BUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND WITH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
We have an epidemic among our youth. Depression, anxiety, and suicide rates have risen 58% since the introduction of Social Media.
It’s ALARMING! But, there is GOOD NEWS - we actually have the tools to combat all of this and turn our kids into thriving individuals.
Shylla Webb and Jonathan George just hosted a Rockshop at a school in Minnesota and the outcome was amazing!
Here is what happened in just one 2 ½-hour session:
We took 275 Freshmen and 40 educators on a journey to:
Build their Personal Brand with Social-Emotional Learning
Take ownership of Social Media & Mental Health
Cope with Emotions with Science of Emotions
In the first 10 minutes, to establish a baseline for their social-emotional skills, the students were asked to write what they thought their purpose was and how they felt about their contribution to the school and fellow students.
Here are some of those answers:
"To learn"
"I don't know"
"To make good grades"
"Because I have to"
After only 1 hour of working on their personal brand and SEL, their responses were…well...WOW!!!:
“I will be myself and the best version of me I can be. I will inspire those around me to be comfortable and to just be themselves.”
"I will learn and grow as an individual and get rid of all negativity.”
“I am gonna contribute by making people feel welcome. I feel like I need more confidence and I need to be more open-minded.”
"I’ll give my respect, responsibility, and honesty to the school and give everything for a good future.”
The change in understanding, attitude, and developmental success in just one hour was incredible!!! There was a major paradigm shift from only thinking of themselves to understanding how powerful their own purpose is for the greater good.
Even the educators got vulnerable and shared with the students, which empowered and ignited them. It also created honestly, vulnerability, and authenticity, which made the kids relate to them more.
THIS SCHOOL JUST GOT ROCKED!
Everything we do in our work serves a purpose for learning and growth, as well as to serve far beyond the Rockshop.
Our activities were specifically designed to dive deep into the 5 areas of SEL.
Self-awareness, Self-management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible
Decision-making.
Our games, exercises, the building of personal brands (strengths, weaknesses, goals, I am statement, emotional aftertaste), the science of emotions, and social media were created for growth in today’s world.
We utilized parts of each pillar of R.O.C.K.S.T.A.R. to achieve our greatest impact in a short period of time:
R: Resiliency - Capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Understanding the neuroscience of emotions and stress response systems allows you to come out of setbacks with something positive.
Mindfulness
Mindset
Neuroscience of Emotions
Self-Care
O: Ownership - Taking responsibility for actions, behavior, and responses to the environment around us. Accountability begins with owning fear, trauma, and pain, which brings quicker resolve and healing.
Problem Identification
Taking responsibility
Neuroscience of Stress Response System
C: Connection - Relationship skills with yourself and others. When a genuine bond is formed where each person feels seen, heard, and valued, we flourish in confidence and mental wellness.
Community Building
Relationships
Social Reciprocity
K: Kindness - Compassion for self and others marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern without expecting praise or reward. It reduces risk-taking behavior, conflict, bullying, and mental health issues.
Nurturing ourselves and others
Empathy
Forgiveness
Acceptance
S: Self-Awareness -Conscious knowledge of one’s character, feelings, motives, desires, and learning styles. Understanding oneself fully improves confidence, involvement, learning, and achievement.
Core Values
Strengths/Weaknesses
Belief Systems
Goals/Intentions
Expression of Sel
T: Thankfulness - Cultivating a life of gratitude towards good times, difficult times, self, and others. This combats anxiety and depression and how we view the world.
Benefits of Gratitude
Internal/External
Heartfulness
A: Authenticity - Living in truth confidently. Understanding who we are without fear and insecurities, and then showing up in that, builds healthy self-confidence and self-identity.
Be Proud to be You! - the good, the bad, and everything that has shaped you
Vulnerability
Utilizing your Voice
Confidence Building
R: Responsibility - Making constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. Doing the right thing even when it's hard, increases confidence, character, and strong leaders, increasing overall mental health.
Boundaries: Personal, Social, and Activity
Self-monitoring
Cause and Effect
Emotions/Mindset/Expression
WHY IS ALL THIS IMPORTANT?
When we know who we are and what we can contribute to the world, we feel connected, show up more powerfully, and give to the greater good rather than serving only the self, which creates a more positive mental state. That sounds pretty important to me!