Monday 9/9

Mrs. Drummond's favorite coping strategy is 4-7-8 breathing. 

• Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth.

• Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.

• Hold your breath for a count of 7.

• Release your breath from your mouth with a whooshing sound for a count of 8.

• Without a break, breathe in again for a count of 4, repeating the entire technique 3-4 times in a row, then resume normal breathing and activity.

Why I love it:

• You can do it anywhere! No one knows you are working on a coping strategy. 

Fun Fact:

• When your exhale is longer than your inhale, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for relaxation, rest, and digestion! Try it :)

Tuesday 9/10

Mrs. Eisele’s favorite coping strategy is a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding strategy. 

• As you look around the room or environment identify...

  • 5 things you can see

  • 4 things you can touch

  • 3 things you can hear

  • 2 things you can smell

  • 1 thing you can taste

Why I love it:

• No matter where you are, you can use this strategy!

Fun Fact:

• Grounding strategies are used to help individuals "come back to the present moment" by focusing on their senses and surroundings, which is particularly beneficial when experiencing overwhelming emotions or anxiety. Grounding strategies are helpful in allowing yourself to feel more anchored in reality and less overwhelmed by thoughts or memories.

Wednesday 9/11

Mr. Kuiper’s favorite coping strategy is going on a walk outside. 

Fresh air can have many benefits, including: 

• Improved mood: Fresh air can boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. 

• Improved digestion: Fresh air can help you digest food more effectively.

• Lowered heart rate: Fresh air can lower your heart rate and reduce muscle tension. 

• Increased energy: Fresh air can increase your energy levels. 

• Improved concentration: Fresh air can help you concentrate and focus more effectively. 

• Improved creativity: Fresh air can boost your creativity and problem-solving abilities. 

• Stronger immune system: Fresh air can strengthen your immune system. 

• Improved blood pressure: Fresh air can help improve blood pressure. 

• Vitamin D production: Fresh air can help your body produce vitamin D, which can have protective effects against osteoporosis, cancer, depression, heart attacks, and stroke. 

Thursday 9/12

Mrs. Bergles' favorite coping strategy is exercising and yoga! 

Exercise can be beneficial to mental health even though it increases cortisol levels, also known as the "stress hormone". 

• Stress response regulation: Regular exercise can help regulate the body's stress response by teaching it how much cortisol to release in response to different levels of stress. 

• Exercise-glucocorticoid paradox: Chronic exercise can improve cognition, memory, and stress coping, even though it increases cortisol levels. 

• Stress relief: Exercise can be effective at relieving stress, and research shows that people who are more active tend to have lower stress rates. 

• Brain health: Exercise can increase brain concentrations of norepinephrine, a neuromodulator that may help the brain deal with stress more efficiently. 

• Depression management: Regular exercise can help manage symptoms of depression, including higher self-esteem, better life satisfaction, and fewer negative thoughts.

Friday 9/13

Mrs. Lucio’s favorite coping strategy is reading or listening to podcasts. 

• Stress reduction: Reading can help reduce stress and psychological distress by up to 68%. It can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing muscle tension. 

• Cognitive stimulation: Reading can strengthen your brain's ability to process information and improve concentration. 

• Improved memory: Reading can help reduce the rate of memory decline by strengthening the brain's neural network. 

• Improved sleep: Reading as little as six minutes per day can improve your quality of sleep. 

• Reducing stigma: Mental health podcasts can help people feel less alone and develop a sense of connection with others. They can also provide language to describe emotions and thoughts that may have been hard to articulate before. 

• Improving self-awareness: Podcasts can help people increase their self-awareness, which is important for managing mental health. 

• Providing coping skills: Podcasts can provide concrete coping skills that can be incorporated into daily life. 

• Reducing stress and anxiety: Podcasts can help reduce stress and anxiety.