Archives 2021

Holiday and stress – it’s that time of the year again. The holidays are a time of joy, celebration, and family togetherness. But for many people, they can also be a time of stress and anxiety. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season, here are some tips to help you manage. First, take some time for yourself. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and exercise, and take some time to relax and de-stress. Second, set realistic expectations. It’s okay to say no to invitations or events that are too overwhelming. And finally, lean on your support system. Talk to your friends and family about how you’re feeling, and ask them for help in coping with the stress of the holiday season. With these tips, you can enjoy the holidays while still managing your stress

1) Nurturing Yourself

Nurturing yourself is a way to cope with holiday stress. As the holidays approach, it’s common for people to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. What can you do? Take care of yourself by eating healthy foods that will give you energy, getting enough sleep each night, exercising regularly and reducing your alcohol consumption. Practising healthier habits will help keep the holiday season fun!

2) Setting Realistic Expectation

Setting realistic expectation is important because the holidays can be a stressful time for many people. Whether it’s the stress of trying to please everyone on your list, or the pressure of having to make everything perfect, there are plenty of ways that holiday stress can get out of control. One way to cope is by setting realistic expectations and not getting too hung up on what you think has to happen in order for things to be perfect.

It’s important not to let unrealistic expectations take over and make you feel like a failure when they don’t happen. If we all set more realistic expectations and focused on enjoying ourselves with those around us instead, we would be less likely to put so much pressure on ourselves during this time period.

3) Leaning on Your Support System

Leaning on your support system is important because the holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. More so, especially for teenagers and young adults who are trying to figure out how to navigate through this new stage of their lives. It can be tough to deal with all the expectations that come with the holiday season, both from others and from yourself. One of the best ways to cope with holiday stress is to lean on your support system. This might mean relying on your parents for help or leaning on your friends for emotional support. Whatever form your support system takes, it’s important to remember that they are there for you during this time. So don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some extra help coping with holiday stress.

It’s no secret that the holidays can be stressful. The anticipation of seeing family members you haven’t seen in a while, combined with trying to find time for all your obligations and activities, is enough to make anyone anxious! But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of ways you can cope during these busy weeks. Some ideas include nurturing yourself by practising self-care or setting realistic expectations so things don’t get overwhelming. And most importantly, lean on your support system – whether they’re friends or family – when times get tough! If any of these sounds like something you need help with, we’re here for you as part of our commitment to you.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Unhelpful thinking styles are those that we use to think about things in a way that can cause problems. Unhelpful thinking styles are sometimes called cognitive distortions or common thinking traps. These unhelpful ways of thinking often lead to negative feelings and emotions such as anxiety, sadness, anger, helplessness or frustration. This is an important concept for parents and educators to understand because it will help them teach their children how to think in a more positive way leading to improved behaviour. Everyone has some unhelpful thoughts from time-to-time but some people have more than others. It’s important for us all to recognize these unhelpful thoughts so we can avoid set-backs and feel better about ourselves and our lives.

This blog post provides several examples of unhelpful thinking styles such as all or nothing, minimizing, mind-reading, jumping to conclusion and so on.

Catastrophizing

It is very easy to get caught up in unhelpful thinking styles, and it can be hard to realize you are doing so. Catastrophizing is a common unhelpful thinking style where people “blow things out of proportion” and see the worst possible scenario. It may also appear that they have a very negative or untrue perspective on reality.

All or Nothing

All or nothing thinking is a type of unhelpful thinking style that can lead to problems in daily life. It occurs when you see things as either good or bad, with no middle ground. For example, if you make one mistake on an exam, you might think “I’m stupid” and feel like it’s pointless to study for the remaining exams. This may cause you not to do well on other exams because your thoughts are so negative about yourself. All or nothing thinking is often associated with depression and anxiety disorders but can also affect people without mental illness. All-or-nothing thinking makes it difficult to cope with everyday stressors by creating feelings of failure and self-criticism rather than motivating us toward positive change.

