2019 YEARS 7-8 MY WELLBEING JOURNAL
becoming MY BEST POSSIBLE SELF Your choices shape your life. They are your possibilities for the future. Choosing to become your best possible self is a fantastic first choice.
STUDENT NAME...................................................................................... CLASS.............................................. Make the choice to look up from your phone to discover the wonderful possibilities and joys life has to offer by sharing face-to-face and side-by-side talks with other people. Whatever can be turned off, can be turned back on. Choosing to enjoy thriving and flourishing wellbeing by using: growth mindsets to stretch my brain’s abilities grit to challenge my focus, my passion and my persistence mindfulness to connect with myself and the present moment empathy to show other people matter in my thoughts, words and actions.
Choosing to use my strengths and resilience skills to: be positive and live a life full of energy grow personally and academically do good to feel good s ee mistakes as stepping stones to thriving.
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
“I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” Saying
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STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS
THREE FOR ME What are three good things I’ve achieved in my life?
FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE Wellbeing Bank: to develop my Strengths and Emotions by being aware of my feelings. When you experience something which may be disturbing, your eyes send a message to your amygdala, which is the part of your brain which naturally creates your AMYGDALA feelings and how strong they are. Your brain’s response to the message may be either fight, flight or freeze. Fight is to stand up to a perceived threat. Flight is to not deal with or ignore it. Freeze is to be overcome and overwhelmed. Your amygdala is well developed and is often called the primitive brain. The good decisionmaking part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, also receives the message, but doesn’t process it as quickly. Which means that your fight, flight or freeze feelings can control your thoughts, words and actions. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing, so give it time to make good choices. When you feel fight, flight or freeze, STOP and breathe deeply for a minute before you speak or act. Describe how you currently control your feelings. ............................................................................... ............................................................................... > Website: Thinking Trap, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to be aware of my feelings and fight, flight or freeze?
1. 2.
THINKING TRAP NO EVIDENCE, THEN TRUE? Because there is no evidence or points against something, then it must be true. e.g. I’ll eat more ice-cream because no-one has proved it’s not good for me.
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RESILIENCE BUILDER Since the beginning of time, when we humans have looked at something, our main focus has been to look for what is wrong with it. From now on, let’s start looking for what’s right with things.
STRENGTHS BOOSTER STRENGTHS SPOTTING Journal any times I see myself or others using this week’s strength and the actions I or they take.
CHARACTER STRENGTH Describe a time you showed SELF-REGULATION and how you felt using it. Who is someone you know who shows SELF-REGULATION well and what do they do to show it?
ACHIEVING MY GOALS What am I focused on achieving and getting done each day this week? MONDAY Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND Date: ___/___/___
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFUL COLOURING IN
FIVE SENSES – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT 1
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT 2
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
THREE FOR ME What are three things that are going well?
THE CHANGING BRAIN Wellbeing Bank: to build my Positive Engagement by practising to grow strong brain pathways. After every experience you have your brain rewires itself to create new or strengthen existing brain pathways. This is called neuroplasticity and continues throughout your life. In your brain there are millions of nerve cells called neurons, which process and send electrical messages from neuron to neuron around your body to create your every thought, word and action. Your brain loves looking for patterns and the more you do something, the faster the messages travel and the more automatic they become which is how you create your habits. Deliberately practising any activity and gradually increasing its level of difficulty, will create strong brain pathways in that area. Describe how you currently practise to build stronger brain pathways.
RESILIENCE BUILDER Discovering your top character strengths and then using them in your every thought, word and action will see you live a really positive life with a healthy sense of wellbeing. Go to website www.viacharacter.org to complete the Youth Survey to identify your own top strengths.
............................................................................. ............................................................................. To develop positive habits, make them easy to do. To avoid negative habits, make them difficult to do. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE THINKING OF OTHERS Positive Vibes – every day sending someone a text praising or thanking them or asking how they are travelling.
What are two things I will start doing to grow my brains abilities?
1. 2.
