Blogs It’s winter here in Minnesota, when we experience “real feel” temperatures of negative OMG-that’s-ridiculous degrees. The wind whips around, causing new snow drifts where there were none yesterday. Frostbite is a real concern here, where exposed skin can be affected after 10 minutes in the cold. Days are short, which affects mental health.
It’s too cold for it to snow. I mean, even we have limits.
Stress levels are at an all-time high nationwide, and people—understandably—are overwhelmed and decidedly not joyful.
We are humans, though, and our species’ mental health demands room for joy in some form or another. Your beloved Teaching Channel Curriculum and Instruction team has answered the call, creating “Joy Goals.” We do this to stay steady and focused, and so we can be responsive to the elements of our current situations while saving our sanity. It doesn’t mean looking away from everything happening; we look for joy to provide a respite from living within challenging times.
Setting Joy Goals is pretty simple: find something you love to do, see, or feel, and do more of that. You want to keep it grounded, achievable, and meaningful for you.
Here are a few of our team’s Joy Goals for inspiration! As you can see, these goals are relative to each person, and that’s why they work.
“Find ways to keep warm when the weather is super cold, so I can enjoy being outside!” — Amy Szczepanski
“Discover new music, new artists to listen to!” — Marcee Harris
“Focus on the color yellow in what I wear and art I do; it’s a happy color and makes me feel lighter.” — Betsy Butler
“I’ll eat all the Sumo Citrus I can while it’s in season.” — Jessica Price
“Follow an early morning routine of reading, meditation, and exercise.” — Rebecca Kay-Lewis
“Running with friends and teammates several times a week, ideally outside!” — Sarah Murphy
A Joy Goal can help you carve out moments of respite. Select something simple that brings comfort, and aim to return to it each day. Even if cold temperatures prevail.
About the Author
Betsy Butler (she/her) is a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.A. in English, a Master’s in Education, and has been teaching since 1992. Betsy uses her three decades of teaching experience to write and revise our courses while selecting the perfect accompanying texts. Her specialty areas include ELA, special education topics, behavior management, and mental health.
Fun Fact: Betsy’s daily conquest is solving the New York Times crossword puzzle!
