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Mindfulness for Kids & Teens: How to Help Your Child Be Calm & Resilient
Now more than ever, young children and adolescents need tools to help them maintain calm and find emotional resilience. In late October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association issued a joint statement declaring a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. What can parents do to teach their kids to be calm and resilient during these challenging times? In one word: Mindfulness. Yes, the popular relaxation and awareness practice among adults – which involves bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment through meditation, breathing, guided imagery, movement, and more – can help kids, too. Mindfulness for Kids A growing body of research on mindfulness for kids is showing remarkable results. Studies indicate that mindfulness practices in young people can help to reduce stress, anxious feelings, reactivity, and bad behavior. Mindfulness for kids may also help them sleep better, feel better about themselves, and operate with greater calmness, self-awareness, and empathy. Kids who practice mindfulness tend to do better with regulating their emotions and show improved memory, cognition, and executive function. Importantly, mindfulness can help young people to have greater attention, focus, and problem-solving function. You can help your kids now by starting them with any of the following mindfulness activities. 6 Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens For Young Children Strike A Superhero Pose Body poses provide a fantastic way to bring your child into mindfulness. Start by explaining to them that doing a fun and/or powerful poses can make them feel happy, strong, and brave. Choose a safe place in your home or yard, and suggest they strike their favorite superhero pose. They could be Superman, standing with feet a little wider than hip-distance apart with fists clenched and arms out to the sky in either direction while they stretch as tall as they can. Or maybe they want to be Wonder Woman, standing in the same manner but with hands or fists placed on their hips. Ask them what it feels like after a few rounds of trying different poses. Busy Mind/Calm Mind Jar This is a fantastic mindfulness activity that illustrates how to find peace amidst overwhelming emotion. Get a mason jar and fill it nearly full of water. Then add a heaping spoonful of glitter glue or glue and dry glitter to the jar. Put the lid on it and shake it until the glitter swirls and set it down. Then, say something like this: “I want you to imagine that the glitter you see swirling are your thoughts if you’re mad or upset. Do you notice how they’re swirling around, and they make it really hard to see clearly? When you’re upset, and you have these swirling thoughts, it’s really hard to know what to do because your thinking isn’t clear.” Put down the jar. “Now look at what happens when you’re still for a minute or two. See how the glitter starts to settle to the bottom and the water becomes clearer? That’s the way your mind works, too. When you’re calm for a short while, swirling thoughts settle down and things become clear. Deep breaths during this calming process can help us settle when we feel a lot of emotions.” This activity may help children to see how emotions can cloud their thinking, yet the mindfulness of watching the glitter in the jar calms the thoughts and promotes clear thinking. Spot the Animal Go on a “spot the animal” walk with your child. This activity makes a daily walk an adventure, while enhancing the senses and providing focus, grounding them in the moment. Explain to your kid that on this walk, the goal is to notice as many dogs, squirrels, birds, bugs, bunnies, and any other animals as they can. Anything that flies, runs, crawls, or swims is what they’re to spot and describe. They’ll need to focus all of their senses to find them. For Teens Write in a Journal Writing in a journal can help a teen connect with their innermost feelings. Journal writing is wonderful for coping with low mood, anxious feelings, and stress while also providing an outlet for your teen to discover what’s important to him/her. With so many outward distractions, it’s a great exercise for them to be with their own thoughts and feelings. Start Cooking Encourage your teen to bake or cook. Teach them to do it on their own. It’s highly meditative and requires focus on textures, flavors, and smells. The sound of cutting vegetables or mixing batter can be calming. They’ll learn to appreciate every aspect of the food and will feel good about having created something rather than buying it. Drink Tea Select some fine tea and make a cup with your teen to get them started. There’s a meditative quality to the tea steeping in a pot or mug. They can then sip it quietly and thoughtfully, perhaps staring out the window. Tea involves all the senses and will bring them into the present. The soothing warmth of the mug will quiet and slow them down. They should focus on the entire act of sipping out of the mug and how it feels. With each sip, they can allow worries of the day to melt away. These are just a few tips for how to teach mindfulness for kids. Check mindfulness apps and videos online. Of course, the best way to teach a child to be mindful is to embody the practice yourself. Be sure to keep up your own mindfulness practice! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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Here Are Some of the Best Ways to Find Emotional Healing
