How Did You Get Them To Do That?

By: Dr. B

The neurotransmitters that are most related to happiness are endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and melatonin.

Dopamine is a chemical that communicates between nerve cells in our brain and body. It is known as the “pleasure hormone” because it is released when we are doing something that makes us feel good.

Serotonin is another chemical that sends messages in our bodies. It tells the body how to work and helps to control our happiness, memory, sleep, body temperature and hunger. Most serotonin is produced in our guts while some is produced in our brains. When you have average levels of serotonin in your body you might feel focused, happy or calm. Low levels of this chemical might negatively affect your mood, sleep or digestive tract. (Lahoti, 2023).

If something is a struggle I will be much more likely to release cortisol. Cortisol is a chemical that is definitely needed but too much of it can cause problems in our bodies. Cortisol production by your adrenal glands is regulated by the pituitary gland. This is a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain that is sometimes referred to as the ‘master gland’ because of its wide effects on your body. Prolonged exposure of the brain to a high concentration of cortisol can result in the appearance of psychological symptoms such as irritability, emotional lability, and depression. Too much cortisol can also cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome, which include a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome can also cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can even cause type 2 diabetes. Symptoms of too much cortisol can include: weight gain around the abdomen and face, thin and fragile skin that is slow to heal, acne, female facial hair and irregular menstrual periods. Symptoms of not enough cortisol can include: continual tiredness, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, muscle weakness and pain in the abdomen. (Health Direct, 2022)

So, how exactly do you engage someone that may or may not want to have fun or participate in an activity? Here are some basic strategies:

1. Match their energy level: Too much energy and you could become the annoying fitness instructor from the 1990’s that has an amazing physique, loves to workout and probably isn’t wishing they could eat a pizza right then. This type of energy isn’t achievable as it comes off as “too happy”, “too fun” and can feel almost assaulting to the level of energy that most people have. Alternatively, coming in with too little energy can be boring  and reminiscent of Ferris Buehler’s Educator that kept calling “Buehler, Buehler ”, and couldn’t gain the attention of anyone in the group! The key here is to meet the person where their energy is and then slowly increase it to a relaxed but fun level that is not too hectic as that does not help to induce an environment where learning can take place.

2. Find a way to connect: Find a way to make a personal connection. Starting with the academic content is probably not going to be successful. Sometimes this may be appropriate and using the content to facilitate a connection could work, but many times the straight road isn’t the fastest. Using some contextual content to determine what engages the student and then applying that to layer in the academics is often much more successful.

3. Don’t be afraid to be unique or memorable: We all have a gift. What is yours? Mine is that I am really good at accents and I enjoy recreating movie scenes. I often use this method to get students engaged and connected and to make an academic subject more fun and approachable for my students. I taught group fitness for 25 years and I would often bring in costumes or plan skits to do at certain times – getting into the role made it more fun for me and the participants. This also helps the work to move along faster and can help it to feel less painful.

4. Reinforce what you want repeated: This can be a tough concept for some because oftentimes many people believe they are reinforcing a concept when they are not. So many times I feel for staff as they prompt a student into doing their work repeatedly – which can inadvertently end up reinforcing the need for lots of support to prep for work and if the student refuses or distracts out of it 0 can actually reinforce the refusal and the distraction – ugh so not what we wanted!! It is important to provide feedback to students when they are preparing to do the work, engaged in the work, and completing and packing up the work. This will help them to know that they can complete these things even if they are tough.

5. Add self-soothing if they need it: If a student needs the lights off while they complete a task, shut them off! If they regulate themselves by humming, encourage them to keep humming or hum along if they don’t mind it (remember that this is student specific as some may not be able to tolerate the noise outside of themselves). If they work better standing, give them the space to stand!

6. Use the Power of 3: This is a concept of behavioral momentum also known as ‘High Probability Command Sequence’ or ‘HPCS’ that is an effective strategy for increasing compliant behaviors. The rationale behind this strategy is that an individual is likely to follow directions when they are receiving positive reinforcement for things that they consider to be easy behaviors. This approach can help to reduce frustration levels because students who are having success on easy tasks are more likely to try behaviors that they perceive as difficult (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2024). To implement this strategy you should have the individual do 2 non-academic related tasks – examples of this could be asking them to hand out papers, put their bag under their desk, and then .. do this math activity. If you receive a refusal or even a longer hesitation on the first two requests then you can add another ‘easy’ request before you add in the harder task.

I am often accused of thinking everything is funny and have many students who tell me that I’m “always laughing”, which is probably true in a field that is very serious – as many people that I work with have little hope that things will change and often the players are in conflict and a student can feel more comfortable in defiance. When we remove the element of control it often becomes easier to move everyone forward.Play is a powerful tool in situations such as these as it can be used to help avoid power struggles as well as help students develop skills that will last a lifetime.

So, the next time that someone gets under your skin when you have requested that they do something, take just a moment to make it fun for you!! This will likely have a domino effect, will help to engage your student in the direction needed and will help you both to feel successful, BECAUSE YOU ARE!!

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