Category: Well-Being

Nature vs Tech: Why Outdoor Activities Are Essential

Safe Teens and Techonology

Technology definitely has a time and place in our schools and we owe it to our pupils to teach them proper ways to use their devices for learning and communicating. However, we can also probably agree there are some downsides to all of this tech in our student’s lives.

Technology which opens our students up to a variety of pitfalls of dangers that range anywhere from cyberbullying to the health consequences of inactive lifestyles.

As educators, it’s no great surprise today’s technology is changing the way we monitor our children, communicate, interact, and engage with our students and, everyday we are on the frontlines watching and coping with the consequences as they unfold.

This makes it essential that we slow down and re-evaluate the role we allow technology to play in our classrooms. This is especially vital when we consider teens are digitally connected for 9 hours everyday! Yes, that is almost the same amount of time spent in school. If that statistic isn’t jaw dropping enough, we need to factor in that their younger counterparts clock in over 6 daily hours and children younger than 8 net nearly 3 hours a day!.

This data inevitably means that our children are missing out on important opportunities and activities to interact, explore, observe, and learn about the world around them. Instead of building new relationships or mastering valuable life skills, our boys and girls are inevitably living a distracted life. This is difficult for us to face, because we can only control what our students do during the hours we have them entrusted to our care. One simple way we can counteract too much technology is by examining the importance of outdoor activities and find ways for kids to strike a happy balance.     

Why Outdoor Activities are Essential for Kids

Over the course of the last few decades, a lot has changed in education as we strive to include more technology and teach for the test. While this has helped push in more STEAM activities and HAL opportunities, it has also led to a significant decrease in the amount of time allocated for recess, physical education, and the fine arts. To put this trend into perspective, according to the National Wildlife Foundation, today’s children are spending approximately half the amount of time outside than we did when we were kids.

Why outdoor activities are essential for kids:

  • Poor indoor air quality is common in many schools. Fresh air is healthy!
  • There is an increased risk for obesity, hypertension, and more that comes with reduced exercise and sedentary lifestyles.
  • Green spaces have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels in children- and even adults. 
  • The outdoors provide exposure to dirt, germs, and bacteria which boost a child’s immune system.
  • Sunlight provides beneficial vitamin D which can help energy levels and strengthen bones.
  • Adequate exposure to sunlight also helps set a child’s circadian rhythms, which will help them develop a proper sleep schedule to enhance social and educational performance in school.
  • Outdoor activities and green spaces naturally improve many of the symptoms related to ADHD in children.

The Dangers of Too Much Technology

The reasons why outdoor activities are essential for kids is pretty solid, but we can’t overlook the possible dangers associated with too much technology. Our students’ devices might be entertaining, but there are real reasons educators need to be concerned. The following list shows why we need to help students find a healthy balance with technology in their lives:

  • Direct links between overuse of social media and increases in depression, feelings of low self-esteem, and anxiety have been documented in young people.
  • Devices can interrupt or cause distraction during key learning times in a classroom.
  • Our kids might be set up for a lifetime of joint and neck pain if they don’t embrace proper ergonomics.
  • Digital devices and fast paced stimuli can actually physically alter a child’s brain.
  • The glow from our screens and constant notifications can disrupt circadian rhythms and sleep schedules leading to poor sleep.
  • Overusing technology limits one-on-one communication opportunities for kids which may inhibit relationship and social skills development.

Benefits of Being Outside

Technology is obviously here to stay, and we can’t feasibly ban all devices from our schools. However, a little mindfulness and proactive planning can go a long way. With a little creative thinking we can help students find a healthy balance with technology and nature. Encouraging your children to play outdoors regularly needs to be more then just talk.  Give them ideas and take part in the fun as often as possible.

 

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How Exercising Boosts Our Mood

Ride a bike for excercise

Being stuck at home for weeks in a time when everything feels uncertain and out of control can be mood-dipping experience. We all want to feel safe and hopeful for tomorrow, Fortunately, there are practical things we can all do to maintain a positive attitude.

