Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this info from the author via Wasabi Publicity, free of charge, for blog posting purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own
Our local school are already back in session- the kids only got a 2 month break!
I received this in info this past week, and it really struck home. I just finished a ADHD seminar, and one of the instructors was talking about anxiety in teens, and how suicide has INCREASED 70% among TEENS in the last 10 years. Think about that number for a minute. It is HUGE.
Why?
It makes sense, in thinking about it, how anxiety disorders among kids are on the rise, with approximately two million American children and adolescents suffering from diagnosable anxiety disorders. Add in stress from peers and teachers,and it's easy to understand why those numbers have increased!
So, how can parents help their children ease back into the school year with less stress?
Mindfulness expert Julie Potiker – author of “Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm In the Midst of Chaos” – shares a simple acronym parents can share with their kids to help them create more peace and less anxiety in their back-to-school experience.
Kids: Be Your Best Back-to-School Self with R.A.I.N.
From summertime FOMO (fear of missing out) as they saw social media posts with friends that didn’t include them, to being forced to deal with online drama (seriously- if there was no online drama, one wonders if those anxiety rates would plummet!) or bullying in real life, kids can have serious worry and anxiety about returning to the classroom and their group of peers.
Julie offers this simple acronym as a helpful reminder that students can use to pause, take a step back from their overwhelming feelings, and initiate self-care to help themselves feel better.
R.A.I.N.
R = Recognize your feeling and name it
(i.e., “I’m feeling frustrated. I feel upset. I feel scared. I feel angry.”).
A = Allow your feeling to be there without judging it.
I = Investigate gently with curiosity why this feeling is there.
N = Nourish yourself.
What do you need give yourself, or hear, or do,
right now to make yourself feel better?
“Stepping back for a moment from what you’re feeling to observe it, instead of being stuck in it, can help you get through even the most stressful moments,” Julie says.
II
Change the channel by popping in a positive mental state from a memory.
Really feel that goodness for a breath or two to transform it from a mental state to a neural trait. “Rewire your brain for more happiness and resilience,” says Julie.
For more positive affirmations and support, be sure to check out Julie's new book!
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About Julie Potiker:
Author and mindfulness expert Julie Potiker is an attorney who began her serious study and investigation of mindfulness after graduating from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of California, San Diego. She was trained by Kristin Neff, Christopher Germer, and UCSD as a Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher. She went on to study with Rick Hanson, becoming a graduate of his Positive Neuroplasticity Training Professional Course. Potiker also completed Brené Brown’s Living Brave Semester.
Now, she shares these and other mindfulness techniques with the world through her Mindful Methods for Life trainings and her new book: “Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm In the Midst of Chaos.” She holds a B.G.S. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from George Washington University. For more information, visit www.
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