10/23/20 Update: Strong and Healthy Start

A STRONG AND HEALTHY START

Safety and Health Guidance for Reopening Schools, Fall 2020 

Issued by the Vermont Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Health 

URL link: https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-vdh-guidance-strong-healthy-start-school-health-updated-10-23_1.pdf

Issued: June 16, 2020 
Revised: October 23, 2020
EFFECTIVE: November 16, 2020

Healthy Life Survey 2020 is now open! (60 PATHpoints in October!)

 

The Healthy Life Survey is now open on PATH to give you an opportunity to assess your health using VEHI's personalized survey. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. When you have finished, you can see your results which highlight where your wellness is going well, and note areas you may want to work on. If you have been doing the survey each year, you can compare to see where you've improved.

You will also receive 50 PATHpoints! And, if you finish by October 31, you will receive an additional 10 points (that's 60 points toward the 200 needed for an LL Bean gift card!)

If you are new and do not know what PATH is, go see a Wellness leader.

Yoga online classes: A Message form Lucy D'Aponte

Happy fall!  What a great time to practice yoga. It is a time to turn in and reflect, recharge and restore; I hope you will join me in practicing together. 

This month, I am offering 4 online classes for you to choose from each week - something for everyone!

Let me know if you have any questions and please share with your friends!

October class schedule begins this Friday: 10/1- 10/30

Tuesday:  FLOW @ 9-10am

Wednesday: GENTLE @ 9-10am and FLOW @ 4:15-5:15pm

Friday: RESTORE @ 4:15-5:15pm

Flow:  a strong playful, guided all-levels class.

Gentle: an ease-full guided class.

Restore: a restful meditative class that guides you into supported yoga postures that restore your energy and regulate your nervous system.

To attend classes:  Please email me if you plan to join me this month.  Pre-registration is appreciated but not necessary.

$15+ per class or PAY WHAT YOU CAN:  

via VENMO @Lucy-DAponte 

PAYPAL: Lbdaponte@gmail.com

CHECK: 96 W Spring St, Winooski, VT 05404

Zoom link for all classes:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81844518271?pwd=ZjRZNEwzcG9PaUJ1UVlTLzB3clNCUT09

Meeting ID: 818 4451 8271

Passcode: Fallyoga

Helpful hints for online classes: Please make sure you have downloaded Zoom to your computer.  I will open the zoom meeting about 10 minutes before class starts to troubleshoot any electronic assistance needed.  Your computer will be muted upon entering the meeting, so un-mute it if you have any questions.  Feel free to use your own music during classes once class begins.

Set up your yoga space before the meeting.  Be sure you have your mat or blanket space set, clear your area to allow for reaching arms up and around you, bring any props you like to use.  For restorative class: be creative - blankets, pillows, yoga strap (scarf/belt/dog leash), and couch cushions can be helpful but not necessary.

In light,

Lucy

Lucy D'Aponte, MS PT, CYT

Third Eye Therapies LLC

Winooski VT 04505

802 498 5959

www.lucydaponte.com

"Our body is an instrument played by divine breath.  It is our job to keep the instrument well tuned and to listen to the voice of truth moving through us."

Anodea Judith

Weekly Wellness Tip (from Nan Johnson)

Hello friends!

One thing I've heard from many staff members is that you are finding it hard to remember things. I know I am! The stress we've been living under during the pandemic can make it more difficult to remember things. Then add on all the additional responsibilities at school, we are juggling a lot! I've even heard a podcast all about it... but I can't remember which one it was! :-)

I would be completely lost without my reminder app. I used to use the app that came with my Iphone, but last year I downloaded a new one: Todoist: https://todoist.com/

Here is the link for it in the app store for Iphone 

Here is the link for the app in Google Play

I use the free version but there is also a paid version. I like the ease of setting up repeated reminders. And of course crossing off a completed task makes me feel like I've accomplished something. The first task for every school day is to take my temp and fill out the health survey.

Let me know if you give the app a try and feel free to share with me any tricks you use to help remember all the things you do every day! 

And also don't forget about the flu shot clinic! (October 6 and October 8)

Stay well!

Nan

Vocal Hygiene and Stretching your Jaw

"Teachers represent the largest group of professionals who use their voice as a primary tool of the trade."

As we close on the first month back at school, many teachers find that their voices and throats are hoarse and raw. Wearing a mask can decrease our natural volume, which may cause us to compensate with yelling. 

The resources below have been shared to help remind you that your vocal hygiene is important to think about and give you ways to be mindful of your vocal health. Special thanks to Ashley Beach for sharing the follow resources:

• Wearing Masks in the Classroom and Vocal Hygiene for Digital and In Person Teaching (click here for pdf file)
• Top 10 Tips for Vocal Health (click here for the pdf file)

And, while we are on the topic of mask wearing, be aware of any pain in your jaw, head and neck after wearing a mask all day. Here is a detailed video about the discomfort you may experience with wearing a mask, as well as some jaw stretches to alleviate the pain. If you do suffer from TMJ (TemporoMandibular Joint) pain, wearing a mask may exacerbate the symptoms. Check out this HealthLine article about TMJ stretches.

NPR Podcast "Prepare now for Pandemic Winter Wellness" (from Nan Johnson)

Just a reminder that your Wellness team is here to try to support you the best we can. The stress that we are dealing with is overwhelming. Please reach out and let me know if there are certain areas that you feel you want more information and support  (physical, emotional, mental). 

I listened to a podcast on my way to work this morning. It was how to start preparing for dealing with the pandemic in the winter. One suggestion was getting into some healthy habits now before the winter weather sets in. You can listen here: https://www.npr.org/2020/09/21/915289747/prepare-now-for-your-pandemic-winter-your-future-self-will-thank-you

I know we have a lot of new people and I'm so sorry I haven't gotten around to introduce myself. 

Feel free to reach out through email or pop by room 27. 

Nan

Wellness Introduction Video from 2020-21 Convocation

 

Here is the Wellness Introduction video from this years Convocation!

Strong and Healthy Start Guide

A STRONG AND HEALTHY START

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Supports During COVID-19.

Issued by the Vermont Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Mental Health on August 14, 2020

URL Link: https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-dmh-guidance-strong-healthy-start-social-emotional-mental-health-supports-during-covid19.pdf

This document provides guidance on social, emotional and mental health, and overall well-being, for both educators and students as Vermont moves to reopen schools for the 2020-21 School Year in the context of COVID-19.

2020-21 PATH Programs: How to Earn PATHpoints

Every year, VEHI PATH offers new ways of using virtual tools to help you strengthen your well-being. This year, in addition to the "tried and true" programs, PATH has added three online courses for PATHpoints that you can do on your own time:

1. Rethinking Sugar (20 pts): In this three-week course you’ll learn the HOW-WHY-WHAT of sugar dependency, including what sugar does in the body that makes it so bad for us, and why we have so much trouble quitting.
2. Breaking Free From Sugar (30 pts): In this course you will spend one week prepping for a no sugar added challenge and the next three weeks eating nothing with added sugar or refined carbohydrates (prerequisite: Rethinking Sugar).
3. Mindful, Nonviolent Communication (50 pts): This eight week course is a progression of short, simple teachings and doable practices to help you embody peace, compassion and wisdom in your daily life.

Click here for information about VEHI, PATH and the full list of programs.

Remember, when you earn 200 points, you are eligible for a $100 gift card from L. L. Bean!

A statement of "The science of well-being course" by Rafeef Faour

 

I learned a lot and benefited from the course! I really enjoyed this class and I’m excited to continue my education . This class was challenging at times but there was value in being exposed to the material. I have learned important skills  that will help me academically  and personally.

Well-being is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and ability to manage stress. More generally, well-being is just feeling well .

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are – Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Give, and Take Notice

Living the good life means living a life that sets you free. A life that satisfies and fulfills you, that adds happiness, joy and a sense of purpose to your life. But it also means to live a life that is worthwhile, a life that makes a contribution, instead of being solely self-centered. 