THINKING TRAP IS IT DESERVED? Because a person needs a boost, then something is given to them. e.g. John is struggling at home, so we’ll give him an award at school to brighten up his life.
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CHARACTER STRENGTH Describe a time you showed CREATIVITY and how you felt using it. Who is someone you know who shows CREATIVITY well and what do they do to show it?
ACHIEVING MY GOALS What am I focused on achieving and getting done each day this week? MONDAY Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND Date: ___/___/___
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFUL COLOURING IN
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.
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
THREE FOR ME What are three things I’m not afraid to do any more?
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND GRATITUDE Wellbeing Bank: to grow my Relationships and Optimism by enjoying positive and grateful relationships with my family and friends. Feeling gratitude and joy by enjoying a sense of belonging with family and friends, is the largest contributor to creating your wellbeing. Together you all achieve this by looking for what is good in what you are doing, celebrating happy times and sticking together in tough times, doing good to feel good, combining your strengths to grow and exercising and having fun together. Put them before yourself. Say five positive comments for every negative one. Describe your relationships with your family and friends.
RESILIENCE BUILDER Recent studies have shown that the main concerns reported by young people of your age are (in no particular order) – mental health issues, bullying, family relationships, emotional wellbeing, personal relationships and friendships. With a friend rank them in order of importance for you.
............................................................................. ............................................................................. When your family asks you to lift your efforts at school, lighten up, they only want to help you. Put your Personal Timetable on the fridge and ask them to help you with your school work. When with friends, be the real you, not some pretend image and value the person you see in the mirror. Acknowledgement: E. Diener & R. Rothenthal
> Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
STRENGTHS BOOSTER LEARNING STRENGTHS Journal three strengths I could use to accept mistakes and correct them to grow personally and academically.
What are two things I will start doing to feel gratitude and joy with family and friends?
1. 2.
THINKING TRAP IS IT BASED ON FACT? An idea is accepted because another view suggests it is true without any supporting evidence. e.g. takeaway food is not good for you so sushi is not good for you.
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CHARACTER STRENGTH Describe a time you showed LOVE and how you felt using it. Who is someone you know who shows LOVE well and what do they do to show it?
ACHIEVING MY GOALS What am I focused on achieving and getting done each day this week? MONDAY Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND Date: ___/___/___
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFUL COLOURING IN
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.
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
THREE FOR ME What are three things that are special for me?
MINDSET AND CHOICE Wellbeing Bank: to strengthen my Skills and Achievement by choosing to have a growth mindset. Your mindset changes for different activities you are involved in. For some, you strive hard to grow your abilities through effort to learn more difficult things; while for others, you don’t try because you think you don’t have the ability to master them. A difficult task to master, which gives you choice in what you do, is prioritising. It is doing the things that you need to do in a logical order to ensure they get done on time. Describe how you currently prioritise what you need to do.
RESILIENCE BUILDER With two friends describe the types of things that would and wouldn’t happen if there were no classroom expectations, which some people call rules. Brainstorm to come up with at least five main areas you think there needs to be shared class expectations.
............................................................................. ............................................................................. Musts and Options on the website enable you to organise what you need to do: • Musts: are things you have no choice in • Options: are things that you have a choice in. > Website: Musts and Options Thinking Tool, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
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.
What are two things I will start doing to learn how to prioritise well to have choice?
1. 2.
THINKING TRAP WHO SAID IT? Decisions are made not on the points for or against, but because of who says it. e.g. the gym coach said that low intensity training is good for runners so we all should do it.
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CHARACTER STRENGTH Describe a time you showed PRUDENCE and how you felt using it. Who is someone you know who shows PRUDENCE well and what do they do to show it?
ACHIEVING MY GOALS What am I focused on achieving and getting done each day this week? MONDAY Date: ___/___/___ TUESDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEDNESDAY Date: ___/___/___ THURSDAY Date: ___/___/___ FRIDAY Date: ___/___/___ WEEKEND Date: ___/___/___
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFUL COLOURING IN
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.
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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