Lesson 6: PERMA Model

I thought it would be kind of fun for you to see what type of things we need to look for, or why I choose the things I do choose. Here is why. 

1. Read through your classmates e-portfolio submissions from last week and add anything new you'd like to include in your own.

2. Add things you found most enlightening and useful from this week’s lesson activities that you might use in the future.

3. If you have started on a volunteer practicum, add tools and tricks you learned during your volunteer practicum time this week that you think you might use in the future.

4. Add some tricks you’ve learned in past experiences working with special populations or other recreation management activities

4.  Add links to resources you have found to be interesting and helpful. *You must include at least one thing in your portfolio that was not from the lesson materials

It is pretty neat assignment. Now, Let get back to tools and resources! 

Resources I found Helpful  

• Ok, so I love Disney movies. To me this show encouraging messages about not giving up, continue on. For those with challenges, mental, emotionally, or physically illness of disabilities to never give up and keep trying. https://youtu.be/MCvTKAiVz4Y

• This video is called, “Video that will change your life. I have no words left.” It is about how our actions, even one person can make a differences.  There are so many things that isn’t right and people who are mistreated for many reasons. But we can still help make this world better. https://youtu.be/PT-HBl2TVtI

• The last thing is activities that has helped people with depression. It is called, “increasing awareness and understanding of depression” If everyone can find their passion, or created things, It really makes all the differences. https://www.blurtitout.org/2016/09/23/depression-creative-activities/
  
  
  Classmate Resources  
  
  
  • I added David Lybbert resource that he found. It called, “Coping with Stress Reactions after Injury or Illness” This is helpful because It can be a challenge for family to deal with an injury or illness in the family. Heres is the link. https://www.healthcaretoolbox.org/for-parents-and-children.html
    
    
  • I added a video Angela Rice put on her resource. It is called, “ONE HEART: How Can I Possibly Help?-- 2016 TOFW Video”  It is a video about a tragic accident a mom had. Sometimes we don’t know how to help, and this video explained it well. https://youtu.be/h33xEbZ7ePE
    
    
  • I also added What Paige Zohner added. I thought everything was really insightful.
  • The first thing is a Video. It actually one of my favorites and it is called, “50 first dates - Lucy Watches Video” This girl get into a car incident and all her love ones supported her through it. The first link is when her friend first meet her and found out what she had. The second one is him being all supporting toward her.
    https://youtu.be/ehtk3NfnX4A
    https://youtu.be/Io8DlI1xaKI
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  • This is a talked called, “Those Who Are Different” by Elder Marlin K. Jesen.  It shares how we are to treat others which goes along with the video next to it.
    https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/08/those-who-are-different?lang=eng
    I also added a good way to deal with a hard family situation example that Paige added to hers that I thought was impression. 
    
    

    • Draw a picture of Sam’s Brain

    -  I want to first understand what the kids are understanding, by having them draw a picture I can understand how they see Sam’s Brain. If I wanted to get deeper I would have them draw a picture of Sam’s brain before the accident and after the accident. But I want to understand my other children’s point of view first.
    Explain Sam’s Situation
    -Explain that Sam will be acting a little bit differently, he can do a lot of the same things, but he’s going to say or do things a new way. Because of the accident Sam has a different rewiring that isn’t bad, but it is how Sam needs to be wired in order to understand things around him.
    
    • Let them ask questions
    -  I want the other children to understand fully and not be scared to talk about it. After I feel they understand I would go into role play situations
    If Sam forgot your name what would you do?
    - I want them to understand that Sam still loves them but might forget to say things a certain way or might not even be able to talk in general. Help them in a real life situation
    If you’re playing your favorite game and he lost interest what would you do?
    -Sam is going to process things in a way that is going to make him work harder, and he might not want to do the same things as you and that is okay. If Sam gets bored you can ask him what he wants to do. If he doesn’t answer you can bring him or take him to different toys or games that he has. If all else fails we are a family and Mommy and Daddy want to help
    
    
    
    
    • How would you help Sam if?
    -This would be the lightening round of our night. I want them to have fun so we would have treats and give them multiple what if questions. See how they answer and better help them understand how to be around Sam.
    If you were Sam how would you want to be helped?
    -Winding down our night I want them to be in Sam’s shoes. To be him for a second and feel what he is feeling. Let them see into Sam’s world.
    
