March S.E.L.F. Newsletter
Your Monthly Toolbox for Social & Emotional Learning
Self-Care
All the stress relief activities in the world won't help if you aren't taking care of yourself. Meditation won't do you any good if you aren't getting adequate sleep. In fact, when you try to meditate, you might doze off because you aren't taking care of your body's need for sleep. You need to take care of your basic needs first if you want your stress relief activities to be effective.
Self-care is defined as, "a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being."
Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those stressors in life that you can't eliminate. When you've taken steps to care for your mind and body, you'll be better equipped to live your best life. Unfortunately, however, many people view self-care as a luxury, rather than a priority.
It's important to assess how you're caring for yourself in several different domains so you can ensure you're caring for your mind, body, and spirit.
1. Physical Self-Care: You need to take care of your body if you want it to run efficiently. Keep in mind that there's a strong connection between your body and your mind. When your caring for your body, you'll think and feel better too.
2. Social Self-Care: Close connections are important to your well-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into building your relationships with others.
3. Mental Self-Care: Mental self-care includes doing things that keep your mind sharp, like puzzles, or learning about a subject that fascinates you. You might find reading books or watching movies that inspire you fuels your mind. Mental self-care also involves doing things that help you stay mentally healthy like practicing self-compassion and acceptance.
4. Spiritual Self-Care: Many practice religion for spiritual self-care but nurturing your spirit doesn't have to involve religion. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe.
5. Emotional Self-Care: Emotional self-care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings on a regular basis. Whether you talk to a partner or close friend about how you feel, or you set aside time for leisure activities that help you process your emotions, it's important to incorporate emotional self-care into your life.\
For more of this article, visit https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729
"“I lied and said I was busy.
I was busy;
but not in a way most people understand.
I was busy taking deeper breaths.
I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.
I was busy calming a racing heart.
I was busy telling myself I am okay.
Sometimes, this is my busy -
and I will not apologize for it.”
― Brittin Oakman.
Staff at Mariposa Elementary Focus on Adult SEL Using a Boast Board to Celebrate Each other
Students at Oak Hammock K8 participate in Daily MeetUp as part of the Sanford Harmony Program
Students at White City Elementary Shared Kindness with themselves and others in honor of Kindness Month
Sanford Harmony in Action
Greeting Students
Spreading SEL
School-Wide Self-Care Ideas
Parent Connection
Any time you travel on an airplane, the flight attendants announce that if the oxygen masks drop down, you should first put on your own mask, and ‘then assist small children.’ This is good parenting advice for life in general. Yes, our children have many needs that need to be met, and even more desires they would like you to fulfill. But in order to have the energy to care for them, you need to make sure that you’re also taking care of yourself! Take a few whiffs of parenting oxygen now and then, and it will help to rejuvenate you.
Use this checklist for ideas of what to do when you’re “running on empty.”
Self-Care Checklist for Parents
Read more of this article here: https://www.peps.org/ParentResources/by-topic/self-care/self-care-for-parents
Department of Social & Emotional Learning
Email: sel@stlucieschools.org
Website: https://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/departments/student-services/social-emotional-learning/
Location: 9461 Brandywine Lane Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
Phone: 7724685804
Facebook: facebook.com/stluciesel