In class, I learned about a growth mindset. This idea that I can continue getting better over time to not focus on my performance but on how much I am learning.   “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, a growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.

 I built  many habits as the kind of thing that can promote  my mental health and happiness such as  Savoring , physical exercise,gratitude , WOOP, meditation and sleep. 

Let us talk about them briefly.

 Savoring: is  the act of stepping outside of an experience to review and really appreciate it . It is a way of helping me to stay present in the moment. And savoring often forces me to enjoy an experience for longer.

By practicing Savoring I used some common techniques that enhanced savoring. These techniques included: sharing the experience with my family and friends.Thinking about how lucky I am to enjoy such an amazing moment, Taking a photo of that activity, and making sure I stay in the present moment the entire time. Every night, I make a note of what I savored .When I do write things down at the end of the day, I take a moment to remember the whole activity. 

- Exercise:  30 minutes a day of exercise can boost my mood in addition to making my body healthier. 2 miles walking workout at home. daily walks have helped to give me a sense of normalcy in this crazy time. Even If I feel tired or I am busy ,there is a voice inside my head telling me “It is time to walk”. 

- gratitude journal :I apply the daily gratitude journal in my routine to switch my focus on recognizing the things in my life that are already present and already wonderful instead of dwelling on things that I think are lacking and previously thought to be more important. Every night I spend five minutes writing in my gratitude journal that really makes me happy.

-WOOP:  It is a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their wishes, set preferences, and change their habits.

W stands for wish

O stands for outcomes.

O stands for Obstacle. 

P stands for Plan

Based on twenty years of research in the science of motivation, WOOP presents a unique and surprising idea: The obstacles that we think most impede us from fulfilling our wishes can actually help us to realize them. WOOP instructs us to dream our future dreams but then to imagine what obstacles inside ourselves prevent us from achieving these dreams. In research studies, WOOP has helped people reduce stress and increase work engagement, find integrative solutions to problems, and improve time management. It has supported adults in losing weight, drinking less alcohol, and sustaining healthier relationships. Children and adolescents using WOOP improved school attendance as well as effort and achievement in school.

 - Meditation : I want to meditate so I can have a moment everyday to regroup and refocus my mind, manage my anxieties, and develop positive energy for myself which will make my social connections and relationships even better which in turn will boost my overall well-being. The fact that, because this kind of strategy is new. I have to work hard at it .It requires work at least in the beginning. And when my life is stressful for other reasons, I don't feel like putting work into the things that feel like work.  And it sounds like that was kind of what was happening there. Another thing is that stressful periods  are times when my  attention has to be elsewhere. I kind of shift my focus of attention to something else. I'm going to keep on meditating! I've found it to be a great way to start my day, but I'm also excited to try a strategy I heard about in the videos during the course, and try meditating at night. I wonder if it will make it easier for me to intentionally clear my mind of distracting thoughts, or make it easier to not "put it off" - since I'm trying to sleep anyway, and I believe meditation will help me get a good night's rest.

There are always setbacks, and I hope to have a triumph with any attempt at  new habits. I've started and stopped many habits in life, so I do not allow the setbacks, or even the triumphs to get in the way or influence my goal. I periodically review the goals, ask if the habit is occuring in the way I desire, or if the habit is properly aligned with the goal. I ask myself "why" regarding the goal, and make adjustments as needed. It can take years to build some habits (those often stick around the longest)--other habits, come and go.

Finally I can say

Living the good life" has taken on a completely different definition. My life's goodness is not defined by money or job, but by my emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. I have learned to prioritize my own well-being, by implementing the things that I have always wanted to make a part of my daily routine.

Well-being for me, which has been a challenge, is to not only accept and deal with the choices that I've made but to also stop worrying about what others are doing, thinking and talking about. I need to focus on myself a little more and practice what i've learned in this class.

Well-being is the science of prioritizing and improving the state of my physical and emotional wellness. Individuals can improve their well-being by integrating various positive habits into his/her everyday lives. This includes social, mindfulness, spreading kindness, and spending time on hobbies, fitness, and other activities that matter to that specific individual.