Mind-Reading

Mind reading is when you assume that other people are thinking negatively about you or your actions. It could be as vague as assuming that someone doesn’t like you, or it could be as specific as assuming that a certain person thinks something negative about something specific.

Jumping-to-Conclusions

Jumping to conclusions is a form of unhelpful thinking style. It’s when we make negative assumptions about something without much evidence. We often end up feeling frustrated or angry because our expectations weren’t met. We’re all guilty of jumping to conclusions sometimes, but it does us no good and can cause significant problems in relationships with others and ourselves.

Over-Generalization

Over-Generalization is one of the unhelpful thinking styles that people with anxiety deal with. It’s when someone views a single negative event as part of an overall pattern of defeat. They see it as a reflection on their abilities in general, rather than just a momentary setback.

More so, over-generalization is a common unhelpful thinking style, and one that many people struggle with on a daily basis. Although it may seem like the simplest of all unhelpful thinking styles, over-generalization can be quite harmful. It prevents us from focusing on aspects of life (positive or negative) that need our attention.

Minimizing Unhelpful

Minimizing is one of the unhelpful thinking styles where people tend to disqualify the positive or minimize their accomplishments. They would rather push focus onto someone else.

The unhelpful thinking styles we’ve covered in this blog post can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Fortunately, it is possible for us all to change these thought patterns with mindful awareness and some targeted strategies. If any of these examples resonate with you, and you would like to learn more, please contact us to discuss how we may be able to help!

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Ways to reduce or manage stress will be discussed in this blog. Stress can be a major factor in an individual’s health and well-being. Stress can come from everyday things like work, family or school, but sometimes the cause is more serious like a mental illness or addiction. This blog post will explore various ways to reduce or manage stress.  Some of the topics include how to identify your stress, what causes it, coping mechanisms, healthy sleep habits, exercise routines and more. It will also discuss ways to help with stressful life events such as divorce or death of a loved one. The goal is for you to find strategies that work best for you personally so that you are able to live your best life!

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises to Relax the Body and Mind

Deep breathing is a great way to start the day. It has been proven that deep breathing exercises can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, increase immune function, and strengthen the nervous system. Try some deep breathing exercises with these three simple steps: take a long breath in through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth; put one hand on top of your chest and another hand on top of your stomach; breathe deeply for at least five minutes. With this exercise, you’ll notice an instant calming effect which can help reduce anxiety levels so that worries are easier to manage. This simple exercise will also help promote better sleep patterns

Get plenty of Sleep to Manage Stress

But did you know that getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to manage stress? Sleep is the time when our body repairs itself and restores energy levels. Yet, many of us are not getting enough sleep these days. Sleep deprivation can lead to physical problems, such as obesity and diabetes; mental issues like depression; and social troubles like family conflicts or difficulties at school. So how much sleep do we really need? Well it depends on age: infants 4-12 hours per day, preschoolers 10-13 hours per day, teens 9-10 hours per day, adults 7-8 hours per day. Think about what you could accomplish if you were to get more than an adequate amount of rest each night!

Eat Healthy Foods to Manage Stress

Habits determine our lives. They can also be changed to help us have a better quality of life. The food we eat every day will either give us energy or take it away. Eating healthy foods often will enable you to have more energy throughout the day and avoid stress, so you can do what needs to be done without feeling exhausted afterwards.  If these habits are difficult for you, don’t worry! There are ways that everyone can change their diet into a healthier one that they’ll enjoy just as much as their current diet – if not more! Here are some ideas for you.

• Make sure breakfast is ready-to-go in the morning
• Have fruit & vegetable snacks
• Prepare lunches ahead of time
• Create a weekly meal plan

Exercise regularly – it’s good for your health and can help you feel better about yourself.

Exercise is a great way to cope with stress and anxiety. It releases endorphins that help your body feel better while also reducing the risk of depression and other health problems. Exercise, in any form, is an effective way to manage the physical and emotional effects of stress. Even if it’s just 15 minutes, it can make a big difference! Check out these ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine: Take 10 minutes each morning before work for some light stretching or yoga poses. Walk home from work instead of driving. Find time after dinner each night for family game night which means playing games like Monopoly, Uno or Jenga together while sitting on the floor.

