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Thankfulness vs Gratitude

  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow”   — Melody Beattie Thanksgiving is a holiday dedicated to the focus of being thankful. This time of year can give us that warm, fuzzy feeling when we spend time feeling thankful for the things our lives include. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word thankful as “pleased and relieved.” Both of those are great feelings. Everyone wants to be pleased and relieved. But that’s just it; they’re just feelings, and feelings fade. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word grateful as “showing an appreciation of kindness.” This is where the difference lies; being thankful is a feeling, and being grateful is an action. It’s easy for us to look around the Thanksgiving dinne
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Study Tips

10 Study Tips for Students 1. Write ALL your assignments and upcoming tests and quizzes in an agenda 2. Take notes in ALL classes (if a teacher writes something on a board, COPY IT DOWN, even if you were not asked to do so) 3. Read over your notes daily for 5-10 minutes for ALL your classes (especially ones that tests or quizzes are coming up in) Highlight important vocab words, dates and other important information 4. If reading your notes doesn't work for you, make flash cards! Flash cards are great to use for Vocabulary words!  These are also a great way to have someone quiz you                5. Stay Organized, keep folders or binders for each subject and a notebook for notes for each subject.  6. Study for a time period 15-25 minutes, short 3-5 minute break then study again 15-25 minutes (repeat this until you are confident in the subject you are studying) 7. Find a place to study with little to no distractions  If you don't like things silent play calm music in the backgr
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Coping Skills for Anxiety

  Deep Breathing-this is a simple technique, that helps manage emotions Sit comfortably Breath deeply through your nose Hold breath for 4 seconds Exhale for 6 seconds Challenge Irrational thoughts- irrational thoughts can magnify your anxiety Try these strategies to challenge those thoughts!  Put your thoughts on Trial Choose a thought that has contributed to your anxiety Gather evidence, verifiable facts only to support your thought Gather evident against these thoughts Compare the evidence to determine whether your thought is accurate or no Use Socratic questioning- question your thoughts that contribute to your anxiety Is my thought based on facts or feelings? How would my best friend see this situation? How likely is it that my fear will come true? What's most likely to happen? If my fear comes true, will it still matter in a week? A month? A year? Imagery- your thoughts have the power to change how you feel. If you think positive thoughts you are more likely to feel positive,
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Warning Signs in Teens for depression

  Hello, welcome to October already! October 10th 2020 is World Mental Health Day! Please remember to do something you enjoy to keep your mental health in check! During these uncertain times it is very important to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally. We also need to check in those people around us who we know who may be struggling with mental health challenges such as: anxiety and depression. In honor of this day I wanted to share some warning signs your teen may be struggling. Warning Signs for parents and caregivers can look for in teens:  Physical signs may include: Cuts on arms, legs or other physical self harm Rapid weight loss or gain Many stomach, head, and/or back aches Worsening of a chronic condition Behavioral or Emotional Warning Signs may include: Major change in eating/sleeping habits Signs of frustration, stress or anger Unusual or increasing fear, anxiety or worry Sudden mood swings Feeling down, hopeless, worthless or guilty Isolation from others and oft
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Mental Health Checkup and tools

 It's just as important to take care of our mental health as it is our physical health! As we deal with change, some people experience anxiety. I have included some tools to help alleviate some anxiety. If you or your child are feeling anxious try some of these tools!  Distraction Tool: Doing distracting or fun activities to focus your attention in a helpful way. Try playing a game, listening to music or spending time with a pet, friends or family Action Tool: Keep a schedule and do activities everyday to keep your body and mind healthy. Try developing a good sleep schedule, drink plenty of water, eat healthy foods and exercise everyday!  Thinking Tool: Try thinking about positive things in your life and be optimistic about your day! Ask yourself “What are the good things that could happen?”  Relaxation Tool: Try taking deep breaths and imagine being somewhere peaceful, like a beach or walking in the woods. Slowing your body down calms your brain and relaxes your body. Try doing so
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Social Emotional Learning at Home- Self Management

Check out these tips for self-management skills to try for students of all ages! Self-management refers to not only learning to control our emotions when we are angry, upset or scared. Self-management is also about learning skills to energize ourselves when we are tired or bored so we can get work done. Please read the following article on specific ways we can help energize ourselves to complete work and get moving!  https://apertureed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Promoting-SEL-at-Home-SelfM.pdf
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Social Emotional Learning at Home- Self-awareness

The following is another link to promote social emotional learning at home with children birth to High school age. Check it out for ways to encourage each other to look for strengths, talents and achieve goals we set for ourselves!  https://apertureed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Promoting-SEL-at-Home-SelfA.pdf
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