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A parent listens as her teen talks about his feelings.
Depression and suicide are not easy topics for me to talk about, but I’m hoping that sharing at least part of my family’s story can help those who are struggling. Several years ago, my family experienced a series of traumatic events. Those events left myself experiencing clinical anxiety that evolved into depression, and left one of my children facing clinical depression and multiple attempts at suicide. Out of an abundance of respect for his privacy, I will not share the details of those events or the resulting impact. (The photo above is also not of that teen.) What I will share are some tips that are from a combination of what I’ve learned through seeking treatment and support for him and myself, as well as information from the Child Mind Institute.
An Ongoing Crisis
The problem of depression and suicide in youth is not a new phenomenon. Suicide rates among youth aged 10-27 have increased dramatically since 2007, with some studies showing as much as a 60% increase. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2007 the suicide rate for this age group was 6.8 per 100,000. By 2018 that number had increased to 10.7 per 100,000.
Of course we all want to know why, but the truth is there isn’t much data to solidly confirm the causes. Some people indicate an increase in social media use as the cause, but not all countries with an increase in social media use have seen suicide increases. Currently, one factor that many experts see as a cause for concern is the pandemic. While there have been no wide-spread studies on the effects of the pandemic on mental health in youth, there have been CDC surveys and anecdotal reports from doctors supporting the concern. Add to the pandemic a list of other contributing factors such as racial and economic injustice and inequity, a struggling economy, and a healthcare system that often does not provide enough mental health support, and we have a perfect storm for the crisis we’re facing.
What Can We Do?
With all this dire news, what can we do as adults to support each other and the youths in our lives? The first thing we need to do is to be aware of signs of depression and warning signs of suicidal thoughts and ideations. Warning signs for each, according to The Child Mind Institute, and tips on what to do can be found below.
Signs of Depression
(Miller, 2021, para. 6)
What to Do:
Signs a Teen or Young Adult May be Suicidal
(Ehmke, 2021, para. 3)
What to Do:
Educate Yourself
The rate of suicide and depression among young people in the United States has hit a crisis level. Educating yourself about how to recognize and seek help for both is a good place to start for changing that. Of course, there are other steps we can take. Be sure to see our next CALMING KIDS Blog and Newsletter for mainstream and mindful solutions that can help build resilience and help ease feelings of depression.
Sources:
Miller, C. (n.d.) Signs of Depression During the Pandemic. Child Mind Institute, Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2021 from https://childmind.org/article/signs-of-depression-during-coronavirus-crisis/
Ehmke, R. (n.d.) Signs a Child Might Be Suicidal. Child Mind Institute, Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2021 from https://childmind.org/article/signs-a-child-might-be-suicidal/
Dastagir, A. (2020, September 11) More young people are dying by suicide, and experts aren’t sure why. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/11/youth-suicide-rate-increases-cdc-report-finds/3463549001/
Dastagir, A. (2020, August 13). The pandemic is taking a toll on Americans’ mental health. A new CDC study shows who we need to worry about most. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/08/13/covid-19-takes-mental-toll-youth-minorities-essential-workers/3365719001/
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Join Dee Marie on The Third Place podcast as she discusses “The Principles of Yoga Therapy to Find Peace in the Family Unit”.
Dee Marie (Founder of CALMING KIDS) will discuss Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga. As a result, you’ll learn how understanding its principles can help increase compassion and balance in the family unit. Hear how to decrease the negative effects of spending more time at home. Use yoga and Ayurveda to reduce tension from spending time in front of the computer. Get insight into peacefully addressing differences in opinions and more. Visit The Third Place website to learn more about the podcast hosted by Mary Allard and David Gaines.
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An Easy Hand Movement to Overcome Anxiety
Jazz hands or silent cheer? Whatever you call it, this simple hand movement can help to reduce anxiety and increase an overall feeling of calm.
Has anyone else out there dealt with anxiety? I know I’m not alone. “Just relax,” so many people say, but what those people don’t understand is that it’s not that easy. Whether we experience anxiety due to a traumatic event or the ongoing stresses of daily modern life, relaxing doesn’t always happen automatically. Learning how our body’s nervous system works and ways to help it function properly can really help.
A short biology lesson
Think back to high school biology. Remember learning about the nervous system? Me neither, so let me recap in an overly-simplified way. Humans have a complex nervous system that’s explained as several different systems. One part of the nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, supplies nerves to our internal organs. The autonomic nervous system is further explained by breaking it down into the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is the one that we operate (or are supposed to operate) on throughout the majority of our day. It’s the part of the nervous system that supports the body in daily functions, recovery and maintenance. The sympathetic nervous system activates in times of perceived threat. Remember fight, flight or freeze? When we experience a perceived threat, the sympathetic nervous system sends signals to our organs that then cause our heart rate to increase, our digestion to slow down, our pupils to dilate and our breathing to increase. It also causes our adrenal glands to release more adrenaline and cortisol – “stress hormones”. As long as the body perceives a threat, those stress hormones keep releasing in our bodies.
In modern life, our bodies tend to experience a low level of threat perception frequently. Difficult work situations, arguments at home, remembering you need to go grocery shopping, managing bills…we juggle a lot, and it all adds up. The scars of any past traumas can add to this too.
So what do we do when our bodies are “stuck” functioning in the sympathetic nervous system? One thing we can do is to trick our bodies into thinking we are safe. For some, experiencing rhythmic movement can help with this. That’s where the hand mudra for overcoming anxiety comes in.
How to do it
If you’re having a hard time creating a mental image of this mudra you can think about jazz hands at ear level, but with a twisting motion as well. Or just look at this Simon Cowell gif.
Why it works
Doing this motion works in two ways. First, it provides rhythmic sensory input. Secondly, it draws our focus from in front of our eyes (where our bodies have adapted to focus on a threat) to our peripheral vision. This takes the focus away from where we would be looking if there were a physical threat.
Other benefits
This move has other benefits as well. Try it to give your hands a break if you’ve been at a computer or driving for a while. Keeping the wrist channels open helps with the numbness and sometimes pain that occurs with frequent computer users (everyone these days!!) or when clenching the hands. It is referred to as “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” Do this wiggling of the hands and wrists daily as a preventative or for the cure. The twisting motion can help relieve tension in the tendons in your carpal tunnel. It’s also a great way to have a large group of kids cheer without damaging your hearing. The “Silent Cheer” is used in sign language and frequently used in schools to keep children’s volume down. Give it a try!
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By Heather Sandine, Teacher and CK team member
The girl pictured is balancing her brain with a mindful technique called cupping. Cupping helps to create a positive visualization image in the mind, supporting a Positive Mental Attitude.
You’ve probably heard the words social-emotional learning (SEL), self-regulation, mindfulness, and executive functioning lately. 2020 has created a climate where these topics are important to discuss. However, for many, these phrases are so much more than current buzzwords hurled at our current national mental health crisis. Schools and parents have struggled to teach these skills effectively for years. Whose responsibility is it to teach kids these skills anyway? Parents? Teachers? Do children innately develop them? Here’s what you need to know. The current COVID climate and school closures have made it more evident than ever that our children and students (and often ourselves) need these skills explicitly taught. Where do we start?
There are myriad programs available that offer curriculum in supporting each of these skills. Those programs can be helpful, but what do we do when access to them isn’t available or they are cost prohibitive? What about parents and other community members who need a thorough and inexpensive way to teach these skills to their children?
I took a CALMING KIDS(CK): Creating a Nonviolent World training about three years ago. At the time, I was a special education resource teacher and had a significant number of students with self-regulation and social-emotional difficulties. Students frequently exhibited outbursts of work refusals, destroying other people’s property, and hitting and yelling. These kids felt a lot of frustration and didn’t know how to cope with it.
I had used other programs to teach coping and self-regulation skills. They worked by teaching the kids about how their brains work and to recognize their thinking patterns. These are important skills, but my students needed concrete techniques that they could use independently and quickly after learning them. CALMING KIDS strategies provided this. CK’s research-based curriculum teaches mindfulness, relaxation and body-awareness strategies to support kids’ self-regulation abilities. Parents and teachers can also use CK curriculum to support executive-functioning skills when it is used in combination with other supports.