Take up a new hobby or try something new like cooking, painting, or playing an instrument

Having a hobby is a great way to manage stress. Even though there are many ways to de-stress, it’s always best to take up an activity that will make you happy or give you some kind of satisfaction. You can learn something new and expand your mind while having fun at the same time! There are lots and lots of things you can get into that will relax your body, mind and soul! Here’s just four – painting or drawing; cooking; knitting; and colouring.

This blog post has explored various ways to reduce and manage stress. If you’re looking for more information on how we can help, please call or schedule a session today.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, it is not uncommon to feel stressed. Sometimes we don’t always recognize it creeping up on us. This blog post will give you some signs that stress may be taking over your life. We hope this article helps you see these stressors before you begin to feel overwhelmed.

Stress can take many forms: being overwhelmed by everyday tasks or worries about work, school or family issues. It could also mean worrying about things like money problems, health concerns or relationship troubles. If any of these are happening in your life right now, don’t panic! We can help you!

The first step to managing stress is to see the signs before you are completely overwhelmed. We are all different and what triggers one person may not in another and that is OK! Once you know what the triggers are, you can work to avoid them or better deal with them. How do you know if someone is stressed? Here are some signs to watch out for.

1) Change in Sleep Patterns

Sleep has many different functions, such as restoring energy and improving moods. However when we are under pressure it becomes difficult for our brains to “turn off”. This leads us into staying up later than usual, waking throughout the night or getting up earlier than we ought.

2) Difficulty Concentrating

It’s important to be aware of signs your child or teen may be getting stressed, but these can apply to anyone. One way you can recognize this is by looking at their ability to concentrate. Inability to focus could indicate they have too much on their minds. This may flow over in other ways such as mood swings or poor school performance.

“It can be hard to concentrate when you’re feeling stressed. All your thoughts are racing and it feels impossible to focus on anything in particular. Your mind may wander from one thought to another, or you may find yourself unable to remember things that should be easy.”

“Stress doesn’t just affect how we feel, but also has an impact on our cognitive abilities. When we’re feeling stressed, our cognitive functions such as attention span and memory suffer because the brain’s prefrontal cortex is too overwhelmed by stress hormones like cortisol.”

3) Change in Mood

The stress that we experience can negatively influence our mood. Changes in mood are a reaction to the pressures faced daily. You often see this manifest in outbursts of frustration or anger. They could also be an indicator of an underlying problem that needs attention. Mood changes often overlap with unhealthy eating habits, manifesting in things like headaches and stomach issues.

4) Changes in Appetite – Either Increased or Decreased

It is normal for people to experience changes in appetite when they are stressed or experiencing other mental health issues. Some may have an increased appetite while others could see a decrease in their appetite. Triggers may include feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities at work, home, school and more; feeling disconnected from friends, family members or loved ones; struggling with body image issues; having unmet needs such as lack of sleep; feelings of not being heard or respected enough among other things. These changes can happen unexpectedly so it is important to take notice of any sudden change in your own eating habits.

5) Loss of Interest in Hobbies or Activities you used to Enjoy

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities you used to enjoy can be a difficult and confusing time for both the person experiencing the loss and those who care about them. Understanding what might cause this sudden change in behaviour is key to getting help and moving on. This is a common indicator of depression and should not be taken too lightly. It may be that one has simply taken on too much and may need to re-evaluate their daily schedule.

It’s important to know if you or your loved one has had any recent life changes affecting their ability to participate in hobbies they once enjoyed. Has there been a change in responsibilities at work or school, relationship problems, financial difficulties or health issues? If there are no life changes it may be worth checking out other reasons for the change like depression.

