Caring for Your Body
Your body feels tired, you have a headache, and you've barely had any water today. What's one thing you can do to take care of yourself?
Drink water and take a moment to check in with your body. Dehydration can contribute to headaches and fatigue.
You have a big assignment, but your phone keeps distracting you. Name one strategy to help your brain focus.
Put the phone away, break the assignment into smaller tasks, set a short timer, or work somewhere with fewer distractions.
A new student is sitting alone while everyone else is talking with friends. What's one small thing you could do to help them feel welcome
Say hello, introduce yourself, invite them to join your group, or ask how their day is going.
Name one thing you can do when you need a break from stress and want to feel grounded again.
Spend time outdoors, listen to music, pray or reflect if that is meaningful to you, breathe slowly, create art, or spend quiet time with someone you trust.
True or false: Your brain continues developing into your twenties, including areas involved in planning and decision-making.
True. Brain development continues into young adulthood, although the timing and pace vary between individuals.
You don't have access to a gym or expensive equipment. Name three ways to move your body and care for your physical health.
Walk, dance, play basketball, stretch, hike, do bodyweight exercises, or help with physical work around the home or community.
You're so frustrated that you feel like yelling or punching a wall. Name one thing you can do in the next 60 seconds to give your brain time to reset.
Take slow breaths, unclench your fists, step away from the situation, get some water, or name five things you can see. If anyone is in danger, move to safety and get help.
Your friend tells you they're having a rough time. What's a better first response: give them a lecture, tell them other people have it worse, or listen and ask what they need?
Listen and ask what they need. Try, "That sounds rough. Do you want advice, or do you just want me to listen?"
Name two places, people, activities, or traditions that can help someone feel connected to something bigger than themselves.
Family, community, a cultural group, language, ceremony, a team, volunteering, time on the land, or a group that shares your interests. Answers will vary.
Name one specific action you can take this week to care for your body, one for your mind, one for your relationships, and one for your community or spirit.
Responses will vary. Look for realistic actions that demonstrate self-awareness, connection, and responsibility.
You stay up gaming until 2 a.m., but you need to be at school at 8 a.m. How can that affect you, and what's one change you could try?
Too little sleep can affect mood, attention, memory, and physical health. Try setting a consistent bedtime, winding down earlier, or setting a cutoff time for gaming.
Some people think asking for help means you're weak. Give one reason why asking for help can actually be a sign of strength.
It takes self-awareness and courage to recognize when you need support. Asking for help can prevent problems from getting worse and help you learn new skills.
You make a joke about your friend's appearance. Everyone laughs, but your friend gets quiet. What does a genuine apology look like?
Acknowledge what you did, recognize the impact, apologize without making excuses, and change your behavior. For example: "That joke was hurtful. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it."
How can spending time on the land or in nature help someone care for their inner well-being? Name two possibilities.
It can offer a sense of peace, perspective, belonging, physical activity, or an opportunity to reflect and connect with family and community. Many Indigenous peoples also have specific relationships, responsibilities, and teachings connected to their homelands.
What are three ways people can show care for the land and the living things around them?
Avoid littering, conserve water, respect wildlife, learn about local plants, participate in restoration, or follow the guidance and protocols of the local community when gathering from the land.
Your friends want you to fight someone who insulted you. You know it could get you hurt or in trouble. What could you say or do to protect yourself without losing your self-respect?
Walk away, say "I'm not risking my future over this," get support, or de-escalate the situation. Protecting yourself doesn't mean proving you're the toughest person in the room.
You make a mistake and think, "I'm stupid. I mess everything up." What's a more helpful and realistic thought?
"I made a mistake, but I can learn from it." Or, "This is difficult, but I can ask for help and try again." Positive self-talk doesn't mean pretending everything is fine; it means responding to yourself fairly.
Your friend keeps pressuring you to share private information about someone else. How can you stand up for your values while maintaining the friendship?
Set a respectful boundary: "That's not my story to tell." A caring friend should respect privacy and boundaries. If someone is at risk of harm, seek appropriate help rather than promising secrecy.
What guides you to do the right thing, even when no one is watching?
Your values, conscience, teachings from family and community, and consideration of how your choices affect other people. Integrity means trying to do what is right even when nobody is watching.
Name two ways cultural knowledge can be passed from one generation to another.
Through language, storytelling, observation, mentorship, songs, art, foodways, land-based learning, and appropriate community practices. The specific traditions and protocols differ among Native Nations.
Many Indigenous teachings emphasize relationships and balance between people, community, land, and other forms of life. How might caring for your body help you fulfill your responsibilities to your family and community?
Caring for your health helps you show up for others, participate in community life, pursue your goals, and maintain relationships. Caring for yourself and caring for others can support one another.
In many Indigenous communities, knowledge is passed between generations through stories, observation, language, and relationships. Name one way learning from an Elder, relative, or mentor can help you make wiser decisions.
You can learn from their experiences, understand the consequences of choices, strengthen cultural knowledge, and gain perspective that you might not have considered on your own.
Reciprocity is an important value in many Indigenous traditions. In the context of relationships, what does reciprocity mean, and how can you practice it with your friends or family?
It means participating in relationships with mutual care, respect, and responsibility. You can check on friends, offer help, listen when others need support, and contribute without expecting a reward every time.
The Haudenosaunee are associated with a teaching about considering the impact of decisions on the next seven generations. How could this idea change the way you make choices today?
It encourages you to think beyond immediate rewards and consider how your decisions may affect future relatives, the community, and the natural world. For example, caring for the land, preserving knowledge, and making choices that support future generations.
DAILY DOUBLE!!!! What's the difference between being tough and being strong?
Toughness might mean enduring difficulty, while strength can also mean showing vulnerability, setting boundaries, admitting mistakes, asking for help, and protecting others without violence.