When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, we help the brain recharge.
Downtime is an unplanned activity that can lead us to many different opportunities. It could happen between activities like when we are waiting for the next class to start or waiting in the line up at the bank.
Downtime is particularly useful when we have come to frustration about something. It leads to creativity and insight. Whatever was the cause of the frustration is solved.
When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, we help make new connections in the brain. Adults also benefit from play as it makes the brain younger, relieves stress, and improves relationships and connections to other.
According to Bob Hughes, (play theorist in the UK) there are 16 types of Play. Below are a few examples.
Division 6 – This week, write a comment or send me a photo of how you got your daily intake of playtime.
Fun activities:
Vancouver Public Library is doing a bookface contest until May 11th. See example:
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. He has about 9 episodes on Youtube.
Make Fairy Soup. It’s not only for toddlers and preschoolers.
Dear Families,
Check out the information, video, a link and articles below for more ideas on play and how to create play opportunities for children. Click the images to get to the article.
Mental Health week in Canada was created to bring awareness and acknowledgement of the thousands of children, youth and families needing mental health support.
In classrooms, to help students understand mental health, I tell them that all of us have mental health, just like physical health. It’s the way the brain reacts to everyday life events. Therefore, it is a priority to take care of the health of our minds so that we can adapt to the challenges that life presents to us no matter how big or small they may be.
Dr. Stan Kutcher is the leading professional in the field of mental health. He is a Senator, psychiatrist and professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the clip below, he explains that we all have mental health.
In this next clip, Dr. Stan Kutcher explains the difference between and stress and mental illness.
These are a few resources to support positive mental health:
This is the Healthy Mind Platter developed by David Rock and Dr. Dan Seigel.
Toolkit for healthy living and healthy minds from Keltly Mental Health.
The Mindshift app is developed by Anxiety Canada and it is free to download. Users have access to a thought journal, coping cards, chill zone and other tools to cope with stress and/or anxiety.
When we connect with other people, ideally in person, and when we take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world around us, we activate and reinforce the brain’s relational circuitry.
Think of 3G 2P – Generosity, Gratitude and Giving back – People and Planet
This week, write a comment or send me a photo of how you got your daily intake of Connecting Time.
I would like to share the Healthy Mind platter by Dr. Dan Seigel and David Rock. It is a great way to get the essentials that the brain needs daily. Watch the video for an explanation and click the image of the platter to get more information.
I have added a new page with resources geared toward supporting children through Covid-19. Click the top tab called resources for more information.
Below is a photo of a book written by Ana Gomez. She is an experienced Psychotherapist from Phoenix. The book helps families and children explore emotions and uses the metaphor of a oyster taking an irritating grain of sand to produce beautiful things. She explores ten “superpowers” that children can participate in to help them care for their wellbeing.
I hope you find the resources for children section useful.
My name is Anna Aquila and I am clinical counsellor with over twenty years of experience working in elementary schools in Burnaby. My hope is that this is a space to connect, find information and relevant resources.