6) Feeling Restless and Agitated

Feeling restless, including a sense of dread about the future as sign of stress is not uncommon in today’s society. Stress is a major issue for many people, and it can lead to feelings of unrest that may be difficult to shake. These feelings can include a sense of dread about the future or an unwillingness to participate in everyday activities. It’s important not only to identify these symptoms, but also take steps toward reducing stress so it doesn’t get out of control and affect your life.

The signs of stress are different for everyone, but there are some commonalities. If you recognize any of these 6 signs of stress in yourself or someone you know, its likely your body needs to be relieved of excess pressure. If making these changes on your own seems too much, we are here to help. Call today or schedule an appointment!

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

The 3 stress responses are fight, flight or freeze. When we experience stress, our body goes into a state of alarm and this is what causes these three responses.  Stress is normal part of life as we know but becomes a problem when it affects our daily functioning, last long, and affects daily. Parents, caregivers, teachers, children and teens are all experiencing the same stressors these days.

Sometimes it’s hard to know how best to respond when you or your child are feeling stressed. Understanding that there are three different types of responses can offer some clarity. Here is a quick summary of each type: “fight-or-flight” response, “freeze” response and the “tend-and-befriend” response. The flight response is most often experienced as an adrenaline rush in which heart rate increases and blood pressure soars while trying to escape from danger; the freeze response is going blank, stuck or stays in place in the face of perceived threat or danger; finally, the fight helps calm down before becoming aggressive and fight back.

In this blog post, I explored the 3 types stress responses, fight-flight-freeze responses.

Fight Stress Responses

Fight response to stress is one way the body responds to stress. When a person can choose to face their problem rather than running away from their problem is called a fight response. With the fight response the primary emotion is anger. The fight response is an automatic reaction that happens in a split second without any conscious thought. When this happens, your brain sends signals throughout your body for it to release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into your bloodstream which gives you energy needed for survival during stressful events such as physical danger or emotional distress.

These hormones help prepare us for quick action by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and muscle tension while decreasing nonessential functions like digestion and immune system activity so we are ready for anything! However, if these responses happen too often they may lead to long term damage such as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders and depression among other issues over time which makes managing stress even more important than ever before!

Flight Stress Response

Flight response to stress is another way the body respond to stress. The flight stress response involves running away from the problem. The primary emotion for flight response is fear. With the flight response the person simply wants to avoid and flee as quickly as possible.

Freeze Stress Response

The freeze response happens when the amygdala sends signals to our brain stem which then controls muscles in our body including heart rate, blood pressure and breathing patterns. In other words, it’s an autonomic nervous system reaction that helps us protect ourselves from danger or threat.

There are many ways that we can recognize when someone might be experiencing a freeze response, including feeling numb or frozen, difficulty speaking or thinking clearly, feeling rigid or shaky and having an increased heart rate. These symptoms often come up in reaction to perceived danger but not always- sometimes they happen during times of high excitement!  Being aware of these symptoms may also lead you to identify behaviors that need your attention without waiting for them to progress into something more serious like chronic stress.

A stressful event can bring out one of these responses, but not all three. Having a better understanding of the stress response is important to managing your own stress levels and mental health as well as helping others. If you are experiencing emotional distress or feeling overwhelmed by how busy life has become, please connect or call me for help with therapy sessions in person or online – I want to be there every step of the way on this journey!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

3 ways stress affects the body will be discussed in this blog. Stress is a normal part of life. We all experience stress from time to time, and as such, it’s important to know the signs of when your body is under too much. Stress can make you feel anxious or irritable, affect how you sleep or eat, and even cause physical symptoms like nausea. Knowing how stress affects the body is vital in learning how to cope with stress in a healthy way.

In this blog I will explore how stress affect our body physically, emotionally, and behavioural.

Physical Symptoms of Stress

Stress is a natural response to danger or threat. It’s the way that our bodies protect themselves from harm! When you feel stressed, your brain sends signals to release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream. These hormones are supposed to help you survive by making sure that blood flows quickly through the body so it can deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells. Unfortunately, when they’re released too often or in large amounts, these hormones have some serious side effects on how we think and behave.

