Do you know about the growing body of research on laughter? Turns out the old saying, “laughter is the best medicine” has some truth to it when it comes to physical AND mental health. Short-term benefits include: Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the…
Read More
Most children (and adults too) need us to stop what we are doing from time to time and give them eye contact and our undivided attention. Our sensitivity to eye contact begins incredibly early. Infants of just two days of age prefer looking at faces that gaze back at them. Similarly, recordings of the brain activity of four-month-olds show that they…
Read More
We thought it would be nice to take some time to focus on the positives we are seeing in the ways people are helping one another through this difficult time. Often in a crisis, we are more mindful of our priorities than we are when we are busy going about our everyday business. One thing…
Read More
As families are adjusting to their new daily lives, it is important to keep an eye on your children’s TV and social media usage. While it is important to to stay updated in current events, it is crucial for parents and other caring adults to monitor what children are watching on TV or what they…
Read More
Regular physical exercise has many health benefits to our brains and bodies. When we exercise, the blood flow increases and our brain is exposed to more oxygen, nutrients, and proteins that promote the growth of new neurons. Physical activity also increases dopamine and endorphins that makes us feel happy while getting rid of chemicals that…
Read More
Have you heard of grounding? It’s the practice of coming into direct skin contact with the earth, for example, through your bare feet. Grounding appears to improve sleep, normalize the day-night cortisol rhythm, reduce pain, reduce stress, shift the automatic nervous system from sympathetic toward parasympathetic activation, increase heart rate variability, speed wound healing, and…
Read More
Children who understand the concept of cause and effect are more likely to think critically, engage in relationships more appropriately, and better understand outcomes of a situation. Using cause and effect language will help bring awareness to our thoughts and how they connect with our actions and behaviors. In order to teach our kids the…
Read More
Believe it or not, a lot of us forget how to breathe! Proper breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, means that when we inhale our stomachs expand and when we exhale, it falls. If you pay attention to an opera singer or a trained singer you will notice that this is how they breathe. This is also…
Read More
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, about 40% of student in the U.S. have been exposed to some form of traumatic event in their lives. Often times, students who have been exposed to trauma will become disengaged and disconnect from their parents, teachers, and peers, making it difficult to learn or maintain relationships.…
Read More
Positive thinking habits can be an important factor in depression prevention and recovery. The good news it can be learned…but it takes practice. One way to practice positive thinking is to savor the positive. Savoring is like squeezing all of the juice out of a positive experience so we maximize the effect toward good mental…
Read More
OKPTA Cultivate 