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Dr. Jarrod Spencer has a great video on the Positives of the Pandemic-Check it out!

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804 High School Dr Jared Spencer here I'm so glad you're joining me for this Mind Of The Scholar presentation to jump right into it I'm going to go ahead on my computer and click over to share my screen with you and then we're going to get into a PowerPoint presentation but I think you're really going to enjoy so without further dude getting ready to it as always I love sharing the mind of a scholar program with each and every one of you thank you for taking out a little bit of time of your busy schedules to listen to this presentation the news can inspire you in a with you with mental Tools in your mental toolbox so that you can better take care of the 6 in between your ears and therefore be the emotionally healthiest version of yourself and Excel in the classroom and Beyond That's My Hope am I wish for you now you know that I'm really passionate about improving the emotional health and performance of students because as a former Phillipsburg High School student I know how difficult the grind is I know that being a scholar is a unique pass and if I could just give back to you a little bit right now so that your mind could be clear and your performance academically would be better then that is what I really love to do and it makes edits do for you right now so what do we talk about today really important topic called positive from the pandemic I know what you might be thinking as you hear that topic is what good is possibly coming out of a global worldwide pandemics that is inflicted so much in Hertz in Farm in disruption but the reality is is a lot of good that's coming from the pandemic and I guess what I'm trying to say to you is that one way that you can better Coke the harsh reality I use the word harsh because this pandemic is Harsh it's it's your right there's a lot of bad that's happening but one way we could cope better psychologically is really applying the concept called strength psychology positive psychology that's in the middle of adversity if we can find that bright spot that aspect that actually going well and we could focus our attention on that and build on that sometimes in the middle of the darkness we can find the lights and from there we can find a pathway through the tough time and that's what I hope you're going to get from the positives from the pan what am I do is walk you through and positive aspects of psychological positive aspects from the pandemic and I'm going to expand upon that concept and as I do so I'm going to be giving you a very specific cool or Insight or skill that you might be able to equip yourself with so that you might be able to thrive emotionally do we go number one keep in your mind in the moments you see when your mind goes into the future we tend to feel more anxious when your mind goes in the past we tend to feel a little bit more depressed the only place your mind is really safe right here right now in this very moment independent mechanic has forced you and me and everybody else there really have our minds in the future but anxiety is fear of the unknown right fear the unknown and so I don't know what's going to happen with school next week next month I don't know what's going to happen with extracurricular College decision making process I don't know the Hat with the vaccines and there's so many unknown right that if you spend too much time in the future you really make yourself quite stress and so if you bring your mind back to the here and the now to say okay I'm going to focus on today no tomorrow has enough problems of its own so let me just focus on today and as best I can to say you can't think about the future and that I don't cuz I do it's just pulling her mind back to the moment and well let me just keep my mind right here right now the phrase I want to leave you with is be here now I'm leaving this concept saying if you get one thing from this pandemic is really taught you to present ratio right now when you're taking a test when you're studying for a test when you're writing a paper you're asking to be more productive if your mind could just be here now as opposed to your physically here but you're mentally somewhere else I found that to be here now is a really important monstrox to keep in your mind in the moment the only place where it's most likely be safe but the helps one wonderful young and that I got the pleasure of working with a professional athlete has his little jingle that I think is really relevant to this be here now point he says I have no future I have no past I'm just right here right now making this moment Vivid existential thoughts but really one that if you might be able to memorize this maybe take a screenshot of this maybe recite this at times when your mind going too far back or too far forward too often too long too intensely you might be able say right here right now be here now and go ahead and recite this I believe this small little jingle here could have a really profound impact when you're studying can you find your mind going all over the place it's like I'm just making this moment last just trying to get everything I can from learning this to the subject subject right now and if I could really make this moment last that we go wrong way on the flip side message performance-wise I remember not too long ago I was going to drive in the car I was with some friends and I was enjoying myself and I just said myself and I just want to make this moment last like I really just want to be here now really immerse myself this experience and that's what I want for you as well make those moments last number two more time for Outlet like Hobbies not when you're stressed you need to let out the tension so you need Outlet to see what I'm doing there that word so Outlets to let out tension is really keep the truth is free. you would likely so busy so over schedule so overextended and you don't even really have time for a