Helping students to combat anxiety is one part of the guidance program at Robert Smith School. Materials which I use come largely from the Fun FRIENDS and FRIENDS for Life school-based anxiety prevention / resilience building program and the brain-based MINDUP Curriculum which helps students to become present in the moment. When children have an excessive amount of worry about future or past difficulties it interferes with day-to-day life activities. Combining cognitive and behavioural techniques, FRIENDS helps children to develop self-esteem, problem-solving skills, psychological resilience and self-expression while MINDUP helps students to focus attention, self-regulate and develop perspective.
Through a range of individual, small group and full class interventions during the course of the school year, many elementary students are learning how to become more brave and friendly through FRIENDS for Life interventions and how to become more focused and relaxed through MINDUP teachings and techniques. Both FRIENDS for Life and MINDUP help students fulfill their need for greater personal POWER when dealing with anxiety and stress.
Some of the techniques which are taught to RSS students through formal and informal counseling are outlined below:
1) Relaxation exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization. For sample mindful breathing exercises that you could try right now, click on the link which follows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q9DrxEXXBg
2) FRIENDS for Life Thought Challengers to help catch “Red Light” thoughts. Examples of thought challengers follow:
Once “Red Light” thoughts are identified, we work together to replace them with more realistic and helpful “Green Light” thoughts. So, an anxiety producing “red light” thought like “I have no friends” might be identified as untrue and replaced with a “green light” thought such as “I have two friends that I can really trust – one at school and one on my street.”
3) Problem Solving
Learning to solve problems helps students to increase their feelings of POWER and competence and decreases feelings of anxiety. To help achieve this counseling goal, I assist students in understanding and using a Six Step Problem Solving Plan. These steps are demonstrated in the Sunburst Communications Guidance Video entitled "Got a Problem: Solve it!"
Parent Resources:
FRIENDS also has resources for parents to access at home including strategies for helping your child to be more resilient, downloadable resources, a short video of parents using the Fun Friends and Youth program at home and even an on-line workshop for parents. Some examples of useful tips for parents which are found on the FRIENDS website follow:
thoughts, I feel better.”
For more information about fostering resiliency in children parents can google Fun Friends or Friends for Life. Similarly, more information regarding the Mind Up Curriculum and the core practice of deep breathing is readily available on the internet. Additionally, if you would like personal support understanding or accessing these programs or you have questions related to issues of anxiety, mindfulness, self-regulation, Restitution or problem-solving, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at 204-482-3677 extension 208, by email at [email protected], or by arranging an appointment in person.
Links for Parents
www.friendsrt.com
www.friendsparentprogram.com
www.teacher.scholastic.com/products/mindup/
Through a range of individual, small group and full class interventions during the course of the school year, many elementary students are learning how to become more brave and friendly through FRIENDS for Life interventions and how to become more focused and relaxed through MINDUP teachings and techniques. Both FRIENDS for Life and MINDUP help students fulfill their need for greater personal POWER when dealing with anxiety and stress.
Some of the techniques which are taught to RSS students through formal and informal counseling are outlined below:
1) Relaxation exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization. For sample mindful breathing exercises that you could try right now, click on the link which follows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q9DrxEXXBg
2) FRIENDS for Life Thought Challengers to help catch “Red Light” thoughts. Examples of thought challengers follow:
- “Is it possible that you are exaggerating?” …
- “Are you sure this is really going to happen?” …
- “Is this really true?” …
- “How much does it matter what other people think?” …
- "Can you really expect to be perfect at everything?” …
- “Are you forgetting the positives?” …
- “What is the worst thing that could happen?”… .
Once “Red Light” thoughts are identified, we work together to replace them with more realistic and helpful “Green Light” thoughts. So, an anxiety producing “red light” thought like “I have no friends” might be identified as untrue and replaced with a “green light” thought such as “I have two friends that I can really trust – one at school and one on my street.”
3) Problem Solving
Learning to solve problems helps students to increase their feelings of POWER and competence and decreases feelings of anxiety. To help achieve this counseling goal, I assist students in understanding and using a Six Step Problem Solving Plan. These steps are demonstrated in the Sunburst Communications Guidance Video entitled "Got a Problem: Solve it!"
- Step One: Defining the Problem
- Step Two: Listing Possible Solutions
- Step Three: Exploring What Might Happen for Each Solution
- Step Four: Selecting the Best Solution
- Step Five: Putting the Plan Into Action
- Step Six: Evaluating the Outcome to see if it Worked
Parent Resources:
FRIENDS also has resources for parents to access at home including strategies for helping your child to be more resilient, downloadable resources, a short video of parents using the Fun Friends and Youth program at home and even an on-line workshop for parents. Some examples of useful tips for parents which are found on the FRIENDS website follow:
- Ignore anxious behaviour such as continuous reassurance seeking and catch your catch being brave!
- Use descriptive praise, always stating the behavior you are reinforcing such as “I’m so proud of you for trying out the for the cross country running team even though you were worried that you weren't one of the fastest runners.”
- Try to model positive coping as modelling is an important way to teach children positive coping skills.
thoughts, I feel better.”
- Help your child to identify the positives aspects of a situation. Praise partial success rather than demanding perfection!
For more information about fostering resiliency in children parents can google Fun Friends or Friends for Life. Similarly, more information regarding the Mind Up Curriculum and the core practice of deep breathing is readily available on the internet. Additionally, if you would like personal support understanding or accessing these programs or you have questions related to issues of anxiety, mindfulness, self-regulation, Restitution or problem-solving, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at 204-482-3677 extension 208, by email at [email protected], or by arranging an appointment in person.
Links for Parents
www.friendsrt.com
www.friendsparentprogram.com
www.teacher.scholastic.com/products/mindup/