Lynda Henley

Whatever stage you might be in your ADHD journey, if you think your child might have ADHD, this book by Sarah Templeton is worth a read. It will give you an understanding into the ADHD brain and the hidden symptoms in layman's terms. Watch those symptoms in case they might lead to depression and anxiety and your child becomes a teen that is misdiagnosed or self medicates with w**d or alcohol.

How NOT to Murder your ADHD Kid: Instead Learn How To Be Your Child's Own ADHD Coach! At the end of your tether with your ADHD kid and don’t know which way to turn? Help is at hand! Therapist Sarah Templeton has specialised in ADHD since her own shock diagnosis aged 51! “Sarah is an expert in all things ADHD. She works so successfully with ADHD clients because she understands the...

Signs of Depression and Strategies to combat them :

• Feeling numb, empty & lonely

• Struggling to get out of bed, feeling weak or fatigued

• Disconnected from your loved ones and pretending to be content

• Struggling to enjoy your favourite things

Strategies that may help:

• Set plans and follow through

• Exercise - 15 minute daily walk

• Interact with others

• Get some fresh air

• Banish negative self talk

• Try talking therapy to get to the root of your depression.

This is a good article from the Trauma Project. I haven't posted in a while but I felt compelled after reading this article because we all worry about our children and want them to maintain healthy friendships.
"More important than having a large group of friends is having at least one person who 'gets' us..."

How to Help Your Child Maintain Friendships in COVID-19 - Cultures of Dignity As parents, we have to acknowledge the complexity of friendships in COVID-19 and understand that they may look drastically different than we would like.

You might be having trouble with sleep at the moment. Knowing that I need 7-8 hours sleep, I need to make changes and have boundaries. We need sleep to keep us sane and sleep disruption can contribute to anxiety. We are worried about family, money, friends, and our children's futures. Our brains are so busy it is hard to switch off.
Limiting media is perhaps the number 1 issue that will help lessen the anxiety. It is recommended to find a reliable source to help you switch off such as light reading, watching your favourite comedy, meditation, or breathing (Headspace is a useful app). Keep away from anything that triggers fear and anger.

How to Keep Coronavirus Worries from Disrupting Your Sleep A sleep expert weighs in on how to get a better night’s rest during this time of heightened stress.

Self-care is preventative healthcare. It is not selfish; it’s one of the best things you can do for your family.

(Image via Cloudy Thurstag)

Many people don't know what drives them to think, feel, and act in unhealthy ways. They are so far out of touch with their real NEEDS that they can't think of what they are. Yet, knowing your NEEDS is essential for finding meaning, satisfaction, and joy in your life. So keep asking yourself 'what do I really NEED'.

If you're feeling overwhelmed the 4-7-8 breathing technique, also known as "relaxing breath," involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. By connecting with the breath, you are able to be more mindful with what is happening now as opposed to over thinking and mental chaos.

The Power of the Breath in Calming the Nervous System Therapy generally isn't a quick fix, but there are skills you can develop to help you cope with stress in the moment. Start by paying attention to your breath.

If you're feeling stressed and your go-to methods aren't working, consider trying one of the alternatives mentioned.

Four Ways to Cope with Stress You Likely Haven't Thought Of How to cope with stress when your usual strategies aren't working.

This is a useful tool that will help you identify and process your feelings. Print it out and stick it on your fridge. If you have kids get them to talk about how they are feeling so that they own those feelings and can move forward.
This is the version I have for my own use. There are different versions of the feelings wheel and I love this one. https://ytp.uoregon.edu/sites/ytp2.uoregon.edu/files/Feelings%20Wheel%20in%20PDF.pdf

The 'Emotion Chart' My Therapist Gave Me That I Didn't Know I Needed "I hope it's a tool that can help you too."

When we hear the word "grief" we automatically think of it as a reaction to death. This article explains how the feeling of grief can be created and triggered by other experiences. Divorce, children leaving home, redundancy can all create a loss of identity; as spouse, parent and employee respectively. If you have suffered physical, emotional or sexual trauma it's normal to feel a loss of safety. All these losses may manifest themselves as grief.

Talking therapy may help.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/between-the-generations/201904/four-types-grief-nobody-told-you-about =_

Four Types of Grief Nobody Told You About And why it’s important that we call them grief.

If you are suffering from that self-critical inner voice listen to Brené Brown's words of wisdom and 'Talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you love'

When we screw up or fall down, many of us talk to ourselves in ways that we would never talk to someone we love and respect.

You're such an idiot!
You're so stupid!
WTF were you thinking???

Talking to ourselves from self-love and self-respect is a practice. I used to feel super self-conscious and vulnerable saying kind things to myself: "It's ok. Everyone makes mistakes. You're going to be ok." But I'm getting better.

And, it's an amazing thing to model to our children. It's better for my kids to hear me walking around saying weird and loving things to myself when I drop a ball, than to hear me berating myself and copy that behavior.

Stay kind, brave, and awkward, friends!

For those who 'people please' and worry about letting others down or coming across as mean or selfish - standing up for your personal boundaries can seem daunting. You CAN stay your kind, generous self and uphold your boundaries at the same time.

8 Ways to Say No Without Feeling Mean | Livestrong.com If you tend to over-commit, consider the following points and strategies. You really can stay your kind, generous self and uphold valuable boundaries, too.

My topic this week is empathy and why it is important in parenting: empathy changes the way we parent and changes our relationship with our children. Empathy makes us in tune with our child's inner emotional world.

It can be very difficult to understand and adopt the perspective of children. By reacting from our own frame of reference we may be communicating to our child that we don't take their feelings seriously or consider their perspective to be valid.

Sometimes the first step to making a child feel better is showing that you are connected to them, that you take them seriously and understand their pain.

Click on the link below where Brenè Brown explains the difference between empathy and sympathy in this charming short video.

https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw

Brené Brown on Empathy What is the best way to ease someone's pain and suffering? In this beautifully animated RSA Short, Dr Brené Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuin...

Why are boundaries so important? Boundaries are about respecting your limits so that others respect you. These may not be 100% achievable but having the awareness is a good start.

Weak boundaries can lead to resentment anger and burn out.
Healthy boundaries can help you make decisions based on what is best for you.

Think of a boundary as an invisible fence with the main purpose of keeping others from coming into our space and abusing us. Boundaries keep us from going into the space of others and abusing them. They also give each of us a sense of “who we are.”

It is such an important topic because it effects our daily lives.

What do you do for self care? I often get a blank look when I ask that question. Self care is the choice to take care of ourselves. These are tools that you can call on when things are getting tough. Think about what you NEED. You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.

30 Self-Care Tips: How to Avoid Sickness, Burnout, and Exhaustion If you are like me and you take care of everyone in your life except for yourself, try some of the thirty self-care tips I shared above. You'll be healthier, happier, more energized, and better for everyone around you.

We all need to give and receive more hugs (with consent)....and they need to be at least 20 seconds long. Hugs also improve your mood after social conflicts.

http://time.com/5413957/hugs-are-good-for-you/

Science Says You Should Embrace Hugging Hugs improve your mood after social conflicts