hobby and we to let out the tension hobbies are things that are done purely for pleasure as enjoyment as a release and a good thing about the pandemic is that people are going so stir-crazy for such a long. Of time in the beginning a few bucks you were forced to find a hobby something to do for fun right meets what how did you pick up during this pandemic I can share with you that I picked up the hobby of yoga right I needed something new to study to learn to talk to people about the too often during the day damaged people are just talking to each other about how bad the pandemic is well one way out of that in terms of strength psychology positive psychology is it talk about something uplifting more interesting so what I say to people all day I started doing yoga people start saying oh my gosh I need to and what videos do you watch and and what do you like to do and it's a conversation piece that is rewarding as opposed to the typical heavy topic of virus in the pandemic you know that more rounds of golf were played in 2020 than any other time in American history more people are actually pick up the hobby of golf did you know doing this 20/20 was very how to buy a bicycle sold-out wanting to ride bikes more trails with which were empty when I packed with people out walking and riding this is all good as people develop more so we can I ask you what David did you pick up during the pandemic and if you're saying it's me Jared I didn't really pick one up from same to you now what when you pick up at what might you do I know you're not going to like this next part but I don't think Electronics really count much for hobbies that Xbox PlayStation just hanging on your phone watching Netflix I mean it's okay isn't Outlets agree but I think you know and I know there are times like this storm be on my phone I want actually do something and I think that's something that we're referring to is more of a hobby and therefore I want to encourage you at text me when the best part is coming out the candle magic number three I mentioned that hectic pace and over scheduled over-extended no talking about May the truth is real speak personally for me life was brutal that face it just felt like as American culture Society we were all going so fast life was speeding up so much and at times and confessions just felt like it was too it was too much of that slower pace is actually kind of nice hasn't it mean you think about life pre pandemic as a scholar man you just look at your calendar it'll be another exam another thing I got to do and maybe a job and sat studying meeting with his counselor and it just seemed like he was a bit too much as a student Phillipsburg High School go go go and listen carefully it's part of why that was because the technology we have is so fast that it's it's really met up with a work ethic that would you he's got an incredible work ethic but despite your great work ethic you just can't keep up with technology and therefore that's one reason why this thing was just getting the way out of control so good part of pandemic us to slow down I know that may even uncomfortable at times and I know that yes sometimes we do want to get back to that work busy face but it's really something that's been beneficial it's up to you to kind of learn you aspects of yourself in and enjoy the less of the grind you know I heard one students say once actually from Phillipsburg and when the presentation as I did I'd like to know how many days off do you get when you get a real day of rest you know and the students snow days that was a really the only day off truly off otherwise it was always studying in and be tested in form and then we have to get after it and then I think now like wow you don't even know there are no more snow days although usually sell virtual now rate if there was a snow day but I try some of the point that we need more rest more recovery more recharge and therefore the slower pace of the pandemic is actually affording you mean everybody that opportunity to seize the opportunity but trying to Paige now from The Fast Pace slow pace and get to the next one which is consistency of sleep the better consistency or rather should I say for you the better opportunities the consistency of sleep here's my concern we know that the consistency of sleep is the number one factor regarding mental health if I want to help you have be less anxious depressed less stressed we know that you got to fall asleep the same time every night and get up same time every morning that consistency of sleep matters you go to sleep 3 nights in a row the same time wake up same time I feel really great he told off one night next week let's get back on track did you remember some of this when you sleep talk I share with you in the past I'm saying to you now is that during this pandemic for many most adolescents their social life is really been on their phone tutu with your peers I understand how point a social connection is but at the same time for many out of lessons being guiding depression which is really high than we've ever seen before joint and Dumber is largely attributed in my opinion to be inconsistent irregular sleep patterns that you likely have at the expense of saying I will sacrifice my sleep so that I could actually interact with my friends and I understand that the really tough balance but when I'm saying to you is if you can find a way to pick a time and say that's the mark that's the time I hit that's when I turn off my phone that's when I put it over there on the charging station and that's what I'm done if you could find a time that consistently could do that and I feel like I am saying yes the earlier the better that would go a long long way to helping you feel it was tough decision and for some of you that I'm making that decision what I would say more wisely and they're actually you actually go to bed at a more reasonable each night consistently this pandemic can actually leave you feeling pretty good because you don't make me have to get up as early for school that's kind of a blessing and you could