101. The Transformative Power of AI

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Folks, let’s face it. Our classrooms are going to look a little different this year. AI, specifically ChatGPT, is going to change the way we design learning experiences and assess student mastery. I’ll be honest, when I first explored the ChatGPT platform I was terrified. As I have dug deeper into the technology and its capabilities, I realized that while it does pose significant challenges — it also presents us with some pretty amazing opportunities. In this series, we will explore what AI is capable of, its implications in the classroom, and how it can benefit both teachers and students. Let’s start by examining where we have been, where we are currently, and looking forward to where we are going. Whether this is a trip you wanted to go on or not, the AI train has left the station and it is time for all of us to jump on board. From Card Catalogs to Artificial Intelligence I belong to the micro-generation called Xennial. Xennials are considered to be a “bridge” between Generation X a...
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97: Keys to Well-Being: Are You Kind?

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This is Part 5 in a series exploring behaviors that increase an individual's sense of well-being. Throughout this series, we will answer the questions:

  • What does it truly mean to be happy?
  • What are some ways that we can increase happiness?
We will answer these questions through the lens of different "keys" to well-being such as meaning and purpose, flow and peak performance, compassion and empathy, religion and spirituality, stress and coping, physical health, and forgiveness among others. For each topic, we will define what is meant by each "key to well-being," explore the research, and identify specific interventions to increase well-being.

In the previous post, we explored the practice of forgiveness. We learned that forgiveness is NOT ignoring, forgetting, denying, minimizing, or condoning the behavior. Instead, it is a gift that one gives themselves. It is a release of anger and resentment. There are a number of benefits to forgiving others but it is equally important to be able to forgive ourselves.  In this post, we will be exploring the practice of COMPASSION for ourselves and others.

Compassion - Defined
Compassion at its most basic level means "to suffer together". It includes elements of EMPATHY and ALTRUISM (Compton, 2020, p. 320). Empathy requires us to take on the perspective of another person. It allows us to connect deeply with others. Altruism is the act of helping others without expecting anything in return. It is often prompted by prosocial emotions like self-control and compassion.

For many people, it is much easier to be compassionate towards other people than oneself. I know I struggle to extend to myself the grace to myself that I do to others. I would NEVER speak to someone else the way I sometimes speak to myself. The practice of self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness that you would give a friend. It recognizes that failure and suffering are a normal part of the human experience. Self-compassion allows us to fully embrace ourselves, flaws and all. It is composed of three elements: self-kindness, an understanding of our shared humanity and being mindful of our current state.

Self-compassion, and its antecedent self-criticism, manifest themselves in the physical body in the following ways:
  • When we practice self-compassion, we activate the mammalian care-giving system in our bodies. This triggers the release of oxytocin which increases positive emotions like trust and connectedness.
  • When we practice self-criticism, we activate the reptilian limbic system. This is the part of the brain that helps us detect threats. This leads to arousal of the sympathetic nervous system which triggers a "fight or flight response." Cortisol levels and blood pressure increase, muscles contract, the pupils dilate, and respiration rates speed up. When this system is activated it can "hijack" the logical prefrontal cortex (Neff, 2012).
Benefits of Compassion
Research suggests that practicing compassion - either directed at ourselves or others - positively affects a person's health, relationships and overall well-being. Helping others activates the rewards pathway in the brain releasing chemicals that make people feel good. Practicing compassion is also thought to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. It leads to increased resilience and acts as a buffer against stress. People who practice self-compassion are less likely to experience depression and anxiety. They are, in turn, more likely to experience happiness, resilience and optimism (Neff, 2012). They are less likely to be anxious, depressed, and stressed. Practicing compassion leads to increased levels of happiness, motivation, self-compassion, connectedness with others and overall mental health.

If you are interested in learning more about self-compassion, I suggest you watch this TED Talk: The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion.

Practicing Compassion
Are you interested in becoming more compassionate towards others? Consider practicing a loving-kindness meditation. You can practice this meditation by yourself or guide others through it. It fosters compassion by allowing people to notice suffering, while at the same time giving people the emotional resources they need to not feel overwhelmed by it. Ready to give it a try? Click on this link, Compassion Meditation.

Practicing Self-Compassion
The following activity will help you tame your inner-critic and help you develop a more compassionate attitude towards yourself. This is an activity that you can do with yourself or your students.


Self-compassion can be learned. The next time you are struggling with something, consider taking a self-compassion break. A self-compassion break is a mindfulness activity in which you think about a time in your life that is challenging or stressful. You (1) Identify that this is a moment of suffering, (2) Acknowledge that suffering is a part of life and (3) Identify ways to express kindness to yourself.

I hope that you found this post to be helpful! I would love to hear from you about how you practice compassion in your everyday life. In the next post in the series, we find work on finding our "flow." Until then, if you have questions, comments, or resources please drop them in the comments section.

Be Well,
Cori

Other Posts in this Series:

93: Keys to Well-Being: Are You Happy?

94: Keys to Well-Being: What's Your Why?

95: Keys to Well-Being: Got God?

96: Keys to Well-Being: Forgive and Forget?


Resources:

Hagan, E. (Ed.). (n.d.). The power of self-compassion. Psychology Today. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positive-living/201902/the-power-self-compassion

Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). The how of happiness: A practical guide to getting the life you want. Piatkus. 

Miller, C. A., & Frisch, M. B. (2011). Creating your best life: The ultimate life list guide. Sterling. 

Neff, K. (2012, July 2). The physiology of self-compassion. Psychology Today. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-self-compassion/201207/the-physiology-self-compassion

Neff, K. (n.d.). Compassion exercises . Self. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#exercises






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