For Flourishing's Sake

Welcome to Episode 24 of the For Flourishing's Sake podcast. Today, I bring you a very special guest again. I met this wonderful educator when we were both attending the IPEN World Positive Education Accelerator conference in Fort Worth, TX, in 2018, and she has since contributed not only to this podcast, but to my upcoming book by the same title (out in June 2020).

Rebecca Comizio, MA, MA-Ed, NCSP, LPC, is a school psychologist at New Canaan Country School, in New Canaan, CT. She was named by the Connecticut Association of School Psychologists as the School Psychologist of the Year in Connecticut in 2019. Rebecca has a background in education, philosophy and psychology that are the foundations of her work with students, parents and educators to support children so they can flourish. With training in Positive Psychology and CBT for children and adolescents, Rebecca works to utilize the science of psychological well-being to help students enhance the experiences of school work, relationships and play. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and also works as an advocate for students and her field as the Chairperson of National Association of School Psychologists' Communications Committee.

Today Rebecca shares how to address the "Problematic Ps" of challenges that feel Permanent, Personal and Pervasive.

You can find Rebecca at the following links:

Twitter

Facebook

New Canaan Country School

School PsycEd Podcast for School Psychologists and School Counsellors

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode 23. I find myself in a pensive mood as I record this episode. The 31st January was a very difficult day for me and millions of others, and the 3rd of February - today - marks the 10 year anniversary of one of the most traumatic days in my family's life.

At this point, I need to give you a trigger warning: If you have suffered a bereavement you may find parts of this podcast episode difficult to listen to.

Regardless where you live, you're almost certainly aware that the UK left the EU on Friday 31st January. I'm not going to get all political in this podcast, though I make no secret of the fact that I see Brexit as a mistake of unprecedented proportions and I am devastated that it has come to this. This weekend has therefore been emotionally difficult for me, and my mood is all over the place, compounded by today's anniversary.

On the morning of 3rd of February 2010, my then 12-year-old eldest daughter Charlie suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in her bed. For eight days we didn't know whether she would survive at all. She then spent another eight days in hospital while they first worked out how to prevent it happening again, then operated on her to insert a state-of-the-art defibrillator to keep her safe in future. 16 days after a cardiac arrest she wasn't supposed to survive, let alone survive unscathed, she came home. Today she is a happy 22-year-old woman doing a job she loves, living independently of her parents, and I am grateful every single day for the way things worked out.

I am telling you about my political inclinations and current state of loss, and my experience in 2010 when we nearly lost our daughter, because I've been reflecting on my methods of coping, and how these are reflected in positive psychology. As a teacher, you are a human being first and foremost and you, too, will go through seemingly impossibly difficult challenges from time to time. You, too, will suffer setbacks, disappointments and loss. And so will your students. I hope my reflections today on how I deal with these can help you cope with your own personal circumstances or in supporting your students through theirs.

On Friday night, when the moment I had campaigned so hard to prevent for the past few years was upon us, I was at a party. The grassroots campaign group I am chair of held a #ThankEU party with European food, drink and music. I gave a speech just before 11pm - the time when the UK left the EU - and at 11pm we sang 'Ode to Joy' together. There were a few tears at that point, but for the most part, the event was joyful. It celebrated all that we valued about the UK's EU membership, the contribution of EU citizens - of which I am one - to UK life, and we focused on being together to help each other through this difficult time. In my speech, I talked of what we had gained, as well as what we had lost: The discovery of strengths and skills (and in my case courage!) many of us didn't know we possessed, new friendships and even romantic relationships in some cases forged through our shared campaign activities, and the creation of a national pro-European movement unprecedented in this country and unparalleled in the rest of Europe.

When Charlie, my daughter, nearly died ten years ago, I remember sitting by her side, hopeful on one hand, while silently planning her funeral in my head on the other. Yet I remember very clearly that even in those darkest days, I found myself thinking how grateful I was for the twelve years we'd had with her and the joy she had brought us. The old saying "it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" had never rung so true.

Except I'd been in a similarly terrifying situation years before, when our youngest daughter, Hannah, stopped breathing in my arms as a result of bronchiolitis when she was just 10 days old. We had been initially advised to have a termination halfway through my pregnancy, due to the severity of her heart condition, so when she stopped breathing and her heart subsequently stopped, I didn't even think it could be linked to the bad cold she had. I thought it was her heart. In those moments before my wonderful midwife Angela arrived for what had been planned as a routine check-up and revived Hannah on my living room floor before the ambulance arrived, I remember thinking "I'm so thankful for these ten days we've had with Hannah. I'm so glad we got to know her." Hannah is also thriving now, as a 20-year-old 2nd year medical student, working hard and enjoying the wonderful friendships that student life can bring.

