Ways to Well-Being - Student Workbook (Sample) by The Examcraft Group

WAYS TO WELL-BEING ...A WELL-BEING COURSE FOR STUDENTS

JOHN DORAN

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge and thank my wife Karen for her forbearance and support; my nephew Eddie for his constant encouragement along the way; Philip O' Callaghan for his counsel, collaboration, and faith in the project – it has been a pleasure to work with him; my colleagues and fellow teachers for making such a positive difference in the lives of our young people – may you continue to do so, and may the wind be at your back! Finally, to the students I have taught down through the years in the Patrician Secondary School – thank you.

DEDICATION This book refers to many heroes. I have been fortunate to meet some of mine and even more fortunate to have lived with one of them, to whom I dedicate this book – my mother. Her understanding of the transformative power of education to transcend and empower is a lesson that has stayed with and sustained my desire to make a positive difference in the lives of students. John Doran

INTRODUCTION Many people consider that a healthy diet and regular exercise are all that are needed for their well-being. While these are both important tools that support us when living with undue fatigue or physical strain, there is a much more holistic way of viewing well-being. There are many areas in our lives that require balancing in order to experience wholeness and the sense of fulfilment that accompanies it. We are all unique and so are our needs in terms of well-being. We need to care for many areas of our lives so that energy can permeate our whole being. Needs change frequently depending on what is happening to us at any given time. We must be able to shine through amidst the busyness, the complexity and the pressure of our lives so that we can live in a way that nourishes and sustains us. This is true of the students in our schools and this work by John Doran offers suggestions and ideas that teachers can use to help students develop the skill of staying well. Readers may think of additional ways to develop this skill. The whole-school environment and the formal and informal relationships between teachers and students will impact on students' experience of well-being in school. Students will be enabled to experience well-being alongside their intellectual development. Being healthy, being socially active and being able to take care of themselves and others will help students to become happy and confident. Bro. Cormac Commins, Provincial, Patrician Brothers 1

Well-being is a combination of feeling good as well as actually having meaning, good relationships and accomplishment. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Martin Seligman

DEAR STUDENT,

s a young person you are living in an exciting world filled with more choice and opportunity than any previous generation. However, this choice and opportunity brings challenges and from time to time unfulfilled expectations.

This workbook is designed to help you explore how you maintain your own sense of well-being when presented with all these choices and challenges, so that you can reach your full potential and be the person you want to be in the world.

A person that is balanced and fulfilled across various areas of their life including social, relationship, health and community is more likely to have developed greater resilience to cope with lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ups and downs and achieve a feeling of accomplishment.

The aim of this workbook is to explore some of the themes associated with well-being with you, to empower you to increase your own personal well-being. Each chapter has elements for you to fill in which are important reflections on your journey. This workbook is something you may wish to keep with you after school as a resource for life which can be dipped in and out of in the future and also provide opportunities to reflect back on your journey.

Enjoy your journey into well-being.

waystowellbeing@yahoo.com If you would like information on further training on well-being for teachers or schools please contact info@thesupergeneration.com 2

Table of contents 1 Relationship with life KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU

CHAPTER 2

THE TREE OF GREATNESS

CHAPTER 3

INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF STRESS

CHAPTER 4

MINDFULNESS

CHAPTER 5

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

CHAPTER 6

FINDING THE HAPPINESS (H) FACTOR

CHAPTER 7

LIVING LIFE WITH A PURPOSE

CHAPTER 8

WHAT I VALUE THE MOST

CHAPTER 1

2 Relationship with emotions EMOTIONS

C H A P T E R 10 EMOTION MANAGEMENT

C H A P T E R 11 CHANNELLING EMOTIONS

C H A P T E R 12 FACING FEAR

C H A P T E R 13 IT IS OKAY NOT TO FEEL OKAY

C H A P T E R 14 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ)

C H A P T E R 15 BELIEFS

C H A P T E R 16 UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGING LIMITING BELIEFS

