Empowering Students: Celebrating Self through Holistic Well-Being Education
Much of our recent research has proven just how important it is to develop an understanding and connection to self early on in our lives to aid us in the ups and downs that will inevitably come.
Our indigenous cultures highlight the importance of gaining an understanding of who we are and the sense of belonging that fosters, so that we can move forward in an inspired and connected way.
Many different methodologies such as Conscious Education, Holistic Education and Positive Psychology all argue that a sense of self, purpose and meaning in life are all driving factors in how well we feel and therefore how well we do in navigating life's ups and downs.
The earlier we learn to trust ourselves and our intuition, to develop habits of self care, to understand the tools that work for us when we are not feeling our best the more grounded, happy and connected we will be.
Aspects of honouring self:
Forgive yourself
‘Pause’ (mindfulness)
Respect your body
Be honest with yourself
Do something that ‘feels’ good
Align with your values - what are they and are they really yours or ideas that others have put upon you?
Self Compassion
While we can learn these tools as adults, many of us only start seeking them when we're at our lowest, desperate for a way out. If we teach this aspect of being human early on, we'll be better equipped with these tools for when the inevitable hard times come.
Insights from Current Research
Dr. Kristin Neff has dedicated her career to researching self-compassion and its numerous benefits. She defines compassion as: "the recognition and clear seeing of suffering... feelings of kindness for people who are suffering, so that the desire to help – to ameliorate suffering – emerges... recognizing our shared human condition, flawed and fragile as it is" (Neff, 2011, p.10).
Her definition highlights four key aspects:
Awareness: Being attentive or sensitive to the occurrence of suffering, whether it involves emotional, mental, or physical pain.
Normalising: Recognizing that pain is a universal experience. We all encounter it to varying degrees, and it's not a personal failing. We are not to blame for our pain, and we are not alone in it.
Kindness: Instead of ignoring pain, meeting it with kindness, care, warmth, and concern.
Alleviation: Focusing on ways to alleviate the pain, which might include providing comfort, offering a helpful perspective, or taking necessary actions to address the issue.
When we have self compassion we are able to recognise the above in ourselves and make decisions accordingly. Do we need time away to just be alone? Do we need time with friends? Do we need some form of physical exercise? It is recognising that we don’t feel great and then having a list of tools or techniques that work for us in order to feel better.
By giving out youth these tools early in life we can help them to navigate the tough times they will inevitably face in a more positive and loving way. By teaching our youth that the way they feel is important and a priority we empower them to be active facilitators of their lives.
This work aligns with Martin Seligman's 3 P’s of Optimism, which suggest that the speed at which we recover from a negative event is influenced by our beliefs about Permanence, Personalisation, and Pervasiveness.
Permanence refers to whether we perceive an event as having a lasting negative impact or a temporary setback from which we can recover. Personalization addresses whether we attribute the event to ourselves, thinking that bad things always happen to us. Pervasiveness is the extent to which we allow a bad event in one area to affect all areas of our lives. While we may have various ways an event impacts us, it’s crucial to recognize the good even during tough times. The more tools and self-awareness we possess, the better our chances of recovering from a negative event and understanding that it is not permanent, pervasive, or personal.
The New Zealand Council for Educational Research suggests that “In the short term, children with effective social–emotional skills are able to form and maintain friendships, have positive attitudes to learning and social experiences, are easily accepted by their peers, are more adaptable and confident, and are more likely to be academically successful” (Denham et al., 2003; National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004a).
“In the long term, young children with good social–emotional skills are likely to grow up with the abilities to develop and maintain lasting friendships and intimate relationships, to be effective parents, hold a job, work well with others, make positive contributions to their communities, and experience good physical and mental health and life satisfaction” (Goodman et al., 2015)
With the myriad of benefits it is obvious that explicit teaching of social emotional skills which can be broadly defined as skills which empower us to build self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills, as well as values is an integral part of empowering students to look after, and prioritise their own self care from an early age.
Fostering Self-Awareness and Confidence in the Classroom
Character Strengths
By spending time learning what their strengths are, actively cultivating these strengths and recognising the strengths of others we can build a more positive and trusting classroom environment. When students know their Character Strengths and can use these in positive ways to navigate life both in and out of the classroom they build confidence in themselves and their abilities. By spending time sharing their strengths with their peers students also develop understanding and compassion for their peers. They build relationships based upon mutual understanding and over time, respect for each other's strengths and abilities.
Inner Dialogue/Growth Mindset
By delving deeper than typical growth mindset activities and examining the reality of the inner voice that constantly occupies our minds, we can help students identify the barrage of thoughts they experience daily. When we slow down and explicitly acknowledge these thoughts as the ego’s attempt to protect us—such as by discouraging risk to avoid ridicule—students can learn to cope with this inner voice more positively and compassionately. By recognizing these thoughts for what they truly are, students can pause to assess their validity and decide how to act accordingly. Once they have developed this skill it will be one that will serve the student particularly well throughout their life and be used on a regular basis.
Optimism
Many psychologists worldwide have researched optimism, revealing a clear link between the explicit teaching of optimism and lower rates of depression in later life. Three critical dimensions related to the risk of depression are permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization.
Permanence refers to the belief that the effects of an event, whether good or bad, are lasting rather than temporary.
Pervasiveness relates to whether a person sees failure as specific to a single event or as something that affects all areas of their life.
Personalization concerns whether an individual attributes a bad event to their own actions or to external factors.
A child's development in these areas is influenced by their surroundings and how explicitly they are taught about positive and negative events. As educators, we have a significant opportunity to equip tamariki (children) with positive tools.
Optimism is not about ignoring negative experiences but about learning how to cope with them. It involves understanding that individuals have a choice in how they interpret events and their causes. Optimistic people tend to be more resilient, maintaining confidence about the future even when facing substantial challenges.
Mindfulness and Meditation
In its simplest terms, mindfulness means being fully aware of what you are doing while you are doing it. The next step involves self-acceptance: acknowledging your current emotions and learning to sit comfortably with them. Through mindfulness practice, we can become less critical of ourselves and more accepting of our present feelings.
Mindfulness is not about completely clearing the mind but about being able to sit with your current experience and letting feelings pass without judgement. Research suggests that we focus on the past or future about half the time. Practising mindfulness helps us focus on the present moment and let go of things we cannot control.
By learning to sit with and feel our emotions, we better handle difficult feelings and enhance our appreciation of positive emotions like joy, happiness, and love. Mindfulness is proven to lower anxiety, depression, and stress levels, aid in dealing with health issues, support recovery, and improve overall well-being and health.
For students and children, the benefits of mindfulness are significant. These include enhanced focus, increased creativity, better concentration, improved social skills, and better mental health and well-being. Positive psychology studies in schools show that children who practise mindfulness are calmer, more aware of their emotions, and less stressed. They also tend to perform better academically than their peers who do not engage in mindfulness practices.
The Classroom Connections Project
The Classroom Connections Project, an easy-to-use manual that seamlessly integrates all aspects of Celebrating Self into your teaching practice. This comprehensive guide is designed to help educators prioritise student well-being while providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences.
Lessons are organised into three categories:
Self: Help students get to know themselves through exploring character strengths, optimism, mindfulness, a growth mindset, and meditation.
Others: Foster positive, lasting relationships with lessons focused on gratitude and kindness.
Wider World: Encourage students to recognize their impact on the wider world and make thoughtful decisions about the kind of impact they wish to have.
In today's ever-changing educational landscape, it's crucial for teachers to support the holistic development of their students. The Classroom Connections Project provides a clear outline of key well-being education aspects and offers practical activities that allow students to explore themselves, understand others, and connect with the world around them.
Whether you're a seasoned educator or new to Holistic Education, this manual provides practical tools to create a nurturing and inclusive learning environment.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post today and I wish you an inspiring week ahead.
Ka kite ano
Natalie
