Bonus Video-Meditation 101

Check out this great intro to meditation!

Meditation 101

Meditation is not a faith based practice.  It has many  health benefits.  Try it out for 5 minutes a day!

Also, visit http://www.happify.com for guided meditations and other mindfulness-building activities designed by experts. 

Nap? No!

I am enclosing a list of ideas to help if you’re feeling run down, but need to skip the nap.    

Remember naps are only best at 20 minutes or less.  If you’re getting your full 7-10 hours of sleep a nap shouldn’t be needed.  

If you feel tired all the time, consider talking to a counselor about your sleep so that a sleep diet can be sorted out.  You may even need to look into getting a blood draw from your doctor.

Here are some quick ideas for ‘napless’ days!

1) Senses. The easiest way to stay awake is your senses. Why? The more parts of your body that are alert, the less likely it is you will fall asleep. 

Here are a few things to try for your senses:

• Turn up the lights, as many as you can. If you cannot control         the lights, position yourself close to a window.
• Taste mint flavors or other stimulating foods.
• Smell peppermint oil to wake up your sense of smell.  You can also rub this at the base of your neck and back of your head to get a quick energy boost.
• Listen.  Music, like jazz,  rock, or any song that makes you feel alert.  What is your energy song?
• Pull on your earlobes
• Splash your face with cold water or give your self an ice massage on your face.
• Make a fist with our hands and open them 10-12 times.
• Get some FRESH air.  Breath in and out a few times before heading back to your work/house/etc..

2) Stressed Eyes.  Take a break from your computer or text and look out a window.

3) Move. Trick your body into being more alert than you feel by getting up and moving.  Do some arm, back, neck and leg stretches to get your blood moving.  Roll your shoulders around.

4) Stay Active.  A few minutes of exercise a day can have a dramatic impact on how awake your body is.

1) Walk whenever you can

2) Take the stairs

3) Make it a habit it work out 2-3 times every week.

5) Breakfast. Protein in the morning will help you make it through the day.  Look at what your eating for breakfast and switch it up.  

• Egg Whites and turkey.  
• Make it a power smoothie with lots of good greens and protein.

6) Drink cold water.  Staying hydrated

Some ideas for situations:

At Work

Find someone to talk to briefly, a co-worker or a phone call to a friend.

Change it up; switch tasks.

At School

Take Notes, by activity writing down what is going on in a seminar you will stay alert.

Ask and Answer questions.

At home:

Look at flashing colors. They have loads of apps that display bright luminous colors.

Listen to an energizing binaural beat

Take a cold shower

Do something you really enjoy. Engaged = Awake/Alert

Live Your Life

Live YOUR Life

Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Do one thing every day that scares you.”
 

This post is going to be short and simple!  As we age, we forget how we want to live our life, with job demands and life demands we find ourselves being less active and having less fun.   

Have you said recently said that all it feels like you get done is work at your job and your household?  YES? Then I encourage you to find one (JUST ONE) thing to do for just you (yes, just you)! 

Why?  Facing a challenged brings us to a place of happiness, absolute calm, and yes PEACE!   Doing and being active allows us to engage in life and when we engage in our lives we do not leave room for self doubt, depression, or anger.

How?  Start in reflection.  

                      What do you wish you were doing right now?  

                      If that doesn’t work, what are your friends doing that you want to do?

                      If that doesn’t work, What activities did you enjoy when you were younger?

What? It may be as simple as adding in a walk in the woods, learning a new cooking technique, taking a class to learn a new skill or as complex as fire walking, traveling…the options are endless and they are yours.

Go for it!

Just a Video

In honor of Play Therapy week (February 1-7th) I am posting a video that explains what we Play Therapist do!  Enjoy!

Play Therapy Works!

Yell Less

I am guessing that you are like almost every parent and you want to yell less and enjoy your child(ren) more. 

I have found this idea valuable with the families I meet in my practice and I want to share it so this month I am giving a link for my blog to http://theorangerhino.com/  

Check it out and take the challenge. 

If you take the challenge feel free to send me an email with your feedback and success stories.

Special Time

The families I work with find this idea highly effective.  This comes from the book "Transforming the Difficult Child" (By Howard Glasser and Melissa Block).  Parents report that  when they make time for special time with their child(ren), childrens attention seeking behaviors decrease, children do not feel discounted when parents are busy, and parents do not feel guilty when they have to say, "I can't right now, I am tired, but I'm looking forward to our special time." Give it a shot!

 

"Special Time" is a regularly scheduled time.  Think 15 minutes each day.   Let your child(ren) know that you would like to start having time for just the two of you and you can come up with a name for it together.  Explain to them it will be the same time each night and it will be for about 15 minutes.  During the 15 minutes the child can pick the activities (talking, playing with toys, reading a book together, or a short game are the most common).   When the time is up, let them know "Our special time is over for today, I look forward to tomorrow's special time.

 

Things to think about before you start:

1)  Make sure other children are supported during this time as not to get any interruptions. 

2) Turn your phone off or if you have to have your phone on and it rings during the special time come up with a plan to handle the call and not interrupt the special time ("I'm sorry I can't talk right now.") 

3) If you choose to spend more let your child know that the special time is done, but your willing to stay a bit longer.  The child does not add on time you do. 

4) This time is never taken away for bad behaviors, homework problems, etc... 

5) This time is not for discipline or reviewing of the day.

 

Finally, its not the amount of time it is the quality.  Children feel special when they know that time with them is as important to you. 

 

Playful Peace Workshop Series!

Summer is that time every kid looks forward to. It promises to be the "light at end of the tunnel" after a long school year. It is a time to "let loose" and have a great time. But for kids with ADD/ADHD this is a big change, and not always a positive one. The day-to-day structure goes away, the daily routine is gone. In just a few days or weeks, this long-anticipated break can become a potential nightmare for ADHD kids and their parents. BUT, it doesn’t have to be like that!

Every child struggling with ADD/ADHD deserves love, consideration, hope, fun, and attention. This special series for children ages 8-12 years was created for exactly those reasons AND to also give parents a nice break too!

What will your child experience during this workshop series:Play and focus building with art activities such as sand mandala making, indian rattle making, and painting
Games to work on impulse stopping, pausing and thinking
Social skill and friendship building activities and exercises 
Peace building and anger management activities using breathing techniques, mindfulness and movement that teach children how to calm themselves and improve focus.
Benefits that both parents and children will receive from this series: Led by Licensed Counselors and Licensed Meditation and Mindfulness Instructors. Parent Support Group at the end of last day of the series
Impulse and focus building activities
Social Skills and friendship activities
Leave with tips, tools, and materials to help all summer and into the school year
Children who attend get first seats in future ADD/ADHD group workshops

Workshop Dates/Times:       July 21st, 22nd, 23rd from 9:00am until 12:00pm

Location:                                Om2Ohm Meditation & Wellness Center, 324 West Case St.,
                                                 Powell, OH 43065

Cost Per Child:     $90.00 cash, check, Visa/Mastercard accepted

 

This class is limited to 10 children so that everyone gets ample attention so register soon!

 

To verify your child’s eligibility and get registered please contact :

 

Jodi Schermerhorn, MSEd, PC-CR at (614)442-7650/ jodi.sopcc@gmail.com   or

Sheri Mollica-Rathburn C.MI at (614)787-0583/sheri@om2Ohm.com