Systemic Wellness

Connecting the Dots Between Physical & Interpersonal Warmth What does it mean to perceive a person as warm versus cold? Think for a moment about your use of these terms in your own daily language and communication with others. According to research in social cognition, interpersonal warmth refers to traits that are related to perceived favorability of the other person’s intentions toward us. These often include friendliness, trustworthiness, and helpfulness. In making social judgments, warmth is a powerful personality trait. Warm and cold as personality traits are often used in our first impressions of people, revealing our interpersonal liking of others and reflecting the concept of social perception. In making an initial impression of someone, we will often make statements such as “He seemed rather cold and distant” or conversely “He seemed friendly and warm.” Such assertions reflect the negative (cold) and positive (warm) connotations we often associate with these two words.

The role of a school counselor is multi-dimensional and requires a strong commitment to social justice. Counselors are primarily advocates for students, carrying out the professional orientation and ethical practice by projecting an image of self-confidence and possessing integrity as well as a strong emphasis on providing all students with access to academic and financial resources, even clothing and food if needed. Advocacy is an integral part of giving students a voice and identifying those who may be underserved and thus eligible for academic, social, and emotional accommodations. Maintaining confidentiality of students’ files, identities, testing and other assessments is essential to their overall success in the public school system. school supplies Collaborating with teachers and administration, effectively communicating with parents, and practicing professionalism provides the students with a level playing field to become successful in their pursuit of college/career. It

Systemic Wellness

I was just thinking about how often we use the word “busy” in talking about how we’re doing here in the DC metro area , now commonly called the DMV. Living among politicians, lawyers, doctors and generally upwardly mobile and affluent professionals, I think it becomes second nature for people to almost boast about how busy we are, as if that actually means we’re more useful, more productive, more worthy. I often will catch myself saying how I’m busy “running errands,” “ shooting emails ,” “jumping in the car,” “dashing to the grocery store,” “hopping on a plane” or “catching a soccer game . ” There’s this sense that if I’m constantly busy, constantly in motion , then I’m more useful and productive. However, if " my brain could talk " I think it would say otherwise. It’s only in the process of relaxing our brains a nd finding some space and time to Breathe that we really can truly be productive, creative, intuitive and innovative. A constant state of motion and super-

The whole meaning of life is engrained in each and everyone of us. It is the connectedness and the fragile bridges that transform us into a better more functional society. The feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and other mental health concerns can be replaced with empathy, compassion, and love. As we travel through life we draw energy by spending time with each other. Adversely, a lack of socialization would indicate a sense of isolation, emptiness, and despair. Simply by realizing that other people share similar challenges as we do, provides us with the feelings and reassurance that we are not alone in the battlefield. Through guidance, life experiences, and the approach of learning, one should gain a unique skill that will allow him or her to facilitate other individuals to increase their self-awareness to their cognition and thought patterns. Further, one  should learn that the modification to maladaptive cognition has to be precise and possess measurable parameters of pr

What do you think is the one thing that successful people have in common? Life circumstances? Financial resources? IQ? Knowing the right people? Luck? If you guessed any of these, you answered in line with the thinking of most people. If you answered “none of the above,” your thinking is correct. That’s because successful people do something different with the neurocircuitry of their brains that maximizes their potential and helps them achieve their goals. I know that you already know this, but it’s worth repeating and reflecting upon a little because we all need a reminder once in a while. Successful people are good at tuning out any distractions and selecting the best way to focus on their task. They have the ability to stop and reorient the processing power of their brain to help them, regardless of any interruptions. It’s not easy and takes practice, but achieving an objective, whether it is getting a new job, finding a date, getting in shape, earning a degree, or reaching any

From the Ground Up: Stabilization Imagine building a house without first laying a sturdy foundation. If you want the structure to last, you will want steel-reinforced walls and footings made of poured concrete to keep out moisture, insulate against the cold, resist movement of the ground around it, and so on. Similarly, if you want exercise to be a lasting part of your life to enhance your overall health and well-being, it is essential you lay a strong foundation: stabilization. if you haven’t exercised for a while, have suffered a recent injury , or if you are out of shape because of your busy lifestyle, it’s critical that you take it step-by-step and get started with the proper fitness foundation. If you are excited and ready it’s like having the bricks, wood and mortar ready to go for your structure but forgetting to lay the foundation first. We need to remember that the ultimate goal of all movement is neuromuscular efficiency , or the ability for all of your muscles to effic