Anyone who has flown on an airplane can likely recall the safety procedures that flight attendants review with passengers prior to departure. One of these important protocols is to always put on your oxygen mask before assisting another person with theirs because if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to effectively care for others.
That is the exact message that Brain Power Wellness (BPW) instills in its staff. If they are prioritizing their own wellbeing, they will then have the tools to manage the myriad situations that arise in both their professional and personal lives, no matter how challenging or seemingly insurmountable.
Brain Power Wellness reviews its policies, procedures, and trainings regularly to ensure that it is continuing to improve the health and wellbeing of its staff. Here are some ways in which the organization does this.
Ways in Which Self-Care is Integrated for BPW Staff
All Brain Power Wellness training sessions begin by empowering the staff to connect with themselves through unique mind-body exercises. These practices help staff members enhance their mental clarity and focus; harness the power of neuroplasticity; enhance self-regulation and emotional wellness; improve healthy “brain-gut connection;” and promote good circulation.
Some examples of these practices include up to forty-five minutes of physical training at each staff meeting; various meditation practices; gratitude walks; journaling and reflection. These are just a few of the BPW tools BPW staff members use to release physical tension, mental stress, and unhealthy emotions.
“The focus on staff self-care is one primary reason I have been able to stay energized and passionate about my work with Brain Power Wellness,” said Rebecca Wheaton, a senior field coordinator in Washington, D.C. “Although we are a mindfulness company, the demands of the work are many, and it would be easy to feel overwhelmed if it weren’t for our commitment to staying grounded and calm.”
Ways in Which Self-Care is Integrated by BPW Staff within its Partner Schools
One of the primary expectations of staff at Brain Power Wellness is to practice self-care daily by using a variety of BPW tools that are not only for their own benefit but ensure that they can then authentically support educators in managing their own self-care and the care of their students.
A primary goal of Brain Power Wellness is to empower educators to create positive and joyful learning environments. To fulfill that goal, BPW reviews its practices regularly to ensure that it is offering optimum self-care tools not only to its own staff but to the staff within its partner schools.
To highlight and reinforce the importance of prioritizing self-care, Brain Power Wellness uses this quote at teacher workshops from the famous school teacher and child psychologist Haim Ginott:
“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
Ways in Which BPW Self-Care Tools are Offered at Retreats
Educators often prioritize the needs of their students over their own. Therefore, Brain Power Wellness retreats play a crucial role not only in equipping educational professionals with the necessary tools to effectively support their students in the classroom by prioritizing time for self-care, self-reflection, and rejuvenation of their own physical, mental, and emotional health.
These unique retreats go beyond traditional professional development by incorporating mindfulness practices and social-emotional wellness strategies to: reduce physical and emotional stress; provide the opportunity for deeper self-connection and self-reflection; and to support participants in prioritizing their own well-being.
Educators return to their classrooms recharged and feeling re-connected with the reason they became educators, re-igniting their purpose and passion, which positively impacts their interactions with students and enhances their ability to provide effective support. They are enabled to better manage their classrooms and respond to challenging situations with a calm and focused mindset. Social-emotional wellness strategies are greatly emphasized in order to equip educators with the skills needed to build positive relationships with their students, create a safe and inclusive classroom environment, and promote students’ own social and emotional development.
In the rewarding but highly demanding field of education, issues naturally exist, and many of them have been amplified by the pandemic. Among them: staff burnout, challenging behavior from students, parents, and colleagues, and the reality of student trauma. Brain Power Wellness is committed to addressing these challenges within its own organization and within each of its school partners.
About Brain Power Wellness
Brain Power Wellness is a holistic, school-based wellness organization that supports healthy, happy, and focused school environments. The mission of Brain Power Wellness is to help transform the culture of its partner schools through self-development, mindfulness, community building, retreats, SEL, holistic wellness, and brain training for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Recently, corporate groups have begun attending Brain Power Wellness retreats, where participants receive powerful tools for creating healthy, sustainable, and happy work environments.
