Positive & Mindful.

We know what you’re thinking right now. It is a stressful time to be in America given all the chaotic problems occurring at this very moment. The news and media can escalate all our own concerns, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic and the stock market crisis. However, it is important to still practice self-care even during these tough times. Been thinking about all the books and other indoor hobbies you’ve been wanting to do? Now is your chance to finally start these impending activities you’ve been holding back for so long. Constantly worrying about the outside world will further exacerbate one’s stress level. In terms of self-care, it is important to take into account not just one’s diet, exercise and sleep cycle. We also must consider one’s general mood and introduce helpful techniques for alleviating stress and boosting positivity throughout the day. You might be thinking, “This seems too overwhelming for me!” Worry not, we are here to explain the important effects of self-care. Remember, it is more important than ever now to take good care of oneself. Here are some helpful tips to still practice wellness even at home!

Exercise/Mindfulness:
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene/playlists
Yoga with Adriene is a YouTube channel that promotes health and wellness by providing various yoga videos that target different aspects of one’s life. There are videos that are less than 10 minutes long for those that would prefer a quick mindfulness/ yoga session. However, there are videos that are up to 60 minutes for those that would prefer to have a more involved session. Adriene provides sessions that are for tension, 30 day journey’s, digestive health, joint pain etc. 

https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/ 
Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. The result is a distinctive voice in Western Buddhism, one that offers a wise and caring approach to freeing ourselves and society from suffering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gi2ER4pSaU&feature=youtu.be
Jo Pang hosts a TedTalk titled How Mindfulness Transforms Us which we find to be a very informative and light introduction to mindfulness. He has thorough explanations and helpful analogies that allow one to be able to observe their thoughts as they come and go. There is a brief exercise in the video that Jo walks you through that we found to be quite gentle and relaxing. This video can be viewed in multiple languages through subtitles!

https://www.ted.com/talks/marily_oppezzo_want_to_be_more_creative_go_for_a_walk#t-311735 
Marily Oppezzo is a behavioral and learning scientist that shares her thoughts in this 5 minute video on the correlation between creativity and exercise, specifically walking. If you find yourself having a creative block, Oppezzo suggests that you pick one idea to brainstorm and take that idea for a walk, literally! Once you’re out and about, try to come up with some more ideas; it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to the first idea that you came up with. While you’re on your walk, she suggests that you record your ideas or write them down so that you don’t lose or forget anything. Lastly, she emphasizes that you should try not to get discouraged if the ideas aren’t flowing to you. Take a breather, you can always come back to it! This video can be viewed in multiple languages through subtitles!

https://www.lifehack.org/569466/how-regain-your-positive-energy-when-things-are-getting-tough
The following article written by Denise Hill is titled 20 Simple Ways to Bring Positive Energy into Life Right Now. In this article, the author shares 20 different ways that one could use to promote a more positive environment. The suggestions range from engaging in positive self-talk, enjoying nature and sleeping to developing an attitude of gratitude and taking care of yourself spiritually. The post is not based on religion, however, there are 1 or 2 suggestions that could be analyzed spiritually/religiously. Under each of the 20 points, Hill provides some brief examples that one could use,or, if you’re feeling creative there’s plenty of room to brainstorm your own ideas on engaging in positivity!

Eating/Nutrition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmh_xMMJ2Pw

This is an easy to follow instructional video on Youtube about how to eat a proportional meal, for anytime of the day. Fill half your plate with vegetables, though nonstarch if you have a certain medical condition such as diabetes. Then, fill the ¼ with starches or whole grains such as pasta, beans, corn or brown rice. The next ¼ should be lean protein such as tofu, chicken, or sausages. Then, top it off with unsweet tea, milk, or drink of choice. If you choose to include bread, then take out some of the starches to compensate. Altogether, you will still feel satisfied with the meal because it was balanced and feel rejuvenated from all the essential nutrients you have obtained from eating healthy.

Sleep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY76T7jQ9pE
This video from Dr. Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, explains the importance of sleeping throughout the day. It is important that individuals sleep at least 8-9 hours per night, though that is not feasible for everyone. Pulling all nighters is heavily discouraged due to the fact the body would have no time to recover and retain information learned each day. Additionally, health is impacted overall. The mind is not functioning at a proper rate when there is sleep deprivation. That is why cramming usually never works out because the brain is overwhelmed with too much information but not given enough time to absorb the essential material. Moods are also worsened, leading people to become cranky as a result. Thus, sleep is vital towards one’s overall health. Sleep helps rejuvenate the body and brain, allowing for energy to be used the following day.

Children:

https://www.funbrain.com/
Fun Brain is a website directed towards school age children ages Pre-K through 8th grade. They offer a variety of age appropriate games, readings and videos along with a whole section dedicated to math. In a time where school is not in session, it is refreshing to know that our children have the opportunity to continue their education while still having fun.

https://www.brainpop.com/
Brain Pop is a resourceful website that promotes learning and education for school age children. Brain Pop has a topic of the day that features various subjects such as social studies, science, arts & music, engineering & tech etc. The website is constantly including new topics that help children expand their knowledge and it is relatively easy to navigate. You can create an account that allows you to track your child’s progress so that they may be able to reach specific goals or pick up where they left off previously.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmWYD6aHLhg
The following video is a short 2 minute video that aims to teach children what it means to be present in the here and now. It gives many examples that children can easily relate to and promotes not only mindfulness but kindness to oneself and others. 

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