H is for Health (The Imagine Project) and Q is for Quiet (Mindfulness)
“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need. Not more.”~Mother Teresa
“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along listening to all the things you can’t hear and not bothering.”~Winne the Pooh
This April 2020, I had the opportunity to attend an on-line teacher training for The Imagine Project with the founder, Dianne Maroney. She is an RN, and holds an MSN in psychiatric/mental health nursing. She has worked tirelessly to implement The Imagine Project, prompted by surviving her own childhood experiences of trauma and abuse. Her mission is to give kids a voice to bring positive change into their lives, and those of future generations. The Imagine Project is a non-profit organization that has successfully reached close to 230, 000 kids across the US and 63 countries. She is also the author of an award-winning children’s, Byron the Caterpillar Who Loved to Imagine! and Multi-Award-winning book, The Imagine Project-Empowering Kids to Rise Above Drama, Trauma, and Stress. I purchased and read each of these books and highly recommend. Both are excellent resources for teachers and parents.
During my on-line training, our Zoom group, comprised of teachers and counselors, walked through the steps. We used the actual journal pages, wrote, and went through the process of the Imagine Project.
The Imagine Project offers a FREE and simple 7-step “Imagine” Journaling process that provides children, teens, and adults a simple way to express their stress and/or trauma and overcome challenging life circumstances through expressive writing, as well as encouraging them to imagine a NEW story in their lives. By using the “Imagine” format, kids realize they have the power to write their own story. Every child, parent, teacher has free access to The Imagine Project writing process. For free journal downloads, workshops, and professional development go to www.theimagineproject.
Kids have more stress and trauma in their lives than ever before. They need support to learn and successfully navigate life. As parents, it’s so important to help our children develop good habits to ensure mental and physical health. Eating well and exercising is challenging, especially during this COVID Pandemic. Schools are online, sports have been cancelled, and as a nation we have been less active due to restrictions and closures. Promoting outdoor time and encouraging less screen time is a start. Try to get your kids involved in the kitchen by cooking healthy meals. Let them help you with the grocery shopping (online) and menu choices. By being involved, they will take an interest and be an active participant in their health and nutrition.
In my book, A-Z for Me! I write, “Treat your body well, it’s the only one you have. Eat healthy, go outside, and M-O-V-E your body! Play, run, and ride your bike. Did you know your body is made of mostly water? Water is in your heart, brain, lungs, muscles, and even your skin and bones-so stay hydrated! Sleep restores your energy, improves learning, behavior, memory, and your immune system. WOW, all that from sleep!! A clean, healthy body makes for a happy, healthy mind. If you feel upset or anxious, don’t bottle up your feelings. You’re not alone! Write your feelings in a journal or talk about how you feel with a trusted adult or friend. What do YOU do to stay healthy?
Nutrition and physical health are so important, but just as important is your child’s mental health. The Pandemic has caused mental stress to parents and children. Social interactions and opportunities have been greatly reduced. When school and work are done for the day, try to unplug from technology: texting, social media, apps, games, movies, TV shows. Excessive screen time has been linked to poor school performance, obesity, and attention problems.
During the pandemic, increased family time has been an opportunity to be creative, interact, spend time outdoors, and experience mindfulness. We can teach our children Mindfulness as a way to decrease stress and enjoy the present moments more fully. Mindfulness means having a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. For children, it means slowing down to really notice what you’re doing and taking your time to focus in a relaxed, easy way. Being mindful is opposite of hurrying and multi-tasking. Some benefits of mindfulness: improved attention, less distractibility, increased learning retention, staying calm under stress, less rushing, becoming a better listener, developing more patience, less reactive responses, and feeing happier and able to enjoy life more. Here is a link to 51 Mindful Activities & Techniques for teaching Mindfulness to kids. https://www.waterford.org/resources/mindfulnes-activities-for-kids.
So, lay on your backs and stare at the clouds, enjoy the sound of the rain, watch a snow fall by the window, snuggle with pets, try practicing mediation and yoga. See some of my children’s book suggestions in my anthology for kid’s yoga and meditation.
In A-Z for ME! I write, “Everyone needs quiet time. It’s not healthy for your mind or body to be BUSY all the time! Take breaks from your T.V., phone, and video games. Enjoying silence is as necessary as the air you breathe. Did you know that quiet time builds new cells in your brain for learning and memory, lowers stress, and promotes creativity? So, S-L-O-W down and connect to nature, daydream, or take a nap. When you Rest-Reset-Recharge you will feel calm and full of new energy! How often do YOU get quiet time?”