Chelsea Collins,
Learning Skills Specialist - POMONA,CA
LEAD
What Inspires Me:
I am inspired by so many things, it is hard to narrow down. I am inspired by a constant desire to learn something new. I see every day as a new day, a new opportunity to learn something I didn’t know yesterday. A new opportunity to meet someone new and have a conversation I’ve never had. I am inspired by curiosity, constantly asking “why?” I am inspired by nature, seeing trees, plants, flowers, and animals persisting even in the most challenging circumstances. Most of all, I am inspired by my kids. They push me in ways I didn’t know I could be pushed, and challenge me to be my best self. I try to bring that attitude of doing my best, and helping others do their best, into every aspect of my life.
Wellbeing
MIND –
When my mind is racing or I have “too many tabs open” in my brain, writing everything down helps me refocus and clear my head. I get to close the tabs, so to speak. I just write down everything that’s on my mind, even that really random thought that I haven’t let go of for 3 hours. I find that if I write it down, I don’t feel as much weight of that thought in my head anymore. The cherry on top is when I can write everything down while sitting in the sun listening to the sounds of nature. That’s when my mind feels truly refreshed.
BODY –
I try to stay active in any way I can. I have two young kids, so sometimes being active for me looks like an after dinner walk to the park, or doing yoga in the corner of the living room while my kids use me as a jungle gym.
SELF –
I practice self-care by carving out a little time right before bed to read a book, which gives me a chance to stop thinking about everything that happened during the day or what I need to do tomorrow. For just one chapter, usually from some type of fantasy or science fiction story, I get to completely check out of my own life and think about the lives of the characters in whatever story I’m reading. On days I don’t read before bed, I find myself feeling more anxious, so I try to work in at least one chapter every night.
SOCIAL –
We recently moved back to Southern California from North Idaho so that we could be closer to family. Our little family unit eats dinner together every night, and we have a family tradition on Friday nights called “Cookies and Conversations” where we bake fresh cookies and pick a conversation starter out of a jar to talk about our week. We also try to connect with both sides of our families at least a couple times a month.
INTERESTS/HOBBIES –
I love to cook and bake. I have a science research background, and the precision of baking feels very familiar and comforting to me. I love when my kids join me in the kitchen and help me make dinner. I bake sourdough and love to test different sourdough recipes. In fact, our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is actually sourdough based! I also love to try out new foods and restaurants. My husband and I are a bit nerdy (we had a light saber battle at our wedding instead of a first dance), so about once a month after the kids go to bed, we play Dungeons and Dragons with some of our friends to unwind and tell a fun story.