Executive Director
MASA
Some time ago I had the pleasure of hearing Amit Sood, M.D. speak about resilience and well-being. Dr. Sood is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic of Medicine, has earned worldwide recognition for his work, is the executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Wellbeing, and author of a number of papers and books.
After hearing Dr. Sood speak, I purchased his book The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living for a team I led while superintendent. We used the guide for the year and implemented many of the concepts long after we had filled the pages with post-it notes for later reminders of how to train our brains to pay joyful attention and refine our interpretations to the positive.
It is very likely that many of you are working long hours, experiencing some level of stress and may benefit from Dr. Sood’s “7-Point Program for Increasing Energy.” His practical tips include:
- Eat healthy nourishing food.
- Sleep seven to eight hours a day.
- Keep company with good people.
- Avoid news overdose.
- Follow an exercise routine.
- Do something meaningful each day.
- Think good thoughts for others.
Dr. Sood also recommends having a daily theme to stay focused such as finding gratitude on Mondays, compassion on Tuesdays, acceptance on Wednesdays, higher meaning on Thursdays, forgiveness on Fridays, celebration on Saturdays and reflection on Sundays.
We’ve heard this all before, yet combining Dr. Sood’s 7 Points and daily themes, and making them routine may help retain the pep that we feel on the first day of school. Our kids and staff will benefit greatly from resilient leaders who attend to their own wellbeing.
