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Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I look forward to working with you to support the well-being and academic success of your children. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I look forward to working with you to support the well-being and academic success of your children. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Mindfulness is a term we hear a lot these days! But it really is a foundational skill that, with practice, can help us reduce stress, regulate our emotions, and improve our relationships. Click the photo to the left for several mindfulness activities geared toward adolescents.
Mindfulness is a term we hear a lot these days! But it really is a foundational skill that, with practice, can help us reduce stress, regulate our emotions, and improve our relationships. Click the photo to the left for several mindfulness activities geared toward adolescents.
Mindfulness Challenge of the Week:
Mindfulness Challenge of the Week:
Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion
Research suggests the people who demonstrate self-compassion are better able to handle stress and recover faster from difficult events. For some self-compassion comes naturally. For others, it seems much more difficult. Sometimes, we are able to have compassion for others but unable to bring that same level of kindness toward ourselves.Self-compassion involves being open to and aware of our own feelings and taking a nonjudgmental attitude towards the emotions and difficulties we are currently experiencing.
This week, try this exercise in practicing compassion towards yourself!
Practicing Self-Compassion
Materials: Something to write with and something to write on.
Activity: Sit someplace quietly for the next 5 minutes and try to mindfully write about the following prompts:
Validate your current feelings and behaviors (i.e. “It’s okay to feel like…”)
Tell yourself some positive affirmations (i.e. “I can get through this…”)
List three things you like about yourself
When the 5 minutes are up, take a moment to reflect on your current mood and how the exercise made you feel.
Free Headspace for "Weathering the Storm"
Free Headspace for "Weathering the Storm"
Everyday Mindfulness
Everyday Mindfulness
For a list of gyms streaming free fitness classes, click the picture above
Staying Positive and Active at Home
Staying Positive and Active at Home
It is always important that we take care of both our bodies and our minds. The skills we use for this in the DBT world are PLEASE and LAUGH. Managing our emotions in the long term requires taking care of our body, doing things that make us feel happy and proud of ourselves, and using our skills to be prepared. These skills focus on increasing positive emotions, decreasing vulnerability to negative emotions, and staying out of emotion mind by being prepared and coping ahead.
The PLEASE skills focus on taking care of the body, such as maintaining a balanced diet and eating throughout the day, getting enough sleep, exercising daily, avoiding mood-altering substances, and taking care of any physical illnesses.
See skills corner for a refresher on the specifics!
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