    
    
    
    • Let them know they are loved.
    - Mom and dad are going to give extra attention to Sam, but how do you want to be included? Want to come to therapist? Do you want to help with a nighttime routine or a daytime routine?
    Code word they choose to help them
    -Code word that means you are getting frustrated or you need a break, instead of getting mad at Sam, lets say pineapple, or whichever word they decide. This is a safe word to help them express what they are feeling without making Sam feel bad.
    Reinforce that you love them.
    Families are forever, read proclamation to the family (for kids) and let them know that no matter what you are all a team
    
    
    Enlightening things from Lesson 
    
    
    
    
    How to use the PERMA Model:
    •  Once you’re aware of the things that make up well-being (instead of focusing on happiness alone), it’s much easier to live a rich, meaningful life. Let’s look at how you can do this.
    Positive Emotions:
    
    
    • Although we can’t be happy all the time, we need to make sure that we often experience positive emotions such as pleasure, happiness, contentment, peace, joy, and inspiration.
    • If you feel you’re not experiencing enough positive emotions in your life, stop and think about why. First, look at your career. Do you get to use your talents and strengths in your current role? If you’re not sure what your strengths are, our article, “Your Reflected Best Self” can help. You can also take the Strengths Finder test to discover your top five strengths, and you can do a Personal SWOT Analysis.
    • Also, take a moment to identify people, events, or things that give you pleasure. For example, imagine you love being outdoors, surrounded by nature, but working in an office means you rarely get to experience this source of happiness. Why not bring plants into your office or cubicle? The aim here is to find ways to bring positive emotions and enjoyment into your daily routine, and to ensure that you don’t keep on putting these things off into a future... that never quite arrives.
    
    
    
    Engagement:
    
    
    • Do you feel engaged in your career? Or do you pursue hobbies and activities that help you slip into the state of flow we talked about earlier? Engagement is most closely identified with the act of creation, but you can also experience deep engagement when participating in sports, spending time with friends, or working on projects that you’re fascinated with.
    
    
    • You can increase your engagement at work by first minimizing distractions and improving concentration. These help you slip into a state of flow. Then, as far as you can, focus on projects that provide an interesting challenge for your skills.
    
    
    • Next, look at your interests. Do you make enough time for personal interests such as a favorite hobby or physical activity? Many of us let this important personal time slip away, especially when we’re stressed or overloaded with work. Try to devote plenty of time to activities that make you feel happy and engaged.
    
    
    
    
    Positive Relationships:
    
    
    • Do you have positive relationships in your life? These can be with anyone: family, friends, neighbors, or colleagues. Do you wish you had more of these relationships?
    
    
    • You probably spend the majority of your waking hours at work, so it’s important to build good work relationships. Next, look at your personal life. Do you enjoy the company of your family and friends, and do you find that they’re positive and supportive? If not, then it’s important to take the time to understand why. Are you devoting enough time to strengthening these relationships? And do you need to make more of an effort to reach out to your friends and family?
    
    
    • Make a commitment to spend significant time with a friend or family member on a regular basis. Relationships take engagement and hard work, and they’re often strengthened only when we make an effort to connect with other people. On the other hand, you can’t do much to change people; if your relationships aren’t positive, how far should you seek to preserve them?
    
    
    
    Meaning
    
    
    • Do you feel that your life and work has meaning? That is, do you feel that you’re connected in some way to a cause bigger than yourself? Most of us want to believe that we’re working and living for a greater purpose. So finding meaning is important to our overall sense of well-being. To find more meaning in your career, read our article on Working with Purpose and Creating Job Satisfaction.
    
    
    • It’s just as important to look for meaning in your personal life; certain activities, such as spending time with our family, volunteering, or performing acts of kindness can really improve our sense of meaning in life. If you feel your own life is lacking meaning, do these things; you’ll find them hugely satisfying.
    
    
    
    Accomplishments/Achievement
    
    
    • Accomplishment and achievement might be the trickiest elements of PERMA, simply because it’s very easy to take them too far. For instance, in many societies, achievement is highly valued, and, if we’re not busy, it can seem that we’re not living up to expectations and living a full life. However, if we continually push ourselves, we can easily run ourselves ragged in pursuit of the next achievement. If you suspect you’re not devoting enough time or energy to accomplishing your dreams, then start now.
    
    
    • First, identify what you truly want to accomplish in life. Our Life Plan Workbook will help you discover what you’d love most to do in your life, and Success Programming can help you affirm the successful future you’re working towards. If you feel that you’re devoting too much time towards your achievements (and thereby throwing the rest of your life out of balance), then it might be time to pull back and focus on other elements of the PERMA Model.
    