C H A P T E R 17 VALUING OURSELVES

CHAPTER 9

3 Relationship with mindset, meaning and purpose C H A P T E R 18 REACTION TO EVENTS: INTRODUCING MINDSET

C H A P T E R 19 GROWTH VERSUS FIXED MINDSET

C H A P T E R 2 0 RESILIENCE

C H A P T E R 21 STRENGTHS

C H A P T E R 2 2 THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

C H A P T E R 2 3 A LIFE OF MEANING AND PURPOSE

99 102

C H A P T E R 24 GIVING BACK

4 Relationship with the past, present and future 106

C H A P T E R 2 6 LETTING GO

108

C H A P T E R 27 THE GIFT

C H A P T E R 2 5 THE CONCEPT OF FLOW

110

C H A P T E R 2 8 BACK TO THE FUTURE

114

C H A P T E R 2 9 YOUR BUCKET LIST

118

C H A P T E R 3 0 THE GOLDEN TICKET: TIME

120

C H A P T E R 31 BARRIERS TO RELATIONSHIPS

124

C H A P T E R 3 2 LEARNING FROM THE SUCCESSFUL LIVES OF OTHERS

126

5 Relationship with personality, talent and performance 132

C H A P T E R 34 ON THE RIGHT TRACK

138

C H A P T E R 3 5 RELATIONSHIP TO PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE AND GOAL SETTING

145

C H A P T E R 3 6 PRESSURE SOLUTION STRATEGIES

152

C H A P T E R 37 BENEFITS OF FAILURE

162

C H A P T E R 3 8 RELATIONSHIP TO SLEEP, DIET AND EXERCISE

164

C H A P T E R 3 9 THE POWER OF LISTENING

168

C H A P T E R 3 3 PERSONALITY

C H A P T E R 41 LIKING OURSELVES

C H A P T E R 4 0 FRIENDSHIP

174 182 185

C H A P T E R 4 3 WAYS OF RESOLVING CONFLICT

192

C H A P T E R 4 2 YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

6 Reflective journal

C H A P T E R 4 4 RECORDING AND REFLECTING ON MY ASPIRATIONS AND JOURNEY

198

Relationship with Life

CHAPTER 1

What is important to you?

KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU

ow well do you know yourself? Before you begin this journey into well-being, it is important to

know where you are starting from and where it is you would like to go.

following exercise, which will help you in getting to know yourself better.

you of all your answers, did anything

Your fears?

Ask yourself at the end how aware were

Take some time now to complete the

surprise you, do you know yourself any

better now?

Who am I?

Three ambitions/ dreams for the future? 6

What emotions do you most experience on a regular basis?

Favourite funny moment/ joke?

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Your bad habits? 7

One thing you feel passionate about

Your favourite TV show / film?

Create your own motto or crest.

What piece of music best represents you?

Life

CHAPTER 1

Think of something that represents you, a symbol, a song, motto, logo, or animal. Why does it represent you best?

List ten things that you love to do.

If you absolutely could not fail what would you choose to do?

What would you love to do with the rest of your life if money was not a factor?

Everyone has talents, gifts and abilities. What are your top three?

Think of a person you really admire. What qualities does that person have?

Life

CHAPTER 1

If you asked your best friend to describe you, what words would they use?

If a seven-inch plank of wood was pitched between two skyscrapers, for what, if anything, would you be willing to cross?

Lifelines

Life is full of ups and downs. Part of the challenge of life is turning obstacles into opportunities, stumbling blocks into stepping stones and dead-ends into doorways.

On the diagram below, chart your life's memorable moments, going as far back as you can remember. The higher the spike the more positive the moment. The lower the spike the more challenging.

ample highs

lows

Life

CHAPTER 1

Who packed your parachute? Author Unknown

harles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot

have seen him and not even said, ‘Good

in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions,

morning, how are you?’ or anything because,

his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air

you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just

missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into

a sailor.” Plumb thought of the many hours

enemy hands. He was captured and spent

the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in

6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on

shrouds and folding the silks of each chute,

lessons learned from that experience!

holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man

Now, Plumb asks his audience,

at another table came up and said, in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

Everyone has someone who

“You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters

“Who’s packing your parachute?” provides what they need to make

it through the day. He also points

out that he needed many kinds of

parachutes when his plane was shot

down over enemy territory – he needed his

Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The

physical parachute, his mental parachute,

man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it

his emotional parachute, and his spiritual

worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your

parachute. He called on all these supports

chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

before reaching safety.

Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life

“I packed your parachute,” the man replied.

gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking

compliment, or just do something nice for no

about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering

reason. There is no such thing as a self-made

what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a

person – a lot of things and people contribute

white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom

to our success and well-being in all sorts of

trousers. I wonder how many times I might

ways. Who are those people in your life?

Life

CHAPTER 1

Write in the bubbles who packs your parachute.

ample

Exte Famnded ily

Fam

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Sch

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TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

Relationship with Life

CHAPTER 2

THE TREE OF GREATNESS

The Great Timber

– Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light, But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing ...