Stress can affect our physical health in many ways, including increased blood pressure, heart rate, weight gain or loss, digestive issues, fatigue, nausea, back pain, headaches, chest pain, and sleep disturbances. It can also cause mood swings which might lead to depression or anxiety.

Emotional/Cognitive Symptoms of Stress

Stress can be defined as an emotional or cognitive symptom that is experienced when you are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your life. Stress is a normal response to certain events, but it becomes problematic when it’s too intense and lasts for too long. The symptoms of stress vary depending on the person, their age, the type of event that has created stress, and other factors. There are many ways to reduce or eliminate these symptoms altogether!

The teenage years are a challenging time for individuals, parents, teachers and caregivers alike. The adolescent brain is still developing which means that cognitive-emotional development is not complete or mature. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, responsible for reasoning and emotion regulation, doesn’t fully develop until around age 25. Which may make adolescent susceptible to stress and depression than adults because many parts of their brain don’t work together as well as they should.

Stress can affect our emotional and cognitive health in many ways, including worry, anger, mood instability, memory issues, and difficulty in concentrating/focus, irritability, and lack of motivation.

Behavioural Symptoms

The stress behavioural symptoms of children are often overlooked. They can be difficult to spot, but there are some tell-tale signs that you might be able to recognize if you know what to look for.  Here is a list of behavioral symptoms that may signal your child is experiencing the effects of stress. Withdrawal from family members, loss of appetite, lack of interest in hobbies or activities they used to enjoy, difficulty sleeping. In addition, increase in alcohol and substance, hitting, kicking, biting, nail biting, and irritability.

Today, I explored the physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms of stress. If you found this blog post interesting or helpful in any way, please share it with your friends! You can also email me anytime to discuss how we can help you reduce levels of stress through our preventative wellness programs. Thank you for reading!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-ful life.

Stress is a way the brain and body reacts or response to situations, demands, or events. In most cases the stress could come as a result of external and internal demands. Stress can come in many forms, but it’s typically caused by outside factors that are difficult to control. The feeling of being overloaded with responsibilities and the inability to find time for you are examples of this type of stress.

Stress is a normal part of life, but it can be difficult to manage. Stressful events can take an emotional toll on the body and brain. The good news is that you don’t have to go through this alone! You’ll find some stress-relieving tips below that will help get your mind off of things so you can focus on what’s important in your life.

Why does Stress Happen?

Stress is a natural response to life’s stresses and pressures. It can be caused by work, family, money, school or other things that we deal with in our everyday lives. Stress can also come from feeling too much pressure on yourself and it might make you feel like the only thing you’re doing wrong is not good enough. Stress impacts everyone differently; some people may find they are more stressed than others because of their lifestyle choices or who they hang around with; but there are ways for all of us to reduce the amount of stress we experience every day such as exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods and practicing self-care.

How much is too much?

We all feel stressed at times, but when does it become a problem? Stress can be caused by many things. Sometimes the cause of stress is out of our control and sometimes we’re contributing to our own stress. It can be tough to know what causes us to feel stressed, but once you figure it out, you may find that there are steps you can take to reduce your level of stress. Â The good news is that there are ways for adults and children alike to manage their levels of stress so they don’t have as many negative effects on their lives. What works for one person might not work for another so finding what works best for them.

Our website has information about what causes stress, signs and symptoms, healthy coping strategies, tips for managing daily life with less stress, research studies about the effects of chronic stress on the body and mind, ways technology may affect our ability to cope with stressful situations (and more). You’ll find all kinds of helpful resources here that will help you learn how best to handle different types of stressful events so they don’t negatively impact your mental or physical health. And if you need additional support beyond what we have available online – we are always happy to connect people with other services as needed. We hope this site helps empower everyone who visits us by providing them with valuable tools for managing their own personal experiences with stress. Let us know if there is anything else we can do for you!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

If your child or teen struggles with attention span and self-regulation, you may be wondering what to do. You are not alone!

