This year was different . . .

This year was different!  Different in so many ways but also some things stayed the same….. Can you think about some of these differences and similarities from the beginning of the year until the end of the year?  Any positive things that you noticed at the beginning of the year and end and any challenges?

Here is a story about why this year is different. You all did an amazing job this year and working through a challenging time and we are all so proud of you! We hope you celebrate all that you have learned and accomplished this year.

https://safeYouTube.net/w/d0RI

Parent Tip:  Try to use this time at the end of the year to reflect as well.  Where were the silver linings, what did you overcome, who helped you during this time, what are you grateful for, etc.  One important question to ask yourself, is there any advice you would have given yourself before the pandemic happened (knowing what you know now after experiencing it)?  This reflection is not to diminish the hardships of this experience and situation but to help you see the positives as well.  You did well :) 

You are Awesome :)

We are in the home stretch.  Time for you to practice saying some positive messages to yourself!  This is so important to practice ALL the time.  

Watch this video to practice some pretty helpful things to say to yourself.  Repeat these phrases aloud or in your head . . . either work.

https://safeYouTube.net/w/CdYI

I enjoy learning and gaining new knowledge.

Learning is fun and exciting.

I am proud of being unique.

I learn and improve from my mistakes.

I believe in myself and my abilities.

Setbacks will only make me stronger.

I am smart and I have great ideas.

I am talented and gifted in my own way.

Let’s have a great day.

Parent Tip: This is such a challenging and difficult time in so many ways and for so many reasons.  Be gentle and kind to yourself.  An article from PBS titled You ARE Enough :)

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/parenting-during-coronavirus-you-are-enough

Inner Explorer :)

INNER EXPLORER APP

This is for everyone :)  Parents, guardians, relatives, siblings, students, children and YOU!  Inner Explorer is the online Mindfulness Program that many teachers have been using at Abbot School to support students in their classroom this year.  It includes a variety of guided daily practices on mindfulness for all ages preschool through high school.

Right now, they are offering a free APP for families called I AM PRESENT!  It is FREE through the end of AUGUST!  Try it out :)

https://www.innerexplorer.org/compass/mobileApp

It's time to practice Laughing :)

Laughter Exercise

Ever heard the phrase laughter is the best medicine?  Laughter isn’t really a medicine, but it can make you feel better.  Laughing can help you relax, release endorphins (chemicals that help your body feel good), and even have a positive impact on your immune system.  The cool thing is your body doesn’t really know the difference between a real laugh and a fake one and the fake ones can often turn into a real one.

Here is a short one minute video of practicing laughing!  Feel free to join in.  Then maybe see if you and someone in your family can do a 30 second laughing challenge . . . who can laugh the longest, even if it is a fake laugh!  Ready, set go!

https://safeYouTube.net/w/yuuG

Here is a fun video of some babies laughing!  Give it a try, it will make you smile and laugh along!  Laughing can often pass from one person to another, just like a yawn can!

https://safeYouTube.net/w/RfuG

Parent Tip: 

If you want to get some laughter in . . . watch this video to figure out why it could help https://safeYouTube.net/w/YZtG   It is fun :)

Raisin Meditation . . . yummy!

Raisin Meditation 

Using the raisin meditation can foster mindfulness around thoughtful eating, being aware of what we are eating, and focusing in-the-moment on what and how we eat.  This meditation encompasses all of our senses in a single, simple act of eating a raisin.  The link below explains the benefits of the raisin meditation and offers a script for “walking through” the meditation.  ***If you don’t like raisins, feel free to try this with another small piece of food (ex. orange slice, piece of chocolate, cracker, etc.).

If you can, have an adult read you through these steps while you enjoy your raisin or whatever snack you choose :)

Raisin meditation mindfulness exercise | AXA PPP Healthcare

Parent Tip:

Feel free to try this activity at home for you too!  Here is a Raisin Meditation geared towards adults!

https://safeYouTube.net/w/xE7E

Kindness and Compassion

Kindness and Compassion to yourself and others :) 

One of the Mindfulness Moments that we practice before guidance lessons is an abbreviated version of the following Loving Kindness/Friendly Wishes Meditation for children. We often call this sending kind thoughts to yourself and others.  It is so important as we have talked about to notice our thoughts and whether they are helpful (inner coach) or hurtful (inner critic).  Practicing sending kind thoughts to yourself and others can help you strengthen your inner coach and show compassion to yourself and others.