    
    Source: www.mindtools.com
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Activity from Lesson-Signature Strengths
     Direction: 
     
    
    
    1.I
  • If you haven’t already, please take the VIA Character Strengths test found on the website VIA Institute on Character. Click on the VIA survey link to register to take the free test.

    fVIA Institute on Character. Click on the VIA survey link to register take the free test.
    
    
    • Be sure you have reviewed and studied the content in this lesson’s Personal Training before beginning this activity.
    
    
    • All information is kept confidential and is only for research purposes.
    Feel free to look at the research and other tests as you browse the website. Seligman is a leading researcher in the area of positive psychology!)
    Your results will indicate 24 character strengths in order. Study the top 5 strengths (called “signature strengths”) and pick two of the activities below with one or more signature strengths in mind. 
    Research indicates that exercising your signature strengths is what brings true well-being in life and allows people to flourish in life.
    
    
     
    Activities to help you “Flourish”
    • It is not required, but highly recommended that you read the book, Flourish, by Seligman; a leading book on authentic happiness. Research indicates specific exercises can contribute to well-being. Below are brief descriptions of these exercises with page references from the book, Flourish (Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc.)
     
    • Kindness Exercise (p. 21): Find something kind you can do for at least one other person that is completely unexpected and then do it.
      
      
      Gift of Time (p. 42): Do something using one of your character strengths for someone else that takes some time. 
      
      
      Forgiveness Letter (p. 41): Think of someone who has wronged you in some way. Write a letter describing your feelings and the related emotions and then promise to forgive the person. Do not deliver the letter. Afterwards, try to let the negative emotions go.
      
      
      Gratitude Visit (p. 30, 42): Write a letter to someone you never thanked, then take the letter to them and read it to them before giving them the letter. Make the letter specific and let them know how their actions impacted you.
      
      
      Three Blessings/Gratitude Journal (p. 33, 41): Every night, write down three good things that happened that day. Then write down why each thing happened.
      
      
      Use Signature Strengths (p. 39): Take some time out of your week to use one of your signature strengths in a new way. Then write about the experience and how you felt.
      Signature Strengths Wall (p. 172): Create a place at work, home or school where each of the signature strengths is listed. Then have people put post-it notes with a short description of how they or someone else used one of their signature strengths. Look for patterns in which strengths are used most.
      Signature Strengths Story (p. 172): Describe a time where using one of your signature strengths helped you overcome a challenge.
      
      
      You at your best (p. 89): Write down stories of when you think you were at your best. Then try to identify your signature strengths in those stories.
      
      
      Positive Introduction (p. 41): Write an introduction to you that tells a story involving you using one of your character strengths.
      
      
      Finally, the last tool for this week. Tips I learned from Autism Mentor Meeting and Past Experiences:  
      
      
      Autism Meeting:  
      
      
      1. don't make assumptions.
      • we might see some things as common sense: It is best not to make any assumptions about what the student knows and always provide clear steps or instructions.  make sure they understanding
      2.  avoid using sarcasm, irony, and metaphors, or other forms of figurative speech.
      •  simple and community direct
      • they may take some things seriously even when joking
      • be direct without rude. it helps them. by saying have you eaten today
      3.  be direct and precise
      • You want to be direct, not beat around the bush.
      •  Instructions, be specific, what you require so they don't go around it.
       
    • 4. don't talk down, but do check in.
      •  they understand, but make sure they understand
      
      
      5. write it down
      •  have them write down things. you and them.
      •  that way they know what will be happening next time. 
      
      
      6. Six second rule
      •  time to process in what you said, and than make sure they understand if they don't understand, or don't respond.
      
      Past Experiences: 
      
      
      
      • When I work at Badger Creek, It was our goal to push people outside comfort zone, not panic zone. We to, as staff, did the activities and test our limits. We learned that being in comfort zone 24/7 wasn’t healthy. Being in uncomfortable zone was healthy. But panic zone was never helpful. You can’t function. After we did rock climbing, we will discuss our experiences climbing. Some of us could get to the top. Others could just climb to the middle and had to come down. Others could only climb the latter and come back down. Each one of us was outside our comfort zone. The goal in outdoor programs or any program, is not making it the top the first time, but little by little pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. 
      
      
      
      • It healthy to be at comfort zone at times, it isn’t healthy to be uncomfortable 24/7. But you  never want anyone to stay in comfort level for to long, and you never want to pressure people into doing something that will put them into panic zone. Be encouraging, but don’t force someone to do an activity. Let them come and get involved in other ways.