By Anita Ness, Founder of EMBRACE Calmer Kids
I can’t believe how time just seems to fly by!! I’m not sure about you, but I have spent the past few weeks trying to find my way out of the crazy ‘post-school holidays chaos’ and into some calm. There was the lead up to a new year at school for the kids, starting back into the routine of after school activities, before school activities, social events, Easter is coming up, more things to organise – my bucket is over flowing!
It’s not just kids that find life a little overwhelming at times, especially at the beginning of a new year.
Today I will share with you a few tips that are keeping me feeling a little more on top of things, as well as some ideas you might find useful when you are helping your child find their calm
I found a great article last week 'How to work smarter, not harder' by Showpo - Productivity Hacks, really awesome! And I created a summarised version to make your life a little easier, click here to download a printable version as a full sized word doc.
TOOLS to help you keep things organised and find your calm.
I couldn’t keep up with the number of random post-it notes and hand written lists I had around the house! So, in desperate need of a new way to organise my life and keep track of all the “to do’s” I just recently discovered 2 awesome apps to help me get, and stay organised.
• Trello: I use Trello for ongoing to do lists. I have sorted them into different subjects i.e. family, work, health, daughter’s birthday party etc. It’s helping me keep track of all my thoughts and ideas (that come and then disappear so quickly). I can add to the lists using my phone or laptop and they sync instantly! www.trello.com - LOVE IT!
• Evernote: I am using Evernote for lists that change every day. I check off each individual task (very satisfying) and as soon as the list is done, I delete, or move to the 'done' folder i.e. shopping lists, to do TODAY lists etc. www.evernote.com - SUPER HELPFUL!
Check them out and see what you think. Maybe it can help give you a sense of: Yay! it’s all in the one place, I'm feeling organised!! (You can also share your lists with others e.g. send the shopping list to your partner - now there's a good idea!)
PHRASES to say to your child to help them find their calm.
For our children, learning how to manage their anxious feelings is an important life skill.
Below I have created a printable list 10 of my favourite phrases from an article written by Renee Jain from Gozen.
These will help your children identify, accept, and work through their anxious moments.
For more details on each of the phrases, and many more to try out with your child, see the full article here '49 Phrases to calm an anxious child'.
I hope you find these phrases and apps helpful. Reach out and let me know what phrases help you and your child, or what organisational tools you use, that rock your world!
And if you think another friend might find this information useful, feel free to send it on to them and keep the sharing moving forward.
Stay Awesome!
Founder of EMBRACE Calmer Kids