Teacher's Toolbox

Teacher's Toolbox Teacher's Toolbox is on online course that will help teachers understand the impacts of stress and c

12/12/2021

I have come to the conclusion that the Teacher's Toolbox page is not what I was looking for. I will be posting more regularly as I near the finish of my online course. If you see the invite to the group "Teachers Toolbox", please accept. Thank you for your support!

12/11/2021

Dec 21, 2021

What was the last “Fun” thing you planned for yourself? (or others) Was it a vacation? Bought tickets for a concert? Maybe you planned a dinner to either go out and meet friends or cook for them? When was the last time you did something that made you feel more like you? When we do the things that we enjoy or look forward to, it changes our brain chemicals. Going to sporting events with family or going out to a nice dinner, makes us feel good. Maybe it's registering for a cooking class or an adventure race. Having something to look forward to can help you get through the days that are tough. Just knowing that something good is on its way can give you the strength to carry on. The past couple of years have been a challenge, and maybe your options are limited. Make a list of all the possible things you could do for fun if you didn’t have any responsibilities. Then set a date and take all the necessary steps to ensure you don’t have any responsibilities that day. Then execute the idea. Currently, some friends and I are planning a golf trip to a ‘bucket list” course. Instantly, my mood had changed.

Placing yourself in an environment that makes you feel good can go a long way in dealing with your stress. I challenge you over the next day or so to PLAN something fun! It doesn’t have to be extravagant as a trip or vacation. Maybe it is just a cup of coffee with someone you haven’t seen in a while. Something that will make you laugh or feel good because of the company you will be keeping or something you miss doing. You’ll thank me later.
Let us know what you are planning!

12/05/2021

December 5th 2021

After a hiatus, I am back! As most of you know, I am an avid golfer. One of my favorite things to do in the world. Since I am a student of the game, I often read books and conduct my own research on how to improve. One constant idea that always pops up is the process of visualization. Visualization is thinking and imagining in as much detail as possible. In golf, many professionals and instructors discuss the importance of visualizing each and every shot. Visualization is more than just thinking about what the shot will do, it is much more. How do you feel when you set up? What does the perfect swing feel like? What will the sound of the club hitting the ball sound like? How will the ball fly through the air? What does the air feel like? What will your partners say to you? What does the course smell like? Etc Etc. Now this might seem like overkill, but the more “real” the image in your mind is, the more likely you are to create it. In some circles, this is a type of manifestation. In my experience as a golfer, I have been pretty good at creating what I DON’T want. :) “You have a good round going, don’t hit into the water”. SPLASH! This is something that I had been working on through the summer and fall, and have seen some improvement. Love the feeling of seeing a shot do what I want it to do.

Visualization can be used in areas other than the golf course. I have seen success in my workouts. Before a set, I will visualize how the weight will move and how many reps I want to do. When I can create a vivid picture in my mind, the weight moves a little easier.

Give it a try. Pick something that you want to accomplish and try to use all of your senses when you visualize it. What it looks, sounds, feels, smells, and tastes like. Where you put your attention, you put your energy.

02/28/2021

February 28th, 2021

There are a lot of benefits to exercise and movement. I think it has been well covered in many different areas and by many different people. Some of these benefits are: an increase in lean muscle mass, lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, better blood sugar control, and the release of endorphins (you know, the things that make you feel good?) The goal should be to do something every day. Sometimes the best plan falls apart and life gets in the way and interferes with that plan. Currently, I am working with a client and they had a rough week where workouts just weren’t happening. They texted me and told me that they would do better this week. This tells me that they are feeling a little bad about missing the workout. As their consultant, I feel like I am partly to blame. I didn’t give them more options at the beginning. Meaning, what was the backup plan? As organisms, we are designed to move and be active. It is in our DNA. From an evolutionary perspective, we are meant to move, hunt and gather. Now, for most of us, the only hunting we need to do is go into our kitchen and find something to eat. My suggestion is to have a few different backup workouts that don’t take a lot of time. For example, let’s say that your normal workout takes 45 min to an hour. I’m sure you can find time to go for a 10-15 min walk, or maybe 50 bodyweight squats for time, hop on the Peloton for a mile. Every day we miss being active, is a missed opportunity to get better. Point is, have alternatives. Life is pretty hectic for most people, but there is always time for something. Get better every day and move the needle.
Balance and the Basics.

02/21/2021

How do you track your recovery? Do you even track it? There are a few ways you can track your recovery. The easiest way is through a wearable device. Personally, I use a device called the Oura Ring. It is designed to be worn all day and can track your movements. Very similar to a pedometer or a smartphone that tracks your steps. Its main function is while you sleep. It measures things like heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, body temperature, time in bed, time asleep, and sleep cycles. Each morning, it will evaluate all of those metrics and give you a daily score. The higher the score, the more recovered you are from the day before. Depending on my goals, it can dictate what I do for training that day. Most of the time, if my recovery was garbage, I will still train, but I might tweak a thing or two. There are other devices that do this, like the Whoop and I believe some Fitbits and Garmin watches.

The main idea is, “What gets measured, gets managed”. If you track your recovery, you can make better decisions on what you do for training and what you do a day before training. If I know I have a hard workout on the next day, my food choices and sleep patterns can greatly impact my recovery overnight. I know if I have alcohol after 6pm (even 1 drink), it will elevate my heart rate, decrease my HRV, and increase my respiration rate. These all decrease my ability to recover overnight. The more recovered I am, the harder I can push in training.

Most wearable devices usually cost a few hundred dollars. If you don’t want to splurge, what else can you do? You can track things such as:
How much time did you spend in bed?
Morning resting heart rate. (Before you get out of bed)
Daily Survey on how you feel.

After tracking these for a few weeks, you can establish a baseline. You will start to see patterns between the metrics that you track. Then you can make better decisions.
Balance and the Basics.

02/07/2021

Super Bowl Sunday!

Have fun! Eat the damn 27 layer taco dip. Eat 20 hot wings. Have a couple of cocktails. It is the sports equivalent to Christmas and Thanksgiving. Give yourself permission to have a good time. Back to work tomorrow. In the whole process of human development, evolution, progress, improvement or whatever you want to call it…. Remember to have fun.
Balance and the Basics.

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