What is SEL?
I am sure you have all recently heard the term SEL. But, what does it mean? SEL stands for social-emotional learning and is something very important for each of us to apply to our daily lives, especially young people.
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals. It is the process through which we learn to feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. (CASEL)
SELday is Friday, March 11, 2022!
Why is it Important?
Social-emotional learning promotes wellbeing and resiliency by encouraging self-care, healthy relationships, emotionally safe environments, and the development of coping skills. When we prioritize self-care, we are practicing this type of learning and we begin to discover ways to better manage stress and identify emotional triggers. This is a valuable skill that teaches students how to work through their negative feelings instead of suppressing them or admonishing themselves for having these feelings in the first place and decreasing the risks of self-medicating with drugs or alochol.
Benefits of Social-Emotional Learning
The continuous practice of self-care and SEL in our everyday life contributes to healthy habits and long-term benefits such as personal wellness, social connectedness, and increased engagement in health-promoting activities. It helps to build stronger relationships with others ands more importantly with ourselves.
8 Dimensions of Wellness
There are eight dimensions to wellness that address each dimension of wellness in our lives that greatly influences our mental and physical states of overall wellness. Practicing wellness every day is vital to our ability to live healthy, fulfilling lives. This practice is what we often refer to as self-care. Self-care is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. It’s important to remember to embrace moments of self-care and turn them into a daily habit.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), there are 8 dimensions of wellness to consider when developing your own action plan to promote personal health and wellbeing.
What is your preferred method of SELf-care?
So now that you know what social-emotional learning is and how the eight dimensions of wellness act as their foundation, it’s important to talk about putting it into practice through self-care.
As part of Wellness Week With Herren, we have created a SELf-care Action Plan to explore all eight elements of wellness. Download the plan. Try and practice at least at least two of the self-care activities in an area you feel most comfortable with to start. Try to see if you can practice this every day during Wellness Week with Herren. Maybe find a friend to do with to encourage each other. Once Wellness Week With Herren is over, keep building on other areas to begin new practices of self-care. Before you know it, your practice will turn into a regular routine and positive habit.
Incorporating SEL is vital to our overall wellness and overall health and happiness. Herren Project is proud to be a partner of SEL Day, celebrated the second Friday of every March. Check out ways to get involved.
Download the SELf-care Action Plan Worksheet and try and practice at least 2 self-care activities during Wellness Week with Herren.
Self-care looks different for everyone. Remember to select the self-care practices that serve you best. Incorporating small changes to your daily and/or weekly routine can have a powerful impact on your overall mood and wellbeing.
