In March, our students were able to learn about “sharpening their saws,” the seventh habit in Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. One of their activities for this lesson was writing down their personal tips for strengthening their body, brain, heart, and soul. We wanted to share those with you:
Body
- Getting enough sleep/Naps
- Daily Walks/Walking the dog/Walking with friends and family
- Pickleball
- Lacrosse
- Cooking at home
- Gym/Exercise 3xs a week/Work out
- Drink more water and less caffeine
- Practice good hygiene
- Use sunscreen daily
- Hot mat pilates
- 10-step skincare routine once a week
- YouTube Dance routines/workouts (Fitness Marshall and Joseph Corella)
Brain / Mind
- Napping/Sleeping
- Puzzles
- Wordle
- LA Times Crossword Puzzle
- Duolingo
- Stay clear-headed and positive
- Start a new book
- Nature documentaries
- Watch Jeopardy
- Video Essays on YouTube
- A subscription to The New Yorker
- Open-minded conversations
- New York Times online
- Solo-traveling
- Make a schedule
- Visit a museum
- Apple Journal App
- Learning a new skill
- Radiolab and NPR podcasts
- Make lists
- Taking a break from the phone
- Reading :
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Divergent by Veronica Roth
- Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
- Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo by Zora Neale Hurston
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Heart
- Spending time with dogs
- Give 10 compliments to 10 different people
- Quality time with family and friends
- Talk to someone you miss
- Drawing
- Concerts
- Making someone laugh
- Disney World/Disney Springs trips
- Staying close to loved ones
- Dog videos
- Having deep and honest conversations
- Singing/Performing
- Social Media Break
- Watch something funny:
- Young Sheldon clipsThe Office
- SNL clips (esp. Justin Timberlake OmeletVille)
Soul
- Prayer
- 5-minute meditations/Meditation
- Draw
- Journal
- Reflection and The Examen prayer
- Silence in nature
- Expanding your creativity
- Calm app
- Write fiction
- Volunteer
We loved seeing how much overlap there is in some of these categories, which reminds us of a couple of things:
- There are opportunities where we can feed our body, brain/mind, heart, and soul at the same time. Let’s make conscious efforts to find what that thing is for us, if possible, so we can best “sharpen our saw.”
- Sometimes, your “sharpening the saw” moment may look completely different from someone else’s and that’s perfectly OK!
We just hope you will take conscious moments to “sharpen your saw.”
