The Real Way To Prevent Bullying: Create Inclusive Homes And Classrooms

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“The real way to prevent bullying: Create inclusive homes and classrooms,” by  Nikki Martyn, University of Guelph-Humber and Elena Merenda, University of Guelph-Humber

Close your eyes. Now imagine your three-year-old self, sitting on the classroom carpet, involved in a large group activity. You and the other children are required to listen and follow along. Some are able to sit quietly and actively participate, but not you.

You need to move. You want to jump in and not wait your turn. You make noises and impulsive movements. You are ridiculed for not participating and being disruptive. Some children ask questions about why you act the way you do. They ask why you’re different.

An early childhood educator can react in many ways. They can create an environment that condemns diversity. Or they can support diversity, thereby teaching children to care about others.

Bullying Among Children

Children often experience the world as if they are not important, not heard, understood or accepted for who they truly are. This is very painful for humans because we are born to connect, and it often leads to bullying among children.

Bullies are victims. They are victims of environments that make them feel vulnerable, unimportant, undervalued, unaccepted or unappreciated. A common reaction is to try to make others feel small and insignificant.

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, people across the world will be wearing pink in support of Pink Shirt Day — to raise awareness about bullying.

To effect change and reduce bullying every day, early childhood professionals and parents can also play a huge role — by creating safe spaces that reflect the children in the classroom and the home and by encouraging them to express how they feel on the inside.

empathy

Developing Empathy

There is a great amount of difference in our society today. This includes differences in ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, identity and disability, as well as personality and behavioural differences.

The difference does not have to be scary for children; rather, it should be discussed with them and they should be encouraged to embrace differences.

The development of empathy and theory of mind at an early age can help children understand differences — through sharing feelings with others and understanding others’ perspectives and experiences of the world.

The development of an inclusive environment both at school and at home can help children understand and accept differences.

In an early learning environment, it is easy to see how we are all different: We learn differently, we understand differently, and we socialize differently. In fact, it is much easier to see the differences at times than it is to see the similarities in our human condition.

Take yourself back to the carpet, where you cannot sit still and are disengaged. An inclusive environment and a responsive early childhood educator would allow you to sit on something like a hot water bottle or wiggle chair to allow your body to move to support your attention and engagement.

You may also be given a fidget toy to manipulate in your hand to help focus your attention. Imagine yourself wiggling and fidgeting. You’re engaged and focused.

Inclusion Without Bias

The challenge with a responsive and inclusive response from the early childhood educator is that the other children notice that you get to touch and sit on different things and they want them to.

It’s easy to feel it is unfair that some kids get toys and others don’t. What is interesting about creating an inclusive environment is that it is OK that we are all different and we all get different things to support our development and learning.

The important part is that early childhood educator are able to discuss differences openly and thoughtfully to reduce bias. It is important that educators are able to hear and understand each child’s perspective, to be able to say: “Joe needs to hold something in his hand to help him listen.”

The kids can see and experience the difference. They understand that if an accommodation is made for Joe when they require something, they will get what they need too.

Modelling inclusion is how we can combat discrimination and intolerance in society, and ultimately, bullying among children. It is the only way to effectively create change.

bullyingParents and educators can support children against bullying by teaching them to:

1. Label feelings

When children can identify, and understand their own feelings they can understand how others feel. As children get older, parents and teachers can focus on the more difficult emotions including shame, guilt, embarrassment, anger, fear and sadness — in both themselves and others.

2. Understand the differences

Discuss the ways children are different (e.g., taller and shorter) and similar (e.g., we all feel sad at times) to one another. Try not to get anxious when a child mentions a disability or the colour of your skin. This is an obvious difference and our anxiety indicates that there is something wrong or to be scared of.

3. Help others

Let children try to help others. When another child is upset, discuss why, and how to help them feel better. Learning through doing is great when developing empathy and perspective-taking skills.

4. Perform acts of kindness

Allow the children to experience how it feels to make people feel good. Identify the individual child’s strengths and abilities and how they can use these to help others. Discuss how it makes them feel. Teach that generosity and kindness matter.

5. Repair relationships

We will always hurt people; this is part of life. When your child hurts someone else either intentionally or unintentionally, help them find a way to genuinely repair the relationship (e.g., with an apology or letter). Encourage the child to take responsibility for their actions.

6. Follow your lead

Model the behaviour you want to see in children. If a parent models bullying or aggressive behaviour, it will be very difficult for a child to engage in caring, empathic behaviour.

If you are working on changing your own behaviours, talk about it with your child. You can explain how it feels and the struggle to change your actions and understanding of the world. Your child can understand. And apologize for yourself when you misstep. We all do.The Conversation

Credits

Nikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-Humber and Elena Merenda, Assistant Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-Humber

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Supporting Feminine Leadership Can Help Create A Just And Kinder future

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Supporting feminine leadership can help create a just and kinder future” by Sarah Tranum, OCAD University

Women are still struggling to reach leadership positions. Though there are more women earning college degrees and a comparable number entering the workplace, women are still not reaching mid-level and top-level leadership positions at the same rate as men.

In Canada, women hold only 19 per cent of corporate board positions. Less than one per cent of senior leadership and pipeline positions are held by Black and Indigenous women, women with disabilities and LGBTQ2S+ women.

A model of leadership that encompasses the feminine traits within each of us can help move us towards a more just and sustainable world.

