Navigating Conflict: Essential Skills for De-Escalation

Conflict is a natural part of life. Whether it’s a disagreement with a friend, a debate at work, or a clash of ideas, conflicts are inevitable. But here’s the good news: you can de-escalate conflicts effectively, turning them into opportunities for growth and understanding. Let’s dive into some essential skills for de-escalation, including staying calm, […]

Ways to Implement Self-Care in Young Children

In today’s fast-paced world, instilling the value of self-care in children is more important than ever. Self-care means taking care of the whole self. It is the foundation on which we build our care and love for the world (We R Native, 2021). The Medicine Wheel is an ancient symbol used by some of the […]

Understanding Compassionate Empathy: Connecting with Others on a Deeper Level

Empathy is a basis of human interaction, allowing us to understand and share the emotions of those around us. Among its various forms, compassionate empathy stands out as particularly impactful. While emotional and cognitive empathy focus on understanding, compassionate empathy goes further, driving us to take action to aid in relieving the heavy emotions another […]

From Screen Time to Green Time: Promoting Outdoor Learning Experiences for Children

This is the digital age, and kids spend more time than ever before glued to screens, like computers, phones, and tablets. Technology does have some useful educational resources, but kids who spend too much time in front of screens can hurt their physical, emotional and mental health, and overall development. Because of this, there is […]

Setting Boundaries for Healthy Conversations

Two people sitting on a park bench, distraught.

Being able to change the subject mid-conversation is really more of an art than anything else; being able to redirect a conversation is useful and powerful. No matter how gracefully you might be able to change the subject, there are some topics that come up again and again that you might not be in the […]

Managing Conflict in Times of Stress

Two people working together in a small home space.

In times of high stress or anxiety, we respond in very different ways (see also: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn); some of us are extroverts, some are introverts, some people process internally by processing over time, others process externally by talking things through with others. All of these are exceptionally valid ways of navigating our […]

A Roadmap for Tough Conversations

Person walking on an uneven path

It’s April 2020, and many of us are navigating new routines, and new ways of spending time with others. Many of us are staying home, or working with different stressors, which means that new challenges push on our limits, often bringing up intense emotions or overwhelm.  On top of all of the new things coming […]

3 Approaches to Support Others in Conflict

Two Friends Talking

As someone working in the peace and conflict field, friends often often ask for advice about a conflict they’re experiencing. Sometimes this is an issue with a friend or family member, sometimes they are experiencing conflict with a co-worker or supervisor, or sometimes the problem they are experiencing is with a system that is working […]

3 Tips for Building Conflict Resolution Skills with Teens

A group of teens gathered, laughing at sunset.

The teen years are a time of rapid change for the youth in our lives. During this time period, youth are further developing their concentration, reasoning skills and perspective-taking, while continuing to build their sense of self. Decisions about the future may become stressors, while simultaneously navigating increasingly complex relationships with their peers. Here are […]

5 Tips for Building Conflict Resolution Skills with Pre-Teens

The pre-teen years are a time of rapid change for the youth in our lives. Young people are busy working out who they are and where they fit into the world, in conjunction with a lot of physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes. During this time, these changes can happen quickly and seemingly unpredictable, which can be tough […]