Optimism: How to Deal with Stress
With Spring now in full swing, there are many good things that we can look forward to; rising temperatures, greener trees, budding flowers, and more! It’s clear that Spring can be a time to relax and enjoy what’s around us, but it can also come with many stressors– especially for children. The end of the School Year draws closer with Summer break just in sight, but that means that final assignments, projects, and exams are right around the corner. No doubt, it can be quite a busy and taxing time for kids, who may not know how to manage all that stress. As parents, it can be difficult to watch our children go through stressful times, but fortunately we’ve got the ultimate guide to help your child become a positive and resilient superstar! Keep reading to learn 3 amazing tips that will help your kids learn how to stay optimistic, handle stress like a boss, and take on any challenge that comes their way.
Positive Lens
As a parent, it’s natural to want to protect your child from negative experiences. However, it’s important to remember that challenges are a normal part of life and can actually help your child grow and develop. Another important fact to remember is that our “lens” determines what we do and don’t see. In other words, if we focus on all the bad things, our lens will only allow us to see negativity. However, when we focus on the good things, our lens enables us to find positivity in everything! When your child faces a setback, encourage them to focus on the positive aspects of the situation, and help them find anything and everything that they can positively take away from it. The more we focus on the good, the stronger our Positive Lens becomes, and the easier it gets to deal with stress. So, let’s help our kids strengthen this important stress-management skill!
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Self-Belief
Just as Positive Lens is important to help kids find the good things, Self-Belief is another great tool that enables kids to manage stress! Believing in yourself means having the confidence in your knowledge and abilities to be able to accomplish whatever you desire. This is a skill that is often underdeveloped in kids, which can fester into self-doubt. Consider this quote from Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think that you can’t– you’re right.” This quote tells us that doubting our own abilities creates a mental roadblock that prevents us from being able to accomplish tasks. On the flip side, believing in your abilities clears any obstacles in the way, and enables us to achieve anything! To help your child with Self-Belief, pay attention to the way they approach problems and specifically the language they use. Encourage them to adapt a confident mindset that tells them that they are able to do anything they set their minds to!
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Practice Mindfulness
Another great way to help mitigate the negative effects of stress is Mindfulness. Mindfulness includes activities that train you to be more conscious and aware of everything around and within us, from our environment to our own emotions. Furthermore, practicing Mindfulness helps us learn to recognize when something is wrong, like a build up of stress or anxiety. Most importantly, it gives us tools to combat those negative forces. Help your child practice activities such as deep breathing exercises or awareness meditations, that will help kids clear their minds of stressors and focus more clearly on how to live in the moment. Mindfulness is another skill that can be strengthened through consistent practice, and can really help kids change their outlook on life!
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In our Classes…
In our classes this week, we will be helping our kids learn to be more optimistic. We understand that there are many things in life that can contribute to a build up of stress, especially for kids. Our goal is to help our students build up their optimism techniques so that they can better deal with and manage their stress. Through individual, partner, and group work and activities, we will remind our kids to use their Positive Lens, develop and strengthen their Self-Belief, and practice Mindfulness when stress is high. Finally, we will show our kids the importance of managing stress and staying positive.
In Conclusion
Well, there you have it! To wrap things up, Optimism is a great tool set to break open when times get rough and stress is on the rise. By employing our Positive Lens, Self-Belief, and Mindfulness, anyone and everyone can become masters at stress-management. When stress accumulates, it can lead to unwanted physical and mental symptoms, like headaches, fatigue, or low self-esteem. That’s why these tactics are so important to utilize, because if left untreated, the effects will only compound. However, through Optimism, we can clear our minds of all the negative clutter, and instead fill them with positivity. So, let’s help our children practice Optimism so they can positively deal with the stresses of life!
