Mrs. Law's Lexington Junior High Blog

I recently watched a live Q&A with Dr. Laurie Santos. Dr. Santos teaches courses on the psychology of happiness and well-being at Yale University. In the video below, she shares a lot of useful and practical information regarding these strange times.  Click HERE for the video! Here is a description and outline of the topics covered (complete with time stamps if you do not have time for the entire video).  "We’re living in an unprecedented time as COVID-19 impacts lives everywhere. As we navigate and adjust, how can we manage the many emotions we’re feeling? Dr. Laurie Santos hosted a Facebook Live Q&A to help us all find ways to cope and process. The video covers the following topics: Reducing tension in a relationship while sheltering in place (1:11) Consuming news without increasing anxiety (3:24) Supporting healthcare workers and helping them prioritize self-care (5:19) Remaining positive when living alone (8:51) Staying focused and producti...

This is not your typical holiday post. For many people, there is a dark side to the season of hope, joy, parties, presents, food, etc. It comes in the form of memories, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, stress, and grief. Lately, I have seen the quote "It's okay to not be okay". No one is happy all of the time. No one is grateful all of the time. We have bad days, bad seasons, bad years. And that is okay! It is okay to be sad, it is okay to not want to listen to holiday music, it is okay to not put decorations up, and most importantly, it is okay to seek help. This season, love yourself and take care of yourself! Local Resources 33 Forever Richland County 211 Resources/articles (some fun, some serious) for dealing with holiday grief! Everything You Wish You Didn't Need To Know About Holiday Grief 64 Tips For Coping With Grief At The Holidays

Test Taking Skills! Student often tell me that tests cause them anxiety, cause them stress, or that they are poor test takers. Did you know that you can actually get better at tests? The act of taking a test is a skill that you can develop!  Here are a few tips: Don't study with friends if it raises your anxiety. Do study with friends if it lowers your anxiety. Makes sense, right? The most important tip: AVOID CRAMMING! If you are prone to test anxiety, last minute studying is almost guaranteed to make you feel anxious. Start studying for a test far enough in advance (perhaps a few days before the test!) to avoid this. Better yet, study a little bit each day. Know when to stop studying! An extra half hour is not worth it if you are tired and unfocused. Know when to stop and get some sleep instead of trying to cram a few extra test points into your brain. Rest is important too! Read for mastery rather than memory: think about and try to understand what you read a...

Anxiety Workshop for Parents! Anxiety  has become a growing issue in our changing world, especially with increasing terrorism, violence and more.  Parents often struggle to manage anxiety that develops in their children. While occasional anxiety is normal, constant anxiety can look a lot more like fear. Fear is being afraid of something real. Anxiety can become irrational and an everyday part of a child’s life, prohibiting them from truly enjoying childhood.  If you are a parent and are confused about how to help your child grow beyond their anxiety, you are not alone.   In this workshop, parents will learn skills to mitigate anxiety and help their children navigate anxiety. Why Should You Attend: -Is your child feeling too much anxiety? -Do you know what parents do that inadvertently causes anxiety in children?  -Are you modeling too much anxiety?  -Do you know how to help your child feel less anxiety through the parenting proces...

Happy Friday! There may be snow on the ground, but SPRING BREAK is nearly here! I am sure many families are looking forward to a fun and relaxing break! For many students, after a break, the return to school is difficult due to symptoms of anxiety. We see a growing number of students dealing with anxiety. Anxiety is often unpredictable and can be a challenge for the whole family. If you have a child who struggles with anxiety, I urge you to make the return to school a priority on April 17th. Try not to schedule any appointments or have any tardies in that first week back. If an appointment is necessary, make it as late in the day as possible. This way it does not disrupt the morning routine.  If anxiety is something your family struggles through, there is an upcoming workshop just for you!  Norman Shub, Ph.D. is the Clinical Director of the Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio.  Norman Shub is an author, teacher and psychotherapist who is a leader in the guiding of ind...