Throughout the difficult times I have described to you today, there is a common thread that got me through: Hope that things would get better, the love of friends and family that I could wrap around myself like a warm comforting blanket, and a deep sense of gratitude for what I'd had, even if I was about to lose it. I've also grown stronger and more resilient through each of these experiences, and there is interesting research emerging from the field of positive psychology on post-traumatic growth.

So, this has been a slightly longer than usual episode and I hope you will forgive me for this, but I hope you have found my deeply personal musings useful in helping you in your own life and when supporting your own students. Whatever is happening in your or their lives, you can get through it with the loving support of others, by holding on to a sense of hope, and by focusing on things you can still be grateful for. And it is possible for you to come out stronger and more resilient than you were before.

As always, I look forward to catching up with you next week and, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode 22. If you're a regular listener of the For Flourishing's Sake podcast, you will know that I often relate episode content to recent events in my life. Last week, I spent two days at University as part of my EdD (Doctorate in Education). As each member of our group introduced herself to each new tutor we met, one of the questions that often came up was why we had decided to embark on an EdD. There is of course a multitude of reasons why we each decided to begin this journey; I can think of at least three motivators for myself. But one reason that was common amongst a number of us was that we want to learn more, we want to find out answers to questions, we enjoy the process of on-going learning.

Curiosity and Love of Learning are two of the VIA Institute on Character's 24 character strengths. Character strengths are so integral to positive psychology that I have mentioned them in a number of previous episodes (see episodes 1, 6 and 18). The VIA Institute distinguishes between Curiosity and Love of Learning:

"While curiosity is the motivating force that leads you to seek out new information, love of learning refers to the desire to hold on to and deepen that information. The curious person is motivated by the pursuit of knowledge; the person who loves learning is motivated by the expansion of their fund of knowledge. Where curiosity is often associated with a great deal of energy and a drive to gather information, the lover of learning is often more contemplative."

Which of these two strengths resonates more with you? What about some of your students? Can you think of students who have a clear love of learning or a strong sense of curiosity?

Both strengths are valuable and important in the context of flourishing, but today I'm focusing on curiosity. It has strong links with happiness(1) and the VIA Institute highlights research findings making strong links between curiosity and satisfaction with life, as well as health and positive relationships. I am naturally very curious, though sometimes I fear that my curiosity may prompt me to ask socially unacceptable questions (or cause curious interruptions at an inappropriate point in a conversation, where they would simply interrupt the flow of another person's narrative), so I often suppress my naturally curious instinct. Ever since I began studying positive psychology, however, I have learnt to lean into my curiosity more. It's still a work in progress.

So how can you lean into your curiosity and develop this strength further? Is there a task you don't like doing? Try finding three new aspects about that task that you weren't previously aware of. Or how about setting yourself the challenge of finding out something new about a colleague every day for seven days? Can you encourage your students to be more curious? Can you help them find sources of information to get the answers to random questions they ask? Could you set them challenges to find out the most obscure facts about the subject matter you are currently teaching? Could you ask them to discover something new each day for a week on their usual route to school?

I am curious to hear how you get on with this. Let me know! And, as always, I look forward to catching up with you next week and, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

References

(1) Toner, E., Haslam, N., Robinson, J. and Williams, P., 2012. Character strengths and wellbeing in adolescence: Structure and correlates of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Children. Personality and Individual Differences, 52(5), pp.637-642.

Welcome to episode 21. I should start by saying that I'm not a winter person. I like spring and summer. I like sunshine, warm weather and the beach. That said, I do love a crisp, sunny, blue sky winter day, but I live in the North of England, so I don't see that many of those. My natural inclination, therefore, would be to hibernate in the winter months, avoiding the great outdoors, avoiding social activities that take me outside the house, and staying warm and cosy inside.

Regardless of the weather, however, research(1) has linked time spent outside, particularly in nature, with improved mood and emotional well-being, so it's worth wrapping up warm and getting outside whenever we can. I'll admit, I don't take my own advice on this often enough, but yesterday, I decided to go for it.

