What I Have Learned
This semester, I have gained valuable insights from each unit, deepening my understanding of certain topics, and acquiring new skills that I can apply to my daily life. Here are two topics from each unit that stood out to me:
Wellness Unit
Jack.org Mental Health Talk
Through the Jack.org mental health talk a wide rage of topics were discussed from how to protect your mental health to also helping others in their times of needing support. Something that I learned are the 5 “be there” golden rules.
Be There Golden Rules:
1. Say what you see
2. Show you care
3. Hear them out
4. Know your role (your job is to listen not to fix things)
5. Connect them to someone qualified to help
There will always be a time where someone needs some extra support, if I am in a position where I’m the one to notice that someone seems down, I will make an effort to utilize these roles and ensure they get the help they need
The Importance of Sleep
I always knew that getting 8 hours of sleep was important for feeling well-rested during the day, but I never considered the impact of sleep on mental health. While researching for the wellness project, I gained insight into the profound impact sleep has on the teenage mind. I found that insufficient sleep is directly linked to the onset or worsening of anxiety and depression, leading to decreased cognitive function and academic performance. This newfound understanding has prompted me to prioritize improving my sleep schedule and taking steps to enhance my academic performance. As my workload increases in the future, it will be vital for me to manage my schedule effectively to prioritize both my sleep and mental well-being.
Leadership Unit
Leadership Styles
The 8 leadership styles (coach, visionary, servant, autocratic, laissez-faire, democratic, pacesetter, and bureaucratic) are something completely new that I learned this semester. I've learned the positive and negative qualities of each of these leadership styles, their associated traits, and the types of roles they are well-suited for. Studying these leadership styles has helped me identify my own leadership style, which is autocratic. I now understand that my leadership style may make people feel micromanaged and constrained, leading to potential resentment. With this awareness, I can work on improving my communication skills to prevent these negative feelings. I have also discovered the positive traits of my leadership style, such as the ability to reduce stress by making difficult decisions. Additionally, I've learned that autocratic leaders thrive in organizations with strict regulations, such as healthcare. This knowledge will be invaluable to me in the future as I consider which jobs are best suited to me and what kind of work environment will allow me to excel.
SMART Goals
I have learned how to create concise, detailed SMART goals. Goals like these allow me to stay on track, measure progress, and complete tasks promptly. The current goal I have set for myself (in the picture to the right) involves creating a daily schedule to improve productivity. I have been making a schedule each morning upon waking up, and I have noticed a significant improvement in my grades and productivity. In the future, when I begin working, the ability to set achievable goals will be crucial to stay on track and remain focused. Additionally, if I find myself in a leadership role, I can use my skill in creating SMART goals to establish clear objectives for my team, ensuring that expectations are effectively communicated.
Communication Unit
Transactional Analysis
I've recently learned about transactional analysis, which is a method used to analyze communication processes with others. It involves three states: the parent state, which consists of behaviors and feelings copied from parental figures; the child state, made up of thoughts and feelings from childhood; and the adult state, which describes our ability to respond to situations logically. I learned that our language, body language, and choice of words all affect how others respond to us. This knowledge will be extremely valuable to me in my future career in the healthcare field, as effective communication with patients is a necessary skill, regardless of the situation at set.
Mirror Neurons
One of the most fascinating things I learned in the communication unit was about mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are a set of brain cells that are activated when someone observes and when someone carries out an action. In essence, mirror neurons respond to actions performed by other individuals and mimic those actions. For instance, if someone smiles at you, the natural response is to smile back, and this is attributed to the function of mirror neurons. This also applies to learning new skills; by consistently observing an action, you can learn to replicate it yourself. In the future, I plan to utilize this knowledge by observing others doing something repeatedly if I have difficulty learning it. Additionally, when I start working, I intend to bring a positive attitude to the workplace by smiling, in the hope that this positivity will spread to my colleagues and create a welcoming work environment.
