon
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
What stresses some people may not worry others. To manage stressors, identify coping strategies that work for you to relieve anxious feelings. What are two stressors that you experience, and a coping strategy that you use to relieve them?
RESILIENT ME: I RESPOND WELL
You possess your own mix of character strengths. What is a strength which can help you to cope with the demands of study and why? What is a strength that you look for in friends and why?
Demands of Study In Friends 1. 2. Coping Strategy
Acknowledgement: 11-12 RRRR, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
Fabulous First 5 Minutes:
Acknowledgement: Reivich & Shatte
when is a time that you were open-minded when listening to someone?
WEEKLY HEALTH FOCUS
Colour the sections to reflect how well you went.
Exercise daily
BARELY LITTLE BIT ENOUGH MOSTLY HEAPS
Sleep well
BARELY LITTLE BIT OK MOSTLY HEAPS
Drink water
BARELY LITTLE BIT ENOUGH MOSTLY HEAPS
Eat healthy
BARELY LITTLE BIT HALF HALF MOSTLY HEAPS
Feel positive
BARELY LITTLE BIT OK MOSTLY HEAPS
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?
MY GOAL THIS WEEK
What do I want to achieve this week?
MY GOAL NEXT WEEK
What do I want to achieve next week?
CHARACTER STRENGTHS
This Lesson: WHY: for you to learn about Character Strengths and do the VIA Survey to identify your top strengths. HOW: discover your mix of strengths by doing the free Youth Survey at www.viacharacter.org. For each strength in the table, fill in what number they were on the survey.
The 24 Character Strengths are valued personal traits which are your personal best ways to do things and what you unconsciously use to make sense of the world. Everyone has all of them in different amounts depending on their life experiences. To learn more about Character Strengths, google the enjoyable eight minute Tiffany Shlain YouTube clip called “Science of Character”.
CREATIVITY
Coming up with original and novel ways to think about, design and do things. Can be applied to nearly every human pursuit and your role as a senior student.
LOVE OF LEARNING
Thriving on mastering new skills and competencies in your role as a senior student, whether from your own curiosity to develop yourself or from being part of a cooperative and sharing team.
PERSEVERANCE
Pushing through obstacles to finish what you start, and following through on what you say you will do, particularly when it involves practising more difficult tasks and fixing your mistakes.
LOVE
Seeking and valuing close social connections and relationships with others, particularly those students and teachers who you work closely and cooperatively with.
Your VIA No.
CURIOSITY
Finding fascination in exploring and discovering more about things that interest you. Can be extended to learning more about how you can perform your role as a senior student better.
PERSPECTIVE
Your VIA No.
Being able to make sense of your role as a senior student, be open to new ideas, and share your thoughts wisely with other students and your Circle of Champions.
HONESTY
Your VIA No.
Your VIA No.
JUDGEMENT
Being open-minded to consider and examine things from all angles to arrive at logical conclusions. Can include changing how you perform your role as a senior student by learning new approaches.
BRAVERY
Your VIA No.
Being able to overcome a setback or challenge, and acting on and speaking up on what your mind tells you is the right thing for you to do, even if it may be unpopular.
Your VIA No.
Your VIA No.
Being truthful and presenting yourself as someone who is sincere, sticks to what you know is right, and takes responsibility for your words and actions.
KINDNESS
Doing good to feel good, and feeling good to do good. Being prepared and wanting to give of yourself to do kind little things often for others.
Approaching your role as a senior student with energy and enthusiasm, and enjoying every day as an exciting adventure to challenge your best self.
SOCIAL-INTELLIGENCE
Being aware of the reasons behind what makes other people do things, and then adjust what you do to enable cooperative working relationships to support each other.
Your VIA No.
“Just as we don’t realise we are breathing, we often don’t realise we are using our character strengths.” Martin Seligman
Your VIA No.
Your VIA No.
CHARACTER STRENGTHS
Enjoy doing the strengths weeks to make character strengths key pillars in your school. Character strengths bring the following virtues alive: Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance and Transcendence. The colour of each virtue aligns with strengths of that colour. When is a time that you were proud of how you used your strengths?
TEAMWORK
Cooperating well as a member of different teams, feeling valued by them, and contributing your fair share to achieve what the team set out to do.
FORGIVENESS
Being strong to accept that making mistakes is part of being human, and forgiving people who do so and giving them a second chance.
SELF-REGULATION
Being self-aware of the emotions you are feeling, the warning signs that they are rising, controlling your impulses, and being self-disciplined as a senior student. Having grit to stay focused.
HOPE
Believing that through your own efforts, you can influence your own future as a senior student, and achieve the goals you have set for yourself and as part of teams.
Your VIA No.
FAIRNESS
Choosing to treat all people with respect, kindness and integrity. Be consistent to use the same courtesy and show that you value them all.
HUMILITY
Your VIA No.
Letting your achievements speak for themselves, and quietly and efficiently go about how you perform as a senior student to contribute to the teams you are part of.
Your VIA No.
LEADERSHIP
Encouraging and enabling people to enjoy cooperating together to practise and achieve shared goals, while maintaining respectful expectations and relationships.
PRUDENCE
Your VIA No.
Making considered and careful choices to avoid taking undue risks and not saying or doing things that you might later regret.
Your VIA No.
Your VIA No.
Your VIA No.
APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY & EXCELLENCE
Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence and outstanding efforts. Valuing and celebrating nature and enjoying everyday experiences.
Your VIA No.
HUMOUR
Enjoying laughing and having fun with people, and bringing smiles to their faces. Sharing the light and bright side of life to generate positive emotions in yourself and others.
Being aware of and thankful for the efforts of people and the good things that happen every day; avoiding being on autopilot and taking things for granted.
SENSE OF MEANING
Your VIA No.
“Freedom is knowing who you really are.” Bill Vaughan
Having something bigger than yourself as your life purpose and which brings you meaning to understand where you fit in the big scheme of things. Your reason for getting out of bed every morning.