At some point in life, we all get dealt an emotional blow. Maybe it’s a job loss or health crisis, a breakup or divorce, the loss of a loved one, or a major disappointment. When emotional pain strikes, it’s vital to our well-being to take a step back and allow room for emotional healing. Yet emotional healing only can happen if we have the proper tools, support, time, and willingness to deal with the pain and move through the hurt to the other side. If we try to avoid feeling the pain, or had to hide our emotional pain as children, it can go unattended. Like dirty clothes stuffed into drawers or under a bed, if we have too many unattended emotional pains, they may start to build up and spill into our lives. We may have pains in our bodies or overreact emotionally in different situations. Also, we may have frequent low mood, anxious feelings, or feel isolated and afraid. Maybe our negative self-talk becomes debilitating, or we engage in compulsive behaviors. Or maybe we go from relationship to relationship, trying to outrun it. These challenges and behaviors are an invitation to heal. It’s never too late, but it does take work to gain emotional healing. Here are tips gleaned from research and mental health professionals to help you on your journey to emotional healing. 9 Practical Tips That Can Help You Find Emotional Healing Admit Your Emotional Pain Admitting you’re in emotional pain is the first step in the healing process. This can be difficult, especially if you feel it’s shameful or a sign of weakness to have emotional difficulties. It’s important to remember that vulnerability actually can be a strength. If you can admit it, that means you’ve stopped fighting and/or running from your pain, and you’re willing to move through it. Emotional healing is possible. Seek Support We can’t do emotional healing alone. Get support. When we disclose our emotional pain to someone we trust – whether that’s a mental health professional, spiritual advisor, partner, or friend – it facilitates healing, which can boost our emotional and physical health. One study showed that holding a loved one’s hand when sharing emotional pain can provide healing and comfort. The love, empathy, and caring another person shows us, especially when we’re vulnerable, can help us out of isolation. Take Restorative Time Alone Solitude or downtime is really important to access your own thoughts and feelings, and to heal. This is especially true if you’re processing a painful loss. Make sure your schedule isn’t too full. Do something that doesn’t require too much mental activity. Garden Go for a walk Fold some laundry Enjoy a cup of tea Bake Meditate Take time to be alone Research shows solitude is important for coping, emotional release, and self-renewal. Write It Down If you’re processing painful emotions, remember what may be difficult to express out loud can be given voice through writing. Keep a journal. Take time to write in it every day. You can start with just 10 minutes. The beneficial effects of writing as a means for emotional healing are well documented. Expect Less Emotional healing requires time and space. You’ll likely be more limited in what you can do. Schedule less, don’t take on big challenges, and don’t overextend yourself. This isn’t a time to push yourself. Give yourself a pass if you make mistakes or have to say no. Prioritize Your Health Emotional and physical wellness are closely knit together. Practice these healthy habits: Do your best to get restful sleep Nourish your body with brain healthy food Take nutritional supplements as needed Get regular exercise Go to the doctor and get your blood work done Get a massage or try acupuncture Practice meditation or yoga Make it a priority to take good care of your health. Combat Negative Thoughts You can aid your emotional healing by improving the way you talk to yourself. Correcting your negative thinking can help reduce your internal stress. Whenever a negative thought pops into your head, combat it with these 4 questions: Is it true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true? How do I react when I think that thought? Who would I be without that thought? Or, how would I feel if I didn’t have that thought Discover New Things As you start to heal, explore new hobbies and interests. Novelty is good for your brain health and well-being. Take a hike on a new trail Go to the museum Try a new recipe Learn to play an instrument Try playing pickleball Take a dance class While emotional pain is often about loss; emotional healing can be about new beginnings. Help Others and Find Gratitude Helping others is a wonderful way to boost your own emotional well-being. This is a known truth. Also, when we see the challenges others are facing, it helps us to feel more gratitude. Look for reasons to be grateful. Gratitude is the song of emotional health. Remember that it takes courage to face difficult emotions. Be patient. It won’t last forever. You will come out wiser, stronger, and more resilient on the other side. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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Here Are Some of the Benefits of Going On a Nature Adventure
