Tag: stress

Three Mindfulness Practices for Back to School Anxiety

Maria Santiago Valentin

Dear Parents,

You can help your child or teen to regulate and shift their energy, for a little more focus. In a month our children will be back at school and here is a list of three practices that help them to slow down:

  1. The 7-11 Breath (Source: Dr. Christopher Willard) – Breathe in through the nose for a count of 7 seconds, hold it for 5 and breathe out for a count of eleven. Repeat 5 times.
  2. Gratitude Practice. At the end of the day, have your child share something they are grateful for. This practice can surprise you with information that you never thought of.
  3. Visit the school. Call the school and explain the purpose of your visit. Take your child/ youth to visit the school, check out the classroom, locker, lunchroom, media center, gym, etc. Rehearse the first day of school.

The goal is to create positive and lasting memories and habits about school and their soon-to-be learning environment.

Anxiety and Mindfulness

Image Maria Santiago Valentin

    Mindfulness helps us overcome anxiety.  We are anxious about the future and what is going to happen to us, to our loved ones, to our communities. We live in a fast-pace environment that have us react and behave in “auto-pilot” mode.  We worry about things that may never happen; then, our  racing thoughts […]