MESH
Mental, Emotional, Social Health
Mental, Emotional, Social Health
Mental Health
is the health of the brain, to be able to solve problems.
Emotional Health
Emotional health is:
To experience a wide-range of emtions,
To know what you are feeling.
To express emotions appropriately.
Social Health
The ability to have a wide-range of relationships with different kinds of people. Effective communication.
Physical Health
The Health of the body.
Here is an unhealthy way I respond to stress and how it would impact other aspects of my Health in an unhealthy way.
Here is a healthy way I can respond to stress and how it would impact other aspects of my Health in a healthy way.
Ways I Do Self-care
I practice 30 minutes of mindfulness every morning. It helps me begin the day in a more balanced way. It helps me remember to make time to rest even in the midst of difficult times.
Walking in nature is probably the most powerful way I reduce stress. I can't explain the peace and freedom I feel when I am connected to nature. While much of it is beautiful, it also reminds me of the cycle of life which isn't always beautiful. It reminds me my stress is just a small part of what is going on in on this earth. One of my favorite places to walk is at Lake Chabot, where this photo was taken.
Talking to my closest friends is extremely helpful to reduce stress. I have one friend since I was 4 and another since I was 11. My close friends are good listeners💜
While mindfulness, nature, and talking to friends help me deal with stress, I absolutely could not survive without music. While I love most genres of music depending on my mood, currently, Tems, is the artist I turned to most often when I need to relax and let go of difficult emotions.
Research Project
Grief and Loss Song Analysis
Definition of grief and stages of grief go here.
Here is an example of a song analysis.
A song about grief that I find extremely moving is "It's Quiet Uptown" from the play, Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. This song is really about a double dose of grief because it is about Alexander Hamilton, and his wife, Eliza who had just suffered a huge rupture in their relationship when Alexander told her (and the whole world) that he had had an affair with another woman. Not long after, their son, Phillip is killed in a duel. This song describes the grief of that loss while also eluding to the loss of the trust in their relationship. One stage of grief described in the song is depression. Evidence of depression can be heard in the description of the pain the Hamilton's are feeling, "There are moments where words don't reach. There is suffering too terrible to name." Clearly these lines describe tremendous sadness and depression. Another stage in grief evident in the song is bargaining. When Alexander says to his wife, "If I could spare his life If I could trade his life for mine He'd be standing here right now And you would smile, and that would be enough, " he is bargaining his life in exchange for his son's life and his wife's happiness. I think there are even more stages of grief described in the song but I will leave them to you to discover on your own as you listen.
Public Service Announcement
I did my Public Service Announcement on bullying.
Framed Memory or Unconscious Bias
One of my framed memories is when cheerleaders put gum in my friends hair and they never got into trouble for it. This really bothered me and it left me with a negative unconscious bias against cheerleaders. Thankfully, I have since become aware of it and have had the opportunity to meet wonderful cheerleaders who have challenged that bias.
Two places I can go to for support
I know you might think that as a teacher or adult, I wouldn't ever call a hotline, but actually, I have when I really needed a sound listener who was objective and no one else was available. I recommend it!
I can also count on my family and friends for support depending on the situation. I feel lucky to have a great support system!💗