We don’t need science to tell us that traveling is good for our mental health, or that nature makes us feel better. If you travel or spend time outdoors, you probably already know this to be true. But science does confirm this. The health benefits of traveling are well documented. Travel has been shown to boost creativity, mood, and physical activity. Numerous studies show that nature has a highly beneficial effect on the brain, too. It promotes greater well-being by helping to alleviate stress, anger, and fear, and it makes us more caring and empathetic. Physically, time in nature (or even looking at images of nature), helps to support healthy blood pressure and heart health, as well as lessen muscle tension and the production of stress hormones, which can boost immune function. Going on a nature adventure can be a powerful and enjoyable combination for greater well-being. A few years back, I took a nature adventure of my own. It wasn’t without challenges. But I continue to reap benefits from the experience, even to this day. To the Amazon? When I agreed to lead a writing workshop in the Peruvian Amazon, I wasn’t exactly thinking about the health benefits of forest bathing or being away from electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs), or the brain health benefits of traveling to foreign country. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to go. Leaving my 12-year-old daughter to travel somewhere so wild, untamed, and remote with no roads, cities, or electrical transmission or cell phone towers, made me nervous. Add to that the real dangers that exist in the Amazon rainforest – such as exposure to infectious diseases, poisonous insects, and predators like giant snakes and jaguar – and I wondered if going was being downright irresponsible. What if something happened to me? There are times when measured risks are worth taking. In this case, the rewards far outweighed the risks. At Home in the Jungle So off I went with a small group of writers and climate scientists on our nature adventure, sponsored by the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research, to a foreign land and the oldest and most biodiverse ecosystem on earth. After two flights, an overnight stay in Lima, a bumpy bus ride, and a riverboat ride, we arrived at Posado Amazonas, our eco-lodge, located in the Madre De Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon. We stowed our belongings in our rooms and headed out to the nearby watchtower, where we could get a sunset view of the majestic Amazon. Single file, we made our way for our first walk in the forest. A trail of leaf cutter ants greeted us and continued to zig zag across our path throughout our trek. I noticed how our guide asked us to tread carefully so as not to step on them. A native to the area, he held a healthy reverence for forest life, both great and small. His deep knowledge and understanding of the plant and animal life commanded our trust and respect We climbed to the top of the watchtower just in time to catch the last bit of sunlight as we looked out at the Amazon and the Tambopata River in all its glory. For as far as the eye could see, there was a blanket of forest treetops, punctuated on one side with the winding curves of the Tambopata. There were no buildings, no lights, no roads, and no dwellings – just deep, green forest illuminated by the light of the setting sun. In this first hour in the Amazon, surprisingly, I felt safe and very much at home. Nature’s Energy The next morning, a colleague and I returned to the watchtower. This time, it was just the two of us and our guide. It wasn’t long after sunrise when we finally reached the top of the tower. The sun quickly rose and bathed the steaming Amazon in its golden rays. The view was breathtaking. In the darkness the previous evening, I had missed the most glorious Brazil nut tree. Confidently standing before us at approximately 160 feet high, it took center stage in the forest canopy. Hosting a variety of tropical birds, it looked like the very tree of life itself! I observed the Brazil nut tree for a long time, absorbing its quiet strength and mature beauty. While I’d left my electric-powered world behind, here in the lap of nature, I felt a different power. The entire rainforest was abuzz with energy, the life energy pumping through all the biodiversity surrounding me. In a flash, a flock of scarlet Macaws flew before me. I’d never seen such a magnificent bird outside of captivity, flying free in its natural environment. It was truly a wondrous sight. Again, I was surprised at how comfortable, whole, and relaxed I felt among the trees, birds, and many other creatures. There’s something primal, positive, and life-giving about the rainforest. That was just the beginning. A Nature Adventure Awaits Nature restores us in ways that are unquantifiable. Since returning from that trip, our writer’s group has continued to meet online every month. We even united once to meditate and write atop a building in Venice, California. Traveling to the Amazon together bonded us, provided us with a new perspective, fueled our creativity, and deepened our spirituality and well-being. Is there a nature adventure you’re considering? Maybe now is the time to book it! (If you’re unable to travel to the Amazon at this time, you still can help protect it every day by applying the practical principles in Kim’s book, 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests.) At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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7 Ways Traveling is Actually Good for Your Health & The Earth
