Happy New Year, BRCS! 2020 was a whirlwind of online troubleshooting, economic uncertainty, social isolation, and other major stressors that many of us had never had to experience before. Of course, few of us could have predicted at the start of 2020 that we'd be experiencing a global pandemic. There was little time to prepare students for the changes they'd face at school and at home, and a wide range of emotional reactions to help them process. Some students were mad that their favorite activities had been cancelled. Some were fearful about the virus itself and the impact it could have on their parents or grandparents. I've spoken with students about the last year who were confused and overwhelmed, students who had new symptoms of depression due to the social isolation, and many students who seemed to be handling things just fine. So... how do we start building resiliency skills to help children more effectively process the curveballs in life? CAPSA has some advice for parents this month about modeling emotional hygiene and anger management skills at home. "Emotions are natural and instinctive, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be easy to work through all the time. Anger, frustration, disappointment, betrayal, frustration, depressed and sadness are all emotions that can be challenging for anyone to handle, especially youth who are just learning to cope with tough emotions. Openly modeling coping skills for tough emotions is a way you can better your own emotional health and help youth around you do the same. Anger is one emotion that is more likely to lead to harm and violence, and everyone experiences anger. Luckily, we have things we can do in the short and long term to work with that anger in a safe way. In the initial moment of feeling anger, slow down. Pause and allow your body to begin to calm down through deep breathing, a moment alone or a brisk walk. Those coping techniques do not improve the problem but they can improve your ability to safety handle the problem. Openly expressing your feelings is another great skill to use in moments of tough emotions. Tell the people around you what you are feeling and how you are coping- this way youth can see how a trusted adult handles tough emotions.
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AuthorLynsie Harris is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and the Wellness Director at BRCS. Archives
February 2022
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