​In the vibrant and dynamic environment of schools, educators and support staff juggle multiple responsibilities while trying to maintain a positive atmosphere for students. With the relentless demands of teaching, behavioral, social and emotional support for students, many school professionals are seeking effective ways to enhance their well-being during the workday. One emerging approach gaining popularity is microdosing wellness—small, intentional practices that can lead to significant improvements in mental and emotional health. Microdosing wellness can transform your workday experience.

Wellness as a Birthright
It’s important to lift up that wellness and healing is not just a luxury; it is a birthright. Every individual deserves to feel good, to thrive, and to be supported in their physical, mental, and emotional health. In a school environment, where the focus is often on nurturing the growth of students, it’s easy to overlook the importance of self-care for educators and staff. However, prioritizing your well-being is essential—not only for your own health but also for the students who look to you as a role model. When you invest in your own wellness, you send a powerful message that taking care of oneself is fundamental to a fulfilling life. 

What is Microdosing Wellness? 
Microdosing wellness refers to the practice of incorporating small, manageable wellness strategies into your daily routine. These practices are designed to improve mood, increase focus, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being without requiring substantial time or effort. For educators and school staff, microdosing wellness can be especially beneficial, allowing for rejuvenation amidst the busyness of the school day.

Practical Microdosing Strategies for School Professionals
Here are some microdosing wellness strategies tailored for those who work in schools - some of these can be practiced during your commute as well:

1. Mindful Breathing
   Taking just a few moments to focus on your breath can have a profound impact on your mental clarity and stress levels. Try a simple exercise: inhale deeply for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for six counts. Repeat this cycle three to five times throughout the day to recenter yourself.
2. Movement Breaks
   Incorporate short bursts of movement into your schedule. Stand up, stretch, or take a brief walk around your classroom or the school. Even a five-minute break to move can improve circulation, elevate your mood, and help you refocus.
3. Gratitude Journaling
   Spend a few minutes each day writing down three things you’re grateful for. This practice shifts your focus from stressors to positive aspects of your day, fostering a more optimistic outlook.
4. Nature Exposure
   If possible, spend a few moments outdoors during your breaks. Natural light and fresh air can significantly boost your mood and energy levels. Consider organizing outdoor activities with students, integrating wellness into the curriculum while benefiting yourself. Those of us in the Bay Area are lucky enough to have almost year-round access to the outdoors given our mild climate.
5. Hydration and Nutrition
   Keep a water bottle at your desk and take sips throughout the day. Pair this with healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, or yogurt. Proper hydration and nutrition can greatly affect your energy and concentration levels.
6. Digital Detox
   Allocate specific times to step away from screens. This could be during lunch or between classes. Use that time to engage in face-to-face conversations with colleagues or to enjoy a moment of silence. It’s also good for your eyes to take regular screen breaks and look into the distance.
7. Positive Affirmations
   Start your day with a positive affirmation. It can be something simple like, “I am capable and ready to inspire my students today,” or “My wellness is essential.” Repeating affirmations throughout the day can help reinforce a positive mindset.
8. Mini Meditation
   Even a minute of meditation can clear your mind and reduce stress. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. You can also use meditation apps for guided sessions tailored to short time frames.
9. Mindful Drawing

          Take a moment to play with this online drawing board.  The virtual ink responds to your gestures
         and fades over time as if evaporating. There’s also a button on the screen to play the sound of a gentle stream as                you draw.

The Ripple Effect of Wellness in SchoolsIntegrating microdosing wellness practices into your workday doesn’t just benefit you; it creates a ripple effect throughout the school environment. When educators and staff prioritize their well-being, they become more engaged, patient, and present, positively influencing students’ experiences. Moreover, a culture of wellness can inspire colleagues and students to adopt healthy habits themselves, fostering a supportive community focused on holistic development and collective care. 
ConclusionIn the fast-paced world of education, it’s essential to prioritize your well-being to sustain your passion for working with and supporting your students effectively. Remember, wellness is your birthright, and you have the power to claim it. Microdosing wellness offers practical, manageable strategies to enhance your workday without overwhelming your schedule. By incorporating these small practices into your routine, you can cultivate a healthier mindset, improve your mood, and contribute to a more positive school environment. Start today and watch how these small shifts can lead to substantial changes in your well-being and that of your school community. Embrace your right to wellness—it’s time to prioritize yourself!
Want to explore more? Check out these resources
Gather At the Well - a podcast that isn’t just a podcast - “it’s a movement to reimagine how we relate to our work.”  Lindsey Fuller at The Teaching Well is on a mission to “build work cultures we don’t have to heal from.” Gather At The Well: Micro-Dosing Wellness - Lindsey Fuller — We Are For Good
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective shares this affirmation as part of their Wellness Tools resources:  Healing is our Birthright Affirmation - BEAM

Blog By: Emily Marsh, Director of Clinical Intervention Services

​Position: Clinical Supervisor

What led you to your current position? While I was a clinician, I did not see a lot of folks in clinical leadership positions that looked like me and I wanted to be a part of changing that perception. That combined with my previous program leadership team encouraging me to develop in that direction led me to pursue this role with our amazing UE West Bay team.