As a social innovation designer, I study complex challenges with the aim of finding common approaches needed to solve them. My goal is to frame the principles that can help us design a more humane future — where all voices are heard and valued. To understand how to get there, I listened to stakeholders and emerging leaders engaged in the work of championing more inclusive and equitable leadership.

leadership

The Enduring Glass Ceiling

Terms like “broken rung” and “sticky floor” describe the difficulty women encounter moving up from entry-level roles. Metaphors like the “glass ceiling”, “glass escalator” and “glass cliff” illustrate the struggles women face in attaining managerial and executive roles.

Scholars argue that the metaphor of a labyrinth better describes the complex maze of barriers that make it difficult for women to rise to the top.

During the pandemic, women have carried the brunt of the caretaking responsibilities at home and at work. They are doing more to support their teams’ well-being and engage in diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Yet, these efforts are rarely captured in performance evaluations that determine raises and promotions. By narrowly defining leadership, using metrics that skew towards a masculine style of management, barriers remain for women and gender-diverse people to break through the glass ceiling.

Deep-seated biases and ideas around “respectable femininity” still impact how women are perceived and evaluated.

Analysis shows that though the gender leadership gap is slowly narrowing, traits like being competitive and aggressive associated with men are still highly valued. While traits like being kind and understanding connected with women are still seen as detrimental in leadership roles.

The Problem With Leaning In

For women to reach better leadership positions, they need to be valued and recognized for their contributions, which may look different than those of their male colleagues.

Instead of being told to “lean in”, research and women’s experiences underscore the need for their contributions to be recognized and for workplaces, and society, to value collective care.

Critics of ‘leaning in’ state that it puts the onus on women to change their behaviours and ignores the systemic barriers at play.

Research on women who reach senior positions in male-dominated organizations and exhibit more masculine management styles has often focused on personality traits. Yet studies show how women are shaped by sexist workplaces, causing them to disengage from their gender identity, and from other women, to prevent experiencing discrimination.

Workplaces are shaped by the broader culture. A society where women are devalued not only produces men who devalue women but also permeates how women value women.

Feminine Leadership Is Not Just For Women

Research on effective leadership underscores the need for approaches that align with feminine characteristics of empathy, support and community-building. These traits do not belong solely to women; they are inherent in all of us.

Employees feel seen and heard where they can learn and make mistakes without fear of blame. Other values include the prioritization of care, respect and cooperation above the competition and an emphasis on honesty and accountability.

Feminine leadership encompasses the aspects of ourselves that have been pushed aside and devalued within conventionally male-dominant spaces. Recentring them can define a model of leadership embraced and practised by all genders.

leadershipLeaders Of The Future

So how do we get there?

Helping girls find their own unique voices and ways of leading, without conforming to narrowly defined leadership traits often modelled by men, can shape the next generation of leaders. Organizations like Girls Inc. of York Region and Plan International Canada are providing girls and young women with opportunities to explore what being a leader means for them.

It is also critical for boys to appreciate their own inherent feminine qualities of empathy and care, helping them grow into men who value feminine qualities and who embrace following women and gender-diverse leaders.

For organizations, it is not just about recruiting more women and gender-diverse employees. It also means creating a workplace culture that truly embraces diversity and provides opportunities for growth.

Women are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to accessing networking and mentorship opportunities. Being an ally means going beyond speaking up if you see something unfair. It is advocating for more advancement opportunities and getting directly involved in mentorship for women, especially for women of colour, women with disabilities and LGBTQ2S+ women.

Organizations must recognize the emotional work and leadership already being modelled by women. Evaluations and performance reviews should capture the full spectrum of what employees, especially women, bring to work and be tied to increased pay and leadership opportunities.

Without a shift to fully valuing the contributions of women, workplaces will continue to be labyrinths full of barriers, and the leadership gap will never close. Without understanding and embracing the importance of feminine qualities of care, empathy and collaboration in how we live, work and lead, the status quo will continue.

The current paradigm — a patriarchal leadership model that continues to value self-interest and competition over collective benefit and cooperation — just isn’t working for most people.

As we face the challenges of political division, social injustice, economic uncertainty and climate change, now is the time to recentre the feminine within and champion a different, kinder way to lead.The Conversation

Credits

Sarah Tranum, Associate Professor, Social Innovation Design, Faculty of Design, OCAD University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Inspirational | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why Is Passover Different From All other nights?

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Why is Passover different from all other nights? 3 essential read on the Jewish Holiday” by Molly Jackson, The Conversation

Boxes of matzah stacked high in grocery stores? It’s almost Passover. Wednesday, April 5, marks the first night of the weeklong Jewish holiday in 2023.

For many people who celebrate it, Passover brings to mind memories of Seder meals with family and reading from the Haggadah, the script for the Seder ritual, which commemorates the biblical story of the Israelites’ flight from slavery in Egypt. It’s a holiday, in other words, with remembrance and tradition at its core.

But that doesn’t mean it’s unchanging. As these scholars explain, Passover has been evolving from the start, reflecting Jewish communities’ experiences around the world – right up to the past few years, with Zoom Seders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s about honouring freedom not only yesterday but today and tomorrow. Here we spotlight three articles from our archives.

passover

1. Passover: Story of Liberation

The central story of Passover, and the holiday’s name itself, come from the biblical book of Exodus, where Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Before their escape, God punishes the Egyptians with a series of plagues, including the death of firstborn sons – but tells the Israelites to put the blood of a sacrificed lamb above their doors so they shall be passed over and spared.

