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The Secrets to Successfully Developing Your Child's Confidence

The Secrets to Successfully Developing Your Child’s Confidence

Ryan Scott
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As a parent, of course, you want your kids to be confident.

The thing is, getting started can be a little tricky. There’s no set in stone rule book. However, there are quite a few techniques that can work wonders on your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

Help Them Say Goodbye to Self Judgment

Sometimes once a negative thought enters our mind, we just can’t seem to part ways with it.

Sound familiar? No need to worry.

This is where mindfulness comes into the picture.

Mindfulness is all about focusing on the present moment.

Think your child is too young to practice mindfulness?

Think again…

Studies show that preschool aged children who practice mindfulness have decreased stress levels.

Compassion

Did you know kids as young as 3 years old can feel compassion?

Yup, it’s true.

The world is their classroom.

Your kids look up to you. Your everyday words and actions impact them more than you may think. One of the best ways to teach them compassion it to show it to them regularly.

It’s officially time to say goodbye to the question “Am I good enough?”

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Am I Hungry

Our next 12 week Fall group is starting soon!

Ryan Scott

Emotional and Binge Eating Group

Dates: August 27th – November 26th, Tuesdays 12pm-1:30pm & 6-7:30pm (two separate classes)

Are you:

Tired of trying to control your thoughts about food and eating?

Unhappy with binges, yoyo dieting, negative self talk and self loathing?

Struggling with stress, anxiety or boredom and trying to quiet it with food?

Ready to heal yourself from the INSIDE out and feel confident?

Wanting to think differently and overcome sabotaging thoughts?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then the Am I Hungry? (AIH) group is for you.

AIH is a data driven, mindful approach to eliminate the pain of constant dieting, self loathing and binge or emotional eating.

The comprehensive Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating for Binge Eating Program is a clinically proven treatment that has been shown to stop binge and emotional eating.

The group is led by Laurene Larson, LPC, a certified AIH Therapist. Laurene is enthusiastic about the group approach to redefining one’s relationship to food and building a healthy and positive self concept. Laurene is a published writer in the area of body acceptance, emotional eating and in diagnosing and treating Binge Eating Disorder. She is an expert on CBT, and implements both CBT and DBT into her work with the AIH groups at Vista.

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How To Make Your Kids Feel Loved

How To Make Your Kids Feel Loved

Ryan Scott

Here are some warm and nurturing messages worth repeating to help your children feel loved.

Kids Just Want To Be Loved

Kids want to know their parents love them no matter what.

Don’t be afraid to remind and show them just how loved they are. Even if they change. Even if they make a mistake – the love isn’t going anywhere.

How To Express Emotions

The only way babies can communicate that something is wrong is by crying.

Once your kids get old enough, you as a parent have to teach them alternative ways to express their emotions.

Be Open & Honest

It’s normal for kids to feel alone and confused. Like no one understands what they’re going through on a daily basis.

Everybody has feelings.

You know that.

But your kids may not.

Books, movies and open conversations are all great ways to teach them about emotional problem-solving.

Conversations

Life is full of challenges, and it’s important your kids understand that.

Share your experiences and let them know you’ve been there.

Mistakes aren’t the enemy, but a learning opportunity.

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It’s Okay To Spend Time Alone If You Want!

It’s Okay To Spend Time Alone If You Want!

Ryan Scott

Does spending time alone give you an energy boost? Do you ever feel uncomfortable around others? If so, keep on reading.

A Few Reasons People Like Spending Time Alone

1) It sparks creativity.

2) Being around others makes them anxious.

3) Alone time can increase energy levels.

Can you relate?

Wanting to Spend Time Alone is Normal

Just because you like spending time alone doesn’t mean you lack social skills. It’s just the way your brain is wired.

Some of us work better independently and need a substantial amount of alone time to recharge.

Keep in mind, too much of anything isn’t good. Life is all about balance. But at the same time, you have to listen to your gut.

If you know you need at least 30 – 60 minutes a day of alone time, try waking up a bit earlier or spend half of your lunch hour alone. It’s all about doing what’s best for you.

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How Walking Can Change Your Life

How Walking Can Change Your Life

Ryan Scott
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Still can’t decide if you should buy that treadmill? The answer is yes.

We get it. Simply thinking about exercise can be overwhelming. Carving out even 8 minutes a day to walk can help prevent future mobility issues.

Set Reasonable Goals

You know what happens when we set unrealistic goals such as jogging one hour a day? Exactly – it overwhelms us, so the task almost never gets done.

Don’t get us wrong. Jogging an hour a day is a great long term goal. But don’t forget, you have to walk before you can run.

Research

The Feinberg School of Medicine recommends 56 minutes of moderate activity a week.

That number may scare you a bit. But there’s no need to worry. All you need to do is break that number down. Exercising eight minutes a day sounds much easier than 56 minutes a week – don’t you think?

This new lifestyle may take some time to get used to. Trust us when we say it’ll be worth it in the long run. (no pun intended)

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How To Help Kids With Autism Symptoms Succeed In Sports

Ryan Scott
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Calling all coaches! Wondering how you can encourage students with autism to participate in physical activity? Keep on reading…

The Right Environment is Key

Children with ASD symptoms need to feel comfortable in their surroundings. If you’re not sure how to go about that, try and get them familiar with the equipment. Explain how the equipment works and why you love it. You can even go the extra mile and incorporate visual cards. Sometimes kids with ASD symptoms respond better to visuals than words.