Try this guided meditation at home and see what you think.  Hope you feel better afterwards :)

Friendly Wishes Guided Meditation for Kids (Peace Out)

https://safeYouTube.net/w/PjkC

Parent Tip: 

Loving Kindness Meditation for adults: 

       https://safeYouTube.net/w/ipkC

 “With compassion meditation, it slows everything down so you can practice being calmer or noticing the feelings that arise and learning to be less reactive to it. This gives you more mental space to focus on the other person, to practice wishing kindness and wanting them to be well, and I think both parts are really important for effectively responding to people suffering.” 

- Helen Weng, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UC San Francisco

Training Your Compassion “Muscle” May Boost Brain's Resilience in the Face of Suffering  

Sounds :)

In Mindfulness, we talk a lot about using our 5 senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch) to help us be present in the moment.  Some sounds can make you feel calm and relaxed, while others may make you feel excited or happy and some can even make you feel a little stressed or frustrated.  Please explore these SOUNDS and see how they make you feel and which one you like the best :)

Blog with links to relaxing sounds:

Positive Background Music for Kids-Morning Time (somewhat energizing)

https://safeyoutube.net/w/vZq9

(Water sounds):

https://safeYouTube.net/w/3838

(Forest Sounds):

https://safeyoutube.net/w/wUq9

Parent Tip:  Take a “Sound Bath”.  This website from the University of Nevada, Reno explains why sound and music can help in stress reduction.  This site has a sampler of 11 different types of music...take a “Sound Bath” and discover the different effects music has on your sense of well-being:

https://www.unr.edu/counseling/virtual-relaxation-room/releasing-stress-through-the-power-of-music

10 Benefits of Listening to Relaxing Music:

https://exploringyourmind.com/10-benefits-relaxing-music/

Inner Coach Poster :)

Inner Coach Statement Poster:

Remote learning can pose many challenges for children and families.  One idea we talk about in Guidance classes is the Inner Coach (positive thoughts) vs. the Inner Critic (negative thoughts).  These two “voices” are thoughts we all can have inside of our head - we make these up for ourselves, sometimes slowly over time.  We talked about this concept in our blog last month-so take a peek a few weeks back if you need a review :)

Activity:  (Inspired by a student at Abbot!)  

• Create an Inner Coach statement poster.  
• Include photos of things that bring you joy (ie, family photos, pictures of animals that you like, etc.).  
• Write Inner Coach statements to coach you on as you do your work!  (examples may include “You Got This!”, “You’re half-way there, almost done!”)
• Take a break, and take a look at your poster!  The poster can be by your computer work space, or in a different area of your living space where you could take a break.

Parent Tip:

We know caregivers and parents are working very hard right now, here’s a little acknowledgement and inspiration from Elmo’s dad! (Did you know he has a dad?)   

https://safeYouTube.net/w/sMx6

Gratitude

Gratitude: What is it?  Check out this video to learn more :)

https://safeYouTube.net/w/O5u6

Why now . . . especially now!  During the most challenging times it is important to look for what is going well and what you are grateful for even if it is hard.  You can change the way you feel just by how you think. When you think about things you are grateful for you will feel happier. Small things count!

Practice and Grow your Gratitude Muscle:

To strengthen your gratitude muscle you need practice.  The more you practice the easier it will get. See if you can find a way to add Gratitude into your daily routine.

Here are some ideas:

*Make a gratitude jar . . . when it is full, do something specific as a family to celebrate :)

*Start waking up and going to bed saying 1 thing you are grateful for

*Start a gratitude journal . . .

*Make a poster of pictures and words (e.g. draw, write, use images from magazines, pictures, etc.) you are grateful for

Parent Tip:  

“REPEAT AFTER ME: THIS. IS. TEMPORARY.”

This is a blog that has some helpful “mantras” or phrases you may need to help you through during this time.  See if one might fit for you.  

What Day Is It? Six Things to Say + Do When You

Mindful Coloring

MINDFUL COLORING . . . something so simple, but everyone seems to enjoy.

Materials needed are simple:  paper, any type of drawing or writing utensils (colored pencils, crayons, markers, pens, or pencils), mindful coloring sheets (or any coloring sheets will do), or even a blank piece of paper.  

Why is mindful coloring so helpful?  Sometimes doing the same thing over and over (repetition) is very soothing and calming, focusing on staying in the lines can be calming too (it’s ok if you can’t stay in the lines - nobody is perfect :),  and the pressure from feeling the coloring utensil in your fingers and from coloring on a hard surface can feel very calming.  

