Posts Tagged "stress management"

30Dec2015

This is a very quick relaxation and only takes a few moments – so is ideal to do at work, in the office, in the classroom (teach it to your students), at home (you could lie on the floor), or while commuting via bus or train.

Think of a special place that makes you feel relaxed and tranquil. This could be an actual place you have visited, or you can create it now in your mind.

Really connect with this place with all of your senses:

* see everything,
* hear everything,
* smell, taste everything
* and feel a wonderful sense of calm and relaxation.

Think of a word to sum up this place. You can use this word later to trigger the image or memory and the mental relaxation attached, whenever you need to.

Step 1 Put one hand on your stomach so you can feel you are breathing deeply from your abdomen and not just from your upper chest.

Step 2 When you are ready, close your eyes.

Step 3 Take a deep breath in through your nose. In your mind say your trigger word and focus on your image or memory.

Step 4 Hold your breath for a few seconds, as you tense your shoulders.

Step 5 Open your mouth and breathe out slowly, as you allow your shoulders to relax and let go of all tension.

Step 6 When you are ready, open your eyes.

You can also do this exercise with your eyes open.

Practise this simple technique often and your mind will quickly learn the habit of relaxing at stressful moments.

11Nov2015

This is a very quick relaxation and only takes a few moments to do. Take 5 minutes to teach this to your child and you are giving her a lifelong strategy to use when faced with a stressful or scary situation.

Step 1 Ask her to lie down, close her eyes and make herself comfortable.

Step 2 Ask her to think of a special place that makes her feel happy and relaxed. Give her a couple of moments to find the memory. It could be an actual place you have visited, or she can create it in her mind. Usually kids recall a favourite holiday destination.

Step 3 Encourage her to really connect with this place with all of her senses:

* see everything,

* hear everything,

* smell, taste everything

* and feel a wonderful sense of calm and relaxation.

Step 4 Ask her to think of a word to sum up this place.

Step5 Suggest to her that whenever she thinks of that word in the future, she will feel happy and relaxed.

Step 6 Ask her to open her eyes and bring all the lovely relaxed feeling back with her.

Have a discussion later with her about the different times that she might find it useful to use her magic word. Remind her of her magic word in the future when she is facing a stressful situation.

14Oct2015

Over the years I have worked with children as private clients with issues as diverse as:  mental, physical, emotional & sexual abuse; low self-esteem, fears and phobias, poor concentration, nightmares, nail biting, bed wetting, grief and bereavement, behaviour disorders, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, image problems, stress and  other mental health problems.

I was invited as one of two psychotherapists to set up the pilot project in Liverpool of A Quiet Place (run by The Chieron Project & Liverpool University) to enable school children from 4-16 to have a place to go to within their school when they need to deal with emotions or be listened to.

This was very challenging and rewarding work and over the years we helped hundreds of children dealing with very difficult emotions and situations.  By the time I left, we had Quiet Places in a number of primary and secondary schools all over the city and in other schools around the country.  And we didn’t just work with the pupils, but supported the parents and staff too with counselling and massage.

In recent years I have gone back to working part time as a college lecturer with young adults (14+), developing and building self esteem and confidence.  Having grown up with very low esteem and feelings of inadequacy, I understand how important this work is.

What I love to see is how my clients and students grow and develop and I am often touched when they get in touch to let me know how their lives are going and what they are proud of.

That’s what it’s all about.  That’s why I do it.  That’s why it’s so important for them to know that we care.

If you are helping your child with one of the issues above, I hope that you can find help and support here. Do please feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to help you.

Share the Magic!: If you have found this blog post helpful please pass it on.  We want to help as many children, parents, families and schools as possible.  Thank you x