I blog because I like it. I do not receive any medals, certificates or degrees for what I write. I get a kick out of the process of creating something from nothing.
Today I read a really interesting blog post on the Edutopia site by Judy Willis called “How to Rewire Your Burned-Out Brain: Tips from a Neurologist”
The keys to the article are in the paragraph headings: (1) Know it’s not your fault (2) If you’re burned out your brain has rewired to survival mode and (3) Reset Your Brain’s Default Neural Network from Retreat to IGNITE!
This is brilliant advice based on neurological science on how you can begin to build confidence again after you have been squashed by Government dictates, parental pressure, managerial pressure and your own self-doubt.
The third paragraph is about the need to learn something new and master it step by step.This allows for you to release dopamine in your brain and feel the pleasure of success and real learning and mastery. This then draws you away from the brain’s survival mode and will lead you to regain confidence in yourself.
The release of the dopamine comes from intrinsic success and not extrinsic rewards. Judy Willis makes a very important point that success is based on a feeling that you get from mastery and an ability to do something that you could not do previously.
Which brings me back to this blog post. I have nearly completed it now and will get the usual buzz that I get from having added another post that someone somewhere will read. I do not expect to get a “Blogger of the Year ” Reward for this and indeed ti means nothing to me to have this accolade.. in the end it is about what I get out of it from knowing that I have achieved something of value to me.
I feel that teachers and many others will get a lot from reading Judy Willis’ wise article and would recommend it to you unreservedly.
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