Good timber does not grow with ease, The stronger wind, the stronger trees.

Life is not what it’s supposed to be. It’s what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference. – Virginia Satir 12

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How the elements of a tree can represent life Leaves

Who we hang out with and hang on to.

Buds

Branches

represent the talents and gifts of the individual - the things that make you stand out from the crowd.

represent hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future.

Trunk

Flowers

represent our accomplishments and moments we are proud of.

represents our strength in times of challenge. How strong is yours on a scale of 1-10?

Roots

though not visible represent the sources of our strength and energy. 13

Life

CHAPTER 2

Over to you. In the space provided draw your tree. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t es Leav have to be a masterpiece or a work of art. It must, Flowers however, contain the following elements:

Trunk

Roots

es ch an Br

Bu ds

ample

CHAPTER 2

Life

Blind Vision

he world disappeared from Steve Cunningham (the former captain of the

English blind football team) one sunny day, as his vision became shrouded in a creeping grey mist. Steve found himself totally, and irreversibly, blind at 12 years of age. But Steve is a remarkable person. He has spent his life breaking every barrier that stood in his way.

Steve has battled, and overcome, more barriers than most people will ever face. His core message is that anyone can break barriers and that the path to true success is in

The path to true success is in your mind, and not your ability or environment.

your mind, not your ability or environment. Steve sees no disability in his total lack of sight,

powered to world speed records on land

but takes pride in sharing true vision, which

and sea. He then took to the air, and found

many sighted people fail to recognise.

The fastest blind man on the planet, Steve

international media fame as the world's first

blind pilot. The former captain of the England

So what are your gifts, strengths, talents and

blind football team does have one handicap in

opportunities? There are none so blind as

life: golf ... he plays off 24.

those that will not see.

TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

Relationship with Life

CHAPTER 3

INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF STRESS

tress is a feeling we get when

or are late for class, our body's response

struggling to cope with the pressures

is to release cortisol and adrenaline, thus

of life. Most scientists agree that some

the heart pounds, the muscles tighten, the

stress is good for us. We all need some

blood pressure rises, the breath quickens

stress to get out of bed in the morning. It

and the senses are more alert.

helps motivate us to perform at our best, stimulating our body to produce the important hormones cortisol and

When we stay stressed for too long, it

has many negative effects on our

adrenaline.

bodies. Cortisol inhibits some of your immune responses, meaning youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more likely to

Eat healthy, nutritious food and exercise to beat stress.

get sick and it may take longer

for wounds to heal. Cortisol

also slows bone growth, meaning

These are known as 'stress hormones'.

sustained levels can lead to weaker,

more fragile bones. And because cortisol

response when stressed. It does this by

acts on a part of your brain that controls

shutting down unnecessary functions like

appetite, it also increases your desire for

the reproductive and the immune system, in

fatty and sugary foods.

Cortisol prepares a body for a 'fight or flight'

order to allow the body to direct all energies towards dealing with the stress at hand.

Thus, remaining stressed for too long causes

Adrenaline also prepares the body for the

the body to become distressed.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fight or flightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; response in times of stress by increasing the body's heart rate, blood pressure,

To manage stress:

and expanding the air passages of the lungs. We need small amounts of these hormones to function properly, however in large supply they damage our health and well-being.

XXeat healthy, nutritious food, XXexercise, XXpractise mindfulness, XXget plenty of sleep.

A high-stress event can cause a serious

imbalance in the amount of cortisol and

There is nothing good to say about chronic

adrenaline in our bodies, whether that event

stress, therefore it is important that we

is real or imagined, physical or psychological.

develop methods of managing stress more

So whether we have a fight with a friend,

effectively.

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What are the main sources of stress in a teenagerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life?

TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

Relationship with Life

CHAPTER 4

MINDFULNESS

indfulness is a skill and a practice

to do and we spend very little time in the

that first started over 2,000 years

present moment. Worrying is a bit like being

ago with the teachings of the

in a rocking chair, you are doing something

Buddha. Very simply it is non-judgemental

but going nowhere fast.

awareness of the present moment. It is a method of paying attention to what is happening in the here and now, the present moment.

Why is that a problem? When our minds dart around, it can be the source of anxiety, sadness, anger and so on and these feelings arise because of

our mind’s tendency to judge what it is thinking about. How often do you hear yourself

thinking, “It shouldn’t be like that;”

Mindfulness involves allowing your thoughts to just be there without judging them.

“I wish that was different;” "Why

Minds are wonderful things, but

me?’ “That’s no good.” Practising

mindfulness encourages you to allow your

They dart around all over the place, bring

thoughts to just be there without you

you things that you don’t want and have

judging them. It enables your experience

a tendency to create a bit of a mess. Our

to be just that – your experience; it allows

minds are constantly darting off to the past

what is the case to be the case. Mindfulness

and the future: thinking about things we

allows you to start seeing things as they

have done, worrying about things we have

really are, not how you think they are.

sometimes they are a bit like a rabbit.

What might the benefits of being more mindful be?

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Depression: some facts

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Things or people that can help me if

XXDepression can vary from a feeling of being down and

When I’m feeling down I

Emotions

can…

CHAPTER 13

anxious right through to panic or anxiety attacks, up to and including clinical depression, where a person may not be able to perform even simple tasks for several weeks through manic episodes of depression.

I’m feeling depressed

XXSome depression is genetic - there is a gene that

controls the amount of serotonin (this is a chemical that makes us feel good) in the brain. If this gene is somehow faulty, a person may be more susceptible to feelings of depression.

XXThe average age for a first experience of depression is

14, fifty years ago it was 30.

If you a re depress feeling e prolong d for a ed perio d, please speak to your tea or guida cher nce counse llor.

TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

Relationship with Emotions

C H A P T E R 14

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ)

motional intelligence (EQ) is not

between EQ competencies and success.

about being nice all of the time. It is about awareness. The awareness of

The best thing? EQ skills can be learned and

your feelings and emotions and those

developed.

of others. Emotional intelligence is about being smart with your

There are three key skills which people with high EQ have

them towards a positive end.

learned. These are:

Research indicates that for all

emotions and learning to channel

their own emotional weather.

levels of employment, EQ skills such

Awareness – i.e. awareness of

as being aware of our emotions, ability to

Regulation – the ability to regulate

regulate them and empathise with those

or channel that energy productively to

of others are twice as effective as IQ in

minimise negative effects.

determining an individual's success in a

Empathy – i.e. the ability to empathise

with the emotional weather of others. The

in the organisation, the more EQ matters.

relationship between the awareness of self and

Executive leaders show an 85% correlation

others is shown in the quadrants of EQ below.

given occupation. The higher the position

Self

Others

Awareness

All Changes start here

SelfAwareness

Awareness of Others

Actions

The Quadrants of EQ

SelfManagement

Social Skills

Positive impact on others

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– M. Miller

elf-esteem is literally how we feel about

and respect from others is called the ego.

ourselves. It is your emotional opinion

a person.

another person is feeling. When we listen to someone else’s feelings, interests, needs or concerns we give them a valuable emotional

when we interact with people. Do I matter? Am

payment. We give them a very valuable gift –

I being heard? When we are communicating,

our attention.

we are subconsciously conducting a test for trust and respect.

All of us are asking two invisible questions

Emotions

Empathy is an attempt to understand what

CHAPTER 14

about yourself, how you feel about yourself as

When was the last time you had somebody’s

complete and undivided attention? When was the last time you gave someone your

instinctive response to fear, or because we are

complete and undivided attention? A surefire

afraid that control has been lost over how we

way to help capture someone's emotions is to

see ourselves. The part of us that seeks love

empathise with them.

When someone gets angry it can be an

Remember ...

A question to ask yourself that might help is “if I was having this experience, what would I be feeling?”

Shade the square below to

indicate how full your mind is.

indicate how full your heart is.

The VIP

friend of mine was visiting the West of

voice so far from home. At the reception desk

Ireland from the UK. Away from home

he took note of the name tags, and none bore

and with a busy schedule he placed a wake-

the name Wayne. He asked to speak to the

up call for 7.45 a.m. the following morning.

manager and was told he hadn’t reported for

He was somewhat surprised to be awoken at

duty yet.

Emotions

CHAPTER 14

7 a.m. It transpired that Wayne was at the lowest "Hello, John! I hope this soft Irish morning finds

end of the hotel food chain. He took bags

you keeping well! My name is Wayne and I

from the cars and placed them inside the

know I am ringing you slightly earlier than you

revolving doors for collection by the porters.

had planned. It's just that I have a

To the left of the door he had

mighty big Irish breakfast waiting

a wooden plinth with a sign

for you and I know you have a busy intend walking the beautiful Burren – it can get quite chilly; you might want to take your sweater with you even

though the sun is shining! You have

day ahead. Just a word in case you

overhead. It read:

The most important person in the world is now standing in front of me.

a great day and thanks for staying

with us – it's appreciated!" "Thanks,

Wayne!" replied a slightly flustered John.

John called it Wayne's World. The personal touch of Wayne left a lasting impression on John. Everyone has an invisible

He had heard about the Irish welcome but

sign around their neck that says, I matter, I

thought that was only in the brochures. He

am important. Wayne had shown his great

made a mental note to thank him on his way

emotional intelligence – and the hotel had a

down to the lobby. It was nice to hear a friendly

very happy customer!

TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

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The Station

ful

Robert J Hastings

TUCKED AWAY in our subconscious minds is

When we get to the station that will be it!" we

an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long,

cry. Translated it means, "When I'm 18 that

long trip that almost spans the continent.

will be it! When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes

We're traveling by passenger train, and out the

Benz, that will be it! When I put the last kid

windows we drink in the passing scene of cars

through college that will be it! When I have

on nearby highways, of children waving at a

paid off the mortgage that will be it! When I

crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of

win a promotion that will be it! When I reach

smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon

the age of retirement that will be it! I shall live

row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys,

happily ever after!"

of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls, of biting winter and blazing

Unfortunately, once we get "it," then "it"

summer and cavorting spring and docile fall.

disappears. The station somehow hides itself at

the end of an endless track.

But uppermost in our minds is the final

we will pull into the station. There will be bands

when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day

playing and flags waving. And once we get there

which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be

so many wonderful dreams will come true. So

glad in it." It isn't the burdens of today that drive

many wishes will be fulfilled and so many pieces

men mad. Rather, it is regret over yesterday

of our lives finally will be neatly fitted together

or fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin

like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly

thieves who would rob us of today.

we pace the aisles, damming the minutes for loitering, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more

However, sooner or later we must realize there is

ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more

no one station, no one place to arrive at once and

rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and

for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is

cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The

only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

station will come soon enough.

CHAPTER 25

"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially

Past, present and future

destination. On a certain day at a certain hour

TAKEAWAYS

The three key things I learned in this lesson are: 1.

2. 3.

107

Relationship with the past, present and future

C H A P T E R 26

LETTING GO

iny monkeys live along the African coast.

he won't release his grip, even when the

They're fast and live high in the treetops,

monkey hunters come to toss a net over

so there's no way to catch one unless

him. There is only one thing the monkey

you know the monkey hunter's secret.

can do to save himself from being imprisoned â&#x20AC;&#x201C; let go.

Africans drill a hole in a coconut that is just big enough for a

As we have seen, letting go of

monkey to squeeze his hand

something can be hard. In one

inside. The coconut milk is spilled

of the most remarkable acts of

out, and a peanut coated with

forgiveness Nelson Mandela let

honey is dropped into the hole. A

go of the anger and frustration he

monkey will always reach down into the

harboured towards his captors. When

asked why he had done so, his reply was as

the monkey's hand is bigger than the hole.

powerful as it was profound. He simply stated

hole to grab the peanut. With his fist clenched,

that he was not willing to swap one prison for another. The only way to free himself from the

can't shake free from the coconut. Because

toxic feelings of bitterness and animosity was

the monkey can only think of the peanut,

to forgive and let go.

As long as he holds on to the peanut, he

108

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Select a card by touching it. Stare at it for five seconds to build a mental picture. I have shuffled the cards and placed them face down below - minus your card.

Don't believe me? Turn to page 199 to see.

The three key things I learned in this lesson are:

2. 3.

CHAPTER 37

Personality, talent and performance

TAKEAWAYS

163

Relationship with personality, talent and performance

C H A P T E R 38

RELATIONSHIP TO SLEEP, DIET AND EXERCISE Sleep

uman beings need to sleep. Infants

switching a light on immediately wakes

need as much as 16 hours per day

an animal up (or causes it to sleep if it’s

and 15 year olds need a solid 8 hours

nocturnal); humans are the same.

of sleep every night. Humans sleep in stages, sleep, followed by a fifth stage called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, where we dream. A complete cycle of sleep, with all five stages, takes

the same time every day, you will soon find that you will start to fall asleep at about the same time.

about 90 minutes, so humans should have four

XXGet into a sleep pattern: if you wake at

beginning with four stages of slow brainwave

to five cycles of sleep on a normal night.

XXExercise regularly: this is an excellent way of tiring your body out: your mind will find it very

Top tips for a good night’s sleep

difficult to stay awake if you’re truly tired.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get to sleep.

