Resilience In A Digital Age

What is Resilience?

Resilience is our ability to manage the challenges and setbacks which come with life, returning  from this adversity to some semblance of normalcy or better yet, stronger for the experience.

It isn’t an inherent character trait but rather a response to adversity which draws upon the strength of several social emotional skills to be achieved. According to this Literature Review of 1,979 studies it was concluded:

“There appears to be a range of factors that may contribute to resilience in children across different social ecological domains. At an individual level, factors such as emotion regulation, cognitive skills, empathy or a positive outlook have been associated with resilient outcomes.”

These determinants of resilient outcomes are learnable, particularly in children of primary school age, as their brains are rapidly developing and growing taking onboard information is easier. Resilience has always been an important ability to teach children and adolescents for day to day life in physical environments, from schools to home and the outside world. However, the digital age has introduced a whole new set of challenges reinforcing why we need to teach the skills for resilience in young children, and how to reduce the impact of negative online interactions.

The Growing Importance of Teaching The Skills For Resilience

Throughout the 21st century to date, we have seen an unprecedented and exponential growth in information and how it’s delivered to anyone with access to the internet, which in Australia, is 88% of the population. [Statista, 2018] This has fast-tracked children’s learning and development significantly and provided enormous career opportunities which didn’t exist even 15 years ago. However, the Internet provides children with many opportunities, yet it does not come without risks.[link OECD]

Research found 72% of Australian schools reported managing at least one incident of online bullying in the previous year. [Bullying No Way.gov]

It is clear with improving access to the internet and technology, the potential presence of online bullying grows equally. Therefore, education must exist around developing the social, emotional and physical skills to improve resilient outcomes and wellbeing among young internet users. 

Aside from reducing the impact of cyber-bullying, children (and adults) need resilience for overcoming internal challenges as well as to support their goals and outlook for the future.

Resilient Outcomes Are Strongly Associated With These 3 Core Skills: 

  • Effective Self-Management/Self-Regulation

  • Strong Relationship Skills

  • Developed Social Awareness

By improving these skills in children, they can better cope with any negative interactions online while continuing to expand their growth and knowledge of ICT literacy. A subject which is recognised as being a ‘foundational literacy’ for 21st century learners by the World Economic Forum

Where To Start With Resilience

So what can parents, carers and educators do to ensure children are taught these crucial skills?

By implementing evidence-based and curriculum-aligned programs in schools, students form a foundation of skills needed from a young age to be resilient and manage challenges typically faced later in adolescence. By then reinforcing this language and education at home, families can give children the best possible opportunity to form resilient outcomes.

From a rhetoric perspective, it’s also important to break down the narrative which might suggest resilience is an inherent character trait and begin to implement the education of the underlying skills, on a community level as well as an individual level.

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Want to learn more about how to implement these best practices in teaching your students to identify, understand and manage their emotions? Book a FREE wellbeing consultation with us today!

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  1. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/about/department/resiliencelitreview.pdf

  2. https://www.resilienceinkids.com.au/blog/2019/3/5/misconceptions-surrounding-the-term-resilience

  3. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/4/e024870

  4. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/

  5. http://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=EDU/WKP%282018%2915&docLanguage=En

5 Ways to Improve Young Children's Decision-Making

Childhood is a time filled with enjoyment and discovery, at least when we’re unburdened by the sometimes stressful realities around us. Few things characterise what childhood represents better than learning to make choices and how they cause consequences, from eating a delicious handful of dirt as an infant, to becoming the ‘class clown’ in high school. It is crucial for young people to understand this process to help empower them to make confident, positive decisions regarding the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of themselves and those around them as they move toward independence.

Generally, the most influential figures in this process are family members and teachers as they support these young people at home and during their time in formal education. Therefore it is important for them to recognise ways you can develop such an important life skill.

Five Ways To Improve Children’s  Decision-Making Skills 

1. Encourage young people to use decision-making steps

As children develop skills for reflecting on decisions, discuss the following steps and explain how they can be applied to everyday scenarios:

  • What decision needs to be made

  • What are the options

  • Evaluate the options and pick the best one

  • Act on your choice and see how it works.

2. Involve them in everyday decisions

Include children in your own decisions and ask them for advice. You could say: 

“I’m trying to decide whether to take up rowing or do yoga classes, to increase my level of fitness activity. Which one do you think I should do?”

Then go over the pros and cons of each suggestion so that your child can learn how to thoughtfully weigh up different options, to then be able to make an informed decision.