get six hours of sleep that the average student was getting free panda we might even be able get the 8 hours me a massive shift is very possible in your mental health if you really starting with the consistency of your sleep so how's it consists see if you're sleep and can you work a little bit harder on that I hope so at the same time that sleep is so important for mental health and well-being so is fit and the reality is I know this is an opportunity we have the opportunity to exercise a little bit more yeah like you and me and most people during the early part of the pandemic it was just not moving around as much as baby overeating a bit but then quickly that wore off and many people will be seen as I talk to one primary care physician who said actually waking isn't really going up people actually meet a need or maybe even decreasing a bit of weight since people actually eating healthier as or maybe not eating out as much and a little bit less of the fast food and so they're cooking their own food parents through their actually feeling better and so by his account he said the pandemic is actually been really good for overall health and well-being I know where the mask is annoying but a necessity but the same positions that we probably going to see less flu West respiratory illnesses were kind of protecting ourselves with a mask Sun a lot of ways health and fitness are actually on the up let me ask you like have you been noticing that you walk a little bit more during the pandemic this kind of getting out for stroll may be riding your bike with your friends maybe jogging because if you haven't been let me tell a nudge you a little bit with that your intellectual abilities as scholar are going to be significantly positively impacted if you're able to physically if you're able to do so to be more active sometimes when we sweat every hey you do you get a little sweat your body starts releasing a lot of feel-good chemicals natural endorphins and dopamine and serotonin and norepinephrine and so the more you can get of the release of these feel good drugs nearby through a little bit of a little bit of sweat a little bit of movement we actually feel better or concentrations better or mood is better and that translates to Performance academically as well so hopefully you'll be working on your Fitness in a little bit more school number 6 simplification financing term isn't it stop and think about it what does that actually mean for you simplification is simplification really kind of the ideas like less is more less is more and I believe that's actually true because my life your life most of our lives we actually have just a lot of clutter in it even mean clutter in your life what kind of clutter did you have in your life with the things I do you simplify we can meme example the early part of the pandemic you will probably experience a little bit of stir craziness did you actually clean out your closet she probably did donate some clothes just get rid of a lot of stuff that you didn't need maybe it was some ORS drop it off at Goodwill Goodwill has been so overwhelmed with the generosity of people that many times during the last a year did actually had to say hey hold on let's take a little bit of a break from donations because we got so to work through in process already that's a good problem to have as people are saying you know what maybe I don't necessarily need all of those things whatever those things maybe for you and maybe you can maybe it's not just objects things but maybe simplification relates to friends that maybe we've had kind of a clarification of some of those relationships in mid back ice tighten up a little bit maybe that's another part of it or maybe it's the things that you were doing maybe it's just less of the doing specifically that would relate to you regarding what breaks but you know you doing a lot of things you were always so busy and constantly so tired but now as you do less maybe you actually feel better and so fixation is actually a positive vibe of the pandemic maybe you did a good part of it sometimes less clutter here leads to better memory call on Tess you put the information in you can pull the information out because a little bit less junk up here makes a big difference in your ability to read Ridgid 8 information that you can really the vowel words in your studying and that process sometimes translates to better grades so less than me more sometimes I hope that's the case for you when you think about balance in your life thinking more like the efficiency not just work Life School life balance but like more like a sufficiency like are you a balance is really important in the truth is families would say we are still out of balance we didn't even have family dinners together everybody ate at a different time we didn't sit around the table maybe like we once did because people are just coming and going and we just grabbing food whenever we could and we're from this practice. Practice in this game or activity or event but actually your efficiency might be better because you're able to study at a reasonable time get work done because you actually have Margie now to do that and you might actually be getting more eyeball to eyeball face to face time with family members for some family members may be too much time you're getting and you can have a bit of a strained relationship I understand that's a reality and and that's something that needs to be addressed and work on his well but maybe the overall efficiency of your energy your emotional energy each day is actually much better now yes you are likely wandering a lot of time next true I mean we can just lie down plug your phone gets a tick tock and next thing you know and hours passed and there could be some squandering of time so maybe that efficiency isn't so good but maybe I you're doing better but let me give you a secret that I learned in college we all have a natural Rhythm to our day a bit of a circadian rhythm helps their sleep and then natural rhythm is what we want to try to capture I learned that