~High School~ SEL & Wellness

World Kindness Day is observed on November 12th of each year. The purpose of this day is to promote the importance of being kind to one another, yourself and the world. Kindness is what binds us together and has the power to bridge the gap between nations. World Kindness Day was first introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. This organization was formed at a Tokyo conference in 1997 when Japan brought kindness organizations of multiple nations together and emphasized the necessity of a global kindness movement. Currently, over 28 countries are a part of the World Kindness Movement group. World Kindness Day is observed in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The hope for World Kindness Day is to encourage people to go out of their way to be kind to others, whether it be at home, school, work or just out in public. Pledge to do at least one intentional act of kindness on this day to benefit someone else.

Being kind doesn’t need to look or be extravagant. Sometimes the simplest things make the most significant difference! Here are a few simple ideas and ways to be helpful on World Kindness Day in the workplace, at school, with your loved ones, or even while out running errands. Look for opportunities while you go through your day to infuse kindness into someone’s day. It’ll change their day and yours for the better!

• Smile when you walk by others
• Hold the door open for someone
• Chat with a stranger and ask them about their day
• Compliment someone
• Send a positive or encouraging text to five people in your contacts
• Spend less time on your phone and more time with people you care about.
• Volunteer
• Practice gratitude
• Give someone a hug
• Send a kind note or card to a friend

Gratitude is showing appreciation for the things and people that you have in your life that are meaningful or valuable to you. Just taking a moment in each day to acknowledge how grateful you are can boost your mood, brighten your outlook and help you to feel more positive, even in the face of adversity. It's easy to be thankful if you win the lottery or receive a good grade on a test, however, gratitude extends to the smaller blessings in life that may be overlooked in day to day life. These can be things like a cool breeze on a hot day, having a/c in the summer time, or taking in the beauty outside.

While it can be hard to be thankful during difficult times in life, gratitude is something that you can build, like a muscle. It just takes practice and time. Although it may sound a little cheesy, research has shown that it can have very real, positive benefits on your overall well-being. When you practice gratitude, you shift your thoughts away from the negative emotions and focus on good things that you may have been overlooked.

Rather than focusing on spilling your coffee when you were getting ready in the morning, for example, be thankful how you have a job to get ready for or even coffee to make in the morning. This kind of thinking leads to a release of serotonin and dopamine, which are chemicals in the brain that are associated with happiness and pleasure. Acknowledging gratitude also decreases stress hormones.

The short-term result is a reduction in anxiety and an improvement in mood. In the long-term, regularly practicing gratitude may also lead to lasting changes in your brain, priming you to be more grateful going forward. Because gratitude can boost your mood, perhaps it’s no surprise that it can also improve your overall mental health. As you practice gratitude, you may notice a decrease in symptoms of depression and anxiety. While gratitude alone may not be a magic bullet to mental health issues, it can be one part of a broader treatment plan.

Approaching life with a more positive mindset can do more than just improve your mood. It can have cascading benefits in other areas of your life, such as:

• Better sleep.
• Improved focus.
• Higher self-esteem.
• Increased patience.
• More satisfaction with life
• better physical health
• less fatigue
• less likely to experience burnout

Stress is a natural response from the body's reaction to perceived dangers, threats or emotional pressure. The hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, are released in response to a stressful event. They are partially responsible for the flight, fight or freeze response that results from the perception or experience of danger or fear.

Stress is not always a bad thing. It can be beneficial for short periods of time, for example, helping to motivate you to perform better in school or work. Stress that goes on for a long period of time, also known as chronic stress, can significantly affect someone's day to day functioning and lead to both physical and mental health issues. Some causes of this long-term stress can include, but is not limited to:

• Divorce
• Moving
• Relationship conflict
• Chronic pain or a serious health problem
• Intense, demanding job
• Loss of a loved one
  
  

Chronic stress means that the hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, continue to be released in the body instead of in short bursts. When this happens, it can lead to inflammation in the body, which causes a lot of physical symptoms including headache, digestive issues, muscle tension and problems sleeping. Over a long period of time, this can lead to lasting impacts on your overall physical health such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, depression and/or anxiety.

Here are some stress-reduction techniques you can try to improve your overall mental and physical well-being:

• Deep breathing. Learning how to practice deep breathing is simple, and you can do it anywhere. Here’s an example of one format you might try: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, repeat the exercise 2 to 3 times.
• Yoga. You can do your own yoga routine, go to a local yoga studio like Blackbird Yoga or BFit Cuero Wellness, or try one on youtube.
• Journal. Research shows that expressive writing can help release emotions and improve overall mental health.

TCHATT provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identify and assess the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents and provide access to mental health services. Cuero ISD is proud to be part of this program that helps students get access to mental health treatment and resources. This program is free for students and is available throughout the year, even in the summer. If you would like more information about TCHATT, you can visit their website https://tcmhcc.utsystem.edu/tchatt/ or contact Lacy Timpone at ltimpone@cueroisd.org.

Ruby Rodriguez, M.Ed. ~ Director of Special Programs

Lacy Timpone, M.Ed., LPC ~ School Climate Specialist

Courtney Kalinowski, M.S., LPC ~ School Climate Specialist

Kathy Scott, LMSW~ School Climate Specialist

Website: https://www.cueroisd.org/
Location: 960 E Broadway St, Cuero, TX, USA
Phone: 361-275-1900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cueroisd