Even before they have actually departed Egypt, God commands Moses that the Israelites should commemorate this event. The narrative of persecution and liberation “fuses the present moment with the past, encouraging each participant to imagine themselves as part of the first generation to leave Egypt,” writes Samuel Boyd, a scholar of the Bible and ancient Judaism at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The Haggadah is a guide to Passover’s central ritual, the Seder meal traditionally celebrated on the first and sometimes second evening. Some of the Haggadah’s rituals may be nearly two millennia old, Boyd notes. Yet “almost like a time machine,” the traditions “encourage the participants to reflect, in different ways, on the significance of liberation and how to communicate it to future generations.”

2. Ancient, Yet Ever-Evolving

Over the past few years, Zoom Seders became the norm for many Jewish families unable to celebrate in person with their loved ones.

That in itself might be a brand-new experience, but Passover and Judaism are no strangers to innovation, Boyd explains. And few things illustrate that history like the temple in Jerusalem.

According to the Bible, the temple was God’s home, and central to ancient Israelite worship. After it was destroyed not once but twice, Jewish leaders were left “with profound questions” about how to connect with God and offer sacrifices.

Gradually, Jews came to see prayer as a form of sacrifice, one that could be performed anywhere in the world. It was an idea rooted in biblical passages drawing comparisons between the two: Psalm 141:2, for example, which says “Take my prayer as an offering of incense, my upraised hands as an evening sacrifice.”

“Following the destruction,” Boyd writes, “the way that Jewish communities worshipped God changed forever” – and has kept evolving today.

passover

3. Brewing Up A New Tradition

One of the most famous Passover examples? The Maxwell House Haggadah – yes, like the coffee company.

Thousands of different Haggadahs exist, each one supplementing the core store from Exodus with different readings. But in the United States, one of the most popular for decades was a simple version “dreamed up in 1932 by the coffee corporation and a Jewish advertising executive” who grew up on New York’s Lower East Side, explains Kerri Steinberg, a professor at Otis College of Art and Design who researches advertising’s impact on religion. During the Great Depression, Maxwell House followed his firm’s advice to distribute a Haggadah for free with each can of coffee in an effort to boost sales.

Maxwell House’s Haggadah has become a classic, with even the White House using it. But it’s also changed with the times: nixing words like “thee” and “thine,” for example. There’s even a special edition themed for the hit TV show “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.”

“In a sea of thousands of Haggadahs, it is Maxwell House’s that has become the de facto representative of American Jewish life,” Steinberg wrote.

Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

The ConversationCredits

Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics Editor, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Should You Trust Your Boss? Your Lover?

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Should you trust your boss? Your lover? Here’s how to measure it” by Victoria Handford, Thompson Rivers University

One of the topics most frequently discussed “at the water cooler” is how much we may, or may not, trust people — from employers and managers to co-workers, friends and lovers.

Trust, of course, is vital for individual relationships and for organizational effectiveness — within universities and businesses alike. It creates an atmosphere where work is well-managed. It smooths the way, serving as a lubricant for an effective — and efficient — work environment.

We often think and talk about trust in abstract terms, using phrases such as “I like him” or “I trust her.” As an associate professor of education who has done research on trust, however, I have found trust is knowable.

Trusting Relationships

We trust our bosses because they have the ability to do their job and to help us with our job. They are reliable, and consistent and behave with integrity. And because they treat us, and others, with dignity.

These are the essential components of trusting relationships of all kinds — from work to family, friendships and romance. Trust can actually be calculated, and all bosses (and colleagues) will “score” in each area, at different rates.

There are varying opinions about “how much” an individual behaviour matters in the establishment of trust. But much research indicates that details of trustworthiness involve three major attributes: ability, integrity and dignity.

Ability Matters Most

Ability comprises the first 50 per cent of this equation — it matters more than anything else. Ability relates to understanding the job, performing the job and helping others with their work-related issues in useful ways. It involves a general openness about what is required, and what can be improved, and a willingness to perhaps co-design ways in which the work can be accomplished.

A person’s integrity is roughly 25 per cent of why we trust. Predictability and reliability are components of integrity. Other tightly related concepts include fairness and honesty. These must be phrased in the positive — we cannot be reliably unfair or regularly dishonest, for instance, and still gain another’s trust.

The construction of trust.
Author provided

No one is perfect in these important areas, but a good boss will have created an environment in which, at the very least, they are recognized as trying to manage issues with the components essential to integrity.

Of course, openness, often thought of as a component of ability, helps us understand that integrity, on occasion, cannot always be revealed. Sometimes we must assume, based on a long series of other interactions, that a person is doing their level best, even if they cannot reveal the “why” of each exchange.

Vulnerability Makes Trust Matter

The third part of the equation is treating others with dignity. This includes behaving in ways that are respectful and caring, as well as demonstrating loyalty, forgiveness and personal regard for others.

If bosses do this 25 per cent well, we are happy.

The willingness to take a risk is clearly an important component of organizational effectiveness and is also closely connected to trust.

In fact, Oliver Williamson, winner of the 2009 Nobel prize in economics, identifies vulnerability as the key pre-existing element in why trust matters. If you aren’t vulnerable then trusting does not really matter.

