Becoming a Calm and Happy Teacher M ischelle F. P untod M aster Teacher II What do you do when you don't get what you want? How do you feel when you are disappointed? Calmness ability to remain still, quiet, and peaceful. Reminder It is important that we remain calm when we are upset so that we wil not say or do something that we wil later regret or feel sorry about. Why? It is important to remain CALM when feeling extreme emotions (e.g. anger, excitement and worry). Keeping Calm When Under Pressure 1. Take a Deep Breath Breathing deeply and slowly triggers the body to stop releasing stress hormones and start to relax. Concentrating on your breathing can also help to distract your mind from whatever is bothering you so that you focus only on what is happening at that moment. Breathe in deeply through your nose – you should breathe all the way into your belly and not just your chest. Hold for a moment and breathe out slowly through your mouth. Take a few minutes just to breathe and you should find yourself feeling calmer quickly. Help Someone It lights up parts of your brain that make you feel pleasure and connection. Doing something nice for someone lowers stress and lessens feelings of loneliness. It may even boost your heart health and immune response. Fun fact: When you spend money on other people, your body releases more endorphins (the same chemicals from exercise) than when you spend on yourself. Listen to Music It literally calms the activity in your brain. Fewer neurons fire in your amygdala (the part of your brain that responds to fear), which may lead to fewer signals sent to other parts of your brain. Music is a good thing to try if distracted by stress/pain/fear. Exercise (e.g. walking) is just as important as sleep when it comes to keeping stress in check and dealing with external pressure. Walking prompts the body to release feel-good hormones and helps to clear your head. If under pressure at work, just 5mins of fresh air and a change of scenery could help you to feel calmer and gain a new perspective on the situation – you’ll probably realize it’s not a case of life or death anyway. Play and Get Creative Activities like pop its, coloring books, knitting, and beads painting offer an escape for a busy mind. Simple, repetitive actions, especially -- like kneading dough -- can help you dough -- can help you redirect your thoughts and tune out the chatter in your head. Let your inner child play! The key is to enjoy the process and not worry so much about the result. You probably have a few people in your life who can make you feel stressed just by being around them. While it’s not always possible to cut these people out of your life entirely, when you’re under pressure try to spend more time with friends and family who are helpful, positive, and will lift you up rather than drag you down. Which of the ways to keep calm do you apply most? Retrain Your Brain for a Calmer Life You can’t control what life will throw at you next, but you can learn to cope with pressurized situations and deal with stress in a healthy way. Making an effort to practice some of these strategies the next time you feel under pressure can help you to feel calm and able to deal with any situation. Finding joy in everyday routine and feeling an overall sense of happiness towards life are two goals many strive for (and often attain). But just because you're happy today doesn't mean you will have the same smile tomorrow — and that's okay. The Good News: Trusting that God has a handle on our lives is our only source of hope. We should find comfort in the idea that He knows what He’s doing. The Good News: Someone who is in God’s good graces will always find happiness, but people with bad intentions will wish to be in His good graces but will never receive it. HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS MY HAPPINESS AT WORK IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TEXT COMPLETION I realized that… To stay calm… To stay happy… Thank you!