from 8 to 11 in the morning it'll actually I was really at my best but from 225 intellectually I forgot about it I wasn't nearly fishing with my study time I also learned from like 7 and 9 I could crush it intellectually but after 9 I was spinning my wheels and what I'm saying to you is if you have a little bit more wiggle room with your schedule to get work done when you want to get work done be more efficient by actually noticing like what time of the day can you retain information more can you write a paper because the information is just flowing more I can only find a time of the day but you got to look Haitian maybe it's a particular spot in your house or if you're leaving your home if it's a coffee shop or some place that we can sit in the sun I mean in in the morning you feel very comfortable in that but that location the idea is being efficient taking the step one step further I learned in graduate school is that what I would put on some headphones some airpods now and listen to relaxing piano music in the background when I'm actually working studying trying to get stuff done actually find it I'm like laser focus as I have music with lyrics very distracted but that background music helps lower anxiety it's just there. block out external noise but at the same time it makes me far more effective and efficient and so if I can maximize my time by trying to avoid the Talk work between 2 and 5 when I'm naturally a little bit more for cheap but really good after the optimum Windows I'm a better version of myself be kind of picking up what I'm putting down when can you be a better version of yourself and can you be more effective and efficient endemic is giving you that opportunity and I hope you're taking it sound through these we're at eight of 10 and I think this one's kind of the best are the pandemic to a certain degree when you would ask somebody hey man like how you feeling to Mom tired how things going for you all busy very superficial very shallow ounces and was coming to pandemic to a certain degree knife everybody but for many is that maybe you know the number people were talking to his kind of thinning out maybe is less and supplication man that's that's a good but maybe your Cajon it in that there a couple key relationships where there's much more meaningful connectedness I think brene Brown said it best to read this to your this relationships you have with people you really talk to a heart-to-heart meaningfully that's been coming out more than pandemic if people are saying look know the truth is I'm struggling a little bit maybe the promotional health and maybe it was a relationship maybe with some time management maybe it's some private signs baby is a lot of things that you were going through Works people are able to open up a little bit more chips or cards a little bit more and more meaningful way with a particular individual and if you don't have that I wanted for you to keep I doubt for that if you do have that I want to encourage you to develop it pandemic is revealing a lot to you about people in your life and I don't know what it's revealing is uplifting some of its kind of sad some people you thought were really your friend and they're not really showing that doing this and that and that's hurtful but there are other people that maybe you didn't quite value as much but the reality is their stock is rising they are reaching out to you they're engaging with you and and they're making an effort as such you want to maybe got it developed a more meaningful relationship and if you talk to people in rather than just going to talk superficially maybe get to the real deep stuff like how are you who is doing like how are you really doing regarding this there's a lot of loss in your life as a high-school student isn't there a lot of things that you're not getting to experience and as you probably ask your peers about that in a sincere way you might actually find that they need to vent and you might Bond emotionally we say to you another way emotional connectedness is really the Hallmark of any deep French and that emotional connected is that emotional intimacy that in the missing you like that heart-to-heart real felt connection that you have that's that's the foundation for friendship in their High School relationships can actually be you do seem foundational things that last a lifetime the truth is one of my deepest relationships with a buddy your friends came from high school we weave when did we grew up together we we play sports together we we sweat together blood together cry together and as such Tim longaker who is a teacher at the school is one of my best friends and it all goes back to when we were going through that stuff in high school and even to this day we're super close and I rely on him a lot think the world of him and who might you years from now look back at your high school time with and say that meaningful relationship is somebody that I'll be a lifelong friend with just like Tim and I are and I hope you can develop a little bit more of that with somebody were with somebody a couple people that's on your time here in high school we're almost there number 9 another positive healthier reprioritization a performance pradamalia sports psychologist a health psychologist really by training but as a sports psychologist will think I've seen and you see this too is that too often people away ants about academic and athletic success and a lot of the language of I gotta I need to I have to I order if I don't then it's a wonderful Hearts generally but their heads sometimes I question because they're just pushing pushing so much and give an example you ever been to a youth soccer game will the sporting event ticket fine it's the the parents that are just losing an emotionally like making this game way to an end overemphasizing the performance impact the worst rated Sports memory for a piece today is to please car ride home with Dad mostly that sometimes mom with egg in the car and the parents just laying into the kid about the performance when the kids emotionally