We are all vulnerable at work. Our willingness to “make a difference” requires some careful, but essential, risk-taking.

So, “trusting our boss” means a great deal — to the individual relationship and to the organization. It might be time to deeply consider what we mean when we trust each other.The Conversation

Credits

Victoria Handford, Associate Professor in Education, Thompson Rivers University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Science Of Gossip: Four Ways To Make It Less Toxic

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“The science of gossip: four ways to make it less toxic” by Jenny Cole, Manchester Metropolitan University

Gossip gets a bad rap. There’s no doubt that the act of gossiping about someone can sometimes be damaging and negative. But there is such a thing as “good gossip” and the very act of gossiping can actually help the way we interact with each other. If we follow some simple steps we can take part in gossip without it ending in tears.

What Is Gossip?

Gossip is defined as talking about and evaluating someone when they aren’t there. But we can use gossip to learn about the rules of behaviour in social groups and get closer to each other. It helps us do this by letting us learn important information without the need to actually talk to every group member. So gossiping is efficient and those who gossip can use this social currency to gain positions of power.

But being a gossip also has a dark side. Gossips are generally viewed as unlikeable, untrustworthy and weak. Even children as young as nine regard those who spread information about other people as less likeable and less deserving of rewards. There is also evidence that gossiping may make us feel bad about ourselves, regardless of whether what we have said is nasty or nice. And, of course, there are consequences for the person you have gossiped about, who may suffer psychologically if they find out they were the target of gossip.

Although the research on the group benefits of gossip suggests we need to keep gossiping, we need to do so with the potential negative effects in mind. So how do we keep gossiping without creating a toxic social atmosphere?

gossip

Keep It Secret

There are clear negative consequences if you learn that you have been the target of gossip. Those who know they have been gossiped about at work, for example, experience less physical and psychological well-being. When we learn about social rules through gossip, we are learning about what rules we should follow, but also about what actions we should avoid if we want to be a valued member of our group. The advantage of learning about group transgressions in this way is that we do not have to have an awkward confrontation with the person who has transgressed. If we want gossip to oil the wheels of social interaction, but not cause conflict and upset, we need to be discrete.

Gossip: Make It Useful

Although there is plenty of evidence that we dislike those who gossip frequently, this depends on the perceived motive of the gossiper. If the listener feels that you are attempting to help the group when you share the gossip, they can be much more forgiving. For example, in a study where a gossiper shared information about a cheating student, they were only disliked when they were sharing this information for selfish reasons. Where they expressed the gossip in a way which focused on fairness for the whole student group, it was the cheater who was disliked, not the gossiper.

Ensuring that gossip is useful can also help to alleviate the negative feelings gossipers have when they share gossip. In a study where a participant saw another person cheating, it made the participant uncomfortable knowing about the cheating. But they felt better when they were able to warn the other participants about the cheat’s bad behaviour.

Do Not Tell Lies

Gossip which is not true does not offer the same social learning benefits as that which is true. False gossip risks conflict and upset to the target of gossip but this action is not justified by benefits to the group, so the gossiper may feel worse about spreading information they know to be false than they usually would when communicating gossip. The gossiper also risks being “found out” by their listeners. People can employ sophisticated strategies – including comparing the information they gain to existing knowledge – to protect themselves from being influenced by malicious gossip.

Connect With Your Listener

Effective gossip is not just about what you say, or about whom. It is also about how you say it. Of course, you can make the benefits of the gossip clear to your listener by clearly explaining why you have shared the information. But sharing particularly emotional reactions to the information may help you to connect with your listener and avoid negative reactions. When we share emotional reactions to others with someone, they feel closer to us, especially when they agree with the reaction we share. Sharing how you feel may encourage the listener to react more favourably to your gossiping behaviour.

So the next time you need to share some gossip stop and ask yourself whether the information will stay secret from the person you’re talking about and whether it is useful. And do not be afraid to share your emotions with your listener. This way you can hopefully engage in “good gossip” and reap the social rewards which come with it.The Conversation

Credits

Jenny Cole, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Makerspaces: How To Help Kids Innovate From An Early Age

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Makerspaces: How to help kids innovate from an early age” by Janette Hughes, Ontario Tech University

As community makerspaces begin to take root in Ontario’s elementary schools, students are behaving better. They are also getting higher grades.

What are makerspaces? They’re creative spaces where students can gather to explore, tinker, discover and create, and they’re making students more enthusiastic about school.

In these spaces, students are learning how to tinker collaboratively with a problem and keep trying until they find a solution. They are learning to be thinkers, innovators and problem-solvers rather than mere consumers of information. And these are just some of the benefits teachers are reporting.

Makerspaces support hands-on exploration and learning. They are most often associated with STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math). But really, they’re interdisciplinary, promoting important educational principles such as inquiry, play, imagination, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving and passion-based learning.

They arise from the wider maker movement and they are emerging now in formal education settings globally.

As the founder of MAKE magazine, Dale Dougherty states in his 2011 TED Talk: “We are all makers.”

Makerspaces In Ontario Schools

In partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Council of Ontario Directors of Education and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, I am leading a team of researchers to put makerspaces into elementary schools in 20 Ontario school boards. My research explores how teachers work together to explore new ways of teaching and learning through makerspaces.

Our project began by introducing teachers to a number of innovative ideas and practices in makerspace teaching and learning.