What inspires you to do this work? Supporting therapists in bringing their true authentic selves into this work while also watching them grow professionally. All the while providing clients and families with the care that they need. 

What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? A recent highlight has been watching another one of our clinicians obtain licensure. (Shout out to Shaina!) There is nothing like getting to celebrate our clinicians when they reach a goal that it took them years to work towards.

Share your life motto: My life's motto is "protect your peace at all costs". 
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Something unique: I am not a big fan of the spotlight. Agreeing to do this highlight is so far out of my comfort zone, it would take a parachute for me to find it again. When I was younger, the best woman I know (my grandma) told me "Your best growing happens when you're uncomfortable, so you better get used to it".

We’re excited to highlight Malcolm X Academy Elementary School (MXA), located in the vibrant Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood! MXA embodies the values of freedom, justice, and equality, aligning beautifully with Seneca’s commitment to unconditional care and education. The school is a cornerstone of the community, providing invaluable support and resources to its students and families.

This year, we have our Clinical Intervention Specialist, Shaina, and Student Support Assistant, Nelson, who are dedicated to offering Tier 3 services– therapy, intervention planning, direct behavioral services, and collaborating with the students’ support team to ensure quality and equitable care.

In addition, Shaina has collaborated with school social worker and has taken Seneca’s support a step further by introducing “First Fridays,” a wonderful initiative aimed at fostering connections and building community among the MXA community. 
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“First Fridays were started with a goal of building community among ALL staff at MXA – teachers, support staff, admin, BGCSF, Seneca, and beyond. We open our office on the first Friday of every month between 11:30am-1pm and encourage all adults to socialize, enjoy a treat, listen to music, nap on an adult-size bean bag, color, or whatever they may need. The MXA team dedicates so much energy, time, and love to our kiddos and we want to celebrate, appreciate, and love on all of them regularly. We believe that by being in community and experiencing collective joy, we can best support our students and each other”- Shaina

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Blog By: Cristina Sanchez-Cruz, Assistant Director of School Partnerships

​Position: UE Coach

What led you to your current position? I have been with Seneca for a number of years, first as a Student Support Assistant, then as a Special Education Teacher.  I loved creating a community with my students and wanted to bring those skills to an entire school community!  

What inspires you to do this work?  I love seeing kids smile and have fun at school.  Actions we may think are trivial can make a huge impact on a student's relationship with learning, so creating spaces that feel warm and inviting is deeply satisfying.  I also love to work with teachers and admin as they sharpen their skills. 

What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role?  I have learned to slow down when trying to put systems in place.  Often the best systems work when there is input from many stakeholders and this takes time!  

Share your life motto or something unique about yourself:  My dad always told us to work hard and play hard.  As an adult, I see this as a reminder to find balance between your obligations and the things that bring you joy.  

Blog By: Jenna Evans, Assistant Director of School Partnerships

Cherryland Elementary School in Hayward, California is entering its fourth year of partnership with Seneca and the UE HEART (Hayward Empowering Advocacy and Radical Transformation) program. HEART supports Cherryland with a counseling enriched classroom (CEC) partnership with the Hayward Unified School District (HUSD). In this partnership, HEART provides 2-3 mental health counselors and a classroom clinician, who work in collaboration with a district teacher. The team works to define individualized goals and strategies to address behaviors that are impacting the student’s ability to succeed in school and engage collaboratively with school staff and caregivers to develop a nurturing, structured setting to promote student success. 
 
Additionally, the HEART program has been working school wide at Cherryland to provide regular training to the staff. Training topics have included trauma informed education, understanding and responding to challenging behaviors, self-care, and most recently, Autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity.   
 
In our regularly conducted surveys, feedback for Seneca’s presence on campus has been overwhelmingly positive. 100% of the school leadership, teachers and school staff (who completed our surveys) strongly agreed professionalism, collaboration, effectiveness, and communication of the HEART program at Cherryland. We love our Cherryland team and look forward to many more years in collaboration! ​

Blog By: Alexandra Rutherford, Assistant Director of School Partnerships

Position: Classroom Therapist, Ochoa Middle School 

What led you to your current position? It is hard for me to summarize what has led me to my current position because I really believe it is the convergence of many different life experiences and values, but for the sake of a blog post I have to jump in somewhere! Before becoming a therapist, I taught middle and high school conflict resolution and geography. During my time as a teacher, I found myself really wanting to focus on my students outside of the classroom and what was impacting how they showed up at school, what their needs were outside of specific classroom demands, and how my classroom could become a supportive place for students in a holistic way. As much as I loved being a teacher, I found that I really wanted to transition into a role that focused more on mental health, so I decided to go to grad school with a goal of working in school-based mental health. One of the things that brought me to work as a therapist in a CEC setting is the opportunity to be a very integrated part of our youth’s daily experience and classroom community in and outside of individual and group therapy and be there to celebrate the progress and joyful moments as well as work as a team to support during challenges. 