3. Give children the chance to practise making choices

Giving young people the opportunity to make their own decisions help build their sense of independence and empowers them to make choices with integrity. It is important that the decision truly is their own though. In order to empower them to make the right decision, provide them with a few different options that would all be acceptable for you, no matter which one they choose. In this way, you are making them feel confident that they can make good decisions By then demonstrating interest in their choice, you show that the child’s decision is important.

4. Encourage children to set goals

One vital skill, that are oftentimes forgotten amount children but also adults, is goal setting.Being able to set SMART goals and achieve them is a life skill which when taught at an early age, gives not only focus, but also self-awareness and confidence moving into adulthood. Something as simple as learning to play new sports or learning how to play a musical instrument can be good opportunity to teach goal setting to young people.. This shows the importance of decision making in planning and execution, and it then also allows children to form learning pathways, not only in a physical sense, but socially and emotional as well. 

5. Ask questions which promote astute decisions

“What do you like about that?”, “What makes this the best option?”, “How would this work?” 

These are all examples of good questions you could be asking your children to spark thoughtful conversations. Such questions allow young people to be mindful of their choices and aware that there will be some sort of reaction or consequence to it. 

By no means is this a list of every tool that can teach good decision-making, however it is the perfect place to start.

To teach good decision-making skills is to empower our younger generation, in making positive life choices regarding their social, emotional and physical wellbeing as they navigate the challenges of life moving towards adulthood.

CONSULT AN EDUCATION ADVISOR

Want to learn more about how to implement these best practices in teaching your students to identify, understand and manage their emotions? Book a FREE wellbeing consultation with us today!

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Only Way To Maximise Your Leadership Skills

Whether it was at work, in a sports team or working on a group assignment back in your university days, we’ve all met someone who you can immediately tell has exceptional ability to lead. 

On the other hand, it’s quite possible you’ve witnessed this from the other perspective, with poor leadership, quite often you will have a team that is dissatisfied, performs poorly and lacks motivation. Outlining how truly crucial an effective leader is for the team’s success. 

But what makes an effective leader? Moreover, if you are in a position of leadership, how do you maximise your skills to ensure your workplace, team or cohort’s success?

The best leaders draw on a number of skills to achieve the best results, these include: general intelligence (IQ), effective non-verbal communication and strong levels of emotional intelligence (EQ or EI). Sources believe this is the most important competency underpinning effective leadership, even more so than IQ.

Evidence suggests that general intelligence is not static and can be trained through education and experience which is often and best achieved from a young age.

But when we scarcely dedicate time to developing our EQ, is it any wonder we’ve all met that ineffective leader?

So how can you, as a leader, maximise your leadership skills through improving your EQ?

EQ is comprised of several core competencies, the most of crucial of which are:

Self-awareness - The ability to recognise one’s own emotions, thoughts, actions, values and how one might influence the behaviour of others through these. Good leaders exhibit strong self-awareness and are understanding of these factors and their impact on the team’s morale, performance and motivation. 

How do you improve this?

One simple exercise you can practice anytime, anywhere to boost your self-awareness is just dedicating a moment to focus your attention, using visualisation to become aware of your social, emotional and physical state. Head to our resource centre to access your free focused attention activity card, this is an exercise you can use yourself, or implement it in your classroom!

Self-regulation - This takes recognising emotions, thoughts, values etc. a step further, as it is the ability to affect change and make decisions based on your self-awareness. Good leaders in times of adversity, instead of reacting with emotion and impulse are calculated and effective in their response to this.

How do you improve this?

An easy, but effective strategy to improve your self-regulative ability is utilising a simple mindful practise. By becoming aware of emotions, feelings, thoughts and then taking a step back to process the impact of any decisions or reactions you might feel compelled to make, you are exercising self-regulation. The ability to respond rather than react is the foundation of self-regulation. Access this free “Tame Your Brain” mindfulness video valuable for all age groups.

Social awareness - Awareness of social situations means you carefully consider what people want, and plan to communicate with them in a way that is intended to meet that need. Good leaders will always listen carefully, empathise with challenges and offer support where necessary; skills which are quite often overlooked.

How do you improve this?

An activity which can immediately make a difference to your skills as a socially aware leader is practising mindful communication. This simple activity can challenge even the best communicators to be mindful of when they speak, their body language and listening rather than interjecting as you see fit throughout the conversation. Download this free mindful communication exercise for you and your peers, specifically designed to boost social awareness.