Anxiety doesn’t have to be your friend, just as you don’t have to let loneliness move in to be your roommate or neighbor. With a focus on mood-boosting activities we will be able to keep our sanity through long periods of time at home.

Psychologists say that it may be possible to beat depression, anxiety, and loneliness through physical exercise. According to a study that was published by JAMA Psychiatry in January 2020, regular physical activity can independently alleviate depression disorder and boost a person’s overall mood.

For students in school, there is the added benefits that exercise brings to the brain.  More oxygen, more blood flow, and the simple fact that a break from braining draining studies is healthy to avoid burnout.

But how exactly does exercising boost our mood, especially while home-isolated? Here is how:

1.  It is a Good Excuse to get Natural Light Exposure

Increased exposure to natural light will boost your energy and mood levels, and consequently, improve your sleep and overall quality of life. That is why people who stay indoors for too long suffer irritability, distraction, and depression. Unfortunately, we aren’t getting enough natural light these day, especially for those living in harsh winter climates.

Outdoor exercising is one of the few valid reasons for anyone to get out these days. So, if you have space on your balcony, backyard, or if you live in a scarcely-populated neighborhood, go out there and run. Do all forms of cardio and get your heart racing. If you can’t go to far from home, ride a bicycle around your garden for an hour daily. It is a great way not just to burn fat and lose weight but to boost your spirits as well.

Riding a bike is something then entire family can enjoy together outdoors.  If you have kids who are just learning how to ride, teaching them is an activity in itself. 

2.  Helps You Beat Insomnia

Being stuck indoors means that everyone is now getting the time to sleep during the day. The disadvantage of that: Severe insomnia for people who struggle to catch sleep at night. One of the effects of insufficient sleep at night is lowered spirits during the day. The good thing is that studies point to the possibilities of regular exercise being a remedy for severe insomnia. Here are 2 arguments in support of this claim:

  • Intense physical activity has undisputed body-heating effects. When you increase your body temperature by exercising a few hours to bedtime, your body reacts by lowering its temperature back to normal. That post-exercise temperature dip may make you fall asleep faster.
  • Most people with severe insomnia suffer from anxiety and depression. Exercising is a proven way of alleviating these symptoms so you sleep better.

3.  It makes you drink more water

Research has shown that people who drink at least 8 glasses of water per day are calmer, more content, and have way lesser physical and mental fatigue compared to people who intake less than 6 glasses per day. That is reliable evidence that drinking more water might result in a better mood.

But then, drinking water regularly might seem like extra work for people who aren’t keen on their hydration needs. That is where physical exercise comes in. When you work out, you will always feel the urge to drink more water and, knowingly or not, you will fundamentally be boosting your mood.

4.  Helps you cultivate healthy relationships

Many couples are fighting all the time because for the first time since they have known each other, they are now spending 24 hours together, up from 3-5 hours tops on normal days. When you fight, your mood deteriorates. When you work out together as a couple or as a family, your mood improves.

5.  It is a good way of alleviating emotional exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion results from prolonged stress. Most people are feeling emotionally worn-out and drained due to the uncertainties shared by people worldwide. People are feeling trapped; it seems like no one is in control of their lives or careers anymore.

Increased physical activity raises endorphins and serotonin levels in your body, which in turn can boost your emotional state. It helps take your mind off the news and the constant feeling of hopelessness.

Conclusion

Physical inactivity during this time can have detrimental impacts on both your mental and physical health. Make a point of exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, especially given that there are plenty of at-home workout ideas online. What’s more, even after the quarantine season is over, you will have developed a healthy fitness routine for the rest of your life.

Encouraging Your Kids Through Seasonal Affective Disorder

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The Digital Detox (Screen Free Family Fun)

Convenant Eyes - Reducing Screen Time

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of screens.  It may be on social media or watching TV or playing videos games.  Even adults will agree that the hours “fly by” when engaging with the digital world.  Don’t worry, the 7 Day Digital Detox is not asking you to go offline for 7 Days.

Rather, it’s 7 days of tech-free family activities and conversation starters delivered to your inbox.   It’s a chance for your family to reconnect without looking at a screen.  Life is about balance.  It’s about developing healthy habits that doesn’t necessarily mean stopping something you love to do altogether.

Why The Digital Detox?

It’s not uncommon to see a group of teens sitting together, each of them on their phones on social media or texting, but none of them interacting with each other.  The same thing happens with families at home.  Let’s face it.  Watching TV kills time.  Surfing the web or scroll posts on social media can eat up hours. The temptation for distraction from life is great but ‘so called’ relaxing time can also lead to online burnout.

There is also the time reading online news, most of which is negative. It can bring a person down without a balance of reading stories that are positive and uplifting.

No one denies the benefits of being able to keep in touch with family and friends miles away, especially in this time of social distancing.  But even when you look at the hours we spend on screens, how much of it is actually having a digital conversation compared with reading and viewing information in silence.   Studies have claimed too much screen time can cause social and family dysfunction, as well as development delays and depression.

Human Interaction Takes Planning

If we don’t set time aside to do things as a family, it won’t happen.  It’s the difference between cooking dinner and having family members just take their food from the stove to eat wherever they like, or saying “tonight, we’re going to have a sit-down meal together”.  It takes a simple commitment.  A meal together is one activity a family can do to have a conversation, as long as everyone doesn’t bring their phones to the table.

Planning to do something can be easy to talk about.  It’s much more difficult to follow through on unless at time is set.  For example, at 5 o’clock today we’re all going for a walk.  Friday nights are game night.  Keep it interesting by exploring fresh new activities like new language games the whole family can enjoy.   Or how about a family drive to a scenic outdoor viewpoint in your local area.

Get ideas for activities and conversations starters
to bond with your family without tech!

And there’s nothing wrong with a movie night.  True, it’s more time in front of a screen but can be a fun time to spend time together compared with everyone just watching their own favorite show in solitude.  The same can be said for videos games done together on one screen as a family. It’s certainly better than when kids individually looking at their screens with no interaction with those around them.

Get Tech-Free Ideas for Your 7 Day Digital Detox!

As mentioned, it’s not about eliminating screen time, only reducing screen time it in our daily lives while connecting in a personal way with our family.  Puzzles anyone?  It may not be everyone’s preference.  In that case, break up your activities in groups.  Some work on a puzzle while others play a game or build a connectable toy.

You can also use the time to evaluate if there are any online accounts you don’t really need.  Detoxing your digital life can also mean reclaiming your online privacy and doing away with excess use to simplify your digital management.

So why not give it a try?

Sign up for the 7 Day Digital Detox and you’ll receive one email per day for 7 days.  Each email will consist of fun ideas to help you reconnect as a family in fun way.

Start Your Free Digital Detox Here!

The Digital Detox is inspired by the same parental control software company that developed Covenant Eyes, the program that also teaches kids how to be responsible internet users. Screen time monitoring is just one of the features that parental controls offer, in addition to preventing the much worse consequences of when kids come into contact with explicit material online.

Any attempt to reduce screen time, avoid screen time addiction, or protect families from harm online begins with a conversation.  The 7 Day Digital Detox is great way to open the lines of communication between family members so that having those important conversations happen naturally.

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Anger Management (When You Get Mad!)

Anger Management for Kids

Whether you are on the school playground or spending time with friends in your neighborhood on the weekend, not everything always goes as planned. You could skin your knees, bump your head going up the monkey bars and get splashed in the pool. Accidents happen. People get mad.

In that finger-snap moment, many say or do things that hurt friendships, feelings and even get them into trouble.

That doesn’t have to happen to you. You just need a few tools.

There’s nothing wrong with feeling mad. Everyone feels mad from time to time. The problem is when the anger makes you do things that hurt you or other people. That’s why the most important thing to think when you get mad is this: TAKE CONTROL.