Use Specific Instructions

Don’t be afraid to go into detail. Here’s an example. You can either say…

“Okay, time to dribble kids”

Or

“Bounce the ball up and down 15 times.”

Being specific will give them a clear vision of the final goal.

You Can Do It

Physical activity can help children on the spectrum with their confidence, social skills, and overall well being.

Now, the coaching process may be different than what you’re used to.

But by following these techniques, you can completely transform their physical education experience.

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Giving Never Gets Old

Ryan Scott
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Sure, purchasing something nice for yourself can feel good in the moment. However, as time goes on that feeling will fade. Studies show that spending money on someone else can significantly increase your mood and overall happiness. Here’s why…

Special Occasions

Think about it. Doing something outside your routine is exciting because it’s new. Going out for dinner every night may make you happy for a week or two. But, it’s only a matter of time until eating out becomes apart of your routine or even boring.

What Happens When You Treat Someone Else

There was a fascinating study done recently all about giving.Here’s a rundown. All participants got $25 to spend. Half the group was instructed to buy something for themselves. While the other half were told to spend the money on somebody else.

Want to guess which group experienced happiness longer?

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Guided Sleep Meditation

Guided Sleep Meditation For Beginners

Ryan Scott

When we feel stressed or anxious, falling asleep isn’t exactly easy.

Guided sleep meditations are a great resource to take advantage of if you have trouble sleeping.

Why Sleep Meditation

Mediation is all about getting out of your head and appreciating the present moment.

No need to worry about that embarrassing thing you said 7 years ago. No need to worry about that big presentation at work tomorrow.

All you have to do is relax your body and slow down your mind.

Breathing Exercises

You may not know this, but there are right and wrong ways to breathe.

If done wrong, your breathing can actually make you more anxious.

A great hack is to slowly count as you breathe.

Visualize

Visualizing you’re at the beach, is almost as relaxing as the real thing.

Close your eyes. Image the waves hitting the shore or the sand between your toes.

Sweet dreams.

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Helping Your Friend Through Anxiety

Helping Your Friend Through Anxiety

Ryan Scott
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Have someone in your life who suffers from anxiety? If so, check out the link below for seven ways you can help them get through it.

Offer Support: Sometimes, all we need is someone to listen to us. Have you ever had a bad day? Trick question! We all have. In life there will be those situations where you just don’t know what to say. What you can do is listen!

Encourage Them To Challenge Their Thoughts: Those with anxiety, often struggle with black and white thinking.

Here are a few questions you can ask that may help switch their mindset.

1) What’s the worst that can happen?

2) How likely is that outcome?

3) How can we turn this negative into a positive?

Ask Them What They Need: Everyone has different ways of coping with anxiety. You’re not a mind reader.You may not know what someone else needs unless you ask. The answer may surprise you.

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Teaching Your Child How to Forgive

Teaching Your Child How to Forgive

Ryan Scott
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Forgiveness: Teaching your child about forgiveness is very important for their social development. Here are a few tips you as a parent can start using as soon as today.

Teach Them About People: We are all equal. We all have feelings. “A person is a person no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss

Kindness, Respect, and Generosity: Before explaining forgiveness to your child, ensure they understand what kindness, respect, and generosity actually mean. Being able to forgive someone, requires these character traits.

Start Early: Conflict is a part of life, and avoiding it can cause more harm than good. Teaching children healthy conflict resolution and forgiveness at a young age is extremely important. The sooner they start, the better.

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How to Manage Social Anxiety

How to Manage Social Anxiety

Ryan Scott
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Wondering how you can get out of that rut and manage your social anxiety? Writing down your goals is a great place to start.

Keeping a Journal: Journaling can help with so many areas in your life… social anxiety included. First things first, you have to figure out what is causing your anxiety in the first place. Are you afraid of saying something embarrassing? Are you afraid of being judged? Are you afraid of crowds? You may not know the answer now. And that’s okay! Journaling your thoughts and actions is a great place to start.

Write Down Goals: Now that you better understand your social anxiety, it’s time to start creating SMART goals. Maybe it’s saying hello to a stranger, or signing up for an improv class.

Your mind can only remember so much. What’s great about writing goals down is you can easily keep track of your progress.

Congratulate Yourself: Celebrate all victories. No goal is too small. Don’t be afraid to be your own best friend.

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The Importance of Gratitude And How To Get Started

The Importance of Gratitude And How To Get Started

Ryan Scott

Gratitude and Happiness: Smiling, keeping a gratitude journal and meditation can significantly boost your mood. Remember, grateful people are happier people.

Smile: Smiling has the power to completely transform your mood. When we smile, chemicals are released into the brain that make us happier. Don’t be afraid to schedule “smile time” into your calendar. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it works!

Keep a Gratitude Journal: All you need for this exercise is a pen and paper. At the beginning and end of every day, take just 5 minutes to write down a few things you are grateful for.

The best news is, there is no wrong way to practice gratitude. Maybe you had a pleasant commute, aced a presentation at work, or ran into an old friend. Whatever you feel grateful for, jot it down!

Meditation: Meditation can help with so many areas of your life, including but not limited to mood regulation and positivity.

Want to hear something interesting? You can meditate anytime and anywhere. At the end of the day, you just have to find a system that works best for you.

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