Growth mindset - Having the belief that despite how difficult something may seem, skills are learnable through hard work and effective strategies. Good leaders are ‘students of leadership’ and their ultimate goal is to grow into a better leader through consistent improvement of their skills, knowledge and attitudes.

How do you improve this?

Absorb all the relevant information you can get your hands on, as often as possible, research different perspectives and seek help from others with experience to boost your knowledge and improve breadth of understanding. 

By improving these aspects of emotional intelligence in yourself or among others you will maximise the ability to lead a team with effectiveness, empathy and vision - which after all, is what we look for in our leaders, right?

CONSULT AN EDUCATION ADVISOR

Want to learn more about how to implement these best practices in teaching your students to identify, understand and manage their emotions? Book a FREE wellbeing consultation with us today!

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Why Self Management Apps Are The Key To Better Teacher Wellbeing

With mental illness a huge problem in Australia – the Australian government spent $9 billion on mental health in 2015-16, and one in five Australians aged 16-85 experience mental illness each year -- getting treatment right is crucial. (SMH, 2019)

A multitude of approaches have been taken to actively prevent the prevalence and impact of mental illnesses in Australia and equally so, on a global scale - from early interventions to subsidised clinical support and recent technological innovations. The growth in support from all angles towards tackling this issue is encouraging, however the old saying “prevention is better than cure” isn’t sympathetic to those who missed out on such initiatives in earlier years, those who may struggle with poor wellbeing on a daily basis.

Popular innovations in technology have arisen in  the form of self-management apps aiming to develop positive behaviours and a breadth of skills which evidence suggests, improve mental health and wellbeing through resilience. This approach could be the most promising tool to help to combat such mental illness, from a preventative or curative perspective.

It’s important to acknowledge that clinical psychologists and psychiatrists will always have a place and it’s always preferable to consult health professionals instead of expecting that any one approach to be the solution.

With that being said, here’s some apps which can help you manage your own wellbeing and even the wellbeing of your classroom, for those times you might need an extra boost.

Headspace - An app which teaches you how to meditate, breathe, and live mindfully. It’s even been proven to improve focus. There are exercises on topics including managing anxiety, stress relief, breathing, happiness, and focus. Don’t worry if you’ve never meditated before.

Happify - An app with science-based activities and games can help reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts, and build greater resilience by providing effective tools and programs to improve emotional well-being.

Calm - An app for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation. Designed to achieve better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety with our guided meditations, Sleep Stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises, and relaxing music.

Life Skills GO - The Life Skills GO mobile app brings together our amazing library of flexible, evidence-based resources designed to empower teachers and support their social and emotional wellbeing. The app also provides downloadable resources for teachers to continue this learning in the classroom and facilitates a whole school approach to wellbeing.

But what do they offer that we didn’t have until now?

The ubiquity of technology and the technological explosion which has ensued since the introduction of smartphones has given us unprecedented accessibility and a huge degree of empowerment to self-manage and support our personal health and wellbeing. 

Self reflection whenever, wherever - Just sitting down and reflecting upon the happenings around us has become much easier, no need for a pen and a journal. Apps provide access to this at our fingertips, which means if you are in the car, in a doctor’s waiting room or you’ve taken a brain break at work, you have the ability to check-in with yourself and better work through challenges or emotions which can happen any time. 

Evidence-based activities -  This increased accessibility has meant consumers have access to a broad range of information delivered by professionals, in the form of engaging evidence-based content such as guided mindfulness and meditation activities. 

Research has shown that mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) can lead to: increase positive psychological attributes like mindfulness, meta-awareness, and self-compassion. In addition, MBIs have been shown to reduce negative thinking patterns and reactions associated with psychopathology such as rumination, worry, and emotional reactivity. (Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry, 2018)

Once again, it’s important to realise and acknowledge such apps are not a replacement for clinical help. If you are concerned about your own, or a loved one’s personal wellbeing, the best course of action is still to always consult your GP.

If you would like to improve your own self-management skills and boost resilience to come out of the tough times quicker, these apps can be very effective.

Self-Care Is A Selfless Act

Many of us can relate to the desire to find time for ourselves, but avoid it because it seems selfish or frivolous. However, self-care is one of the most selfless things you can do for your inner circle and the wider community.

Individual wellbeing can have a huge impact on community wellbeing. You can’t give what you don’t have; you’re no good to anyone when you’re tired, stressed or feeling flat, so self-care can be the best thing you can invest your time in to ensure productivity, efficiency and shared wellbeing.

