On our third day of gratitude week, we will learn about the science of gratitude and think about ways to cultivate gratitude into our daily schedules. There is no question that when we express gratitude, we feel more positive about ourselves and the people that we are building a strong relationship with. Research has shown…
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Many of us will go around the table tomorrow and say what we are thankful for. It’s a great practice, but if your family’s version is getting stale, spice up the conversations with these 50 gratitude questions! Pick one or two for everyone to answer, draw questions from a jar, or just let everyone pick…
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On our second day of focusing on gratitude, join OKPTA Cultivate in a gratitude challenge: before you go to bed tonight, tell someone in your life why you are grateful for them. Write a handwritten letter, say it out loud, or just send a gratitude text! It’s easy, quick, free…and it will make someone’s day.…
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Every day this week we will look at gratitude with respect to each Cultivate topic. It’s easy to be grateful when times are good, but did you know that practicing gratitude can provide hope in the hard times? How, though, can we be grateful when we don’t feel grateful? Robert Emmons says “is vital to…
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Positive peer relationships are important to any and all individuals across the lifespan. The importance of having positive relationships is that they provide us with support and a sense of belonging. As parents, we can help encourage our children to develop positive peer relationships and provide support for healthy friendships. One of the best ways…
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We know good relationships maintain positive communication in times of conflict, but did you know that some research suggests that being positive during the positive is almost more important?! When your child shares their good news with you, it is a gift. You don’t have to be excited about all of the same things as…
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Reflecting on the poem above reminds us about how much more critical, less forgiving, and just less loving we can be to ourselves than others. We say things to ourselves that we would never say to friends, and yet our lack of self acceptance can impact our relationships. True long-term change is never motivated through…
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Hope isn’t just a touchy-feely word. We now have tons of research that shows us the connection between hope and mental wellbeing, including preventing and treating depression. But what does it mean to have HOPE? According to Hope Theory (yeah, that’s a thing!) people have high hope when they have these two things: Waypower: The…
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Daily exercise not only improves physical health; it improves brain health too. The benefits of exercise include: Increasing endorphins and serotonin, chemicals that improve mood Reduces stress Decreases anxiety and depression Aids in mental health and substance abuse recovery Improves sleep, which is also important for brain health Can reduce isolation if you get out…
Read MoreHere is a coping exercise for parents and guardians. Many of us carry pain from our childhood into adulthood. It can affect our happiness, our relationships, and our parenting. One way to help heal these wounds is to write a letter to your inner child. Validate the pain of your inner child as a step…
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