I have been exercising more frequently and regularly lately, since losing a lot of weight with the help of weight loss surgery - the exercise helps with the weight loss AND the weight loss makes exercise more enjoyable - but have managed to hurt both my shoulders in the process, so I've had to back off some of my gym activity and exercise classes. This meant I had to think about other ways to exercise that wouldn't strain my shoulders and I thought "I know! I actually really love walking!" I'd had to stop walking before my weight loss as it had caused me Achilles tendon injuries, but that is no longer an issue, so …yay! I convinced hubby it would be lovely for us to go for a Sunday morning walk ending in a lovely country pub where we could indulge in a hearty post-walk lunch and he could enjoy some delicious real ales…nothing wrong with a bit of gentle bribery! 😉 So we decided to go, regardless of the weather, and were actually pretty lucky on this occasion. It was the perfect winter day. Crisp, sunny and, most importantly, dry. But I'm sure we'd have enjoyed the walk even if it had been raining, because we'd set out intending to enjoy being outside, getting some fresh air and stretching our legs. Of course, doing this activity together was an added bonus, but the research(1) suggests that it's the time outside, rather than the social aspects of the activity, that make us feel better.View of Damflask Reservoir (near Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK, on the edge of the Peak District) on 19th January 2020

View of Damflask Reservoir (near Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK, on the edge of the Peak District) on 19th January 2020

Hubby and I at Damflask Reservoir (near Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK, on the edge of the Peak District) on 19th January 2020

Being in nature is ideal, but even a city stroll would be beneficial. Exposure to light has also been linked in a research study(2) to improvements in mood, energy levels, memory and the ability to think clearly. In this particular study, increased light was only one of the factors; the other elements included in the research were regular brisk walks and daily vitamin and mineral supplements, with the aim of increasing the activity of neurotransmitters such as serotonin to achieve the improvements I just mentioned. The researchers suggested some simple ways to increase our regular exposure to light, for example using a transparent umbrella when it rains, or choosing a window seat on a train or bus, or making sure you open the curtains or blinds on your windows, even if it's a dull day you'd rather not look at.

So, how can you build more time outside, or more daylight, into your day? Of course, Sunday strolls in nature can be wonderful, but I appreciate that as a busy teacher, you may not always have time for those. Besides, looking at the research, little and often is likely to give you more benefits. So can you carve out 20 minutes a few times a week to get outside? It may even just be that you volunteer for more lunch supervision duties in the playground! For the children in school, how can we facilitate them spending more time outside? I remember when I was at school, I would do just about anything to avoid having to be outside during break time in the winter! But the playground was bleak, cold and uninviting. Can we make our outside spaces more welcoming? Can we take some lesson activities outside?

I hope this episode has helped you reflect on simple ways to look after your own emotional wellbeing and build on the amazing work you're already doing to support children's wellbeing. As always, I look forward to catching up with you next week and, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

References

• Korpela, K. et al. (2014) 'Analyzing the mediators between nature-based outdoor recreation and emotional well-being', Journal of Environmental Psychology. Elsevier Ltd, 37, pp. 1–7. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.11.003.
• Brown, M.-A. and Shirley, J. L. (2005) 'Enhancing Women's Mood and Energy: A research-based Program for Subthreshold Depression Using Light, Exercise and Vitamins', Holistic Nursing Practice, 19(6), pp. 278–285.

Welcome to episode 20. This week, I want to share with you something I've been playing with that has really helped me. Last week I needed to be completely focused and very productive in order to complete the first essay for my Doctorate of Education, so I remembered something I'd heard about and tried successfully before.

A year or so ago, I watched an interesting TV show called Twinstitute, where twin doctors carried out some simple experiments on themselves and various twin volunteers. One of the experiments was about using classical music to aid concentration. Of course this was a TV show, so hardly super-scientific, but I was struck by how effective the participants found it and tried it for myself a few times. It worked! So this week, as I worked, I put on various bits of classical music from YouTube playists (these are easy to find - search for 'classical music for studying' or 'classical music for concentration'). As on previous occasions, I found it really helped me focus on my work and be very efficient and productive - I worked extremely fast!

My youngest daughter, who has now gone back to Uni, came downstairs from her marathon pre-exam revision sessions (she is far more conscientious than her mother and always does this very thoroughly and methodically - no last-minute cramming for her!) and asked me about the music, so I told her about the TV show. The next day, I went into her room while she was revising and noticed classical music playing quietly on her laptop. I asked about it and she said "yes, it really works! I don't understand it, but it works!"

