When we live in constant stress, our brains start to downshift. According to scholars Geoffrey Caine and Renate Nummela Caine, downshifting is a psychophysiological response to threat that results in a sense of helplessness or fatigue. A downshifted person has a nagging sense of fear or anxiety and begins to lose the ability to feel excitement or pleasure.
The good news is that we can upshift our brains by actively infusing joy into our work life. Joyful experiences—even brief ones—flood the brain with chemicals like dopamine and serotonin that overwhelm our primitive stress responses. So how can we find more joy?
8 WAYS TO RECLAIM JOY
1. Get outside during the school day.
2. Bring music.
3. Model micro-affirmations.
4. Start class or professional development with a guided visualization.
5. Cancel a staff meeting.
6. Write a card to someone who’s had your back.
7. Practice three to five minutes of mindfulness.
8. Keep a joy journal.
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