TAKE CONTROL. You are stronger than you think. You have the power to get control of your anger. Here are some ways:

  • When you open your mouth to yell at someone who hit you or splashed you, take a breath. Hold that breath. Let it out slowly. Take another breath. Those few seconds will save you from saying something mean or making someone else mad.
  • Make fists and throw them away. That is, curl your hands into fists then quickly fling your hands open. Do that over and over until you feel your burning anger fade.
  • Walk away. Walk to the side. Pace back and forth. This is a good way to help when you stub your toe or hurt your arm. It helps ease the pain while you let the anger out.
  • Close your eyes and grit your teeth. Then let yourself relax. This helps you calm down and think.

These actions may seem easy, but they are not. You may need to practice them with friends or your parents. But they are important because they give you control. Once you have control, you can think about what made you mad. When you can think with a calm head, you can take care of what the problem is.

Did you bump your head? Then call an adult to make sure that you are not badly hurt.

Did another kid yell a mean comment to you? When you have control you can walk away or just roll your eyes or go tell your parents. If the comment was truly hurtful, you can talk about it with friends or family or a special adult—yelling back makes you just as hurtful as the person who hurt you.

Many adults go through life struggling with their anger. They get in trouble. This can often be made worse when they express their anger on social media. Some people go to jail. Many never learn to be the boss of their anger. They pay a big price for that. You are better than that—or you can be—when you learn what to do when you get mad.

When You Are Get Upset with Friends

Jill knows that Ringo — her fluffy spotted puppy — can understand her. Whenever she’s on her phone, Ringo sits politely at her feet and stares at her with round, brown eyes. Today, Jill read her social media posts to him. “Look,” she said, “Zazza is mad at Sam because he got into the school band and she didn’t”.

Jill continued. “Zazza said Sam got in because he gave the teacher a flower before auditions. They’re both my friends and I don’t know what to say.”

Ringo cocked his head and sniffed at the phone.

Jill sighed. “I know what you mean, Ringo. They’re both my friends. If I post something that makes Zazza feel good, it will make Sam mad. If I post something that makes Sam happy, Zazza will be upset. What should I do?”

Ringo flattened on the floor and covered his ears with his fuzzy white paws.

Jill crossed her arms.  “You really think I should just stay out of it?”

Ringo sat up and panted.

“You’re right. Zazza is hurt right now, but she does so much, she’ll forget about it in a few days. Maybe I should wait ‘til I see her in person and tell her I’m sorry she didn’t get on the band.”

Ringo’s tail started sweeping the floor.

“You like that idea? That way, Zazza will l know I care and I won’t make Sam mad. After all, he’s my friend, too.”

Ringo let his long tongue flop out of the side of his mouth. Then he gave a deep, strong, “Woof.”

Jill nodded. “You’re smart. If I post something online, it will look like I’m taking sides between two people I like. If I talk to them in person, I’ll be a real friend instead of just someone who on comments online.”

Ringo panted happily. He liked people when they talked to each other in person. Being a dog, he knew that real friends share real time in the real world.

Online friends can’t throw sticks for you. They can’t sneak you a pizza crust when parents aren’t looking. Online friends can’t scratch your ears or take you for a walk. They can’t hug you or fill your water bowl. That’s why Ringo knows that what happens online is only part of being a friend. Being a real friend means being supportive in the real world and being kind in the real world.

Jill got off social media and phoned Sam. She congratulated him for getting on the band. Then she called Zazza and invited her over for pizza night.

That’s when Jill’s phone beeped. She looked at the message. “This is your Mom. Didn’t you forget something else in the real world?”

Jill smiled and tossed down her phone. “Hey, Mom,” she yelled into the kitchen. “Is it okay if Zazza comes over for pizza?”

How to Argue without Being Mean

What is he thinking? What’s wrong with her? How could they say those things? You want to talk back and let those friends know that you are right and they are wrong wrong wrong! How do you do that? You argue back—with Arguing Skill.  But you do it without being mean or spiteful.

  • NEVER ARGUE WHEN YOU ARE MAD OR SAD.

This is a hard one. When you feel like arguing about something, it is because the conflict makes you feel mad or sad.  But when you are mad or sad, you lose control. You just weep or stomp around. You won’t win an argument, and you might make people think you are silly. Also, when you are mad or sad, you are likely to call people names, which is a bad way to argue.

  • REALLY LISTEN AND HAVE RESPECT.

Part of being a ninja arguer is really hearing what the other person is saying. When you really understand what the other person thinks, you will be better at making that person understand you. if you really want someone to listen to you, you must listen to him or her.

  • BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND WHY.

“Just ‘cause” is not a reason. You need to be able to say clearly and nicely what your goal is and give reasons why your opinion should win.

  • BE OPEN TO COMPROMISE.

COMPROMISE is when two people each give in a little to make a deal work. By compromising, both of you win.

Now, let’s see how these four points work in real life. Let’s start in the playground.

You’ve been playing basketball with your friends. After about an hour, Sandy grabs the ball and won’t give it back. She wants to go home and play video games. You want to keep playing, as do the other friends. You want to call her mean for taking the ball.

Instead, think. At that moment you don’t want to be nice.  Put your hands on your hips and take a few steps, counting to ten. This gives you time to cool off (point 1).

Now, go back to Sandy and ask her why she wants to play video games rather than basketball (point 2).

Sandy says, “We’ve been playing all afternoon. It’s getting boring.” Being smart, you also listen with your eyes. You see that she’s sweaty and tired. Maybe she doesn’t want to sound weak.

As her friend, you respect what she says. But there are still five of you that want to keep playing (point 3).“We’d like to keep playing,” you say. Then you reach point 4.

Compromise. So you say, “How about we use your ball and play a bit longer. I’ll drop it off at your house when it’s done.” Sandy could reply: “Mom told me not to lend the ball out.” What do you do? Here’s an idea: “How about we play for another fifteen minutes then we can all go play video games?”

Each argument is different, because the people arguing are different. The goal is to come to an agreement. The better you can argue, the better you can get along.

Saying No Doesn’t Mean You Are Angry

For to many people, being kind means smiling all the time, being quiet and polite. You may think saying no to friends is a sign of aggression, just like when you get angry.   Yet, anger management doesn’t mean you are never angry.  Nor doesn’t mean showing anger is bad.  It’s about controlling your angry so you don’t hurt yourself or others.

Likewise, saying no is sometimes necessary to maintain safe boundaries.  Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.  You don’t always have to be sweet and agreeable.   Many times, to be a “better person” you need to say: NO.

Life can be so easy if you always say yes. Yes, you’ll skip out of gym class. Yes, you’ll try to hit passing cars with rocks. Yes, you’ll see if you can take that flash drive without paying for it. By saying yes, you go with the flow. You follow the lead of someone else. You know what you are doing is wrong, but when a group of friends is staring at you, waiting for your answer, being “good” can be hard.

Saying NO can sound mean. Saying NO can make your friends angry. They might not even want to be friends anymore. That can make YOU angry or sad. Being a good person sometimes means standing up for what is right, even when everyone else seems against you. Being good means saying NO.

Saying no can be hard. As your friends are looking at you, saying no can be the hardest thing you will ever do. The problem is that saying yes can be even harder—but not at the time. After all, when you say yes, everyone laughs, nods and slaps you on the back.

But by saying yes to your friends, you could put yourself in danger. You could end up in trouble with your parents, your school or even the police. Saying yes to a cigarette or pot joint might not seem like a big deal, but yes could lead to an addiction that takes years to beat and costs thousands of dollars. Saying yes can hurt your health and cost you years of life.

Saying no can sting. It can make people yell at you. It can make you seem like a chicken when in fact saying no can take all the strength in your bones. People talk about being better people—and saying NO can feel like the wrong way to do it. That’s a mistake.

Saying NO tells the world that you are you are able to think for yourself. It tells the world that you are working hard to be a good person, even when being a good person can hurt.

Talk to your parents about saying NO. Talk to your friends about how hard it can be to stand up to bullies by saying NO. By learning early on when to say that little word, you are on your way to being a better person.

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