A Message to Fellow Educators:

Dear Fellow Educator, As Benjamin Franklin famously penned in 1789, “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Who would have ever thought that closing school systems down for six months or more, worldwide, was a possibility? I know I would have considered Franklin’s quote to include schooling (outside of the home) as one of life’s certainties. We all must adapt to the changes Covid-19 has forced upon us. And while the novel coronavirus is a new threat to the health of our society, there is another, all too familiar threat that requires extra attention these days – mental health. In December 2020, I decided to change the scope of my business permanently.  I decided to take a job with a mental health collaborative in Neptune Beach, FL – Here Tomorrow.  The suicide epidemic in Jacksonville, Florida is very concerning and Jacksonville is one of my favorite cities.  I have moved to Jacksonville and now working full-time as Director of Education and Community Outreach with Here Tomorrow.  Therefore, I am not traveling much anymore and have decided to focus on virtual mental health speaking and focusing on the next chapter of my life changing the mental health and suicide landscape in Jacksonville and the Jacksonville beach communities. Please reach out to me and let me know if you’re interested in me speaking virtually.  Only on a case by case basis am I traveling and visiting school communities.

How is your Heart?

One of my favorite questions is, “How is your heart?” I ask that of students, teachers/staff, parents, and administrators alike. Millions of hearts are suffering right now as we all deal with uncertainty. I am concerned for the health of the world, I am anxious about the welfare of the people in the United States, I am worried about my own family, and I am troubled when I think of the students who struggle in the best of circumstances. 

Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome

While in the Marine Corps, one of the sayings we used to always use is, “Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome.”  That’s what we did and that is what I have learned to always do in situations. So WE must adapt, improvise, and overcome, too. In the “good old days”, I traveled to school communities and spoke in person to hundreds of students and after I’d meet with students one-on-one or smaller groups as the need dictated; obviously that scenario is not possible today. But instead of yearning for what was, we must adjust to what can be. I do believe our teens, teachers, staff, administrators, and school communities have done and continue to do a pretty amazing job during this pandemic. Applauding you all from my office (social distancing).

Mental Health Stress from Covid-19

The CDC updated an article on April 16, 2020 on how to handle the stress and anxiety created by Covid-19 and how to cope. The article affirms that “outbreaks can be stressful” and acknowledges that “everyone reacts differently to stressful situations.” People are encouraged to take care of themselves and their community and some suggestions are provided, including: 

• Take care of your body.
  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
  • Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
  • Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

Learn Meditation Today with Jeff Yalden – FREE Course

I’ve created a FREE On-Demand Course for your School Community: Introductory Course to Learning Meditation, plus 10 Radically Awesome Meditations to do Today! (Click Here) My friend, these particular suggestions are all in my wheelhouse. This is how I can help. I might not be able to be there in person, but modern technology brings the next best thing: virtual assistance.  Virtual Schooling could very well be the new normal we have to get used to. I’m wrapping up my 200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training and we’ve stayed the course via zoom and it’s been amazing. A little different, but we’ve accepted it and learned to go with it. I too, have been teaching yoga via zoom and not in person. I might not be able to visit schools in person for some time. You might not be able to gather all your students into an auditorium in the near future. Yet schooling will continue. Instead of my addressing your students all at one time in a public gathering, I can speak to them via technology. There is even an added benefit for students as they would be able to ask questions more privately than in a live, group setting.  Also, all presentations are branded for you and it’s RECORDED for you to use over and over. That’s pretty awesome too.

Teen Mental Health

Addressing Teen Mental Health Awareness and Wellness (IMMEDIATELY!) is of the utmost importance now and moving forward. As our world rights itself and in-house school resumes, it is imperative to address mental health immediately.  Academically, our students will persevere. They will recover and excel. Mentally and emotionally, though? This pandemic has taken quite a toll. I am here to help and I am confident that booking Virtual Jeff for a day or more will benefit not only your students, but your staff as well. Benjamin Franklin also said, “When you are finished changing, you are finished.” We are not finished. Be the change. Be influential. Look forward. We’ve got this and we got this together. I am still here. Maybe more so than ever I am committed, present, and motivated.

Virtual School Assemblies Through Zoom?

Jeff Yalden loves teaching. He’s been doing virtual life coaching for years through different platforms.  He has been a school teacher, a coach, an aerobics instructor, and now a yoga teacher. Times are changing, but we’ve needed it. How we teach is changing, but teaching to the heart doesn’t have to change. We need to prepare our students for this technological driven life that has become the norm, but in our standards haven’t adapted to it yet. Now we are having to and it’s not all bad. Listen, the only constant in life is CHANGE. With change we’re given choices:

• You can choose to change
• You can choose defeat and be miserable

Nonetheless, CHANGE will take place and you can choose how you respond.