Designing a self-care plan, which helps you to take care of yourself in order to continue taking care of others is crucial. Without a plan, you run the risk of neglecting your own wellbeing and, in turn, making yourself unavailable for those in your care. Any person in an industry where others are demanding of their time will find that it can become draining and have an impact on their health and competence. By committing to a self-care plan, you will have more energy and focus to care for others.

  • Get plenty of sleep

This is an obvious one, but it’s something that we forget to do when we get very busy. Sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels, so sleep deficiency can cause medical issues and ongoing health complaints. It’s important to get plenty of sleep to rest your mind and body. Fatigue can cause lack of motivation, among other wellbeing issues, so a good night’s sleep will help you remain focused.

  • Maintain a healthy diet

This isn’t easy when you’re eating on the go, but it is very important for your body, mind and soul to be well nourished. Aside from the physical health issues of a poor diet, eating fatty fast foods can cause fatigue, put a strain on the digestive system and can have an adverse effect on mental wellbeing. Keep some healthy treats close by for snacking, and if you’re time poor, make up some healthy meals and freeze them so you can grab and go. A healthy diet is part of a self-care routine that will help you to have the energy to contribute to the community.

  • Get some exercise

With a busy schedule, it can be difficult to take the time to exercise. But getting your heart rate up a couple of times a day doesn’t have to be in the form of a gym membership or a three kilometre run each morning. Just take the stairs instead of the lift, go for a walk on your lunch break or ride your bike instead of driving to work. You’ll be amazed at how good you’ll feel with a bit of fresh air in your lungs and some released endorphins.

  • Take a break

Your lunch breaks are meant to be a break away from work, so take them. Go and sit somewhere quiet to meditate, join friends for a friendly chat or go for a walk. Remove yourself from the stressful environment, even if it’s just a moment. Your brain and body need a break for your wellbeing. Don’t just take your lunch breaks, though. Use your sick leave. If you’re ill (whether it’s physical or mental), take time off until yoSelfu feel better. Remember, you can’t give what you haven’t got, so if you haven’t got energy, stamina or focus because you aren’t well, you can’t give your best. Take the time to rest and rejuvenate and get back to work ready to tackle what the day throws at you. You’ll feel better for it. Ignore the guilt that tells you not to take time off and remind yourself that you’ll be better use to everyone when you are well.

Self-care is not a selfish act. Self-preservation has a positive impact on wellbeing and should be a priority in order to continue to be the very best you can be.   

If you are interested in learning more about how to improve self-care techniques in your life, we can help, get in touch with your local Relationship Manager to book a meeting today. 

Reducing Anxiety In Young People

Anxiety in children is entirely normal. Kids go through a myriad of happenings in their body, minds and surroundings on a daily basis, so it is no wonder that they can feel sensitive, anxious and worried at times.

While there are a range of causes for anxiety in children, including changes in body, searching for identity, finding their place in the world, learning rights and wrongs, and coping with transitions in their lives, some anxiety can be accelerated by conditions such as General Anxiety Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism and other special needs.

Babies and toddlers can become anxious about loud noises, heights, strangers and separation, while pre-schoolers can worry about being on their own or become scared of the dark, primary school-aged children might develop fear of social situations, disappointment, getting in trouble or physical threat, and teenagers can get anxious and stressed about identity, sexuality, schoolwork, friendships and puberty.

While there are many forms and reasons for anxiety, these six tips can help your child overcome certain situations when they feel stressed or worried.

  • Acknowledge your child’s anxiety

While the anxiety about what your child is experiencing might seem insignificant in your world, these are the big issues in your child’s world. Telling them, ‘It’s nothing to worry about’ can be quite harmful, as it can shame the child and they might avoid telling you their worries in future. They may also develop a belief that they are unable to cope, when with the right tools, they could learn to manage the anxiety. In Anxiety and Phobic Disorders: A Pragmatic Approach, Silverman and Kurtines say the “long term costs of not intervening are high” (Silverman & Kurtines, 1996). Tell your child you are hearing what they are saying and help them map out a plan for dealing with the situation and managing their anxiety.

  • Model good practices

Adults deal with stresses every day, and while it’s alright to get frustrated, anxious and stressed, children need to see ways of dealing with those emotions so they can work through how they can deal with their own. In John Dewey’s Human Nature and Contact, he says “successful problem solving has the potential for enlarging and enriching human horizons,” (Dewey, 1922). Show your child how you work through your anxieties and reward yourself for overcoming to show your child there is a positive outcome.

