 Hello. Welcome to our Social Emotional Learning Lab. This is Sonia Simons and Jesse Walter in we are part of your ESQ8 school psych team. Let's start with what social emotional learning is. This is the way that children and adults learn to build emotional intelligence and resilience so they can manage emotions and behavior. One of the key aspects of social emotional learning is self-awareness. That's one's ability to accurately recognize your own emotions, thoughts, and how they influence your behavior. This includes accurately assessing your own strengths and limitations and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism. We wanted to provide you some ways to grow your brain that would also increase self-confidence and optimism. The examples that we're going to provide are things that you can do together as a family. For example, playing an instrument. This uses multi-sensory connections between your brain's pathways. It integrates your motor actions with specific sounds and visual patterns and that leads to the formation of new neural networks. Right now would be a good time to practice your instrument or start playing a new one. Exercise. Exercise is not only physically good but mentally healthy. It increases the heart rate which pumps more oxygen to our brain and this aids in the release of hormones which support a healthy environment for our brain growth. Some great examples of exercise you could be doing right now are going for a walk or a bike, ride, hiking, maybe shooting hoops or playing in the park or one of my personal favorites, workout videos and apps. Art. Another way to strengthen those neural pathways because it grows your memory, your empathy and develops attention and focus. Whether you enjoy crafting, jewelry, pottery, painting, taking photos or even drawing. The combination of these things works on motor and cognitive processing and promotes better brain connectivity. Get out there and express yourself. Also it's important to eat healthy not just for your body but to fuel your brain. Nuts and seeds increase blood flow to the brain and they're a good source of vitamin E. Avocados are rich in healthy fat which increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Fish like salmon is high in omega 3 and it is a good anti-inflammatory food. Blueberries protect against oxidants and stresses and whole grains and oatmeal are also a good source of vitamin E. One of my favorites, dark chocolate is a powerful antioxidant and protein is important. It optimizes brain function, it fights fatigue and it boosts your memory. Make sure your days include healthy snacks and meals. Dancing is another great way to grow your brain. Dance has an outstanding positive effect on both physical and psychological well-being. Dance is a great way to exercise and stay fit through this pandemic. It also burns calories, improves coordination, hopefully builds confidence, lifts your mood and is overall just good for your mind, body and your soul. Remember to dance like no one is watching and express yourself. Sleep. Research has shown that most adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep a night to function at their best. Most children need around 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night depending on their age. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality life and safety. It's important to make sure that you're sleeping and sticking to a schedule through this time. Sunlight can be beneficial in many ways. Some include enhancing your mood. So being out in the sun makes you feel better and it also gives you more energy through vitamin D. Sunlight can relieve stress and also improve your sleep. Exposure to sunlight impacts how much melatonin your brain produces, which is what tells your brain when it is time to sleep. Sunshine is truly the best medicine. We want you to tag us on our social media accounts with all the fun things that you're doing to grow your brain. Reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Let us know what you're doing. Show us those photos. Are you going for a walk? Are you dancing in the hallway? Are you making a healthy snack? Make sure we can see what you're doing to grow your brain. Here is our contact information. Please feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. Here are the references used to support our presentation today. Thank you for joining our Social Emotional Learning Lab. We'll see you next week.