Did you know that travel is good for you? It is! And it’s good for you in real and scientifically studied ways. In fact, research indicates that traveling can improve your brain function, boost your heart health, improve your physical activity, turn on your creativity, and help you to be happier, to name a few health benefits. And if you add eco-travel into the mix, you can experience the feel-good hormones that come from doing something positive for others. As travel begins to open up with more vaccinations rolling out, it’s a great time to contemplate the benefits of traveling and how it is good for your health. Let’s explore! 7 Benefits of Traveling for Your Health & The Earth Brain Health Traveling to new locations is good for your brain. According to adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Paul Nussbaum, traveling can stimulate your brain and spur the growth of new connections within its cerebral matter. There’s a link between new experiences and the formation of dendrites, which are the branch-like extensions that grow from brain neurons. Dendrites help to transmit information between different regions of the brain. When you have a greater number of dendrites, your brain functions better, especially its memory and attention. When you come up against an obstacle or problem in traveling, and your brain is forced to focus on the situation to create a solution, that act both boosts dendritic growth and tests your problem-solving skills. The newness is key. When traveling to a new location, your brain is challenged to make sense of new stimuli. Add a foreign language and your brain cognition sharpens even more! Heart Health Travel can reduce your chances of heart health problems. A study conducted by The Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association found that women who vacationed every six years or more had a significantly higher risk of developing a serious heart issue compared with women who vacationed at least twice a year. And for men, if they didn’t take an annual vacation, they were shown to have a 20% higher risk of death and about a 30% greater risk of death from a heart health event. Stress Relief Travel has been shown to relieve stress, and that stress relief appears to continue even after you return home. One study showed dramatic reductions in stress for corporate middle managers who took a vacation for just four days and the stress relief lasted four to six weeks after they returned. When you consider that stress may play a role in 60-80% of primary care visits, stress relief is super important to your overall health. With that statistic in mind, travel takes on increased importance for your health. Increased Physical Activity Another factor contributing to the heart health benefits of travel may be the increase of physical activity that often goes with it. In fact, research shows that substantial physical activity may accompany active travel. Physical activity increases even more if you adventure travel. People of all ages can build trips around physical activities, whether that’s hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, skiing, golfing, or a simple walking tour. The possibilities are endless. But even with simple exploration, sightseeing, and visiting local attractions, you’ll likely be walking greater distances, which is wonderful for both mental outlook, your brain, and your body. Boosts Creativity There’s a well-documented link between multicultural traveling and creativity. Exposure to other cultures presents a person with new ideas, concepts, and ways of seeing the world. This kind of exposure expands your mind and facilitates the flow of creative energy. Of course, engaging in creative pursuits helps us to feel a greater sense of well-being, and reduces stress and anxiousness. Increased Happiness With all that physical activity, better cognition, and creative thinking resulting from travel, is it any wonder that travel makes us happier? This was reflected in a survey of 500 people conducted by Washington State University earlier this year. It showed that people who regularly take trips are happier than respondents who rarely travel. Yet, it may come as surprise to learn that even thinking about travel makes us happy. A Cornell University study explored how thinking about an experience such as a trip can increase a person’s happiness even more than the anticipation of buying material goods. Another study found that people feel greater well-being and happiness in anticipation of a holiday. Eco-travel Benefits Well-Being and the Earth All the feel-good travel feelings get magnified even more if you bring eco-travel into the equation. Eco-travel allows for off-the-beaten track experiences, usually with eco-lodges that are run sustainably in environmentally sensitive areas. Often, they’re managed or staffed by local communities driving sustainable income into their economy, which helps to minimize environmentally destructive practices. For example, in the Amazon Rainforest, there are several ecolodge, adventure travel options. The income from these operations can help restore rainforest areas and support local communities, helping them to refrain from rainforest destructive practices such as gold mining, logging, and slash and burn agriculture. Knowing you’re making a difference by helping others and the earth can help boost your own mental well-being. It’s a win for all involved. Time to get planning! Better health and new adventures await. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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Here's How to Talk to Your Teen About Mental Health