Teachers attended a two-day professional learning session, where they explored digital technologies such as digital circuits, 3D printing, augmented and virtual reality, e-textiles, programmable robots, coding and green screen video work. They had opportunities to collaborate, plan lessons with colleagues and do their own making.

We then gave funding to each of the first 11 school boards — to purchase equipment and supplies for participating schools. Researchers then followed teachers to track their use of tools and technologies and their promotion of student inquiry, creativity, design and critical thinking.

To date, they have created more than 100 maker-focused lesson plans for students in Grades 1 to Grade 8 in both English and French Immersion programs. Nine more school boards have joined for the second year of the project.

innovationTeaching Perseverance

Teachers in all participating schools stated that their students are more engaged and more motivated when they are learning in a makerspace environment.

They also noticed a reduction in discipline problems. And they recorded improvements in academic achievement, particularly among students with learning disabilities and those who struggle in a traditional classroom setting.

Giving students the freedom to pursue projects that are authentic, meaningful and based on their own “wonderings” or passions has provided opportunities for a more personalized and inclusive learning experience for all students.

Teachers also observed that a variety of 21st-century skills and competencies were developed as a result of the makerspaces, such as problem-solving, communication, collaboration and development of perseverance. Collaboration was one of the most highly reported competencies developed across all schools.

“In the beginning they were nervous,” said one teacher.

“They wanted me to help them all the time. But once they got the hang of just trying it, figuring it out, knowing that I’m not going to fix the problem for them, then they would persevere.”

What’s particularly noteworthy is that the increase in collaboration emerged not just among the students, but the teachers and staff, as well. Inter-generational and bi-directional learning occurred between students and teachers, peers and students of different ages.

A Maker Mindset

makerspaces

It can be a challenge to implement a makerspace — to motivate and train staff, outfit and maintain equipment and the space, and build a true maker culture in a school. The benefits, however, outweigh the costs and effort.

Having a maker mindset is key. In order for schools to establish a true makerspace, there must be buy-in and a commitment from staff, students and the wider community — to establish a culture of innovation, trial-and-error, problem-solving, persevering through difficult tasks, learning from mistakes and taking risks.

A makerspace is so much more than a space that houses equipment. A maker culture fosters 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration and creativity. It offers opportunities for students to share their learning at local and global community levels through Maker Faires and websites such as www.instructables.com, www.thingiverse.com and www.DIY.org.

In Ontario, we expect significant and sustainable ongoing benefits in teacher practice when imaginative, integrated and innovative inquiry-based projects are developed, implemented and shared throughout the province.The Conversation

Credits

Janette Hughes, Canada Research Chair in Technology and Pedagogy, Ontario Tech University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Change: Do You Do It or Does it Undo You?

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Guest Contribution

It has been said that CHANGE is THE only constant. Change is all around us every day and every day our lives are changing. It CAN’T be avoided. We can’t bury our heads in the sand or a favoured pillow and pretend it isn’t there.

  • Sometimes it creeps up slowly: over time we’ve gotten older, gradually the kids grow and leave, and incrementally our health fails.
  • Other times it is thrust on us: “out of the blue” divorce is upon us our work demands that we relocate, and we are moved from one level of success to another.
  • Or sometimes we wake up and realize we have to make a change: we have all of the money and lifestyle trappings we want but something is not right at the core, we are not where we want to be at this stage of life, we can’t see what is next.

Change Through The Current

Change is like the water that our lives are held in and the question becomes do you know how to navigate your boat, yacht or life raft into and through the current of change to the best place possible? When you don’t navigate the waterways well you can be lost at sea for much too long, your resources and dreams are depleted, and you can be reduced to just existing. Recovering from an experience like this can be costly, eat up valuable time and leave you jaded or disillusioned. Your life energy is sapped. And you are left confused and fearful.

But change can be the great awakener. In retrospect, it can be the best thing that ever happened to you. It can contain rewards that you never dreamed of. But in order to access THAT level of change you have to be the captain of the change. If you want the growth of success, how to set goals effectively and navigating change is the key. You have to muster all of your internal and external resources, and all of your navigational skills and make it work FOR you- whatever the change is.

If you don’t do something new in the face of change you often merely create the same outworn results. If you don’t change your strategy you repeat old patterns of behaviour and thinking. You miss the larger possibility and you don’t create the life you really want for yourself and your family.

Make It Work For You

One of my current clients is a woman who came to me during a huge health, financial and relocation crisis. The change was upon her, big time, on almost all levels you can imagine. She had a recurrence of a cancer-based disease; she had to move across the country, and her finances were scarily low. In our work together she has moved from that place of deep insecurity and confusion to a place where she is settled, more at peace with herself than she has ever been and is now growing a remarkably successful wholesale business. She is fulfilling the dream of the kind of business and life she has always wanted for herself. She is building self-esteem. She could never have done this without the right kind of support and she is the first one to attest to that.

Another client has suffered from divorce and loss that was blocking her from finishing her dissertation. She was stuck in self-doubt, and procrastination, with no vision of the future.

She is now close to finishing her dissertation and the last months have been exceedingly rich and empowering for her. Visions of her next steps are forming. She is excited about possibilities where previously she could not sense a direction.

Both decided to take charge and make it work for them. They found the support, accessed the resources and built the determination that was needed to navigate into a current that is moving them clearly and safely forward.

change

Moving Through Change

In looking at their process and that of other clients I have seen a progression of steps that occur when you are moving through change.