depleted and tired I never noticed that maybe your mom and a little too into your performance and succeeding sometimes maybe in a little unhealthy way you're not alone far from it I'm just trying to do the best in just trying to help you out and trying to you know I'll feel better life and I had sometimes parents overemphasis on performance has been counterproductive and actually I really like what's happened pandemic regarding athletic performance has been a reprioritization a proper perspective people are saying you know it's a yes it's important but it's not as I once was emotional health is more important and we really start to keep things in their proper perspective maybe don't need to train every day all year round maybe we can have a shortened season a little bit less travel and still get a lot out of the Athletics in particular also see that with academics maybe the teachers are giving you a little bit more of a pass maybe they're going to little bit easier on you I'm saying this to you as a scholar because a lot of times you just hard on yourself because you didn't realize these messages maybe you two can make begin to shift some of that self talk regarding pressure and performance to a healthier reprise Edition you might actually find yes you do a lot better when you're not beating yourself up so much so maybe just a little easier with your self-talk typically the ones that I know of so we we we speak about four thousand words a minute to ourselves sentences we can understand a concept pretty quickly in our brains and so if you can have a better self talk about performance academically that's really where you can actually find but you are more relaxed you're enjoying the process in the journey a little bit more and we'll usually happens the outcome is even better than what it was before that's my hope for you my big hope for you the biggest hope I have for you is this last one I'm actually thrilled to see what's happening regarding mental health perception doing this pandemic let me mental health is through the roof we know that depression is up threefold free pandemic and we know that among depression among college students about college students preprint pandemics data january-february window on a college campus about half of our students would have reported experiencing depression so bad that they can't even function at one point in the in the prior-year think about 1st 2nd half the people you know and now it's obviously significantly worse but what's good about the endemic is the stigma the perception or mental health is falling more more people are saying you know what I'm struggling to and it's okay to not be okay it's wise to babysitter parents I like to speak with a counselor we find somebody that I can speak to a confidentially and it didn't work on this stuff and as more and more people are stepping out and saying yes I've struggled I'm struggling that's actually Turn Down The Stereotype the negative perception of Mental Health I believe that mental health obviously is a huge part of overall health and that if you can work on your mental health and become the emotionally healthiest version of yourself than I believe that academic performance athletic performance and overall well-being in life and it starts the phone place how do I know all grown up in Phillipsburg like I struggled like many people like many adolescents I struggled at times but when I started getting on the path and learning about mental health I really started studying psychology and Neuroscience I begin to find that oh my gosh there's so many ways that I can begin to think a little differently do things a little bit differently feel a little bit differently that I actually started enjoying life even more and just 35 myself driving I want that for you I want you to thrive feel my heart when I say that to you man right now like I want you to get yours this few things in life that are more rewarding to me hoping somebody else get theirs because you know what the best parts of Phillipsburg I'm only standing in front of you able to do this because so many people from Salzburg scored into me and help me along my journey so that I might think and feel and perform at my best and that's what I want for you is just a benefit from the Phillipsburg Community benefit from me sharing this with you here today so that you can get yours stop people from Salzburg to play often go on to do wonderful amazing things and helping out people and I believe is it really because our community special we've got long-standing and grain traditions in Windows Traditions is helping each other helping other people find the best Mom cell and I believe that that's part of what can come out of this pandemic as we understand the stigmas falling on Mental Health it's okay not to be okay work on it and us getting yourself unstuck so you can threat wow that's the Big Ten right there positive from the pandemic it went by quick but these Concepts coming out of strength psychology positive psychology in the middle of a time when the world is struggling like we've never seen it before is there just a few ways that you might be a find the ability of persevere to manage adversity to become a little bit more resilience and I believe that these kind of tools in your mental toolbox can make a really big difference for you not just now but everything is going to learn from this pandemics and help you in the hours the days the weeks or months in the years ahead now that's all I love sharing the stuff with you I hope that's something I said today from this message on positive pandemic can make a big difference for you and for your mind mind scholar something near and dear to my are the Honor Society at Folsom High School as well I just hope it's something I said here today makes a big difference for you as always I love sharing this stuff with you I hope it helps you I wish you only the best do they go ahead and pull down my screen here and I look forward to our paths Crossing again somewhere along the journey until then I wish you the best be well