Happy National Thank You Month!

As we kick off the new year, let's take a moment to express our gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful things in our lives as we begin this new year. In the spirit of thankfulness, here's a glimpse of what we're grateful for this January.

Let's honor the amazing accomplishments of our fellow students! Whether excelling academically or sharing your artistic talents, your efforts make our schools' community shine bright. Tell us about your success stories so we can celebrate and inspire one another.

Teachers play such an important role in our lives and in the community. They are not just educators but mentors and role models who shape the future generation. Teachers invest their time and energy into helping children develop the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in life. We are grateful for their commitment to education and for the positive impact they have on our children's lives. Thank you, teachers, for all that you do!

This January let's spread kindness like confetti! One powerful method of letting someone know we are thankful for them is through handwritten notes or letters, expressing appreciation to anyone who has made a positive impact. Acts of kindness whether big or small, such as helping a peer with schoolwork or volunteering for a community project, not only displays an act of kindness but gratitude as well. Let's make it a trend to be kind! Participate in our Acts of Kindness Challenge. Share your kind deeds on social media using #ACTSOFKINDNESS and let's create a wave of positivity.

Expressing gratitude is not new. However, being grateful, or consistently focusing on the positive aspects of your life, is more than just being polite. It may be very beneficial to your health.

Studies indicate that engaging in a daily gratitude practice for 15 minutes, five days a week, for a minimum of six weeks can improve mental health and potentially foster a long-lasting shift in viewpoint. Your physical health can benefit from gratitude's positive effects on your mental and emotional well-being in the ways listed below:

• reduce depression- 70 studies that include responses from more than 26,000 people found an association between higher levels of gratitude and lower levels of depression. Those who have a grateful mindset report greater life satisfaction, strong social relationships, and higher self-esteem than those who don't practice gratitude. Gratitude appears to lessen the symptoms of depression.

• lessen anxiety- Gratitude can be a coping tool for anxiety. Regularly practicing gratitude combats negative thinking patterns by keeping thoughts focused on the present. If you find yourself focusing on negative thoughts about the past or future, challenge yourself to find something you are grateful for now. It will break the negative thought process and return you to the present.

• support heart health- Keeping a gratitude journal can cause a significant drop in diastolic blood pressure. Even if you don't record your gratitude, thinking grateful thoughts can still benefit your heart by regulating and slowing your breathing to match your heartbeat.

• relieve stress- Taking a moment to be thankful causes physiological changes in your body that initiate the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of your nervous system that helps you rest and digest. Gratitude and the response it causes, help to bring down your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing to help with overall relaxation.

• improve sleep- Thinking positive thoughts before falling asleep promotes better sleep — and there’s evidence that gratitude causes people to have positive thoughts about their life, social support and social situations.

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Some Facts About The Power of Gratitude in Addiction Recovery: Cultivating a Thankful Mindset:

• ✅ Practicing gratitude can improve overall well-being and decrease stress and symptoms of depression. (Source: Positive Psychology)
• ✅ A grateful mindset can also help individuals in addiction recovery stay motivated and reduce the likelihood of relapse. (Source: Psychology Today)
• ✅ Expressing gratitude to others can improve relationships and increase feelings of social support. (Source: Harvard Health Publishing)
• ✅ Gratitude can be practiced through daily journaling, expressing thanks to others, and focusing on positive aspects of life. (Source: Verywell Mind)
• ✅ Research has shown that gratitude interventions can have lasting effects on improving mental health and overall life satisfaction. (Source: Greater Good Magazine)

The Student Assistance Program (SAP for short) can support students by teaching them healthy coping skills to manage stress, practicing self-care, and ways to be resilient not only during the holidays, but all year round!

What is SAP?

In Pennsylvania, every school must have a Student Assistance Program (SAP). A SAP team is made up of trained professionals like administrators, school counselors, social workers, nurses and teachers, along with a SAP Counselor from an outside agency. The SAP team is here to help identify issues that may be interfering with students being successful in school.

How to Refer a Student to SAP:

If you are concerned for your student and want to see if the Student Assistance Program Team can help, please contact your student's school administrator or school counselor.

4459 West Swamp Road

Doylestown, PA, USA

mgroden@councilsepa.org

215-230-8218

councilsepa.org

Bucks Human Services Connect-The HUB 1-888-942-8257

https://www.buckscounty.gov/1298/Bucks-Human-Services-Connect---The-Hub

The HUB aims to support families in Bucks County by connecting them to helpful resources and supports available in the community.

Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc.
https://www.bcdac.org/
The Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. offers online resources available in Bucks County and provides information on prevention, treatment, and recovery supports. If you or a loved one is struggling with drugs and alcohol, the BCDAC is here to help!

NAMI Bucks County, PA

https://namibuckspa.org/

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

Lenape Valley Foundation (215)-345-5300

https://www.lenapevf.org/

Penn Foundation (215) 257-6551

https://www.pennfoundation.org/

Penndel Mental Health Center (215) 752-1541

https://www.penndelmhc.org/

Family Service Association of Bucks County (215)-757-6916
https://www.fsabc.org/get-help/counseling-therapy/

*Contact the number on your insurance card for appropriate provider*