Mindfulness through Folding: My Experience With Origami
Navigating overwhelming emotions and finding peace during times of misery and pain can be extremely difficult, particularly when we find ourselves facing challenges we aren’t equipped to cope with or are unable to do anything to alleviate the problem. When we are faced with circumstances out of our control it can feel as though our […]
Reframing: How to Shift Your Perspective in Conflict
When we hear a hurtful comment in a conversation, it is challenging not to respond from our feelings. Our emotions can be helpful to us but they can also derail us. During one particular conversation with a friend, I had intended to comfort them but my impact turned out to be harmful. Tension began to […]
Giving and Receiving Feedback Effectively
We often hear the word “feedback” used in many different situations, whether at work, school, or even just when a friend wants our opinion on their new haircut. But what is feedback, and how can we use it effectively? Feedback is a response to a message by someone else. Feedback can be given verbally or […]
When Failure Leads to Growth
Failure can bring up a mix of disappointing emotions. If we didn’t get first place or when we aren’t “the best,” we might struggle to come to terms with our shortcomings. It can be an especially hard life lesson to learn because often our fear of failure keeps us from trying in the first place. […]
How to Manage Miscommunication: Intent/Action/Effect
“I’m sure he knew what I meant.” “She knows I was kidding!” Sometimes, even when we have the best intentions, our words and actions hurt people. Maybe someone says something and it feels like a backhanded compliment. Or you respond with a sarcastic comment that leaves a sting. You can fill in the blank with […]
Gottman’s 4 Horsemen, and What We Can Try Instead
When having conflict conversations, it can be easy to engage in behaviours that aren’t actually helpful to the situation. I know it happens to me sometimes, and it can happen in any relationship. Therapist Dr. John Gottman identified four behaviours, which he called the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” that he found to be the […]
3 Peaceful Ways for Educators to Rest this Summer
I smiled and waved at the screen, thanked the class for their great participation and wished them well for the rest of their quadmester. There were seconds of silence, the “bloop-bloop” MS Teams log-out sound, and an anticlimactic rising in me. “Thud,” is the sound that would come after closing my laptop before I’d take […]
Six Conflict Conversation Starters
I can count the number of times I’ve sat in silence with someone, building up the courage to begin a tough conversation. It takes me a few minutes to commit to the conversation, knowing I want to share how I’m feeling and ask them what’s going on for them. In tough conversations, it often takes […]
Engaging Mindfully Outdoors: Activities and Strategies for Kids
With greater amounts of screen time and indoor time these days, it’s more important than ever to cultivate healthy habits that get us outside to connect with our natural environment. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help us at any age to pay attention to the current moment and our surroundings. Intentional engagement with the world around […]
Four Steps to Interrupting Conflict Patterns with Youth
Can you recall an experience when you gave your child a request, like starting chores or meeting curfew, and you were met with the same predictable reaction? It may have been a groan, an elaborate resistance speech, or withdrawal from the conversation. I can remember certain reactions I gave as an adolescent that didn’t always […]
