Josh Levin’s Balancing Act
Q&A with Olympic hopeful and American Ninja Warrior Josh Levin. He wants to tell YOU how to keep your emotions balanced.
Classroom Champions athlete mentor Josh Levin knows a thing or two about balance. As an American Ninja Warrior and professional rock climber, he’s got to know how to balance his time, and his emotions, each and every day! Josh talks to students through Classroom Champions’ powerful social and emotional learning curriculum, but this advice was too good not to share with the world. Let’s dive in!
How do you reset when you’re feeling anxious?
To reset while I’m feeling anxious, I make sure to do an activity at least once per day that gets me moving. Most days, that means climbing on my home climbing wall I built here in my garage!
How do you think social media helps and hurts your emotional balance and wellness?
Social media can both help and hurt your emotional balance. While it can be fun and exciting to see what your friends are up to online, it can also create unreasonable expectations by comparing yourself to others. Take breaks from social media to get outside and play!
What would you tell your younger self about managing your emotions and learning to cope with disappointment?
If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self that it’s OK to have strong emotions. Set REALLY big goals for yourself and go after them! No matter whether or not you succeed, allow yourself to process your emotions and know you gave the opportunity everything you had.
How do you separate yourself from the digital world if it’s making you feel overwhelmed?
Right now we’re online so much more through social media, communications, as well as video conferencing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed as I sometimes am, I definitely recommend finding a physical object that can help you stay grounded. For me, that’s my rubik’s cube!
Name 3 emotions that you feel regularly that you wish kids understand that EVERYONE feels and goes through?
Three emotions I experience on a regular basis as an athlete are excitement, nervousness, and enjoyment.
What can we do to practice this? Here’s a challenge from Josh!
I challenge you to do at least ONE action this month that will help your community. You can do something that will help your school or neighborhood, or you could volunteer your time at a local shelter or nursing home. I can’t WAIT for you to share what YOU do with ME to help your community thrive!