  • Encourage your child to do things they’re anxious about

It’s vitally important you don’t push your child to face situations they don’t want to; however, it is crucial that they learn to persevere. Telling them, ‘don’t give up,’ giving positive reinforcement and giving them a reward when they overcome are great ways to allow them to build their own skills in anxiety management.

  • Set goals and find safe spaces

Start with the little stuff. Sometimes a child can only see the enormous black cloud forming above them, but with your help, they can see the tiny drops of water that cloud is made up of. Rather than tackling the whole cloud, encourage the child to tackle each droplet at a time. Each time a small problem is resolved, the overwhelming feeling of anxiety gets smaller. Try exercising, yoga, writing or finding a safe space to go when anxiety hits. Discovering these coping mechanisms will help with anxiety in teen and adult years. Life Skills Group has some great programs for children to learn emotional life skills.

  • Praise the child when they overcome

Everyone needs positive reinforcement, even adults. Positive reinforcement results in changes in brain chemistry, which can affect long-term behaviours positively. By allowing a child to see that overcoming fear and anxiety is a success, it will build their skills in further management of anxiety in future. By offering accolades, like verbal reinforcement, or physical rewards or experiences, children will strive towards overcoming negative feelings. Ensure the reward matches the situation. If they receive an excessive reward for something relatively minor, it could encourage the child to create situations in future. It’s a balance, which you will learn alongside your child.

  • Avoid labelling your child as ‘anxious’ or ‘suffering anxiety’

Anxiety can be difficult and it can be debilitating, but rather than label a child as anxious or state that they are suffering anxiety, try to use more positive language. Your child is overcoming anxiety, managing anxiety or, in serious cases, living with anxiety (as opposed to suffering, which has negative connotations). Your child should not be anchored by something they didn’t ask for, but which is something they can learn skills to cope with and sometimes avoid.

In Living Stigma: The Impact of Labelling, Stereotyping, Green et al say “labelling involves not only the perception that someone is different, but also the assignment of social import to that difference… [and] can be a source of confusion and social awkwardness that can diminish both the quantity and quality of social interaction” (Green et al, 2005). Life Skills Group offers Mindfulness in Action training that can help your child deal with cognitive behaviours and build life skills for the future.

How To Manage Competing Priorities At Work

Being successful as a Principal, teacher or - let’s just say - anyone in the school system is hard work. From parent enquiries to event-managing book week and so many tasks in between, it’s no wonder work-related stress is on the rise.

Here are our top six tips to manage competing priorities in your day to day work:

1. Understand what your priorities are

Accept that there will always be more work than time. To deal with this, we need to identify both the urgent and important tasks. Ideally this would happen at the start of each day – but better late than never!

A good old-fashioned list is still a great way to go but there are also many digital tools available to help you. 

2. Practice self-awareness and honesty (two of Life Skills Group’s values!)

When creating your list of priorities for the day, be honest about what you can achieve. Setting yourself unrealistic goals can only end in disappointment. Be kind to yourself.

3. Be flexible

We don’t mean daily yoga stretches – although we think that would help too! To manage your priorities, you also need to be ready when things are added to your pile. Take each task as it comes and assess whether it’s urgent or important (or not!)

4. Know when to let go

If you’re a perfectionist, you might struggle with this one. It’s easy to get caught up in small details and spend more time on a task than necessary.

Bear in mind that by doing so, you’re taking precious time away from something else. Do a good, solid job and then let it go and move on!

5. Outsource where possible

This is where teamwork can come in – another one of Life Skills Group’s values! Know your own strengths, as well as your colleagues' strengths and interests. Match different tasks to different people’s strengths and not only will you be a more efficient team but people will be working on things they enjoy.

6. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness doesn’t always need formal meditation. You can practice mindfulness when giving your full attention and focus to the task at hand. Each time your mind wanders to the conversation you had in the staff room that morning or your planning for next year, acknowledge the thought and then bring your attention back to your task.

Mindful listening is another great one for the workplace. Try listening to your colleagues with your full attention and be careful not to cut them off or finish their sentences.

If you need more help with managing competing priorities and developing mindful habits at work, contact us to book in a Life Skills Group Professional Development session.

How To Keep Your Kids Active And Healthy This Year

Why get active?

Your New Year’s resolution may be to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. 