We all know what it’s like to have a hard time paying attention. But for children with ADHD, this problem is more intense and frequent. They may be easily distracted, fidgety or impulsive, which can cause problems in school or at home. For parents of these children, the toughest part might be knowing how to help your child maintain their focus when they are struggling with self-regulation skills on their own.

In this blog we’ll talk about ways you can support your children with ADHD who struggles with attention span and self-regulation skills so that they can succeed in school and life!

1. Identify your child’s strengths and interests

Parents or caregivers ability to identify their child’s strength and interests is an important way to support your child with ADHD who struggles with attention span and self-regulation skills so that they can succeed in school and life!

Identifying your child’s strengths and interest can be difficult because they may not always show up on tests or grades. But there are some signs that can help you find out what makes them unique! You might notice that they love playing video games for hours at a time, or maybe they like building things from scratch. Maybe they’re really good at sports, but hate practising the drills over and over again. Whatever it is, don’t ignore these signs of talent! They could be the key to helping your kid excel in school later on down the road if you know how to use their talents as motivation for success instead of something negative that holds them back from reaching their full potential!

2. Create a routine that works for them

It’s important to create a routine that works for your child. This is because routines help children with ADHD who struggle with attention span and self-regulation skills succeed in school and life! As such, you can do this by creating clear expectations for your child, using visual cues to support them, providing positive reinforcement when they follow the routine, and giving them opportunities to practice following the routine on their own. By doing these things consistently over time you will be able to see improvements in your child’s ability to follow routines. It may take some time but it will be worth it!

3. Consider medication as an option if they are struggling with ADHD symptoms

If your child is having trouble focusing, staying organized, and completing tasks at home or in school, you may want to reach out to your family doctor. Because ADHD can make it difficult for children to succeed in school and maintain friendships. However, there are treatments that can help them manage their symptoms. Parents or caregivers should consider medication as an option if their children are struggling with ADHD symptoms where and when necessary.

Medication can be a great way to manage your symptoms and help you focus on the things that matter most. It’s important to work closely with your doctor when considering medication for ADHD so they can make sure it is right for you.

4. Set up a reward system for behaviours you want to see

A reward system for behaviours you want to see more of in your child (without being reminded), such as staying focused on homework or chores without being reminded can be helpful. For children with autism and ADHD, who struggle with attention span and self-regulation (ADHD), this might help them stay motivated to complete tasks that they find challenging otherwise. Children need positive reinforcement too!

5. Have patience and be patient

It takes time to learn new skills and habits. More so, it can take time to make changes stick! It may help to start small and work up from there, like setting a timer when doing homework or making one chore their responsibility each day.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that affects about some children and teens. Children with ADHD struggle to pay attention and control their impulses, which can make it difficult for them to succeed academically or socially. There are many treatment options available today that have been shown to be effective at managing symptoms and improving quality of life for those diagnosed with ADHD. We’ve talked about some general tips on how parents can help their child who struggles with these symptoms in this blog post, but if you want more information schedule a free consultation so we can chat further. Thank you

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-ful life.

Movement for children is so important for children because it helps their brains grow and develop. The more they move, the better their brains can learn how to make connections between neurons that are necessary for everything. Your child’s movement is the result of their curiosity and desire to explore. Movement is a natural way for your child to learn about themselves, others, and the world around them.  It helps children develop motor skills, coordination, balance, strength and endurance. The more time they spend moving freely – especially when supervised by an adult – the healthier their bodies will be now and later in life!  This blog post covers what you need to know about how movement can help your little one thrive as they grow up.  Join me on this journey as we explore how adults can encourage healthy habits in young ones with fun games that promote physical activity!

Why is Movement Important for Children?

Movement is important for children. It helps them to develop their coordination, balance and social skills. Children also need exercise to help their bodies grow strong and healthy. Your child is exploring and learning about his world through play. Movement helps children to grow physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally and intellectually. Children need a lot of movement for healthy development so it’s important that you provide lots of opportunities for physical activity every day!

Some ways you can help your child get more movement include: playing games like “tag” or “hide ‘n’ seek,” running around outside in the backyard or taking walks together in the park. You could also do some dance moves with them too! If they’re older, keep up with their favorite TV show while doing squats – a great way to burn calories!

And don’t forget this one–it may seem silly but kids love bubbles which involves lots of movement.

Types of Movements for Children

The most common types of movements for children and teens are rolling, crawling, creeping and walking. It’s important to know the differences between these four stages of movement so you can help your child or teen develop his/her skills in each area. We’ll go into detail about what happens during each stage below!

These types of movements a child can do, and growing up increases their abilities. Rolling is the first type of movement that babies start doing when they’re learning to control their limbs. Rolling is a reflexive type of movement that helps babies learn to turn over when they’re lying on their stomachs. Once infants get stronger, crawling starts becoming more natural for them as well as creeping. Moving on all fours with elbows bent and knees straight in order to move quickly or stealthily (or both). As children grow older enough to walk upright without assistance, walking becomes another way they learn how best suit themselves through mobility. While running may not be quite so necessary but it does allow kids an excellent opportunity for exercise!

Let’s talk about how you can create more movement for your children and teens. Call me for more information or to schedule a consultation. We’re here to help!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

3 reasons why your teen should drink water will be discuss in this blog. Drinking water is an important healthy habit for teens because drinking water is essential to a healthy body. It helps maintain a balance of minerals and fluids in the cells, aids digestion, transports nutrients, and maintains skin moisture. Drinking water is a healthy habit for teens because it keeps teens energized by replenishing your energy stores with oxygen-rich H2O. Likewise, the average teen drinks about 1.5 liters of water per day, which is less than adults. As teens go through puberty and grow their metabolism increases so they should drink more water to stay healthy and hydrated. Not only that, but drinking plenty of water can help prevent headaches and migraines. As well as, helps maintain a healthy weight, prevents constipation, kidney stones, diabetes and other illnesses. The best way to stay hydrated is through drinking plenty of clean glassfuls throughout the day; not just when you’re thirsty or it’s hot outside.

This blog will discuss 3 reasons why your teen should drink water

1) Weight Management

One reason your teen should drink water is because can help with weight loss by suppressing your appetite – Drinking plenty of water aids in digestion and metabolism, which leads to less food intake and more calories burning. The body needs water for digestion and metabolism. But with so many delicious beverages out there that are high in sugar and calories, it’s easy for teens to get caught up in the hype of these other options. More so, water has zero calories! It’s also free and easily available – all you need is a tap or bottle! The best part is that by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, you’ll actually suppress your appetite because your brain will think that you’ve had more food than you really have!

2) Flushes Toxins

One reason your teen should drink water is because it can help with flushing toxins of the body. The liver is the most important organ in your body, but it can’t function properly without enough fluids. More so, your organs will work more efficiently to remove waste products from your system.  When you drink less than eight glasses of water every day, toxins build up and may even cause damage to this vital part of your health! This is especially important for teens that are constantly growing and developing new cells- they need lots of fluids to help clean up old cells so their bodies can keep going strong!

3) Reduce Acne

One reason your teen should drink water is because it can help with preventing acne on the body. Drinking water prevents acne because acne develops when pores clog up with oil, dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells. There is a common misconception that drinking water can worsen acne breakouts, but it’s actually the opposite. Drinking plenty of water can help clear up acne and prevent future breakouts from occurring.  Research shows that an increase in fluids may reduce stress hormones which are known to aggravate symptoms of acne. It also helps flush out toxins through sweat glands and urination. It’s important for people with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis to drink more water because their skin may be dryer than average due to a reduction in oil production caused by these diseases. 

I call my blog post “3 Reasons why your teen should drink water” because it has three important benefits for teens. Drinking plenty of water can help with weight loss, prevent acne and flush toxins from the body. What are some other reasons that drinking water is good? Comment below!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.