The Weekly Well-being Log has been surprisingly helpful for my personal growth and managing my mental well-being. Through this activity, I have realized the importance of taking care of my well-being as a teacher using simple methods like getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, staying physically active, and practicing breathing techniques. I have also found value in appreciating humour, social connections, and affectionate connection in managing my stress.
For me, the most effective ways to complete the stress cycle are through social connections and affectionate connection. I especially love hugging my son because it helps me regain my positivity and energy. I make it a priority to talk with my husband and my son everyday, giving them the encouragement that they need. Interestingly, I have also found out that maintaining positive social interactions is crucial to my mental health. I recall a time when I was stressed after substituting for a kindergarten teacher. There were several situations that I was not sure how to handle. This reminded me that any new challenge can trigger stress. I reached out to a friend who is a retired teacher. He helped me to process my mixed emotions and feelings. I reflected on my first day working as a teacher on-call with him. I gained a fresh perspective and felt much better after our conversation. This reminded me that we need each other to grow and move forward in life. Building social connections can boost my confidence and build my positive self-image.
I would like to continue to get enough quality sleep. I need 7 to 8 hours of sleep to function well. I noticed that the stress from work was affecting my sleep quality. I had restless nights and dreams, which made my stress worse. I will need to continue practicing mindful breathing during the day and before bedtime. It means simply closing my eyes in 2-3 minutes, breathing in and out along with watching my breath. I have seen that mindful breathing can help me fall asleep easily and get back to sleep in the middle of the night.
One activity that I would like to resume is meditation. I enjoyed mindful walking meditation since it could help me step away from my anxiety and worries. It reinforces my positive inner voice that I am safe and capable. I need to bring it back to my routine to complete my stress cycle.
I was surprised that physical activities and humour played a great impact in reducing my stress and anxiety. Stretching and walking have become my go-to physical activities as it could help me overcome fatigue and hopelessness when I had anxiety. Humour has been equally powerful, helping us get over embarrassment of making mistakes in front of other people, and reduce the amount of stress, worries, and anxiety. Instead of seeing it as a mistake, I have learned to laugh at it, learn a lesson, and move on. Using humour may seem simple, but it is a powerful tool for improving well-being. I will teach it as a coping strategy to my future students.
I have learned that stress and anxiety are parts of healthy mental health. I acknowledge that learning about using different activities and methods such as practicing breathing techniques, social connections, affectionate connection, using humour along with getting enough quality sleep, nutritious diet, physical activities are essential to my well-being. I am grateful for these insights and will continue applying them to manage my daily stress.
