Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Self-Management

“Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.” Pema Chodron

I’ve always been told that life is not what happens to you, but how you respond to it that matters. That is a quote I’ve often heard from the Toddford, my dad.

We as people are able to manage our reactions and choose how we will take responsibility for our own behavior and well-being. Self-management is the second of the five Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies.

Also referred to as “self-control,” self-management is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.

In our second book in the Pee Wee and Buddy series, The Life and Canine Times of Pee Wee and Buddy: The Move, Pee Wee experiences a huge loss, deals with it in his way, and finds comfort from his friend Buddy, a three-legged beagle/basset hound.

Due to the great loss in the family, Pee Wee, Buddy, and their human friend make a big move from the beach to the country.

Pee Wee and Buddy do not complain, instead they decide to roll with the flow and overcome, improvise, and adapt to the big changes that are going on in their lives.

They react in a positive manner while dealing with loss, a move, and a new life filled with many adjustments. Pee Wee and Buddy are examples of finding the good in what could easily be seen as “the bad,” or something negative.

“You are always responsible for how you act, no matter how you feel. Remember that.”

Do your feelings affect the way you treat others?