As the change happens you normally:

C: Choke -this is the time when you feel overwhelmed, confused, fearful and often do nothing. Spending too much time in this phase can seriously undermine your energy, usurp your resources and make it more difficult to deal with the change.

H: Handle the Hurdles – You “wake up” and realize you have to do SOMETHING, sometimes anything. Occasionally people in this phase can see the priorities and begin to handle them- more often they avoid the most important issues in an effort to just do something.

A: Access Support – This is the turning point. You realize that you cannot do it on your own. You need a trusted ear. You require someone who can see through the confusion of the change and help you build a viable plan of action. Albert Einstein said that we cannot solve a problem on the same level at which it was created. In order to find that other level you need someone who can look at the whole picture, someone who isn’t clouded by emotional responses, and someone who has your best interests in mind.

N: New Possibilities – Embedded in each change is a possibility. If you continue an old pattern of behaviour or thinking – you will miss it. Unfortunately, we are often myopic when it comes to recognizing creative solutions. This step requires someone to help you see and hold the larger possibility, the picture that you may be missing.

G: Grow to the Next Level – This is the part that many people skip over. If you do – the whole gift that is at the centre of the change will elude you. In order to “do the change”, and make it work FOR you, it is essential that you develop the qualities, skills, and heart to effectively work with the change. As you do this you begin to recognize whole new levels of satisfaction and power within yourself. These developments are yours- you will use them in everything else you attempt in life. They become second nature.

E: Enjoy – This is the fabulous stage when you can step back and look at the whole experience you have been through. You recognize yourself as the prime navigator of the change. You can feel the sun of success, and the warm breezes of pleasure as you begin to really ENJOY where you have arrived. And you KNOW that if needed you can navigate CHANGE again.

Credits

Author Bio
Connie Butler is a personal and professional coach working to engineer effective change. She is available for personal/professional coaching & seminars. Ms Butler is an international coach, published author and radio personality.
www.conniebutler.biz/change_signup.php

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

 

Share our story!
Posted in Inspirational | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Four Habits Of Happy People

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Four habits of happy people – as recommended by a psychologist” by Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, University of Central Lancashire

What makes you happy? Maybe it’s getting up early to see the sunrise, hanging out with family and friends on a weekend, or going for a dip in the sea. But what does science say about the things happy people do?

We know that happy people tend to have strong relationships, and good physical health and contribute regularly to their communities.

I have experimented over the past seven years with a number of happiness and well-being interventions in a bid to improve my own mental health and to understand how to best help others. Some strategies have stuck while others haven’t worked for me. But here’s what I’ve learnt along the way.

The reality is that there’ll be times we manage to engage with happiness habits and feel positive. Then there’ll be occasions when life throws a curve ball and our happiness is affected. But the good news is that we can all improve our levels of happiness with daily practice.

1. Move your body

My body needs to move regularly throughout the day. Sitting for long periods of time does not make my body or mind happy. At the very least I will walk briskly for an hour every day. I also like to swim, dance and do yoga.

Regular physical activity and exercise are high on the list for happiness as studies consistently demonstrate a link between being physically active and increased subjective well-being, aka happiness.

Woman stretching
Prioritise exercise, your body (and brain) will thank you for it.
Pexels/Jonathan Borba

Research shows that walking for 30 minutes a day can improve your health. But studies on happiness show that people benefit more when they engage in moderate and high-intensity exercise, which increases the heart rate.

Moderate exercise is anything that makes you slightly out of breath – you can still talk but probably couldn’t sing a song.

2. Prioritise connection

The most recent happiness research shows that our social connections are important in terms of overall well-being and life satisfaction. Indeed, making time to talk, listen, share and have fun with friends and family is a habit I try to prioritise.

But a recent study has found that we generally engage more with friends and family when we feel unhappy and less so when we are happy. This may be because we naturally seek out comfort and support to feel happier and pursue other activities when our happiness is stable.

Group of people laughing
Look after your friendships and they’ll look after you.
Pexels/Helena Lopes

It seems to come down to a question of balance, too much time alone can lead to negative emotions and so seeking out others is a natural way to alleviate this and boost our mood.

On the flip side when we feel positive and happier we are more inclined to support others and provide a shoulder to cry on. Nonetheless spending time in the company of friends and family provides both short-term and long-term happiness gains.

3. Practice gratitude

Our outlook on life and how we evaluate things also play a huge part in our happiness levels. Studies have found that having a more optimistic mindset and practising a sense of gratitude can buffer against negative emotions and increase happiness.

Practising daily gratitude, such as counting my blessings or listing things throughout the day I am grateful for, helps me think more positively and feel happier. You can do this in a number of ways, for example, a daily gratitude journal, which can be handwritten or kept on your phone.

The three good things intervention is a quick and easy habit to adopt for increasing optimism. You simply write down three things that went well every day and reflect on what was good about these.

Thank you sign.
Give thanks, it might just lead to a happier life.
Pexels/Gratisography

There are many apps now that can prompt you and keep track of your gratitude. Other apps allow you to create vision boards and positive affirmations for your days. Although some may seem gimmicky it’s all about that gentle nudging towards positivity, which the science supports. Or in other words, practising and cultivating an attitude of gratitude and appreciation generally works, and helps you to feel more positive about your life. Gratitude also helps you to see the bigger picture and become more resilient in the face of adversity.

