⚜️ What do you need to LET GO of to feel a sense well-being?
⚜️ Who and what do you no longer want to be OBLIGATED to?
⚜️ If you had only one year to live, what five things would you STOP doing?
⚜️ What JOY do you wish you had more TIME for?
⚜️ Take a LONG DEEP BREATH and meditate on your answers.
⚜️ You will be surprised at what your SOUL has to say.
⚜️ Make it yours.
Video of Post: Click Here
In this psychology video I share one way I engage students at the start of a semester, including this past week when we were back on campus for the first time, in a very long time!
Transcript of Psychology Video Read Here
Connecting with students from a higher place is especially important during a pandemic, as it reminds them of their vision and mission post-graduation.
Asking students about their dreams is a fun, high-energy exercise that engages the entire class.
The next time you feel stuck in a rut, either in conversation or in thought, ask — ”What Dream Pulls You Forward”?
Our mind is a powerful tool. It has the ability to block our potential or to allow us to soar to possibilities beyond our wildest dreams.
Bruce Lipton
Video of Blog Post Watch Here Teacher Enthusiasm Video Watch Here
I was motivated to write this post and film an accompanying video after witnessing so many students overwrought by thoughts of inadequacy about how they looked.
In reality, there was no doubt that they were healthy and whole, but in their minds, they believed the opposite.
A phenomenon heightened by imaginary audience and social anxiety, which reaches its peak in adolescence.
Imaginary Audience Video: Click Here
Body Image Video: Click Here
These articles provide insight into why body dissatisfaction continues to be an issue, despite countless campaigns to turn the tide.
Article 1
The Image in the Mirror and the Number on the Scale
Link https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610322
Article 2
The Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Mental Health
Link http://lifesciencesjournal.org/2020/02/the-effects-of-social-media-on-body-image-and-mental-health
Article 3
Body Weight and Self-Perception are Associated with Depression
Link Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
The First Step Towards Change is Awareness
The 15 questions below challenge cognitive distortions and perceptions using reality itself.
This inquiry is not limited to body image and weight and thus can be applied to areas of life where you find yourself overthinking and ruminating.
Source: Challenging Cognitive Distortions
Related: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
In addition to spending time in self reflection and reality testing, it is important to open up the conversation to the community at large.
In doing so we move into collective problem-solving, empowering solutions, and public health education.
“In this episode, Stephani and Dr. Dinardo speak about what positive psychology is, turning your perceived flaws into strengths by moving from self-criticism to self-compassion, posttraumatic growth and how adversity can be beneficial to us, boundaries around social media use, the magic of prevention work and maintaining hope”. Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA)
Listen to Interview: Click Here Watch Video of Post: Click Here
Watch Video Of Post: Click Here
or
The following is a video and activity overview from Part 2 of the 2020 SRC Leadership Development Workshop. Click Here for Part 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVEjYGl9c0k
Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.
I believe that (self) control is the foundation of effective leadership because in order to lead others, you must first learn to lead yourself.
CONTROL – Part 1
In the initial control exercise, participants met in groups to reflect and share their answers to the following questions:
CONTROL – Part 2
Next, participants applied the C-P-R Model of Sustainable Mental Health Habits to their own experiences as both students and student leaders.
1. Student leaders first identified their triggers. Including emotional, cognitive, situational, and physical stressors. CATCH
2. Then they practiced taking a time-out (long deep breath) during high pressure moments. PAUSE
3. Finally, they shared both self-care (fitness, sleep, nutrition) and professional resources (counselling) that help them replenish unmet psychological and physical needs (as outlined on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). REPAIR
Control Video ⇒ Click Here
TEDx Talk ⇒ Click Here
On January 11, 2020, I had the opportunity to work with the student leadership team at St. Clair College in Windsor Ontario.
The goal was to strengthen the bonds between team members and harness the power of their mission for the 12,500 students on campus.
We talked about the many ways challenges can be transformed into opportunities.
And how pressure can be used in a positive way to motivate us to the next level of our lives.
CHALLENGE is the first “C” in the “Stress to Strength” model from my Thriving Under Pressure TEDx Talk. Photo below.
In the video from the leadership workshop I give an overview of the ABC Model of Cognitive Psychology and the Flow Model of Optimal Performance.
We also discussed why resilience is not so much about what happened, but our thoughts about what happened.
Listen in for more:
More videos and learning moments from the leadership event to come. Stay Tuned! Dr. D 📚❤️
Special thanks to UWSA VP of Advocacy Arop Plaek Deng for being the photographer and videographer at the SRC Leadership Event 📸
Video: Fostering A Growth Mindset 🍃
How you perceive stress.
Changes everything.
Challenge or opportunity?
Ending or new beginning?
Stumbling block or stepping stone?
Coal or diamonds?
If you can’t change the stress.
Change the way you think about it.
Week 2 at College: Short Video
In this post, I share the lessons learned at a thriving teams thriving leaders board retreat.
It was a true team effort!
With the team-building and leadership exercises equally led by the student leaders and myself.
Please join in and explore the reflection questions, interactive activities, and workshop videos with the teams in your life.
Together Everyone Achieves More!
WHAT HELPS TEAMS FLOURISH & THRIVE?
“It takes both sides to build a bridge.”
Perspective taking exercise.
Discussion Questions:
1. Identify a problem you have faced as a student leader.
2. Determine what’s “below the surface” that could potentially be the source of the problem.
3. Explore the problem from the perspective of the student.
4. Describe the problem and potential solution using both the leader’s and the student’s perspectives.
5. Summarize the lessons and potential opportunities of the original problem. Eg. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about the student?“Together We Rise.”
“Goals with Soul.”
Personal and Team goal setting exercise.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are your goals as student leader for the school year?
2. What are your goals as team member for the school year?
3. What are your greatest assets for the team?
4. What areas do you need assistance from the team?“Teamwork makes the dream work.”
“Your life is your message to the world.”
“What’s Your North Star?” team building exercise.
Discussion Questions:
1. What’s Your Purpose?
2. What Lights Your Way?
3. What Bonds and Unites Your Team?“What’s Your Why?”
The videos in this post were filmed with the generous help of student leaders during my THRIVING TEAMS presentation at the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) Summer Board Retreat.
Motivation to make a change is as much about you, as the people all around you. And unfortunately, not everyone agrees with our decision to grow, change, and evolve. In whatever form it may take.
For when we change, we unknowingly push friends and family outside their comfort zone too. And that’s ok. The important thing to understand is that not everyone is going to support our choice to change. Something I learned personally.
My story
This post was inspired by my own journey of quitting drinking in 2005, motivated by three reasons:
1. Starting a family with my husband.
2. Improving my health.
3. Being a role model for my students
Unexpected Side Effects
What I did not expect was the pressure to keep drinking that came along with my decision to give up alcohol over a decade ago.
The pressure to remain the same.
The pressure to behave like everyone else.
A resistance to change from others that I did not foresee.
My students’ stories
— Peer Pressure and Alcohol Use in College
Students over the age of 19 have a choice when it comes to drinking alcohol.
A decision to drink or not drink that is often overshadowed by peer pressure and the widespread culture of risky drinking on and off Canadian campuses.
Too often students drink to “fit in, reduce stress, numb anxiety” (their words) because they know of no other way.
Excerpt from today’s class:
Class Discussion and Solutions
Which is why it’s more important than ever to open up the conversation of what it’s like to be a young person amongst the culture of alcohol use and abuse today.
A hot topic that stimulates honest and open debate in my classroom each year. Including remedies to the pressures of college that extend far beyond alcohol.
To listen to our discussion click here.
Your story
1. What motivates you to make a health change?
2. What de-motivates you?
3. Have you experienced pressure from others to continue unhealthy habits? To not change?
4. How do you stay true to your personal choices?
Rather than debate or argue your case.
Be still and hold your space.
Take a deep breath, and trust your choices.
Trust that being yourself is enough.
You get one life. Make it yours.
Video of Blog Post — Click Here
Thriving Under Pressure 