Here are some tips to help you doze off.

XXHave a routine before sleep: getting ready for

Things to avoid:

XXCaffeine. Caffeine keeps working for several hours and it will affect your ability

bed and then reading one or two chapters

to drop off. Coffee, tea, coke etc. are a bad

of a book, for example. This way your brain

idea in the evening. Avoid chocolate and

knows that it is time to get some sleep.

sugar too, as these are stimulants and may keep some people awake.

XXIf you can’t sleep after about 20 minutes, pick up your book again or do something boring like counting sheep.

XXDon’t watch TV, use your phone or use your computer just before bed: the artificial light interferes with the brain’s

XXSlow your breathing down and try using the muscle tensing and relaxing technique

making it difficult to sleep. Checking texts

you have learned: both of these things tell

or emails is thought to be equivalent to

the mind and body to relax.

drinking a double espresso coffee.

XXTurn off the light: your brain will find it

XXAvoid big meals before sleep (late

difficult to get ready for sleep if there is

night pizza feasts etc.) as large amounts

light in the room. Switch your phone off

of protein in the gut interfere with sleep.

too. Those of you with pets will know how 164

rhythms and makes the mind active,

u yo

1. r

XXDon’t study or work right up to

ful

e titud gra are grate

Circl eo f

three things rd

XXRemember that losing two hours of

bedtime: you need at least 45 minutes’

sleep a night for one week impairs your

clear break from work to allow your

performance the same as someone over

mind to be ready for sleep.

the drink drive limit!

Relaxation technique for getting to sleep

XXTake a long, slow, deep breath in, hold it

forearm and do the same thing.

for 1 or 2 seconds, then let it out slowly.

XXSlowly move around the muscle groups in

Try to inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for

your body, including your face, tensing as you

5 seconds.

breathe in and relaxing as you breathe out.

XXAs you breathe in, clench your right fist.

XXGuided meditations are available for

As you breathe out, relax it. Do this three

download on the internet, e.g. Amazon.

times. Then move to the muscles in your

Water

How long, on average, does it take you to fall asleep once you turn out the lights?

e might feel a little thirsty at 1%

dehydrated. At 2% we have perhaps

lost 20% of our physical coordination. At 50%

Diet

ave you heard of the computer term GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)? Poor

diet can have many side effects. A poor

we may experience irrational or aggressive

diet consists of one containing too much

behaviour.

sugar or salt, an insufficient mix of fruit

On a hot summer’s day our capacity to

processed foods. A poor diet also includes one with too

We should consume a sufficient amount

much food, food eaten at irregular times, or

(between two and three litres) of water to keep

insufficiently digested – take time to chew

hydrated each and every day.

and savour your food intake. A poor diet can also impact on your

CHAPTER 38

dehydrate can rise to ten times the normal rate.

Personality, talent and performance

and vegetable, and excessive amounts of

capacity to learn effectively. 165

Why we need exercise

XXExercise could be a combination of

XXExercise releases serotonin, which

aerobic (e.g. running) and skill acquisition

helps us to remain calm and feel good.

(e.g. soccer or swimming). Do them

Exercise has been shown to be more

together or separately (go for a run,

effective in combating depression than

then go climbing). The skills create new

Prozac. Not exercising is unhelpful to our

pathways in the brain, making it work

mental and physical well-being.

better. Vigorous exercise is recommended for 30 minutes, three times a week.

XXExercise strengthens the immune system by releasing T cells which fight

XXExercise helps us to learn. Exercise causes the growth of new brain cells,

disease. It also activates cells that repair damaged tissue.

helping us to think in new ways. Exercise

XXExercise strengthens the musculo-

stimulates alertness, attention and

skeletal system, making us stronger.

motivation, essential for learning.

XXExercise reduces the risks of heart

XXExercise inspires us to be more creative.

Research shows that after just 30 minutes

disease and some cancers.

on a treadmill, people are able to think up think more creatively.

new answers to old problems: they can

XXExercise improves decision making.

XXExercise combats stress, anxiety and

XXExercise helps us to sleep. Exercise develops natural tiredness and also, by releasing serotonin, exercise calms us down, ready for rest and sleep.

XXExercise helps us maintain a healthy weight.

depression and lifts mood.

CHAPTER 38

Personality, talent and performance

166

What is more important, a healthy mind or a healthy body? Why?

What are the best steps youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever taken in an effort to improve your health?

When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your physical limits? Explain.