So I've looked at some of the research on this. I got a little carried away! It is a fascinating topic with extensive literature on it, once you start looking! It would make this podcast episode far too long if I went into the research in detail, so I've written an article about this on LinkedIn, in case you want to delve deeper. But here are some key points:

There is still a need for more research in this area - isn't there always? - but there seems to be something in this. One study(1) found that certain types of music can speed us up in carrying out tasks, while other music may slow us down. The researchers speculated that music may temporarily stop us from noticing the symptoms of tiredness. A medical study(2) examined the effects of relaxing music on patients before and after open heart surgery and found that it had a bigger impact on reducing anxiety than some of the drugs typically administered to patients for this purpose. It also significantly reduced the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. In the same paper, the researcher examined previous studies into various types of music and its impact on memory, concentration, anxiety and health. He found that music such as Mozart and Baroque music with typically around 60 beats per minute activates the left and right sides of the brain at the same time, increasing learning and our ability to retain information - I found this particularly interesting as this is the music I naturally gravitated to in order to work better! According to the author of the study, classical music, especially by Bach, Mozart and Italian composers, is particularly effective at increasing concentration, treating depression, anxiety, stress and pain, and helping people who have problems sleeping, or issues with their hearts and circulation. He also found this type of music supports a healthy immune system. He examined studies into other types of music and found that pop music and Latin-American music have positive effects on mood and motivation.

So, when your concentration or productivity flags, if you are feeling anxious or need a mood boost, or if your students have similar issues, it may be worth giving music a try.

I hope you've found this topic as fascinating as I did! Let me know how you get on with trying this out and, as always, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

References

• Shiha, Y.N., Huangd, R.H. and Chiange, H.S., 2009. Correlation between work concentration level and background music: A pilot study. Work, 33, pp.329-333. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0880. Accessedon 11/01/20 at http://scholar.fju.edu.tw/%E8%AA%B2%E7%A8%8B%E5%A4%A7%E7%B6%B1/upload/026299/handout/982/D-7003-14212-B.pdf

• Trappe, H.J., 2010. The effects of music on the cardiovascular system and cardiovascular health. Heart, 96(23), pp.1868-1871. doi: 10.1136/hrt.2010.209858

Other interesting reading:

Lawrence, D.L., 2001. Using music in the classroom. Advanced Brain Technologies. Accessed on 11/01/20 at http://www.pastpapers.ie/sites/default/files/Using%20Music%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf

Smith, C.A. and Morris, L.W., 1977. Differential effects of stimulative and sedative music on anxiety, concentration, and performance. Psychological Reports, 41(3_suppl), pp.1047-1053. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1977.41.3f.1047. Accessed on 11/01/20 at https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c484/d4a0a11b313342248d08c088945debb08a73.pdf

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode 19 - the first episode of 2020!

This week, we have a special guest: Dr Caren Baruch-Feldman, whom I met at the first IPEN global conference in Dallas, Texas, in 2016 and with whom I had the pleasure to present at the IPEN 2018 conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman is a clinical psychologist and a certified school psychologist. Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman maintains a private practice in Scarsdale and works as a school psychologist in the Harrison schools in Westchester, New York. She has worked for over 20 years in schools. Providing in-services, interactive workshops, and writing her first book, titled, The Grit Guide for Teens are the highlight of Dr. Baruch-Feldman's professional life.

Dr. Baruch-Feldman received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College of Columbia University and received her doctorate in Clinical-Child Psychology and School Psychology Certificate from St. John's University. Dr. Baruch-Feldman trained at the Albert Ellis Institute and is a Fellow and Supervisor in Rational Emotive Behavior, a type of CBT therapy.

She can be reached through her website www.drbaruchfeldman.com

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode 18.

This is going to be another shorter than usual episode as I am taking a rest from work and study over the festive season and preparing for a New Year's Eve party with friends. I hope you have taken a well-earned break this Christmas holiday, too!

So often, at this time of year, we turn our attention to New Year's Resolutions, frequently setting ourselves up to fail before the first month of the year has even concluded. Don't get me wrong - setting goals can be very useful and there are a number of great ways to do that, but why put yourself under the additional pressure of doing this for the start of a new year? You can set yourself goals whenever you want.

