Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle, & gorgeous at the end

Change can be difficult; endings can be even more challenging. As the summer winds down, educators, parents, students, and other professionals are asking the same question, “how do we physically, emotionally, academically, and mentally prepare for the school year ahead?”

In some form, we have collectively taken our foot off the gas pedal this summer and “turning it back on” does not happen overnight. Change and transitional periods are known for unearthing a series of big feelings. At The Meeting House, we allow the space for understanding that a multitude of emotions can coexist.

For example, a student may feel energized and refreshed by the prospect of meeting a new teacher, while at the same time feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure. As the Director of Meeting House Programming and a fellow human, I am not immune to experiencing big feelings entering this school year. I feel excited to see many familiar faces and eager to greet new ones. On the other hand, I feel a sense of trepidation and cautious optimism as we head into another year with covid, confronting the continued uncertainties surrounding this pandemic. Moreover, I feel energized and hopeful with the integration of new curriculum and longer classes as we resume our pre-pandemic model. I accept that these feelings will come and go — sometimes there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Nonetheless, I've looked into some best practices to prepare both myself and the community for the school year ahead and am sharing a few of my favorites below.

Fundamentals of SEL according to CASEL

1. Practice Gratitude:
Chinese researchers found that higher levels of gratitude correlate to more restful sleep and lower instances of anxiety and depression. “Gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle,” says Dr. Alex Korb, a neuroscientist at UCLA. In other words, once you start seeing things to be grateful for, your brain starts looking for more things to be grateful for.
SEL Competency: Practicing gratitude can lead to higher levels of self-awareness, and self-management.

2. Get organized:
Feeling prepared and organized can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth start to the year. Staying organized through list-making is actually a remedy for the anxiety of the upcoming year. Remember to write it down. Whether a thought, a reminder, or a specific task, the act of putting the pen to the paper is grounding. Just try it!
SEL Competency: Getting organized can lead to more responsible decision making as well as better self-awareness and self-management.

3. S.M.A.R.T Goals :
SMART goals are ones that set objectives in a precise and easy to communicate way. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

SMART states that clear, attainable, strategic goals are the most effective way to create concrete milestones and metrics. Instead of a general goal like “perform better academically,” a smart goal may be “improve my math test scores by an average of 1 percent over the course of the first semester.”  SMART goals are the individual steps of a well-considered strategy to achieving larger objectives.
SEL Competency: Invoking the use of S.M.A.R.T goals is essential for establishing a growth mindset, managing expectations, all part of self-management and responsible decision making. 

4. Practice Authentic Self-Care:
From doing what you love, whether taking a nap, journaling, or listening to some music, self-care is an often overlooked aspect of keeping yourself healthy and your mind uncluttered. If you are feeling stressed out, doing a simple activity like breathing exercises, meditation, physical exercise, or journaling can help you feel less overwhelmed. Take a walk in between study sessions, because this is a form of exercise, and being in nature can help you stay calm and clear your head.
SEL Competency: Authentic self-care can help with everything from self-management to relationship skills and decision making. 

5. Sleep:
Sleep is often not taken seriously enough by many people. To put it simply, sleep can save your life. That is how important it is. Sleep is needed so everything in your body and mind can work correctly. Without proper sleep the brain can’t regenerate properly. The first signs you may be not getting enough rest are when you feel tired, forgetful, irritable, and just not on the top of your game. In the long term, it can result in bad job performance, mood swings, depression — and you turn into that person which no one really likes to be around.
SEL Competency: Without proper sleep the body is unable to function at its optimal level. Therefore, all 5 core components of SEL are affected: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible decision making. 

Steven Rubin, Director Youth and Young Adult Programs