Daily physical activity for children is also proven to be beneficial for their social, emotional and physical growth and development.

Some of the many benefits include:

  • Building strong bones and healthy muscles

  • Improving balance

  • Developing flexibility

  • Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight

  • Reducing stress and feeling more relaxed

  • Improving posture

  • Boosting confidence and self-esteem

Encouraging kids and teens to be active from a young age sets good habits early on and helps them develop the skills they need to stay active throughout their lives.

The Australian Department of Health recommends that children aged between 5 and 12 be active for at least 60 minutes a day.  Children who run vigorously during their lunch break or participate in after-school sports may easily achieve this daily target.

It may be more difficult, however, to motivate children who dislike team sports, find physical activity challenging or prefer to spend their time in a quieter manner.

There are a variety of reasons why children do not want to participate in sport or physical activity such as:

  • feeling shy or embarrassed

  • feeling incompetent

  • disinterested

  • a dislike for the uniform

  • temperature concerns (being too hot or cold)

  • feeling pressured to perform and win

  • feeling self-conscious

 How to help your child be more active

  • Have an open and honest conversation to identify a child’s concerns and to help address them

  • Assist them to develop a love for non-competitive physical activities like; yoga, surfing, skateboarding, rock climbing, bike riding, bushwalking, dancing, kayaking, frisbee or walking the dog.

  • You can have a strong impact by personally engaging in exercise and presenting a positive attitude towards it.

  •  Fun, physical outings are also a way to strengthen your relationship within your family, while modelling a value of health and wellbeing.

  • Make sure that kids and teens have the opportunity to be active during and after school, either through active play or organised sport.

Empathy: What Is It and Why Do We Need It?

WHAT IS IT?

empathy

ˈɛmpəθi/

noun

  1. the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Essentially, it means to be able to connect and experience the nature of someone or something outside of ourselves - or simply put, to step into somebody else’s shoes.

WHAT IS ITS EFFECT ON US?

When we experience empathy we feel the urge to relieve hardship for other people, and when we do, we get a hit of happiness due to our connection with that person, or our empathetic nature towards them.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT OUR BRAIN?

The prefrontal cortex is linked to our social behaviour, our ability to empathise and create positive relationships and also our ability to concentrate and focus. 

The prefrontal cortex also thrives on mindfulness activities, such as mindful breathing and mindful listening. In fact, 8-week mindfulness studies have shown that the grey matter in the prefrontal cortex develops after practicing mindfulness and allows us to empathise deeply with others and to better cope with stress.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO RAISE EMPATHETIC KIDS?

Studies have shown that empathy has implications on every aspect of our lives, including our learning. According to Kathleen Cotton, successful learners must be knowledgeable, motivated, confident learners that have the ability to understand the motives, feelings and attitudes of others (also known as empathy). This is because successful learners are aware of the success they can acquire through communication with others, and can perceive themselves from a different perspective. 

HOW IS EMPATHY DEVELOPED?

Studies have found that mothers whose approach to parenting of preschool age children can have an impact on the development of empathy in the child. Specifically, mothers who are responsive and non-disciplinarian usually have children who are more affectionate and empathetic (Kathleen Cotton). 

Also, it is has been proven that engaging children (even young ones) in the discussion of the implications of their actions can be effective in producing empathetic mindsets in kids (Kathleen Cotton). 

PRACTICE as much as possible using mindfulness exercises in both formal, and informal settings.

CHECK IN with yourself and reflect throughout the day by asking yourself questions such as:

  • Am I treating this person how I would want to be treated?

  • Am I speaking to this person how I would like to be spoken to?

  • How would I feel in this person’s situation?

  • Could I have been more empathetic in that situation?

  • How could I have articulated myself differently for a better outcome? 

CREATE (if you haven’t already) a strong image in your head of the kind of person you would like to portray. Imagine the ideal version of yourself, someone who is able to flow between the world’s ups and downs mindfully, with compassion and empathy. Then…

ASK yourself this:

  • How does your ideal self react to change?

  • How does your ideal self manage stress?

  • How do you enrich your community to become more happier, healthier and more empathetic?

Having clear goals allow us to envision where we want to get to, and make it much easier to implement tools, such as mindfulness, into our daily routines that will ultimately assist us in achieving our goals.

CONSULT AN EDUCATION ADVISOR

Want to learn more about how to implement these best practices in teaching your students to identify, understand and manage their emotions? Book a FREE wellbeing consultation with us today!

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES