THE WELLNESS GARDEN - Teens

©2020 Erin Newton, www.thewellnessgarden.ca, All rights reserved

THE WELLNESS GARDEN

it's time for a digital detox!

9/3/2021

It’s time to digitally detox, folks! If you’re anything like me, I’ve had my phone in my hand constantly since the beginning of the pandemic. If you have a tween or ten at home, it’s likely they have too.

With school starting next week, I want to make sure that I am physically AND mentally present for my students. I am finding that stepping away from my phone for intervals of time is not as easy as it looks, so I’ve been practicing a gradual digital detox.

If social media and cell phone use are a constant distraction for your kid too, why not have them practice stepping away from the phone for short periods of time? Start with 10 minutes and increase from there. Have them notice how it makes them feel and how frequently their mind drifts back towards it.

Together, we can overcome the cell phone compulsion so that we are ready to learn and to enjoy each other’s company face to face!

How do you get what you want, if you don't know what you want?

8/28/2021

One good thing about high school is that semesters come and semesters go, and there is always an opportunity for a brand new start. If one semester doesn't go well, or feels unfulfilling, you have the opportunity to start with a clean slate every time.

But, how do you get what you want, if you don't know what you want?

You figure it out, that's how.

Start by looking at each area of your life and examine the parts that don't serve you well.

Are you always tired?

Change your sleeping habits.

Always handing in assignments at the last minute?

Stop procrastinating.

Feeling disorganized?

Set up a study space, repack your back pack, use an agenda, take photos of the study notes on your phone, etcetera, etcetera.

The bottom line is, if you don't take a look at what isn't working, you won't transform it into something that is. After all, how are you going to get what you want, if you don't even know what that is?

adjusting your sleep schedule for school

8/25/2021

This week I will be sharing tips on Back-to-School strategies that can help families as they transition into a new fall schedule.

Tip 1:
Start Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule Now

Start adjusting your sleep schedule now for a smoother transition back-to-school. Many teens have been staying up late and waking up late for the past year and a half due to being in and out of quarantine. This has led to irregular sleep patterns and sleep deficits.
You can’t expect to dramatically shift your sleeping patterns over night. By making small adjustments to your sleeping schedule in the 2 weeks before classes begin, you can ease your body into a sleep routine that is healthier and more conducive to school schedules.

going Back to School after so much uncertainty

8/11/2021

Returning to school after having the summer off is always a big adjustment for teachers, students, parents and education workers.

💛Returning to school after a year and a half of:

👉constant change
👉stress and frustration
👉social isolation
👉different ways of learning
👉a chaotic world full of trauma and uncertainty

…puts this next transition on a whole new level.

We can’t expect ourselves to shift into new eating, sleeping, learning, and patterns of socialization overnight.

It’s time to start preparing ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, academically and socially, so that the changes ahead will be less of a shock to our systems.

👉Throughout the week ahead, I will be sharing tips and tools that you may find helpful for preparing yourself and your family for the next “new normal”.

Being normal is overrated

7/28/2021

Being normal is overrated.

There have been times in my life where I've tried it, but I could never keep up the charade for very long. Inevitably, I'd return to my bubbly, vibrant, emotional, sensitive, creative and colourful self. Some people were happy and others, not so much, but I could only contain my real energy for so long, before I morphed back into the person I'm meant to be.

You see, being normal is not only overrated, it's not even a real thing because "normal" only exists within the constructs of a narrow-minded society. When things are "normal" they remain constant. When things are "normal" people don't need to grow or expand. Ah, the safety of everything being labelled and put in the appropriate box! But is that how you're meant to live your life?

Being a teenager can be difficult and living in the box can be reassuring and safe. There is SO much pressure to look a certain way, to behave a certain way, and to fit into socially accepted categories that turn us into automatons.

BUT, none of that is real.

You see, what makes you different, is what makes you special. What makes you unique is your gift to the world. What sets you apart from others is your superpower. The world needs YOU in all your fabulous weirdness!

I know it's scary and I know that people can be mean but, in time, you will see that it's not the in-the-box thinkers that change the world. Being in-the-box is safe, oh yes, because you won't be noticed and you won't stick out. No one will point at you and yell "Different! Different!", because you won't even be seen.

Stay there until you're ready.
Stay there until you are able.
Stay there until you have the support you need.
But then, my darlings, then it's time to break free.

Some people won't like it. Oh, for sure, and they'll let you know! People will notice, people will judge. People will have opinions, but those people are not your people. Your uniqueness challenges them. That's their work, not yours. What others think of you can't change who you really are. Don't let what others want for you, keep you from achieving what you want for yourself!

Nobody lives their best life in a box and labels are for limited thinkers. So be brave. Be yourself. Embrace all that makes you different and be who you were always meant to be.

what's the deal with mindfulness, anyway?

7/26/2021

Why do I talk about mindfulness so much? Why do I weave it into every class that I teach? What does mindfulness have to do with the Performing Arts anyway and why don’t I just stick to the “curriculum”?

Click the link below to find out more:

www.thewellnessgarden.ca/blog

Wellness Begins with you

7/24/2021

Wellness begins with knowing that you deserve to be well.

You deserve to be happy, to love, to be loved, to laugh and to pursue your dreams.

There will never be another you, so treat yourself the way you would treat your most beloved friend.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I regularly getting enough sleep?
Am I eating healthy meals that nourish my body?
Am I drinking enough water for my body to remain hydrated and to function at optimum performance?
Do I regularly make time to move my body and participate in physical activity?
Am I physically and emotionally safe in my home and environment?
Do I have friends, family and people who I consider an emotional support system?
Do I laugh at least once a day?
Do I regularly make time to move my body and participate in physical activity?
Do I make time to pursue activities that bring me joy?
Do I believe that change is possible, that I deserve good things and that I can achieve my dreams?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions...

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, imagine that it was your child, your sister, your brother, or your best friend who was answering "no". Would you allow your child to be regularly sleep deprived? Would you allow your best friend to be without an emotional support system? Then why is that satisfactory for you?

You are your own best friend. Start treating yourself that way today.

What factors are involved in wellness?

7/22/2021

When I say "wellness", what comes to mind? Physical health? Mental health? Sometimes we don't realize that creating and maintaining our wellness is about more than that.

Being "well" is about a whole lot more than just physical health.

Being well requires maintenance.
You can't wait until you are unwell to start thinking about it.

Optimum Heath and Wellness Require:

Having your basic needs met (ie: food, shelter, water, safety)
Feeling supported by your community
Feeling love and friendship
Proper nutrition and hydration
Regular movement and exercise
Having the opportunity to pursue your passions and interests
Being free from discrimination and oppression
Access to medical and psychological care
Developing a growth mindset
Meditation, quiet time or prayer (whichever feels right for you)

Why Should you care about wellness?

7/21/2021

Simply put, because you are blooming!

Throughout your teenage years, you are in a "beautiful process of becoming". You are a garden that is growing but you need to think about all the things your garden requires to flourish.

The teenage years are some of the most wonderful, but definitely some of the most difficult years of your life!

Will you nurture your garden with health, wellness, a positive mindset, acceptance, healthy habits and a strong support system? Or will you neglect your garden with toxic relationships, false friendships, poor nutrition, isolation, and negative self esteem?

As a teacher, mentor, blogger and mother, I have been helping teenagers to love and accept themselves for close to 28 years. Thank you for joining me on social media and here in the garden.

Don't hesitate to like, share, or follow.
Together, we can bloom!

©2020 Erin Newton, www.thewellnessgarden.ca, All Rights Reserved