What inspires you to do this work? I think that my own experiences in my youth and working directly with youth in mental health and school systems and seeing the harm that has been caused by these systems has inspired me to try to transform them from the inside by rethinking what mental health support and school can look like. A classroom is a community that can be creatively co-created with your team, students, and families. Continuously reflecting on what could be done differently or in a new way keeps me engaged in the work. Another thing that inspires me is the ability to form deep and authentic relationships that allow room for all experiences-challenging and joyful. I believe that being able to express and be seen and accepted in the fullness of who you are is healing.

What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson I have learned in this role is that healing looks different for different people and to take time to reflect on and question where your vision of healing is coming from, and who or what is being centered in that vision. 

​Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: Something unique about me is that I know a weird amount of apple facts because I grew up on an apple orchard. I don’t get to use this skill very often but every once in a while, it comes in handy.

Beginning of this school year the HEART clinical team started an Intern, CCA (Clinical Counseling Associate) group supervision and PLC. This group brings together our interns and CCA’s who are currently enrolled in graduate school or getting ready to apply to graduate school, in Social Work and Counseling Psychology studies. This group is led by our amazing, rock star Lead Clinicians and Veteran Clinicians Shocka Heights, Rachel Williams and Tiffany Fox. We also have other fantastic clinicians from our team dropping into the group throughout the school year to teach different techniques/modalities such as DBT, play therapy, and EMDR. The group participants have all shared positive feedback around the community this has created for them and how enjoyable this learning process has been. It has been a really joyful experience to watch the group members support each other, deepen their clinical skills, and grow within this work. We hope to continue this group each year.

Blog By: Leslie Davidson, Clinical Supervisor

​Position: I am a Lead Clinician in the amazing HEART program!
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What led you to your current position: I have always enjoyed working with youth and families in some capacity. As a counselor, I worked with really amazing clinicians and colleagues who taught me that therapy did not have to look one way. I learned by bringing my authentic self to the space, I am creating a safe space for clients/families who have not always felt heard, supported, or cared for by providers. There is not a better feeling then when I walk into a space as a Black Clinician and make eye contact with a Black caregiver and we just smile. The smile is an unspoken rule that lets them know; I have their back!
What inspires you to do this work: I am inspired by how resilient our clients are and the work that they continue to put in towards their own healing. I am blessed to have not only an amazing group of clients but a wonderful team, clinical group, and admin team. The days when I feel overwhelmed or just flat out tired, I lean on them for support.
 
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you have learned in this role: I recently had a parent tell me that her son shared with her that I am really kind towards him, and he really likes that about me. Hearing her say that really warmed my heart but also reminded me of the importance to lead with kindness and care.
 
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: My favorite quote is, “if you are silent about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it.” – Zora Neale Hurston. I don’t think this is unique, but I love collecting vinyl records, so I enjoy spending my weekends crate digging!

We’d like to highlight our San Lorenzo Outpatient ERMHS program!

The Mosaic Program has partnerships with school districts all over the East Bay (Alameda County), one of those partnerships is with San Lorenzo Unified and their Special Services Department. The program offers therapeutic services to San Lorenzo students in special education that have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and could benefit from Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS). Our outpatient ERMHS services are a Tier 3 service that offer individual therapy, psychosocial rehabilitation and collaboration with students’ IEP team regardless of their health insurance. We support students’ social-emotional needs and assist with any barriers that may be preventing them from accessing their education. Our services help students improve their academics, behavior, and overall well-being. Since this is a service that is integrated into the IEP, the ERMHS referral is initiated by the IEP team, goes to the district’s school psychologist, then to our program team.
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Our San Lorenzo Outpatient ERMHS team consists of four clinicians: Karla Arredondo, ASW; Ashley Longares, AMFT; Patricia Prieto, AMFT; and Lexy Abreu, ASW. Our clinical team provides therapy services to students in elementary, middle and high school, holding cases at a total of eighteen school sites, every school in the district! Our four clinicians have training and experience in supporting youth of all ages, working in diverse communities, as well as public and non-public school settings in neighboring school districts.  We are dedicated to supporting students with meeting their social, emotional, and academic goals as well as enhancing students’ well-being. The team is excited for the start of the 2024-25 school year to continue to build school community and help provide equity for San Lorenzo students’ education!

Blog By: Mosaic and Pathways Team