2019 YEARS 11-12 MY WELLBEING JOURNAL
CHALLENGING MY BEST POSSIBLE SELF By choosing to tackle the senior schooling years, you have put yourself in a position to explore the exciting range of possibilities on offer for your future. Seize them with spirit and confidence.
STUDENT NAME...................................................................................... CLASS.............................................. To explore you must look up from your phone to see and sample what life has to offer. The journey of discovering meaningful possibilities is always more enjoyable and fulfilling when you share these new joys side-by-side with others. Growing personally and academically by making the choice to: s how care and compassion for others and myself ave zest to learn and try more difficult h things e self-disciplined in my thoughts, words b and actions be resilient to not give in to myself.
Harnessing my strengths to challenge my best possible self to: do good for others to feel good myself s tretch my abilities through deliberate practice s how gratitude for the good things in my life be optimistic and hopeful for my future.
Write a short job description for the tasks you need to do as a student. What do you expect from yourself?
........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................... Acknowledgement: Sonja Lyubomirsky & Tal Ben Shahar
Strengths for relationships Weeks The challenge over the week for individuals, groups and classes is to enjoy focusing your energies on creating activities for and showing the suggested strength to grow relationships within the school community. If need be, change the weeks to suit your school calendar. Term 1: Gratitude Week – the week beginning on page 22 Term 2: Teamwork Week – the week beginning on page 52 Term 3: Kindness Week – the week beginning on page 74 Term 4: Leadership Week – the week beginning on page 94
“Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” Marilyn vos Savant
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STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS
FIVE FOR ME FIVE good things I’ve achieved in my life.
FAST & SLOW TRACK RESPONSES Wellbeing Bank: to boost my Strengths and Emotions through regulating my emotional responses. Having the ability to self-regulate the intensity of your emotions and how you respond to situations are gateways to personal and academic growth. AMYGDALA There are essentially two ways you respond, those being fast and slow track. They are also sometimes described as downstairs and upstairs responses. Fast track responses are when the primitive part of your brain, the amygdala, which strengthens emotions, is in control. Your thinking becomes hijacked by your emotions, resulting in fast unconscious fight, flight or freeze responses and poor decision making. Others also find it more difficult to understand you. (Google rider and the elephant to learn more.) Slow track responses are when the good decision making part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, which regulates your emotions, is in control. Your thinking is more rational and you to analyse, problem solve and understand experiences. Describe how you currently self-regulate your emotions. ................................................................................. ................................................................................. Being able to keep your finger on the pulse of your emotions, will assist you to understand the connections between your thoughts, feelings and actions.
RESILIENCE 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?
LEARNING TO FLOURISH The best way to build your wellbeing is through contributing to make a positive difference to others’ lives; doing good to feel good and feeling good to do good. Describe three times you have done this and the emotions you felt.
Acknowledgement: Daniel Siegel
> Website: Thinking Traps, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to be more aware to self-regulate my emotions by using the slow track?
1. 2.
STRENGTHS BOOSTER STRENGTHS SPOTTING Journal any times I see myself or others using this week’s strength and the actions I or they take.
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MINDFUL COLOURING
FEELINGS CHART Aim to use it a couple of times this week to raise your self-awareness of your emotions and build your selfregulation. Take the time to honestly monitor how you are feeling and tick it on the chart below. Even better, jot down a short comment to make it more meaningful. HOW AM I FEELING?
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING
Thriving & Flourishing Happy OK Could be better Unhappy Join the ticks to see your emotional rollercoaster; this is normal in most peoples’ lives.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY FIVE SENSES – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
FINGER ON THE PULSE What are your target tasks day-by-day this week to accomplish what you have set out to do? MONDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND
What do you still need to learn?
Dates: ___/___/___
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK?
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
Think about three good things that happened, no matter how small they were, that you were grateful for this week. What did you do to make them happen and how can you make them happen again?
Select a face which shows how you felt this week.
What are three things you are really looking forward to next week?
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POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT
FIVE FOR ME FIVE things that are going well.
BRAIN GROWTH ABILITIES Wellbeing Bank: to develop my Positive Engagement through learning new more difficult approaches to enable brain growth. In your brain there are millions of nerve cells called neurons, which connect together to process and send information electrically from neuron to neuron to create brain pathways. For many years it was thought that our brains’ abilities were fixed and unable to change. But neuroscience has now proven that our brains rewire themselves after every experience we have, creating new brain pathways and strengthening links between neurons. This process continues throughout life and is called neuroplasticity. Practising the same level learning processes, enables the neurons to become more strongly connected, creating your habits and making them more reliable. But it doesn’t improve your brain’s abilities. Whereas, doing more difficult processes, creates new brain pathways to stretch and grow your brain’s abilities. Describe more difficult processes you could learn. ................................................................................. ................................................................................. For you as a student, this provides you with a choice. Make the effort to deliberately learn more difficult processes, to experience personal and academic growth, or keep doing the same level processes and experience no growth? > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to practise learning more difficult processes to grow my brain’s abilities?
1. 2.
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE THINKING OF OTHERS Positive Vibes – every day sending someone a text praising or thanking them or asking how they are travelling.
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RESILIENCE There are certain character strengths and positive personal descriptors which will provide you with the self-determination to strive, thrive and flourish in the senior years. In pairs choose five helpful strengths and five descriptors (see index) and why you chose them.
LEARNING TO FLOURISH Draw an outline of your body and on it write down the warning signs you feel on different parts when you are becoming stressed or angry. Be on the lookout for them to reduce the intensity of your emotions.
MINDFUL COLOURING
FEELINGS CHART Aim to use it a couple of times this week to raise your self-awareness of your emotions and build your selfregulation. Take the time to honestly monitor how you are feeling and tick it on the chart below. Even better, jot down a short comment to make it more meaningful. HOW AM I FEELING?