I knew it was important not to overwhelm the students by teaching too many strategies at once. I began guiding the kids to do the CK “check in” by doing a simple body scan and then used their feedback to help them identify and communicate their emotions. The students worked on body awareness and deep breathing using visualization techniques. I guided the students to relate their spines to slinky toys to help encourage proper posture. We imagined that our lungs were like a balloon expanding and contracting inside a basket that represented our ribcage. This helped students to understand the importance of breathing deeply and expanding the diaphragm down into the belly area. I used a Hoberman sphere to model controlling the rate of the breath. My students then learned yoga poses to help manage and process specific emotions.
The goal of all of these strategies was to help students recognize their emotions and to process them in a healthy way. It didn’t take a lot of time to teach the skills either. I was able to teach all of these strategies during transition times or sensory breaks.
The positive impact of these skills on my students amazed me! Before CALMING KIDS some of my students were needing a 5-10 minute calm down break in my classroom every hour. Those students were able to reduce their breaks to two 5-10 minute breaks during the entire school day after learning the CK strategies! To put that into perspective, that’s up to 40 minutes of missed class time per day that I was able to help students gain back by using CK strategies. These effects aren’t short term either. Most of these students are now able to participate in their general education classrooms for the majority of their day. Some students are successfully participating in online remote and hybrid learning as well.
What does my experience with a small group of students have to do with ending our national mental health crisis? My students’ previous limited abilities to self-regulate was apparent in their frequent outbursts, but most people don’t have frequent outbursts. Instead many develop maladaptive coping skills and habits. Some “stuff” their emotions while others turn to drugs or alcohol. Long-term mismanagement of emotions like fear, anger and anxiety (and even emotions that are seen as positive, such as excitement) can lead to both physical and psychiatric problems like depression, poor digestion, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, fatigue and more due to the body’s release of stress hormones such as cortisol. The effects of long-term exposure to stress hormones is well documented in medical and psychological research.
We all know that eliminating stress isn’t going to happen, but we can learn how to manage it. It is critical that we begin prioritizing teaching, practicing and living healthy coping strategies. My classroom impact may have helped only a small number of students, but imagine if we taught these skills in homes and schools across the country. Imagine the positive impact we could see: improvement to our mental health, an end to bullying and school violence, less domestic violence, fewer attempts at and incidences of suicide. All of these things are possible. But we have to start by helping students to learn to process and communicate their emotions in a healthy way. And we have to start doing those things for ourselves too.
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By Dee Marie and Rachel Zelaya
We have all been deeply impacted by our current state of social distancing, and we won’t know any time soon the effects of COVID-19 on all aspects of our society. Students are home, and school districts are developing and implementing online learning programs in lieu of face to face education. While this might be better than interrupting the school year completely, what will be the impact of further increasing the time that young people spend on a screen? Over the past several years, researchers have focused on technology and children, and there is reason to be concerned that technology could have a negative impact on child and adolescent brains. It is so important that we begin to understand the potential links between emotional well-being, mental health, and physical outcomes for students growing up with technology. For instance, studies have shown that if digital devices are used more than seven hours per day, this leads to changes in the developing brain. These hours can accumulate quickly when students are using computers for online learning, cell phones to connect with friends, and then watching television with the family to unwind. Even when used in moderation, the quality and quantity of technology has both positive and negative effects on children.
For instance, “young children who get more screen time than doctors recommend have differences in parts of the brain that support language and self regulation,” according to a 2019 study at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. A NIH study found that children who reported more than two hours a day of screen time got lower scores on thinking and language tests. Developing brains are more malleable than adult brains, and kids who use screens for more than seven hours per day show physical changes to the brain in the form of premature thinning of the cortex. The National Institute of Health informs us that cortical thinning is a typical developmental milestone for adolescents, yet high level technology usage at this age promotes premature thinning which influences specific cognitive performance such as: verbal learning, memory, visual spatial functioning, spatial planning and problem solving.
The avoidance of screen time for children under 18 months is advised except for “video chatting,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2018, the French Ministry of Health suggested that there be no screen time for children until the age of 3. In fact, children under the age of 3 should not even be in the same room as a television being viewed, as there may be adverse effects impacting cognitive outcomes later in life.
On a more positive note, researchers note that time spent watching educational programming may promote literacy, mathematics, problem solving and science skills as well as pro-social behavior in preschool children. Educational activities on devices such as attention training games have also been linked to improvements in executive attention and intelligence. Therefore, the quality of programming is essential.
In teenagers, screen time – specifically gaming – affects regions of the brain associated with impulse control, sensorimotor coordination and an increase in the amounts of dopamine or reward pathways. This is related to craving and typically associated with substance addiction. This addictive propensity has recently been added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is known as “Internet Gaming Disorder.”
Yet, once again there is a silver lining. Playing educational games, especially those that are interactive, or playing games that cause physical activity and interaction – can be positive. An increase in visual-spatial skills, attention, and processing speed have been observed, as well as enhanced reading outcomes in dyslexic children. However, even the games that involve physical activity should not be substitutes for standard fitness routines.
Social media use, especially at night, has been correlated with poor sleep quality, low levels of anxiety, and even depression amongst the teen population. The blue light emission from screens decreases melatonin production, which delays and shortens sleep patterns. Teens who interact with Facebook have been shown to increase cortisol levels which prepares the body to react to a stressor, the “fight or flight” response. It has been shown that those who engage in social media at night wake up with higher levels of cortisol. This is associated with a decrease in well-being and reduced physical and mental health.
Certainly, at this time, research on children and adolescents is still in its infancy stages regarding the long term consequences of technology on the developing brain. For example, media multitasking called “screen-stacking” (using multiple devices at one time) is relatively new and understudied. It seems likely that this behavior could impact attention, cognition, neural structure and academic outcomes.
This 21st century lifestyle is taking more of a toll on students than we are able to currently pinpoint. The sedentary behaviors increase body weight along with postural imbalances. Sleep disorders and free floating anxiety which are typically adult problems have begun to haunt the developing child. Although there are some benefits associated with high quality programming in terms of neural maturity and improved verbal skills, all research points to the conclusion that learning from a live source leads to better outcomes for children.
Some solutions are to turn off devices when not in use, switch off screens an hour before bedtime, and design “off limit” times and places for technology use, such as the dinner table and the bedroom. Other important things to consider for the child’s well-being include online safety, cyber bullying, exploitation, and viewing age inappropriate content.
In conclusion, moderate use of educational and recreational technology is ideal, and can even enhance some developmental skills. It seems best to continue to promote physical activity, offline leisure activities, and other amusement options – outdoors, and in places other than the screen.
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Do you ever feel insecure? Like you lack creativity? Or are easily irritated with others? What about affectionate? Chatty? Imaginative? All of these qualities, and many more, lead us towards energy centers in our body called Chakras. These energy centers, when they are functioning well, help us to feel balanced, strong, and positive. When they need a tune up, we notice that because we feel overwhelmed, emotional, or lost. Those feelings are our clue that it might be time to pause and practice some deeper self care. One beautiful and simple way to practice chakra self care can be found in A Chakra Guide Book, by Dee Marie, Creator of Calming Kids. This simple yet informative workbook is also a coloring book, giving you the opportunity to slow down, absorb the color of the chakra, and contemplate the qualities that you embody when the chakra is in balance – as you color the beautiful shapes of each chakra.
The book also includes several simple yoga series, breathing meditations, and sound vibrations you can use to engage your whole system, or to focus on a particular chakra.
Do you have a color that you are drawn to? Is there a particular issue that keeps showing up in your life? Is there an area of your body that experiences injury, pain, or illness? These questions can lead you to a particular chakra that needs some attention. As you deepen your awareness of these energy centers, you can heal yourself through color therapy, sound vibrations, movement, and breath. Although you may or may not notice an immediate shift, as you work with the subtle energy in your body, your life begins to change. Negative patterns dissolve, habits shift, and you cease recreating the same unhealthy situations. You learn to notice more quickly when you are out of balance, and you build your toolbox for self-healing. Learning about the chakras, and knowing simple tools for healing them, can bring peace, strength, and empowerment.
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CALMING KIDS (CK): Creating a Non-Violent World was founded on the principle of AHIMSA, which means respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards oneself and others. CK believes that fostering peace by training young people in techniques proven to promote harmony, nonviolence, and positive interactions will eventually phase out violence from our world. October is Non-Violence Month, and it is kicked off by the UN International Day of Non-Violence on October 2, which is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. For Gandhi, AHIMSA meant non-injury, nonviolence, non-harm, the renunciation of the intention to hurt any living thing, the abstention from hostile thought, word or deed, and compassion for all living creatures. Gandhi said, “Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind.”
CK promotes nonviolence in young people, but it was inspired by violence perpetrated by and against young people – the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. Our children are a barometer for the health of our world, and CK’s primary goal is to promote a positive, peaceful attitude leading to calm and effective communication among members of the school community. Since 2004, CK has impacted countless students, teachers and schools, sharing this “greatest force” that Gandhi spoke of with the people who will lead the next generation.
As we enter Non-Violence Month, you might contemplate ways that you are promoting harmony through the things that you think, speak and do. When you have an impulse to speak with anger, can you pause, breathe, and remember your intention to refrain from hostile thoughts, words, and deeds? What happens in your own body and mind when you think about speaking or acting in a way that would harm another being? And how can you practice AHIMSA – compassion – towards yourself? Black Elk said, “All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves.” Perhaps in that brief moment of awareness before word or action, we can remember that if we think, speak or do something harmful to another, it very likely will bring harm back to us. It is especially obvious when it involves our spouse, child or student, and perhaps less so with a stranger, but the harmful impact on ourselves is just as real.
Martin Luther King Jr, who firmly believed in nonviolence as a means for social change, said, “Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love.” This month, practice your commitment to the way of love…even and especially when that is difficult. Let the “greatest force at the disposal of mankind” give you the power to be the change you wish to see in the world.
And see HERE for a free lesson plan on bringing non-violence and communication skills to young people!
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Kids yoga teacher training for all teachers and instructors PLEASE use the free syllabus HERE guiding you through the proper method to present a 6 Day Yoga program to your Kindergarten or Elementary School classroom ensuring these proven outcomes:
CALMING KIDS: Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom
2018-2019 Study Results
| Students reported: | 2018 – 2019 |
| Feeling good about themselves | 48% increase |
| Standing up for themselves | 48% increase |
| Focusing in school | 30% increase |
| Feeling angry for no reason | 55% decrease |
| Physical altercations in school | 38% decrease |
| Trouble controlling anger | 35% decrease |
In addition, three times the number of students reported that they could handle others making fun of them in school as compared to before learning the CALMING KIDS techniques (178% increase).
Statistics based on 100 students between the ages of 11 – 13 reporting their experience before and after 6 sessions of movement, mindfulness & meditation training and practice throughout the school year. CALMING KIDS (CK): Creating a Non-Violent World since 2004
The Balance of Body and Mind
Practices to Regulate the Breath
The students start to understand that the connection of the body to the mind is their breath.
Checking in: emotional awareness, communication and anti-bullying
Finding Our Heart
The Benefits of Exercise
Anti-Bullying – Relationship Games – Bring It All Together
Starting with movement and mindfulness is a great way to start each day!!
Allowing 10-15 mins at the start of every day for centering will increase focus, social emotional balance, and positive communication skills.
The CALMING KIDS (CK) Six Day On-Line Kids Yoga Teacher Training Lesson Plans includes:
CALMING KIDS offers two levels of certification. One is given upon the completion of the online course. Participants are issued a downloadable certificate to hang in the classroom, school or studio. For teachers who would like to receive continuing education credit, CALMING KIDS offers a deeper level certification in order to become a nationally accredited CALMING KIDS Children’s Yoga Educator for Elementary Age students. This is achieved by teaching a minimum of six hours of the CK program to children and keeping a detailed log. This log is submitted to CALMING KIDS for evaluation and certification. A small additional fee is applied. To enroll in the full course please CLICK HERE.
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Teenage years aren’t for the faint of heart. During this time, there are many physical and energetic changes that cause imbalances. Reactions to external stimuli may be heightened, and teens require rest from day-to-day demands. Relaxation and restorative asana poses are most effective for rebalancing frazzled teens; and tuning in to yoga media, as well as positive, uplifting music, helps them utilize their technologies as a bridge to a more nurturing lifestyle. At the end of the day, knowing where they are and simply being there for them is everything!