You can also practice gratitude more naturally by giving thanks – telling someone what you are grateful for that day or sending thank-you messages. Indeed, it might sound trite but this is important as research shows daily feelings of gratitude are associated with higher levels of positive emotions and better social well-being.

4. Spending time with pets helps too

My pets are part and parcel of our family routine and also support me in my daily happiness. I find going for walks easier to do because of my dogs. Research shows that dogs motivate their human companions to be more active and in turn, both dogs and humans have a shared pleasurable experience that boosts their happiness.

Man and woman with dog on sofa.
Pets are the best.
Pexels/leeloo thefirst

I also enjoy sitting with my cats while drinking tea and reading a book. Studies have found that family pets provide many benefits towards health and happiness, as they not only provide companionship but also reduce incidents of depression and anxiety while helping to boost our happiness and self-esteem levels.

The main ingredients for happiness and what the research boils down to our social connections and activity – of both the mind and body. And finding a flow to life through our daily habits and intentions can lead to happier, more fulfilling lives.The Conversation

Credits

Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, Senior Lecturer in Psychological Interventions, University of Central Lancashire

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Joy Is Good For Your Body And Your Mind

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“Joy is good for your body and your mind – three ways to feel it more often” by Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Padraic J. Dunne, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Joy is an emotion experienced by many but understood by few. It’s usually mistaken for happiness, yet is unique in its impact on both our minds and body.

You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, here.

Joy is not just a mere fleeting emotion – it triggers a host of significant physiological and psychological changes that can improve our physical and mental health. And, luckily for us, there are many easy things we can do each day in order to boost the amount we feel.

Joy is very different from our other emotions. It relates to accomplishing something we’ve wanted for a long time – the outcome of which exceeds our expectations.

It often refers to a broad sense of being satisfied with the life that appears after experiencing a sense of awe or wonder. Many of us might better associate it with feeling “blessed”. While joy is experienced naturally, happiness is often pursued.

Even the way we express joy is different from our other emotions. The smile it produces is different from how we might smile when we’re happy.

Joy creates what’s known as a Duchenne smile – an involuntary, genuine smile that reaches our eyes. This type of smile is associated with a range of benefits, such as improvements in physical health, better recovery after illness, and stronger bonds with others.

This is an article from The Joy Of*, a series to help those of us in our 20s and 30s find moments of happiness in the everyday. When rents are rising, fun with friends is more infrequent and we’re struggling with work-life balance, daily life can seem hard. But joy doesn’t have to be something saved for big occasions, like weddings or birthdays. These articles from Quarter Life are aimed to help you find joy in the smallest things.

Triggers of Change

Joy also triggers a series of changes in our bodies.

When joyous, our breathing becomes faster, our heartbeat increases, and our chest and entire body feel warmer. These sensations are caused by the release of adrenaline that makes our body prepared for engagement and movement, making us feel more mentally prepared to take on life’s challenges. These physiological changes are also associated with improved mood.

In the brain, it triggers activity in several pleasure-related hot spots that are distributed throughout the brain. The sensation of joy is then spread to other parts of the central nervous system through chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.

There are many different types of neurotransmitters – but usually, the neurotransmitters dopamine (which is associated with pleasure), serotonin, noradrenaline and endorphins (the body’s natural opiates) are released when we feel joy.

Interestingly, joy is both a trait and a state. This means that while some of us only experience it as a result of a joyful situation, others have a capacity for it – meaning they’re able to experience it regardless of whether they’ve encountered something joyful.

Some research suggests that this capacity is genetic, with estimates that approximately 30% of people have what’s known as “genetic plasticity”. This means they’re disproportionately influenced by their external environment – and, after learning techniques to induce joy, may find it easier to experience it. As such, their genetic predisposition for positive experiences can result in more joy.

But just because some people may find it easier to experience joy, that doesn’t mean there aren’t easy things we can all do to help boost our experience of it.

1. Food

Sharing food with others can help us experience more joy – and this isn’t just because being in the company of others boosts our experience of joy. The very act of sharing food can also spark it. This is why research shows that eating with others can enhance what’s known as psychological flourishing – the highest level of well-being.

Preparing food with friends and family can also stimulate joy. So if you’re looking to add a bit more to your daily life, perhaps go out for dinner with friends – or better yet, arrange a dinner party where you all prep the meal together.

2. Physical activity

Whether or not we actually experience joy while exercising depends a lot on the circumstances surrounding the physical activity, rather than the activity itself.

For example, when running with others, we tend to experience more joy than when running on our own.

Research also shows that accomplishing an exercise-related goal we never thought we were capable of can lead to joy.

If you want to use exercise to get more joy in your life, try to set yourself a challenge you want to achieve – and team up with friends on your journey to achieving it.

3. Writing

Another simple way you can boost feelings of joy is by writing down how you feel.

In one experiment, participants who spent 20 minutes a day writing about intense positive experiences – such as the joy of seeing a family member returning home, or watching your child walk for the first time – for three months experienced better moods compared with participants who wrote about different topics. Those who wrote about their positive experiences also made fewer visits to their doctor in the three-month period.

Although the original experiment aimed to re-experience intense positive emotions (such as awe, inspiration or love), you can choose instead to focus solely on feelings of joy.

However, while joy is wonderful to experience, it isn’t the only emotion we’ll encounter in our life. It’s important to try and embrace all the emotions we experience – be that sadness, anger, happiness or joy.

Quarter Life is a series about issues affecting those of us in our 20s and 30s.The Conversation

Credits

Jolanta Burke, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Padraic J. Dunne, Lecturer, Centre of Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

5 Ways To Shift Consumers Towards Sustainable Behaviour

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Guest Contribution

“5 ways to shift consumers towards sustainable behaviour” by David J. Hardisty, University of British Columbia; Katherine White, University of British Columbia, and Rishad Habib, University of British Columbia

Most people want to be sustainable but have a hard time taking the necessary actions.

According to Nielsen, a data analytics company, sustainability is the latest consumer trend. Their research shows chocolate, coffee and bath products with sustainability claims grew much faster than their traditional counterparts. Yet only 0.2 per cent of chocolates and 0.4 per cent of coffees have environmental claims.

How can we translate this consumer sustainability buzz into actual action? To find out, our group reviewed 320 academic articles in the top consumer behaviour journals and identified five routes to shift consumers towards sustainable choices: social influence, habits, individual self, feelings and cognitions, and tangibility. Together, these make a handy acronym, SHIFT.

sustainableSocial Influence

Humans are social animals and will follow the actions of others, especially on ethical issues. When people learn they are using more energy than their neighbours, they decrease their energy usage.

But what if sustainable behaviour has yet to be established? For example, how does one convince people to install solar panels if no one in their neighbourhood is doing it? A “brand ambassador” can be invaluable. Solar advocates who had installed solar panels in their own homes were able to recruit 63 per cent more residents to purchase and install solar panels.

For ethical behaviours, learning about the behaviours of others can be motivating. In one example, when business students on a college campus heard that computer science students were better at composting and recycling, they more than doubled their efforts.

Sustainable Habits

To build a new sustainable habit, one must first break bad habits. This is easiest when someone is experiencing big life changes, such as moving, getting married or starting a new job. In one study, people who had recently moved cut their car usage almost in half.

Another strategy is to apply penalties for bad behaviour, rather than rewarding good behaviour. There is a possibility, however, that people will return to their old ways if the penalty is removed and the new habit isn’t formed.

To build new habits, it can be helpful to make the sustainable action easy to do, provide timely prompts, offer incentives to help get the new behaviour started and provide real-time feedback about actions over an extended period of time. A review of feedback techniques finds when real-time energy use is shared directly with homeowners, electricity consumption dropped by five to 15 per cent.

Individual Self

sustainable living

Sustainability can appear more attractive when personal benefits such as health or product quality are highlighted. Emphasizing self-efficacy also works. When people know their actions matter, they make greener choices.

Self-consistency is also important. People like their words and actions to be consistent. Often one environmental commitment can snowball into other actions and changes over time. For example, someone who insulates their house to improve energy efficiency may be more likely to unplug electric devices when they leave for a vacation.

Likewise, consumers expect companies to be consistent. In one study, when a hotel made visible environmental efforts (such as offering compostable toiletries) and asked guests to save energy, guests reduced their energy usage by 12 per cent. In the absence of visible efforts, the appeal appeared hypocritical and energy use increased.

There’s also self-concept to consider. People make choices that match their perception of who they are or who they want to be. One study found that environmentalism is sometimes perceived as being feminine, which can turn away some men who subscribe to traditional gender roles. Presenting environmentalism as a way to protect and preserve wilderness environments was attractive to both men and women, and closed the gender gap that is often seen in sustainability.

Feelings and Cognitions

Sometimes we make decisions in the spur of the moment, based on how we feel at the time. And sometimes we make decisions after thoughtful deliberation. When communicating about sustainability, it is important to consider both the heart and the head.

Consumers seek out positive emotions such as happiness, pride and the warm glow that comes from doing good. If the sustainable option is fun, people will naturally want to do it. Conversely, negative emotions such as fear and guilt can be effective when used subtly. But an overly emotional, guilt-tripping message is a turn-off and will either be actively ignored or even induce the opposite behaviour (psychological reactance).

Providing consumers with the correct information and education is important, but it must be framed so that consumers care. Energy labels highlighting the watts used by different light bulbs have little effect on consumer purchases, but energy labels showing the 10-year cost quadrupled energy-efficient purchases to 48 per cent from 12 per cent. Thoughtfully designed eco-labels are a great way to communicate sustainability to consumers.

environmental impactTangibility

In general, people don’t care much about abstract, future consequences. Therefore, it’s critical to make sustainability tangible.

One way is to communicate the local and proximate impacts of pro-environmental actions. For example, how are local animals, plants and people already being affected by climate change?

Concrete examples also help. People are more moved by a photograph showing how far a single glacier has retreated in one year than by a graph of glacier retreats around the world.

To match consumer timescales with environmental timescales, project consumers into the future. One study found that people who were asked to consider their legacy (“How will I be remembered?”), donated 45 per cent more to a climate change charity.

To make the SHIFT, use several strategies at once. For example, make the behaviour social and tangible. Test the approach in a small group and measure the results. If it doesn’t work, try something else until you find a winner and then scale up.

Working together, we can close the “green gap” and turn intentions into actions.

Credits

David J. Hardisty, Assistant Professor of Marketing & Behavioral Science, University of British Columbia; Katherine White, Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science, University of British Columbia, and Rishad Habib, PhD student, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Share our story!
Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment