The Mental Health Benefits of Giving Thanks
The Mental Health Benefits of Giving Thanks The month of November is a time when many of us gather with our family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. This year may be quite different with the unfortunate Covid-19 messing up travel plans and large group gatherings. Staying positive and grateful this year will have a remarkable effect on your mind, body, and spirit. You may not have given this much thought, but being thankful actually has many mental health benefits. Studies have shown that people who regularly express gratitude tend to have lower rates of stress and depression and live overall happier lives. Expressing gratitude can: Improve your overall mood and encourage an optimistic outlook. Research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. Enrich social relationships and build social supports. Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners, but also showing appreciation can help you win new friends. Therefore, whether you thank a stranger for holding the door or send a thank-you note to that colleague who helped you with a project, acknowledging other people’s contributions can lead to new opportunities. Enhance empathy and reduce aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kindly. Grateful people are less likely to retaliate against others and experience more sensitivity and empathy toward other people. It also causes a decreased desire to seek revenge. Improve sleep. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer. Improve physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than others. Not surprisingly, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity. Give hope. Research shows that focusing on the positive can boost our mood more than we expect, which in turn produces hope for the future. Allow us to ground ourselves. Remembering what is going well in my life and being grateful for the good things in my life reminds me there is still good in a world full of chaos and struggles. Increase mental strength. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. Ways you can cultivate gratitude: Express your gratitude. Thank or compliment someone. Let them know you think they did something well or that you like something about them. Speak the words! Write a thank you note. Showing appreciation nurtures relationships and helps to foster a healthy sense of self-esteem for both the sender and receiver. Write a letter, email or post of gratitude. Why not take the time to brainstorm the things you are grateful for and then put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard and express it. Give a gift of gratitude. A gratitude gift might be something of material value but it does not need to be. A thoughtful and personal show of gratitude can be worth its weight in gold. Be a support system. Encourage others. Include others. Visit others. There is nothing like a face-to-face visit to express your gratitude. The gesture of going out of your way to tell someone how much you appreciate them is enough for everyone to feel the benefits. Be there. Keep a blessing journal. Reflect on your blessings. Make a habit of recognizing blessings and writing them in your blessing journal at the end of every day. Meditate. Demonstrate gratitude. Make eye contact, practice being patient, a better listener, and be kind. Be gracious when challenged. Share in other’s joy. Perform random acts of kindness. Pay it forward. Be respectful and treat others with the level of courtesy you would like to receive. As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, we’d like to say – Thank You! Thank you for the opportunity to provide support to the children and teens with special needs in Chester County. CCRN is grateful for the work we are able to do, and to make a difference in these students lives. We wish each and every one of our schools, staff, and students, many blessings this school year.
Back to School is Around the Corner
Back to School is Around the Corner It’s hard to believe that it is almost “that” time of year again…. back to school. Although it is an exciting time for most, it can also be a stressful time for kids and families, in particular for families with a special needs child. CCRN is here to assist in alleviating your stress by offering support and suggestions that will help prepare your child for school. We understand how overwhelming it can be for everyone. The start of of a new year includes a lot of unknowns and unfamiliarity, which ultimate creates stress on the family. This Blog should help guide you with a few key steps you can take now to get organized before school begins. Organize the paperwork and information that you will need to provide to the school team. Schedule a team meeting now to review action plans, and ensure everyone is well versed on your child’s needs. You are your child’s greatest advocate. By taking active steps to educate the entire team in one meeting, you can prepare them on how best to support your child. This preparation will increase the chances of a successful transition into the new school year. We are here to provide the extra support you need. Call CCRN. Let’s discuss the best ways to ensure your child will be well cared for. We can work directly with the school and follow- through with them, offer additional suggestions and strategies, to ensure your child’s overall success. In the meantime, to help alleviate some of stress, we have compiled a list of suggestions for you to use at home with your child. We hope you will find these useful! Discuss with your child any questions or concerns he or she may be feeling; Begin the school-morning routine at least one week before school starts. This could include a new bedtime, as well practicing walking to the bus; Figure out something small that your child may want to bring to school that will be familiar, comforting, reassuring and that reminds them of home; Start a written communication log (i.e., spiral notebook, etc.) that will help to keep your team updated on any changes with your child, or factors that may impact the first few days of school, and vice versa; Write a social story including pictures of the school, classroom, etc., to increase your child’s understanding of what to expect, and or request the school team to assist when possible; Send your child to school with a visual schedule and or checklist of the day; Before the school year begins, arrange to take your child on a tour of the school. It is often beneficial to locate new classrooms, library, cafeteria, gym, and restrooms; If your school allows it, you may even want to set up a tour of the bus including an introductory meeting with the driver; Consider developing what is referred to as a Sensory Tool Box to send with your child to school. Some items you might want to include are: ★ Noise canceling headphones; ★ Therapy Putty; ★ Fidgets toy & Chewelery; ★ Visual Timer
Summertime Activities for Your Kids
Back to School is Around the Corner At last, the long-anticipated summertime is nearly here. Time to relax, unwind, sunbathe by the pool with an ice cold lemonade in hand, and not have a care in the world. Sorry, think again. The kids are out of school and ready to go, go, go; ready to burn their pent-up energy. Let’s face it, you need them to do just that for the sake of everyone’s sanity! But, what to do? Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or other school personnel, we think you’ll appreciate this list of great activities – in and around Chester County – this summer. Check out Variety Philly. From day camps to vocational programs, there is literally something for everyone. Programs are specifically designed to accommodate children with intellectual and physical delays, but are open to children with all levels of ability between the ages of 5 and 21. For more information visit: http://varietyphila.org/what-we-do/programs/summerprograms/ Reins of Life offers a unique opportunity for children with autism, Down Syndrome, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and more. Located in Landenberg, PA, this program has been offering therapeutic horseback riding for over 20 years. CCRN supports this type of therapy to improve fine and gross motor skills, as well to increase independence and confidence. Programs are open to children ages 2 to 25. http://reinsoflife.com/cms/ MetroKids, by itself, has a plethora of activities and resources that you can use, all online. They also have an extensive schedule of events, such as sensory friendly films, zoo activities, parent’s night out, and more. Many activities require advance registration, so be sure to keep an eye on dates and mark your calendars! http://www.metrokids.com/MetroKids/ Checking out Chester County’s website! It’s a great resource and they not only list the most up to date happenings in the area, they also have a ton of resources. Whether you’re looking for counseling, diagnostics or educational programs, therapies, the County website has it all. http://www.chesco.org/ Feel better? We hope these ideas will help keep your kids fully occupied this summer and give them a way to release their pent-up energy. And don’t forget — your kids aren’t the only ones who need time to release energy and enjoy the sunshine. Take some time for yourself. While the kids are in the backyard belting out their favorite songs, be sure to have that ice cold lemonade in your hand. Have a great summer!