A special program for Morgantown High School Students Life is a Rollercoaster: Enjoy the Ride ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

What’s this about? Why do I ride a rollercoaster of emotions? How can I help myself when I feel out of control? Why do I sometimes have more trouble than others getting calmed down? Am I OK if I’m angry or upset or sad a lot? How can I stay calm when bad things are happening around me? ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Do you know…? why we think the way we do about being stressed and upset? (It all started with rats) ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Hans Sely e Alarm Resistance Exhaustion Hans Selye Acute Chronic ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

What Selye didn’t research… How the human mind works… ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s see for ourselves ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Stuff Thoughts/ Feelings (Is stuff in charge of your life?) ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Does that make sense? Does the same stuff always make everyone feel the same way? Does the same stuff always make you feel the same way? ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

(Are you in charge of your life?) Stuff Thoughts/ Feelings ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Does that make sense? Do you notice that you handle life differently in different moods? Do you notice that you respond differently from others to the same things? ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

The human mind at work Thinking is part of constant life energy: –Heartbeat –Breathing –Immune system –Digestion –Cellular activity –Mind ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Thinking is how we know We know that we’re thinking We know what we’re thinking ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Thinking is how we know And we all think in our own separate, unique, personal way, moment-to-moment. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Our mood = special effects We see our thinking as real, and we see it through the “color” of our mood at that moment. We always know how we feel. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Here’s how it works Tension Mood Natural Flow of Thought Upsetting Thought X I’m in a low mood and I’m tense! ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Low Mood = warning A low mood or troubled state of mind is like the red warning light on a car dashboard. When we’re in a low mood, or angry, or upset, we know that we … ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

But, unlike cars… We don’t need a mechanic. We can self-correct. We have innate health. –And with it comes Common sense Wisdom Knowing what to do ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

We have innate health When we allow our thinking to “idle” and slow down, we naturally come back into balance. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Summing it up We think all the time. We are aware of our thinking. Our thinking looks real. Our “reality” changes as our thinking and our moods change. We’re always changing. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Summing it up Our moods are our natural guidance system. They tell us how much to trust our thinking. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Summing it up When we can’t trust our thinking, all we have to do is leave it alone and it will change. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s look at the questions Why do I ride a rollercoaster of emotions? Because my thinking and my view of reality are always changing. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s look at the questions How can I help myself when I feel out of control? Recognize the feeling as coming from my thinking, not from the situation; allow it to pass. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s look at the questions Why do I sometimes have more trouble than others getting calmed down? Sometimes I take my thinking more seriously and have more trouble leaving it alone. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s look at the questions Am I OK if I’m angry or upset or sad a lot? Innate Health is part of you; you can’t lose it; you are always OK. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Let’s look at the questions How can I stay calm when bad things are happening around me? Understand that others are acting according to their own thinking; don’t take it personally. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

You can’t scare yourself with your own puppet! ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Remember… The life of a thought is as long as you think it. Not a moment more. ©Judith A. Sedgeman, 2006

Please fill out the evaluation… Dear Participant, You are being asked to complete the questionnaire as part of a program evaluation of a series of 90-minute Innate Health assemblies for Morgantown High School students. The information generated by the study will be used to satisfy a course requirement and to present evaluation data to allow the high school to determine whether the program should be continued. Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to answer any questions. Your responses will remain anonymous and confidentiality will be maintained. Your job status or class status will not be affected in any way by refusal to participate or by withdrawal from the study. Thank you. Reagan Curtis, PhDJudith A. Sedgeman, MA