This year, instead, I am inviting you to reflect. Firstly, reflect on the good parts of 2019. We all face challenges and frustrations over time, and often we tend to focus on and remember the negatives far more easily than the positives, so take a few minutes to properly reflect on everything that has gone well for you this year. Things you have achieved, challenges you have overcome, joyful events that have happened to you and the people you love. Write them down.

Take a moment to savour those positive memories. Savouring is a powerful positive psychology tool to help improve our wellbeing! Then, for each of your achievements and for each challenge you have overcome, reflect on what strengths you used to help you. For example, I finished writing my book - For Flourishing's Sake, which will be out in June 2020 (I may have mentioned this once or twice!) - while also completing my Master's in Applied Positive Psychology. To do that, I used my strengths of perseverance, courage, love of learning, creativity and a hefty dose of humour!

Make a note of the strengths that helped you in 2019. Over the course of 2020, I will invite you to explore and work with them some more. If any of your positive memories from 2019 include something someone else did for you, now is an ideal opportunity to practise your strength of gratitude and thank them. For more information on character strengths, you can visit the VIA Institute at www.viacharacter.org.

Doing this simple reflective activity should help you see 2019 out and 2020 in with a sense of gratitude and accomplishment, feeling positive about the year you are leaving behind and the strengths you possess that will help you tackle whatever 2020 throws at you. Let me know how this goes for you.

All that's left for me to say is, whatever you do, if anything, to celebrate the beginning of a new year, I hope you have a wonderful time. And, as always, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week. Happy New Year - I'll be back on Monday 6th January!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode 17.

This is going to be a really short episode as you are hopefully taking time to rest and be with your loved ones this festive season - as indeed am I.

Over the past few weeks, more than ever I have been struck by the generosity of so many teachers I know and the selfless and vocational nature of this profession. Some may even define it as a calling.

In a number of private online conversations with teacher friends, I saw teachers worrying about how vulnerable children and their families would cope over the holiday season without the safety net of school, teachers making every possible arrangement to keep those children safe, of providing children and their families with emergency helpline numbers and, in some cases, providing them with their own work mobile numbers so they can get in touch if they need to.

This is admirable and gives me so much hope for humanity at a time when so much is going on all over the world and here in the UK that feels, at times, very bleak. My love, respect and admiration go out to all you wonderful teachers who give so much of yourselves. I wouldn't dream of asking you to stop doing that, or not to care for those who need you most.

But I do have a plea for you at this time. Wherever you are in the world, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you now get a little much-needed time off. Having put everything in place and done everything you could to ensure there is a safety net for those vulnerable children you teach, now you need to make sure you look after yourself. "You can't pour from an empty cup", as the saying goes. So replenish your cup.

In episode 11, Adrian Bethune talked about the importance of kindness. Don't forget to be kind to yourself. In episodes six and nine, we talked about positive relationships and connection. Invest in your relationships and really connect over the festive season (and beyond, of course!).

Rest, recuperate, spend time with people you love. Laugh as much as you can, sleep as much as you can, get as much fresh air as you can.

I promise I will do the same!

I will be back next Monday for the last podcast of 2019 and, as always, until we speak again, For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week and, if you are celebrating, have a wonderful Christmas!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Today is the second of a two-part special guest episode of the "For Flourishing's Sake" podcast.

Lee Jackson is a motivational speaker and author of 'How to enjoy and succeed in school and college'. A former youth worker (and Hip Hop DJ!), he now works in businesses, schools and colleges helping people to Get Good® and make the best out of their time there. He is a Past President of the Professional Speaking Association in the UK & Ireland. He lives with his family in Yorkshire and loves good comedy, old school Hip Hop and basketball. His website is www.leejackson.biz his twitter account is @leejackson

Last week, Lee invited us to consider why we do what we do.

In this second part, Lee shares the story of the time he discovered his 'why'.

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Today is the first of a two-part special guest episode of the "For Flourishing's Sake" podcast.

Lee Jackson is a motivational speaker and author of 'How to enjoy and succeed in school and college'. A former youth worker (and Hip Hop DJ!), he now works in businesses, schools and colleges helping people to Get Good® and make the best out of their time there. He is a Past President of the Professional Speaking Association in the UK & Ireland. He lives with his family in Yorkshire and loves good comedy, old school Hip Hop and basketball. His website is www.leejackson.biz his twitter account is @leejackson

In this first part, Lee asks us to reflect on a question I also ask at the very beginning of my book by the same name as this podcast, which is coming out in June 2020.

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5