We get it. You already know! It’s why you are here exploring blogs about health-related content. That said… please indulge us for the next 5 minutes or so.

Are you floundering or flourishing right now? 

One of the common misconceptions we find when we present to educators around the world is that having an “others first” mantra to well-being is always the best approach. Sure…when our personal bottle is full to the top, we can easily try to fill the needs of our students and our colleagues. But what happens when we are on, or fast approaching, empty? Make no mistake. Failure to remedy a rapidly depleting bottle is both personally, and professionally, irresponsible. You need to be the first in line!  With some simple adjustments, you can start your  ‘refilling’ process right now.

The Daily PEGG framework presents as four individual puzzle pieces that, when assembled, provide a strong and cohesive platform for enhanced personal well-being. Framed around the tenets of positive psychology, these activities work both individually, and collectively,  to help you move from floundering to flourishing. 

PLAY

Be a player. We see play as being any activity that allows you to be ‘present in the moment’ – from the free play opportunities where curiosity and imagination run rife, to the moments where rules and structures or organised play determine a formality of play patterns, and everything in between!  

EXERCISE

Be a mover. Exercise is something that is planned, structured and repetitive, with an underlying premise of conditioning the body. Choose to walk, jog, run, skip, dance, roll, spin, stretch, lift, push, pull, swim, cycle, lunge, squat, jump, crawl, leap, swing, ninja, etc. for a minimum of 20-minutes per day.

GRATITUDE

Be grateful. Gratitude is taking the time to identify, acknowledge and celebrate the positivities you have in your life. The events of the past 12-18 months have reminded us how insecure life can be, so it’s crucial to be appreciative of what we now truly value.

GIVING

Be a giver. Giving is putting in place actions that empower others, without the expectation of anything in return. We all give in different ways. For some of us, we selflessly give our time, our counsel, our smile, our touch, our proximity, etc. For others, it may be more about us giving space, opportunity, and/or time as needed. Ask yourself this question: “What WILL I do today that gives others the support they need to flourish?” 

Each day, you commit to completing the four Daily PEGG activities. When complete, take a peg (wooden, plastic, metal…whatever you have) and place it on your body or your clothing as a reminder of your actions. Silly? Perhaps. But think of the conversations it will start when you venture outside.

Students, teachers, administrators, families, sporting groups, and corporate executives around the world tell us it works. We challenge you to give it a go. The only thing you might lose is some emptiness.

This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media (including Dale Sidebottom and Craig Daly, the authors of this post) and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com

Pair this post with the following:

The Happiness Boomerang by Dale Sidebottom

Also, check out Dale Sidebottom’s new book – “All Work, No Play“, which is also a #slowchathealth Book of the Month.