Reframing Self-Care
Lately, I’ve been holding so much appreciation for the ways in which we talk about self-care at TREE. In the third week of our Grade Six curriculum, we discuss stressors in students’ lives that might cause messy emotions and impact how we can approach peace and conflict in healthy ways. Once we unpack our individual […]
Finding Balance Through Yoga: Small Gestures Can Make Big Waves
“Finding balance” is an expression we hear all the time. The phrase is only two words, and sounds simple enough, but it can be easier said than done, particularly when applied to ourselves. For myself, finding balance has meant being mindful of my needs and cultivating self-care practices that help to reduce anxiety and stress. […]
Peace Comes from Within: A Self-Care Reminder
Over the years, I’ve learned self-care is a broad spectrum of methods and ways to support yourself, and thanks to being with TREE, I’ve had the chance to really improve my self-care strategies. One grade 6 lesson in particular has stuck with me, and that is our lesson on living a balanced lifestyle. The lesson […]
Reframing: How to Shift Your Perspective in Conflict
Anyone who has raised or worked with children likely has some key phrases or workarounds in their repertoire to make undesirable things more appealing. Instead of, “Can you finish your vegetables?” you may have learned to say “Would you like to eat your carrots or potatoes first?” Rather than, “Time for you to turn off […]
Setting Boundaries for Healthy Conversations
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
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 […]
Three Mindfulness Practices for Stronger Relationships
It’s the little things. Your child gets you out of bed thirty minutes before your alarm goes off. The car won’t start. You forgot about an important deadline at work. You don’t have time to make dinner, and your kids won’t eat it when you do. Suddenly, someone says one more thing out of line […]