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING
Thriving & Flourishing Happy OK Could be better Unhappy Join the ticks to see your emotional rollercoaster; this is normal in most peoples’ lives.
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.
FINGER ON THE PULSE What are your target tasks day-by-day this week to accomplish what you have set out to do? MONDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND
What do you still need to learn?
Dates: ___/___/___
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK?
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
Think about three good things that happened, no matter how small they were, that you were grateful for this week. What did you do to make them happen and how can you make them happen again?
Select a face which shows how you felt this week.
What are three things you are really looking forward to next week?
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relationships and optimism
FIVE FOR ME FIVE things I’m not afraid to do anymore.
GRATITUDE: FAMILY AND FRIENDS Wellbeing Bank: to build my Relationships and Optimism through showing that I am grateful for my family and friends. There is an old saying, relationships make the world go around. Be very grateful that you have your family and friends. When you enjoy positive relationships with family and friends, you look for what is right in what you are doing. Share and combine your strengths and create shared expectations to live by. Aim for five positive comments for every negative one; putting others before yourself; having confidence in each other; accepting constructive advice and acting on it and sharing highlights and lowlights. Describe how your family and friends currently support each other.
RESILIENCE Having completed your VIA Character Strengths Survey to identify your signature and top supporting strengths now fill in your strengths wheel (see index). With a friend brainstorm how you can use them to work towards achieving your goals.
................................................................................. ................................................................................. When you think your family is interfering, lighten up, their only motivation is to see you be happy. Include them by putting your Personal Timetable on the fridge and asking them to help you with drafting. When with friends, be clear on your expectations of each other, particularly when studying together. When partying, look after your and your friends’ wellbeing, by being sensible with alcohol and risktaking activities and discussing possible dangers before going out. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to show that I am grateful for my family and friends?
1. 2.
STRENGTHS BOOSTER LEARNING STRENGTHS Journal three strengths I could use to accept mistakes and correct them to grow personally and academically.
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LEARNING TO FLOURISH The shadow side of your strengths is when you under use, misuse or overuse them. For three of your top strengths describe a time for each when you have used them on the shadow side.
MINDFUL COLOURING
FEELINGS CHART Aim to use it a couple of times this week to raise your self-awareness of your emotions and build your selfregulation. Take the time to honestly monitor how you are feeling and tick it on the chart below. Even better, jot down a short comment to make it more meaningful. HOW AM I FEELING?
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING
Thriving & Flourishing Happy OK Could be better Unhappy Join the ticks to see your emotional rollercoaster; this is normal in most peoples’ lives.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY GOING HOME – close your eyes and pretend you are travelling home from school. Focus on every turn, every time you must stop and start for the whole way home.
FINGER ON THE PULSE What are your target tasks day-by-day this week to accomplish what you have set out to do? MONDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND
What do you still need to learn?
Dates: ___/___/___
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK?
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
Think about three good things that happened, no matter how small they were, that you were grateful for this week. What did you do to make them happen and how can you make them happen again?
Select a face which shows how you felt this week.
What are three things you are really looking forward to next week?
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skills and ACHIEVEMENT
FIVE FOR ME FIVE things that are special for me.
CHOICE, PRACTICE AND EFFORT Wellbeing Bank: to add to my Skills and Achievement through using effort more intelligently to prioritise. When you combine choice, practice and effort, personal and academic growth nearly always result, except when effort is used to do same low level processes. Focus on how you learn, not what you learn. A more intelligent and effective learning process is to prioritise what you need to get done and doing this turns good intentions into positive actions. Describe how you currently prioritise what you need to accomplish. ................................................................................. ................................................................................. To prioritise, break up what you need to do into Musts and Options. Musts are things you are committed to do, including family responsibilities, school, training, part-time jobs. Beware of the time lost between them. Options are things that you have a choice in, including texting/phone calls, TV/videos, social networking and socializing. Use the Time Understandings, Musts and Options and Urgency versus Importance Matrix Thinking Tools on website to assist you to complete a detailed daily list of your Musts and Options to create a clear time usage picture. Reward your good efforts with quality activities after you have accomplished something, not before. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS What are two things I will start doing to learn more intelligently by prioritising?
1. 2.
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE TELL ME MORE Interested Listening – when listening to others, before I speak I will ask them to tell me more about what they are talking about at least three times.
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RESILIENCE The senior years are also times to share special experiences with friends and classmates in social situations and other places. With a friend brainstorm ten of these experiences and the positive emotions you could feel (see index).
LEARNING TO FLOURISH What you focus on grows. To develop your top strengths, create practices to use them and then consciously celebrate when you do. Describe a practice which can you develop into a habit for each of your top strengths.
MINDFUL COLOURING
FEELINGS CHART Aim to use it a couple of times this week to raise your self-awareness of your emotions and build your selfregulation. Take the time to honestly monitor how you are feeling and tick it on the chart below. Even better, jot down a short comment to make it more meaningful. HOW AM I FEELING?
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING
Thriving & Flourishing Happy OK Could be better Unhappy Join the ticks to see your emotional rollercoaster; this is normal in most peoples’ lives.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY FAVOURITE SONG – in your mind mentally sing your favourite song while at the same time writing out all of the words and describe what they mean to you and how they make you feel.
FINGER ON THE PULSE What are your target tasks day-by-day this week to accomplish what you have set out to do? MONDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY
What do you still need to learn?
Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND
What do you still need to learn?
Dates: ___/___/___
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK?
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
Think about three good things that happened, no matter how small they were, that you were grateful for this week. What did you do to make them happen and how can you make them happen again?
Select a face which shows how you felt this week.
What are three things you are really looking forward to next week?
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