Mindful coloring can help us feel more positive and help distract us from things that might be worrying us … such a simple activity to help you stay in the moment.  Keep this one in your “toolbox” of strategies when you might be feeling a need for a break!

Ms. Newton colored a rainbow and placed it on her window for “rainbow hunts” for families to find while taking walks:

Ms. Wendler and her son did some Mindful painting on their window.

Coloring Sheets:

Here are some fun animal mindfulness coloring sheets (scroll down the page to see 12 sheets to choose from):  Animal Mindfulness Coloring

Parent Tip: 

Because sometimes we need evidence to remind ourselves something as seemingly unimportant as relaxing and coloring is actually very important!  

Benefits of Coloring for Adults

Just Breathe . . .

Just Breathe….

We often use deep breathing exercises during our Mindfulness Moments before starting our guidance lessons.  There are many different ways children can practice deep breathing.

The key to deep breathing is to breathe in through your nose and fully exhale using your mouth. 

The link below (2.5 minutes) leads children through “box breathing”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFdZXwE6fRE

Another form of deep breathing is “Belly Breathing” (we do this type most often with guidance lessons - you may also hear this called “Balloon Breathing”).  Kids can practice becoming more familiar with breathing from their bellies (versus breathing from their chests) by laying down and placing a stuffed animal on their bellies and watching their bellies rise and fall with deep breaths.

Belly Breathing for kids (adults can benefit too), step-by-step: 

https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/practice-mindfulness-with-belly-breathing

Parent Tip: We know that life may feel overwhelming at times, especially now when we are having to be flexible mostly always (this can leave us feeling exhausted at times).  If possible, set aside a little time to “re-center” or “ground” yourself. Taking care of ourselves, even for 10-15 minutes a day, a few times a day, will hopefully give us a little renewed energy.  It’s good to take breaks, whatever that might mean for you.

Two quick ways to re-center and take time for ourselves include mindfulness breathing and guided meditation.  Choose a time, either before your children are awake or at the end of the day where you might be able to steal away 5 - 10 minutes of uninterrupted time.  Here are a few very short breathing and guided meditation:

1. Belly breathing for adults (3 minutes):

https://kripalu.org/resources/breath-and-belly-meditation-relieve-stress

2. Guided Meditation (7 minutes) - the first 3.5 minutes are guided followed by nature sounds/quiet, with 30 seconds at the end of guided meditation closure.  

Keep an open mind while hearing this meditation for the first time because it begins with “Make sure you won’t be disturbed for the next 7 minutes..” (and we know how difficult this may be with kids at home!).  *This is a great exercise to do before the kids are up in the morning, or at the end of the day when it may be more quiet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74sUsgMxb8c

Inner Coach vs. Inner Critic 

One of the strategies many students have been exposed to during counseling sessions and Guidance lessons include learning about our thoughts and how sometimes they can be helpful to us and positive (INNER COACH) or negative and hurtful (Inner Critic).  We teach that we all have these thoughts and that we can learn to notice them and change our Inner Critic Thoughts into Inner COACH thoughts :) This is also called re-framing in the counseling world.

For example: 

Inner Critic:  I’m so bored, there is nothing we can do.

Inner Coach:  Finding new things to do is hard but if we work together we can.

Inner Critic:  I will never be able to get this right.

Inner Coach: This is hard but if I keep trying I may be able to do it.

*Check out this video about Olaf and Sven (Frozen characters) and see if your child can say or notice any of their thoughts like, “Oh NO!” (Critic) or “He’s almost there.” (Coach).  Can you think of better thoughts to stay instead when you notice a Critic thought?  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An2OaIbPSII&list=PLuRkh6DdRwiOGExxs4XJFnw179zM9cklm&index=3&t=0s

This might be something fun to continue to practice at home- noticing these thoughts and changing thoughts that are not helpful, especially during this time when it can get easy to get stuck into a pattern of negative thoughts.

Parent Tip: Please continue to support yourselves.  Take a peek at this popular on-line Yale University Happiness course - which is now free! 

Laurie Santos, Instructor - Interview

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/health/yale-happiness-course-wellness/index.htm

How to Register for the FREE Course:

https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being?ranMID=40328&ranEAID=EHFxW6yx8Uo&ranSiteID=EHFxW6yx8Uo-.uLuPn2MieBhuQZx7IMA2Q&siteID=EHFxW6yx8Uo-.uLuPn2MieBhuQZx7IMA2Q&utm_content=10&utm_medium=partners&utm_source=linkshare&utm_campaign=EHFxW6yx8Uo