Managing Holiday Stress with Lynn Jimenez [IEP 187]
We have said it before: this school year is like no other. Now we are all dealing with the uncertainty of an upcoming holiday season that may be very stressful for parents, teachers, and students. There are simple practices and tools we can use with people of all ages to manage and reduce stress. Join us to learn more!
Lynn Jimenez is a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Connect-Flow-Grow Coaching & Therapy. Her past experiences include school mental health, foster care, and substance abuse prevention. She has taught prevention through restorative practices in general education and has taught teachers how to integrate social and emotional learning and conversations into their teaching style in their classrooms. As a mom of three boys, Lynn has practiced these skills at home, which has transformed their family experience as the boys have learned to interact better with each other.
Show Highlights:
- Why the strategies used in special education should be used by all general education teachers
- How Lynn originally taught families how to talk to kids about stress and dove into the physiology of the stress response system
- What Lynn wants people to understand about stress as we move into the holiday season
- How daily self-care practices can help manage stress--and can be modeled for kids
- How this year is different for students who spent most or all of the previous school year learning virtually---and how holiday gatherings (hopefully) will be happening but might be overwhelming
- A personal example from Lynn’s family that brought open communication and clarity through a stressful experience with her youngest son; as a result, they have more intimacy and stronger relationships today
- Why it’s important for parents and teachers to admit when they “lose it” and need a break
- Why basic emotional regulation skills need to be taught in schools beginning at the kindergarten level
- Other helpful stress management tips: meditate, be in nature, and teach kids to name three things they see, hear, touch, and smell (this teaches mindfulness)
- Why being in nature can translate into family activities to reduce stress and things that teachers can do at school to help stressed students
- How Lynn teaches adults to scale their emotions from 1-10 by having them determine the size and intensity of their emotion( this is a coping regulation activity); kids can scale with small, medium, and large, which allows them to see their progress quickly
- How Connect-Flow-Grow brings together all Lynn’s endeavors to teach people about stress and becoming aware of their feelings so they can have more control; find out more about her programs and classes for managing and reducing stress on her website
Thank you for listening!
Connect with Lynn:
Find Connect-Flow-Grow on Instagram
Links/Resources:
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