Hello readers! My name is Tawnie D’Angelo and I am the First Year College Advisor with Western Nevada College (WNC).
I can not believe it is December. This year flew by, and the Fall semester felt fast and furious! With most of our schools finishing up the semester and heading into a well-deserved winter break, I wanted to provide some wellness and stress management tips to help everyone recharge over the holidays. While the holidays are fun and joyous, they can also be stressful. So, use these tips however you see fit and bring them into the new year with you as well!
This past summer, I had the opportunity to complete a 200-hour Wellness, Social-Emotional Learning, and Yoga Teacher Training through Breathe For Change. This organization trains educators and community leaders to teach trauma-informed yoga, lead wellness workshops, and facilitate SEL strategies to students, schools, and organizations all while enhancing their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This training was truly life-changing and plans for bringing these amazing tools to GEAR UP students and staff in Spring 2023 are underway.
In the meantime, here are some tips you can implement right away!
- Deep Belly Breathing. Take just a few minutes a day to feel immediate stress relief.
- Meditation- Use a guided meditation linked below to help get started.
- Take a walk in nature or just get outside. Bundle up if it is cold where you are! Fresh air and sunshine can do wonders.
- Practice gratitude. This can be done in guided meditation, or just by journaling some things you are grateful for.
- Try yoga! Videos are linked below and are a great place to start.
For guided meditations, yoga classes, and other wellness strategies for educators and students, check out Breathe For Change Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/BreatheForChange
If you implement some of these strategies, I would love to hear how they go for you and I am always available for questions or further suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Most importantly, I hope everyone has a restful holiday break and I look forward to working together in the new year!
