Day 5 of #AprilBlogaDay asks “How do you pace yourself throughout the week? What rituals of self-care do you have that make the school year a little easier to manage?” Reflecting on this prompt, rituals did not immediately come to mind. Then, I found this article, “The Biology of Positive Habits” that describes how our brains are predisposed evolutionary with a “negativity bias.”1 Those in education recognize the neuroplasticity of the brain in our daily work with students. The authors maintain that by approaching our work with mindfulness, we can train our brains towards positivity and suggests 5 Mindfulness Exercises.
Previously, I described my sketchnoting as a mindfulness practice. But it’s not a ritual for me. Three of my last five daily blog posts have contained a sketchnote and the process reminds me how the practice provides focus and calm in the midst of daily stressors. As I think about the other five recommendations, there is much room for improvement in incorporating daily exercise as a form of self-care. There is definitely a need to develop more rituals for self-care and during this process, I need to remember #5. Creating new habits take time. Be kind to myself and keep going.
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1“The Biology of Positive Habits | Harvard Graduate School of …” 2016. 5 Apr. 2016 <https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/03/biology-positive-habits>