Having a conversation with your teen about mental health can be a touchy subject. Since stigma exists around mental health issues, your teen may have shameful or defensive feelings at the mere mention of the topic. Don’t let that deter you. Even though a host of social and physiological factors may put them at risk for mental health problems, the average teen knows very little about taking care of their mental health. The National Alliance of Mental Illness reports that 1 in 5 teens live with a mental health condition, and less than half of those receive the support they need. While mood problems are common in teens, they also can suffer from eating, personality, substance abuse, and psychological issues. By talking to your teen about mental health, you can help them identify their challenges and increase the likelihood of them getting the help they need. For teens with mental or emotional struggles, your conversation might encourage them to reach out for help. With insights from multiple mental health experts, here are some suggestions for how to talk to your teen about the importance of mental health. 7 Practical Tips on How to Talk to Your Teen About Mental Health Find the Right Time and Place This is key. It’s best to give yourself ample time and possibly an activity to do when you discuss mental health with your teen. They might feel more comfortable if you’re doing something where you don’t have to maintain direct eye contact. An activity, such as baking or throwing a ball, can help take the pressure off. Link Mental Health to Physical Health Help take the stigma out of mental health by explaining that it’s akin to physical health and that people of all ages need to be aware of and take care of their mental health. Explain the benefits of good mental health by noting how it’s important for coping with stress, feeling good about yourself, and succeeding in life. You might also mention that mental health varies, depending on circumstances or the season of life, and may require them to seek out help at different times. If a mental health issue is confirmed, let them know it’s nothing to be ashamed of and that there are treatment options available to help with their situation. Bad Days Happen Your teen may not know the difference between a more serious mental issue and simply having a bad day or week. Help them understand that feeling low, stressed, or anxious about conflict, disappointment, loss, or other upsetting situations is completely normal. Let them know that such feelings should match the situation and should resolve as things improve. Warning Signs of Mental Health Issues Make your teen aware of the warning signs of mental health concerns (listed below). Having even one of these signs may be an indication that they need to speak up and reach out to an adult they trust for help; whether that’s you, a doctor, caregiver, counselor, teacher, or another trusted relative or family friend. Remind them that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. 10 Common Warning Signs of Mental Health Concerns for Teens Feeling sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks Seriously trying to harm or kill oneself or making plans to do so Severe out-of-control, risk-taking behaviors Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason Not eating, throwing up, or using laxatives to lose weight; significant weight loss or weight gain Seeing, hearing, or believing things that aren’t real Repeatedly using drugs or alcohol Drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality, or sleeping habits Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities Highlight the Danger of Stereotypes Remind your teen that mental problems aren’t always shown realistically or respectfully on social media, in movies/TV, or even in the news. As with any health struggle or disability, people with mental issues deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. A mental problem isn’t a moral failing. Listen Talking to your teen about mental health concerns might help them open up and share. Experts almost universally agree that the best thing you can do is simply listen to your teen. Don’t give advice. Don’t judge. And don’t compare, dismiss, or minimize their feelings. Also, it’s important not to react emotionally. If there are moments of silence, that’s okay. This will encourage your teen to continue talking. Say things like “tell me more.” Be curious. Ask, “What can I do to help you right now?” Experts remind parents that teens know a lot about themselves. It’s presumptuous of parents to think they know better. When you listen, they may feel relieved and less alone. Discuss Brain Healthy Habits Don’t forget to talk about brain care. After all, good mental health is a byproduct of a healthy brain! Talk to your teen about the many things that can support their brain health, like: Protecting the brain from injury Getting adequate sleep (about 7 to 9 hours each night) Participating in brain healthy sports Eating brain healthy foods Drinking plenty of water Making time for relaxation and recreation Taking brain-boosting supplements What you model for your teen is far more powerful than what you tell them. Live a brain-healthy lifestyle and take care of your own physical and mental health so you can make mental health a priority for your entire family! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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