Tip: Managing stress does not have to include the use of alcohol or drugs. The best way to handle stress is through healthy habits.

Exercise, healthy eating, sleeping well and maintaining close relationships are important in stress management. These key actions can help reduce stress levels and improve your quality of life. Quick fixes like drugs or alcohol may temporarily mask stress but the long-term effects are unhealthy.

From Hey Sigmund: Where the Science of Psychology Meets the Art of Being Human

Anxiety used to be seen just as an innate condition of an emotionally fragile child or something triggered by significant life events. But medical science now understands more about the array of underlying physical and chemical imbalances that can trigger excess worry, anxiety and overwhelm.

This post will help you arm yourself with information about some of the life changing links between common nutrient shortfalls and metabolic imbalances, to help your child live a happier, healthier, calmer life whilst also building resilience in the longer term.

Read the full post here

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids describes the steps below if your child is returning from rehabilitation. To read the full article, click here.

1. First, it’s time for a thorough housecleaning to prevent any temptations.

2. Next, get naloxone as a prevention measure.

3. Make the aftercare plan a priority.

4. Try CRAFT skills to improve communications in your family.

5. Develop a contract and a Recovery Plan

6. Take it one day — perhaps one minute — at a time.

Tip of the Week: Warm up for 5-10 minutes before a full practice or game.

Prior to practice or a game, take time to help your body transition from rest to activity. This can help prevent soreness and reduce injury. By taking time to warm up, it increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which prevents you from getting out of breath to early or too easily and helps prepare muscles for the additional workload to come.

Thank you to Lynn Lyons who visited Maine and provided one community presentation and one training for our service area! Lynn is an internationally recognized expert in the field of anxiety. To learn more about Lynn, visit her website here.

In preparation for our Lynn Lyons, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, event coming up next Monday, September 18th, we will be posting a series of articles from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

School Stress: Why Your Teen Needs a Good Night’s Sleep

In preparation for our Lynn Lyons, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, event coming up next Monday, September 18th, we will be posting a series of articles from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

School Stress: Healthy Stress vs. “Red Flag” Stress

In preparation for our Lynn Lyons, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, event coming up next Monday, September 18th, we will be posting a series of articles from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

School Stress: 3 Mindful Practices for Calm, Focused and Happy Teens

In preparation for our Lynn Lyons, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, event coming up next Monday, September 18th, we will be posting a series of articles from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

https://drugfree.org/parent-blog/school-stress-10-ways-parents-can-help-kids-manage-stress/

HOMEWORK

1.  Act as a cheerleader and supporter for your teen – provide the necessary supplies and show an active interest in the content your child is learning, but allow the teachers to handle it if your kid fails to do the homework correctly or regularly.

2. Recognize that children learn in different ways and have different work styles – some do homework all at once, while others need to take frequent breaks. Discuss with your child the working conditions that will lead to the best homework outcomes.

3.  Work WITH your child to develop a schedule that will allow time to complete homework, work on projects and study for tests – while still attending activities, getting adequate sleep and having time for play.

MAKE TIME FOR “PDF”

4.  Don’t underestimate the importance of non-academic achievements. Challenge Success emphasizes that kids – regardless of age — need playtime, downtime and family time (‘PDF’) each day. Research show this acts as a protective factor for long-term academic engagement and overall well-being.

5.  Allow space and rejuvenation between activities. Encourage teens to unwind by listening to music, reading for pleasure and spending time with friends. Kids need time to reflect and dream, explore the world, develop interests, make friends and craft an identity.

6.  Schedule high-quality family time multiple times a week to give kids the experience of unconditional love, acceptance and support. Eat meals together, take walks, swap stories and practice family traditions.

EMBRACE A BROADER DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

7.  As a family, discuss the characteristics of success that you value most (e.g., compassion, integrity, health). Remind your kids that success is measured over the course of a lifetime, not at the end of a semester.

8.  Explain that there are many different paths to success. Talk about your own path, including your struggles and failures.

9.  Examine the subtle messages you send your kids. If your first question after school is, “How’d you do on the test?” you may be implying that grades matter more than anything else. Instead, ask, “How was your day? Learn anything interesting? Did you get to spend time with friends?”

10.  Help your teen find the right-fit college or post-secondary opportunity. Debunk the myth that only the most prestigious colleges will lead to success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: