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Enjoying a Healthy Lifestyle on a Budget: Wellness Tips for the Whole Family

Fitness tracking devices, Peloton bikes, and monthly gym memberships can all help families to lead healthier and more active lives, but there are other, more affordable ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle. From shopping seasonally to purchasing top-rated products, households can achieve their wellness goals on just about any budget — and save money on things like healthcare costs, meals, and life insurance premiums.

To name a few of the ways in which healthy living can help families save money over time, households could spend less on trips to the doctor, food delivery or takeout, and expensive life insurance rates. In fact, one study showed that the annual medical costs for US adults with
obesity were about $2,505 higher than for non-obese adults. Being overweight or obese could also mean paying higher life insurance premiums.

Below, Douglas Haddad explains how families can lead healthier lifestyles without spending a fortune on gym memberships, organic food, and home exercise equipment. Healthy living can certainly save families money over time, but they don’t have to invest much upfront to reap the benefits of eating well and staying physically fit.

Enjoy Physical Outdoor Activities

If your family is looking for ways to incorporate more physical activity and fresh air into each day, there are lots of different outdoor activities to enjoy on a budget. As a few examples, you could take daily walks in nature, locate splash pads in your area, go bike riding or roller skating, or challenge your kids to basketball games like HORSE or Around the World. Gardening also counts as exercise, and you could save money and eat healthier meals by growing your own food at home.

Shop Seasonally and Eat Less Meat

In addition to enjoying physical outdoor activities, shopping seasonally and eating more meatless meals can save you money while helping you to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Encourage your family to eat more asparagus, lettuce, and peas in the spring; grapes, peaches, and tomatoes in late summer; and warming vegetables like collard greens, rutabagas, and parsley in
the winter.

Along with eating seasonally, you’ll save money and reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease by consuming less meat each week. You don’t necessarily have to become a full-
time vegan or vegetarian, but going meatless just once or twice weekly could dramatically improve your family’s health.

Purchase Top-Rated Products for Your Home and Lifestyle

Quality products sometimes cost more upfront, but they can save your family money over time if you’re selective about the products you purchase. So before purchasing new products to support your family’s wellness goals — whether it’s a gadget for the kitchen or a piece of workout equipment — visit product review websites to research the items in question.

For example, maybe you and your partner want to buy a recumbent bike. By doing your homework before making a purchase, you’ll ensure you’re buying the highest quality products to help your family lead healthier lives. High-quality products tend to last longer than poorer quality items, saving your household money, time, and energy.

Consider Pursuing a Career in Wellness

As you learn about health and take steps to lead a more well-balanced life, you may develop a passion for wellness — and this passion could be used to earn some money on the side or start your own business. Look for some ways to turn your new passion for wellness into profit,
whether it’s launching an affiliate marketing blog, opening a yoga studio in your community, becoming a health coach, or selling workout clothing and sports gear online.

Easily Collect Payments from Clients

When monetizing your passion for wellness, it’s important to stay on top of your client invoices to ensure you’ll get paid quickly and accurately each time. Try using this free online invoice maker template so you can easily create customized invoices that clearly display your brand name, logo, and contact details. Customized invoices can be printed out and mailed to your clients or downloaded and shared via email, making it easy to bill your clients, get paid in less
time, and earn the money you need to support your household’s healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Living is Possible on Any Budget

Leading a healthy lifestyle may seem impossible when you’re on a tight budget, but it’s actually easier than you’d think to eat well and stay physically active. From monetizing your passion for health and fitness to purchasing top-rated wellness products that’ll last for years, these simple
strategies can help to promote good health while saving your family time and money in the long run. Nearly any household can adopt healthy habits, and doing so doesn’t have to cost a
fortune.

– Article and Resources Contribution by Jason Kenner 

Work with Douglas personally! Are you looking to gain more clarity, balance, peace, joy, and happiness in your life, all while effectively and efficiently handling your current day-to-day state of affairs? I am currently open to new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions. You can contact me directly to book a family coaching session at: info@doughaddad.com or view my books and courses online at doughaddad.com.

To healthy living on a tight budget!

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Photo via Pexels

Resources for Parents for Every Stage of Child Development

Your Child’s Mental Health

Have your child’s emotions or behaviors changed recently? Has this change persisted for more than a week or so? Provided is a link to resources to help you detect the warning signs of mental health challenges. Included is a free, evidence-based assessment and report for children 2-12 that contains actionable tools to support your family’s wellness. With the amount of stressors that many families have experienced in the past few years, it’s more important now than ever to check in with your child’s mental health for the sake of your child and your family. The tips in the following link from Slumberkins can help:

Links:
Your Child’s Mental Health

Encourage Healthy Habits

Teaching kids to like vegetables, keep themselves healthy, and avoid too much screen time isn’t
easy. However, these tips can help.

Links:

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (Bottle Rot)
Healthy Habits to Master in Your Baby’s First Two Years
Want Your Child to Eat (Almost) Everything? There Is a Way
The Top Three Snacks to Have in Your Kitchen
Personal Hygiene Habits to Teach Your Child

Make Learning Fun

The more engaged a child of any age is, the more they’ll retain when they’re learning or trying
new things.

Use the lessons and resources below to keep your children engaged and learning:

Links:
25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun
Storm Spotting for Children: At-Home Meteorology
Calculus Games for Teens
10 Hands-On History and Geography Activities for Kids
Encourage Your Child by Going Back to School Yourself

Stick to a Routine at Every Age

Routines are instrumental in raising well-rounded and healthy kids. However, each stage requires new strategies for keeping to a routine that works.

Links:
How to Establish a Morning Routine for Kids That Actually Works
7 After-School Routine Ideas That Experts & Parents Swear By

Adapt to Keep Your Child Safe

Safety is every parent’s top priority. However, ensuring that your child is safe can mean something different at each age. From infancy through toddlerhood and beyond, here’s what you need to
know to avoid danger.

Links:
Child Safety: Keeping Your Home Safe for Your Baby
How to Give Your Kids Freedom in a Dangerous World
Teaching Children to Confront Bullying

There aren’t any shortcuts for raising confident, well-adjusted, healthy kids. Yet there are nuggets of valuable advice everywhere you look. Starting with these top tips can help you navigate the
challenges of each stage of development — and enjoy the adventure, too.

Resources Contribution by Jason Kenner and Slumberkins.com

Work with me personally! Are you looking to gain more clarity, balance, peace, joy, and happiness in your life, all while effectively and efficiently handling your current day-to-day state of affairs? I am currently open to new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

To your social, emotional, mental and physical well-being!

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Photo via Rawpixel

How to Raise Kids With Social and Emotional Life Skills

There are many things children need to learn to succeed in school, work, and life. Taking care of themselves, running a household, and managing time and money are just a few of the life skills to teach kids before they leave the nest. Children also need social and emotional skills.

Social and emotional learning equips children with the self-awareness and interpersonal skills to set goals, handle challenges, and make good decisions.

I will share six ways that parents can teach social and emotional life skills to children of all ages:

1. Talk about feelings

Children with a rich emotional vocabulary are better at recognizing emotions in themselves and others. Parents can use the RULER method to build children’s emotional vocabulary starting in pre-K.

The RULER method teaches children to:

  • Recognize emotions based on physical cues.
  • Understand what caused the feelings.
  • Label how they’re feeling.
  • Express their emotions appropriately.
  • Regulate their emotions.

In addition to teaching children to recognize their own emotions, instill empathy by sharing personal stories about feelings and exploring the emotions of characters in stories and books.

2. Promote prosocial behavior

Prosocial behavior is when people do things that don’t directly benefit themselves like being polite, sharing with a friend, and helping others. Prosocial behavior is associated with better interpersonal relationships and a positive self-image.

Promote prosocial behavior by noticing and praising good behavior, reading books about friendships and relationships, and modeling prosocial behaviors by treating others and yourself with respect and kindness. Help children understand the why behind social rules by drawing the connection between good or bad behavior and social consequences.

3. Set future goals

Long-term goals show what can be accomplished through hard work and determination and teaches kids to consider their future in decision-making. Start talking about the future when children are young to inspire them to dream big. Big goals like going to college may seem overwhelming or too far away, but parents can teach kids how to break their long-term goals down into a step-by-step plan.

Modeling is one of the best ways to do this. Have you been thinking about a career change? Maybe you want to get a degree that lets you work from home or earn your master’s to boost your earning potential. Talk to kids about your goals and strategies that let you achieve them, like earning your degree online or applying for financial aid. Persevering despite obstacles sets an example that children are sure to remember.

4. Teach habit formation

Every parent knows the importance of building healthy habits like good hygiene, a balanced diet, and an active lifestyle early in life. Consistency and clear expectations provide the framework for a healthy lifestyle while modeling gives kids an example to follow. However, this doesn’t necessarily teach children how to form habits.

Teaching habit formation gives children the skills to form good habits and break bad ones into adulthood. Ask children to reflect on how habits influence their lives, connect habits to triggers, and develop strategies for replacing old habits with new ones. Some children may respond better to a rewards-based system while others need to eliminate triggers to avoid temptation.

5. Use natural and logical consequences

Natural and logical consequences build self-discipline by directly connecting children’s actions to their consequences. An example of a natural consequence is not having a clean shirt to wear because they didn’t put their clothes in the laundry. A logical consequence, on the other hand, is carried out by a caregiver — for example, cleaning up a mess they made or losing driving privileges after taking the car without permission. Take time to explain when implementing consequences so children take ownership of their decisions and learn how to make better choices in the future.

6. Encourage resilience

Resilience is one of the most important traits parents can instill in their children. Resilience is what lets kids accept consequences and bounce back from failure instead of giving up when things get difficult. Children develop resilience in environments where they feel safe to make mistakes and take risks instead of shying away from challenges. Parents raise resilient children when they praise effort over achievement, teach children to problem-solve, and foster a flexible mindset.

Resilience isn’t just about letting kids fail but rather teaching children to cope with their emotions, learn from mistakes, and keep moving forward. Parents also need to be mindful of how they talk about their own failures and frustrations. Do you dwell on the negative, or are you modeling a positive mindset for your kids?

Raising children who make good decisions involves more than setting rules and teaching healthy habits. For kids to take the lessons they learn in childhood into adulthood and beyond, they need the awareness and self-management skills to connect actions to outcomes.

Article Contribution by Joyce Wilson (www.teacherspark.org)

Work with me personally! Are you looking to gain more clarity, balance, peace, joy, and happiness in your life, all while effectively and efficiently handling your current day-to-day state of affairs? I am currently open to new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

To your social, emotional, mental and physical well-being!

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Sources:

Equip Our Kids

PsychCentral

Kiddie Matters

ZenBusiness

Leading Turtle

Center for Responsive Schools

Osu Extension

Fatherly

Pandemic Friendly Ways to Spend Your Next Vacation

Amusement parks and popular tourist spots might have been your pre-pandemic destinations of choice, but with the pandemic still in effect (going on two years now) and many places experiencing infection rates again on the rise, planning a socially distanced vacation may in fact be the safer way to travel with your family. Many destinations let you socially distance yourself from other travelers while still enjoying new adventures. Consider how much risk you’re willing to take and plan your family vacation accordingly. The following tips presented can help you plan an exciting and healthy getaway.

Book a Remote Vacation Rental

Instead of staying at a busy resort, book a vacation rental where you have the entire house
to yourself. Choose a remote location, such as a cabin in the mountains or a farmhouse. In this case, you
won’t have to worry about passing anyone in the halls or sharing an elevator with others.

Go Camping

Camping lets you explore nature and spend most of your time outdoors, where you’re less
likely to be exposed to any of the strains of the corona virus, according to the CDC. Whether you prefer tenting or an RV, choose a less busy campground with large spaces to keep your distance from fellow
campers. Plan outdoor activities such as hiking, scavenger hunts, and skipping rocks.

Take Private Tours

Some attractions have limited capacity or timed entry, but you’re still sharing indoor space
with others. Consider booking private tours for various activities instead. You might book a
private dolphin cruise or fishing excursion for your family, which gives you the experience
without the exposure. If private experiences don’t fit your vacation budget, look for outdoor activities or less busy
attractions. You and your family might enjoy taking a city walking tour or visiting a botanical garden.

Plan a Staycation

If you’re not ready to travel, plan a fun staycation. Put your phones away and engage in
family activities such as:

  • Backyard camping. Set up a tent in your backyard. Roast marshmallows and hot dogs over the fire pit to complete the experience. If you’re not the outdoor type, camp in the living room.
  • Home spa. If you prefer pampering, set up a spa at home to enjoy facials, manicures, and other relaxing treatments.
  • Themed activities. Choose one of your favorite vacation destinations and plan food and activities around it. Recreate a seaside vacation at home with coconut drinks and beach ball games. Or, choose a favorite movie and plan games and dishes related to it.

Making some modifications to your house can make staycation outdoor activities safer and
more fun, such as fencing in your backyard. The cost varies significantly based on the
material, fence length, and location. Look up “fence installation near me,” and then contact
several local fencing contractors to get quotes based on your specific needs. Check the
credentials of each company including insurance coverage, licensing, and online reviews.

Tech to Take Along

No matter where your travels take you, packing tech makes your trip easier and safer. A
smartwatch for kids with parental controls helps you keep track of your little one with
built-in GPS. You can also upload medical ID information to have in case of an emergency.
Be sure to pack extra batteries and chargers to keep all your devices powered on the trip.

Get Away as a Family

School breaks can still be fun with pandemic-friendly vacation ideas such as a staycation,
booking a vacation rental, or going RVing or camping. Plan some private tours and take
your tech along for added convenience and safety.

Article Contribution by Joyce Wilson (www.teacherspark.org)

Work with me personally! Are you looking to gain more clarity, balance, peace, joy, and happiness in your life, all while effectively and efficiently handling your current day-to-day state of affairs? I am currently open to new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

To your social, emotional, mental and physical well-being!

Sources:

How To Plan Travel While Social Distancing

Participate in Outdoor and Indoor Activities

Hiking with Kids

10 Best Outdoor Activities to Do With Your Kids

How to Have a Spa Day at Home

Fence Installers

GizmoWatch Disney Edition kids smartwatch: 3 reasons why it could be a good choice

The Secrets to Raising Resilient, Empowered, & Happy Children

Kids these days are developing a whole new set of skills unlike any other generation in history. They are going to school (whether in person or online) in the midst of a pandemic and facing a new set of challenges that is forcing them to learn differently and develop skills to adapt to a new style of education and way of living.

Moreover, children here in the United States are growing up witnessing division among people of different political denominations and strife as it relates to injustice among people of different race, ethnicity, and gender/sexual orientation. Kids who spend time on social media see and hear a variety of blasphemous acts taking place against all kinds of people from all different backgrounds and institutions. The messages about fairness, kindness, and equality that we want to resonate with our children are being contradicted and contorted, which makes things very confusing for a young developing mind.

Children are easily influenced by their peers and what goes on in the media. As parents, we want to inculcate a sense of moral responsibility and sound character into our children. This is why it is important, as adults in our society, that we model the pillars of character that we so desire in our children, which include care, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, honesty, and respect for all people.

The reality, however, is that everyone is different and each person carries with them their past, present, and future and is entitled to their own opinion. Now, it is one thing to have a difference of opinion with others. However, it is another thing to be sucked into an alluring quagmire of gossip and controversy and develop a negative thought pattern against a person, group, and/or institution where we find ourselves becoming stuck, angry, resentful, and pessimistic. It is easy enough to become entangled in this way of living and become unaware of the insidious, negative implications this behavior poses on our lives and those we most care about.

In order to raise awareness about the importance of social and emotional intelligence, we need to start at the homes and in the schools in order to best equip our children with the necessary tools to think critically and accurately recognize fact from fiction so they can appropriately and effectively handle a variety of issues, conflicts, and adversity as they arise throughout their lives.

Building a child’s emotional well-being is about showing them strategies on how to remain calm, understanding, and peaceful, all while maintaining a positive attitude and preserving a strong sense of character and integrity. So how and where do we begin?

GROWING UP IS NOT EASY

First off, we must remember that growing up is not a smooth and predictable ride for most kids. There are many factors that shape the development of a young person’s mind from childhood through adolescence. It can be hard, sometimes really hard for children, especially if they encounter adversity that requires them to make a decision to stand up for themselves and/or others, knowing it may not be the popular thing to do. They may find themselves part of a peer group that they really don’t want to be a part of and struggle to find a way out.

Growing up, I experienced and witnessed all kinds of bullying take place. I had choices to make as to whether I would join in on the action, or become a bystander and just sit on the sidelines, or rather step in and do something about it.

Being on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse from my peers, while growing up, made it easy for me to decide which side of the fence I would take as I never wanted to see “the little guy” become a victim. But that is not always the case for all children who are bullied. Some resort to self-harming behaviors, while others become bullies themselves.

I will say that it would have been nice to have had someone in my corner when times got rough. Someone who I could count on when the bullies approached me and that I could trust to stand up for me. But that wasn’t my story.

The reality was that I needed to learn new skills that would help me develop resilience and become impervious to the verbal and physical attacks. I knew that when I stepped foot on the school bus each day, that I was on my own against “those kids” who were “looking to pick a fight.” I knew what it was like to battle in a war waged against me – time and time again – knowing that no one would come to my rescue when the confrontation began.

With that said, I also realize that there is a lot at stake for kids who stand up against bullying behavior. The child who makes the decision to support someone who is being picked on, bullied, or feeling outcast, is well aware that he/she may likely get backlash for it. These days, it’s not just physical or face-to-face verbal abuse that takes place. It’s also happening through text messaging, emails, and/or social media (a.k.a. cyberbullying).

I am so passionate about this topic, because I’ve seen how these defining moments in a young person’s life can shape their character and ultimately their course of life. In my opinion, the choices young people make in these moments largely defines their level of self-esteem and fulfillment they acquire throughout their life. I’ve written in more detail on this topic in a previous post “Teaching Children to Confront Bullying” where I offer helpful strategies on how children can stand up for themselves and others.

Research has shown that people who possess high self-esteem have no problem in empowering others and encouraging them to be their best. A leader with low self-esteem can often be controlling or even demonstrate micro-managing, oppressive behavior.

The message here for children is simple: When you see an injustice that is taking place in which you have the capability to do something about, the choice is yours and yours alone to act on. When something feels wrong and you know that it is negatively affecting someone or a group of people, it is important to act with courage and decide to DO SOMETHING.  

At the school I teach, we reinforce five qualities of good character: kindness, trustworthiness, respect, fairness, and responsibility. The good news is that children can learn all of these qualities from a very young age and practice implementing them in a safe space at home and apply them at school, and within the community on a regular basis.

HOW TO EMPOWER YOUR CHILD

There are three primary things that children desire and that is to feel loved, understood, and accepted. These are at the core of developing one’s self-esteem and confidence to make decisions and understand that the outcomes are largely due to choices they’ve independently made.

Also, self-esteem consists of two main things:

1. Self-worth (a feeling that you matter and that you are heard) and

2. Self-efficacy (the ability to accomplish a task/solve a problem by yourself).

The more you get your child involved in decision-making, the more they feel that they matter. This is called “sharing the power” with your child to make them feel empowered. You can start when they are very young by giving them a choice as to what they would like to do. Putting them in charge of a task helps them develop leadership skills. I do this all of the time with my toddler as she helps set the table for dinner, empty the dishwasher, take the clothes out of the dryer, and pick up her toys and clean her room. 

Another way to empower your child and facilitate a strong work ethic is if there are chores that need to be done, you can provide them with a list and ask them to select their top three choices. If they are little, you could have them choose between a couple of shirts and pants as to what they would like to wear. This is something my wife and I do with our toddler daughter and it makes her feel important and valued. Maybe once a week or every other week, you can offer your child a choice of a special meal or treat they would like and involve them in helping make it.

Another way to empower your child is to let them own their choices. With great power comes great responsibility (as Peter Parker once said) and the younger they are at learning this golden rule of life, the better it will serve them when the stakes are higher.

For instance, if they do not get a chore done by a time you have set for them, then the natural consequence is that they don’t get to engage in an activity that they would like to do. Let’s say they would like to play with a friend on Saturday and you’ve set a day and time for them to complete cleaning their room, yet by that time, it still hasn’t been done, then their natural consequence is that they they will not be able to go over their friend’s house until their room is clean.

Also, if homework assignment completion is an issue, or a grade isn’t to your standard, then privileges should be removed for a certain time frame. It is important to be upfront with your child in advance about this so they are well aware of your expectations (and consequences). This strategy works well with tweens and teens.

THE REAL SECRET TO BUILDING RESILIENT, EMPOWERED, AND HAPPY KIDS

The real secret to stacking the deck in your favor in ultimately raising resilient, empowered, and happy kids is to embody all of the qualities mentioned in this article in yourself on a day-to-day basis.

As so you desire in your child, becometh in you. How we personally react to adversity, setbacks, challenges on a daily basis will be witnessed, evaluated, scrutinized, and ultimately modeled back by our children. Our perceptions and viewpoints about this world will, in large part, be translated into our children’s formative beliefs and values that will carry with them throughout their lives.

If you find yourself looking for more strategies on how to build resilient, empowered, and happy kids, you can check out my best-selling book, The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens. In the book, I discuss a variety of in depth and practical time-proven strategies to help you strengthen your connection with your children and empower them in the face of adversity throughout their lives.

Work with me personally! Are you looking to gain more clarity, balance, peace, joy, and happiness in your life, all while effectively and efficiently handling your current day-to-day state of affairs? I am currently open to new clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

To the resilient, empowered, and happy child in all of us!

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A Self-Care Mindset During Stressful Times

We live in a society where anyone and everyone’s ideas are widely promulgated, especially throughout all forms of the media. One of the first things we often do when we wake up is “check in” to see what is going on in the world. Some of us read the newspaper, others turn on the television to watch the news. Others check their phone and scroll through to catch up on what people are saying about others and the world.

It is important to recognize that what someone says or does in one country is no longer privately exclusive to those people, but is public knowledge to the world, which can impact decisions made elsewhere and then trickle throughout our planet.

This same philosophy is true for the microcosmic worlds that each and everyone of us live in. What we say or do, doesn’t just have an effect on us, but also influences other lives, which can have a lifetime effect and set the tone or even foundation for their personal states-of-mind and the decisions they make.

WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES, YOUR ENERGY FLOWS

Unfortunately, a lot of what we see these days triggers the antithesis of a happy and peaceful state of mind and sends us reeling into a fight or flight response where we are taxed on a daily basis, shouldering the burden of unnecessary chronic stressors. Despite being inundated with messages of hate, violence, fear, sickness, death, division, and mere uncertainty for what tomorrow brings, there are practices that you can put into place to move forward toward a life of peace, happiness, and fulfillment.

IT COMES DOWN TO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

From my experience working with parents, educators, and children for over two decades, I have come to realize the importance that lies in understanding and strengthening our intra- and interpersonal “emotional intelligence” and owning the impact that we have individually and collectively as communities on other people’s psyches (especially young people) and their overall mind-body-spirit development.

With that said, there is an amalgam of factors that contributes to how we think, perceive our world, analyze, judge, and evaluate our surroundings. One of the first steps we must take to grow our world in the direction we ideally envision, is to “clear out the weeds” so to speak. We must remove any (mis) perceptions or pre-conceived notions we may have and allow for new ideas and ways of thinking to penetrate and foster our minds – without imposing judgment on them as “right or wrong.”

When we turn our attention onto daily actions that are in our control to make a positive difference in someone’s life, we will no longer be “waiting on the world to change” (as John Mayer wrote). We will no longer sit back and watch “who will make the next move” or put our faith in one person or group to be the savior from all of our problems.

WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

Much of this may seem like common sense understanding to you as to how we should act in accordance with others in our world. However, we must realize that the choices we make are inherently dictated by what we know (or for that matter “don’t know”) and believe to be our personal truths.

If you can take a step back for just a moment and cut yourself some slack to realize that knowing that you don’t have everything figured out in life is perfectly okay. There is no shame or weakness in realizing that your beliefs may be limiting and being open to new possibilities. Your awareness of your own thinking processes opens up even greater opportunities for growth and deeper understanding throughout your life. And no matter where life has brought you, there is plenty of time to learn, innovate, and grow yourself into the person you wish to become.

This transformational shift starts by keeping an open mind and being aware that where your attention goes, your energy flows and becomes your state of mind. This principle does not deviate from person-to-person and does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, etc.

THREE SELF-CARE MINDSET STRATEGIES

Now that I’ve laid out the premise for what is needed to effectively make positive change in your life, here are three actionable steps that you can take today that will help make that change and positively shape your outlook on life through uncertain and tumultuous times.

1. Live in a state of gratitude and appreciation. – Before you rise out of bed each day, give thanks for at least five things you are grateful for in your life. Say them with feeling and utter conviction. Repeat the process before you go to sleep for the day.

2. Surrender yourself to a higher power. – I firmly feel that the problems that we deem ours are part of a grander plan. Giving your problems to that higher power (God, Source, Universe, etc.) to figure out is a big part of self-care and having faith that there is a greater plan at work for our greater good.

3. Separate yourself from your body, surroundings, and time. – This strategy may be the most challenging of the three. This requires your mind to sit still and go from an active beta brain wave activity to an alpha or theta) brain wave functioning where you are not focusing too hard on any one particular thing, but rather feeling this wakeful relaxation. Personally, I enjoy doing Tai Chi and Qigong in my basement, while listening to meditation music in a frequency around 432 Hz, which resonates with Earth’s natural frequency. I would encourage you to take up some form of meditation on a regular basis. Start small and slow, yet remain consistent.

When you are “no one”, “no where” in “no time,” you are inviting a new consciousness to arrive and guide you toward healing and self-awareness like never before.

For a complete guide to help you and your family’s overall well-being during these challenging times, from all things healthy home to eating, moving, sleeping, and thinking well strategies, grab a free copy of my 25-page WHOLE LOTTA LIVING GUIDE here.

Other helpful resources: How to be patient: building calm composure

Work with me personally! I am currently open to clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions that will help you regain balance, joy, and happiness in your life, all while handling your current state of affairs. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

Feel free to check out my program “30 Days to Finding You” where I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply specific to your lifestyle, starting today. Click here to learn more.

Wishing you to stay mentally and physically healthy and strong!

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Helping Your Child Stay Engaged and Organized During COVID Times in Education

This time in history is unlike any other where students across the nation are being taught by their teachers from home for an extended time frame, and coming to school wearing a protective mask, all while practicing social distancing and superb hygiene.

This past spring, students in the U.S. engaged in distance learning and were asked to self-regulate, manage their schedule, attend all of their online classes, stay organized, find a quiet place at home and remain focused, all while completing their assignments on a regular basis – with minimal, if any, face-to-face instruction from their teachers.

This school year, many school districts across America decided to slowly reintroduce students back into the classroom by engaging in the hybrid learning model (where students split their time between online and in person learning). As a middle school teacher, I can speak to the challenges that we face as educators in trying to reach all of our students (which now include a number of full distance learners) and connect with them to develop meaningful relationships. 

THE REALITY OF TEACHING IN COVID TIMES

Teachers have been trained and equipped with a plethora of technological tools to try and best engage students in learning. However, they are posed with the added challenge to simultaneously manage students in their classroom, while also managing a group of students online. The analogy I liken it to is a wry, darkly humorous one. So please bear with me and hopefully you get a laugh out of it. At the same time, you will begin to realize the reality that educators these days are faced with on a day-to-day basis.

Teachers have become the all-in-one package overnight. Whether they dreamed about it or not, they have become the host of their own live show (teacher-directed learning – in large part) – doing more talking to their students, while searching for moments to take a breath and rest their constant vocal projections through their mask. They have also become content creators of brand new, untested, dynamic, largely technology-based lesson plans, as well as production managers (getting all of the tabs up and ready to go in a certain sequence when presenting the lesson), sound engineers (for best microphone pickup), webcam choreographers (best angle, both static and dynamic views), technology specialists/troubleshooters (being able to navigate tech issues on the fly), supervisors (of both online and in person learners), mental health counselors (being able to gauge if anyone is feeling anxious/uncomfortable – especially in person with long durations of wearing masks, while not being able to read their facial expressions due to their masks) and having only one-take as they give their entire being to their best performances for their students who appear on their screens as if they were “The Brady Bunch” on steroids (a.k.a. the online students) viewed in their tic-tac-toe-like tiles.

Now, it is up to the teacher to engage these students at home, while also getting them to interact with the “live in studio audience” participants (in class students) as best as possible. It is quite the sci-fi experience that no teacher or student could have ever dreamt of and live this each and every day, in “the land of uncertainty” not knowing where all of this is headed. Please let me know if I missed something in our new job description (which is always in flux anyhow)!

In the meantime, parents are busy on so many fronts – trying to make a living, putting food on the table, helping with the “distance learning” and keeping it all together in their own lives during these challenging times. Despite the challenges that we all face, it is important to be a source of strength and stability for our children. With that said, below are some tips to keep your child engaged and organized throughout the school year.

TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD STAY ENGAGED AND ORGANIZED THIS SCHOOL YEAR

1. Get a child into a routine early on.

Routine is paramount to success. Students should be going to bed and getting up close to the same time each day during the school week. It is important for children to obtain the recommended amount of sleep each night for their age. Furthermore, there shouldn’t be any electronic use at least one hour prior to sleep. It would be best to remove electronics from the bedroom in order to prevent any blue light cognitive arousal, which would disrupt their melatonin secretion and could lead to inadequate sleep. Also, eating a well-balanced breakfast rich in all of the food groups will provide a child with the energy they need to sustain them through the day. 

Benefits of getting a child into a routine:

  • Reduced stress – when a child has a predictable daily routine, they feel safe and secure, which puts them at ease. 
  • Increased self-esteem and confidence – knowing what to expect can boost a child’s confidence and feeling of being in control of the situation. It allows them to know what tasks need to be accomplished and by when.
  • Better time-management and self-discipline – routine, by design, promotes a schedule and habits of practice that tend to generate positive outcomes (e.g. washing hands before you eat, brushing teeth after you eat a meal, doing homework the same time each day, etc.)
  • Promotes healthy lifestyle habits (eating, exercising, sleeping, and thinking well)
  • Improves quality family time – engaging in a family game, movie night, arts and crafts project, walk in the neighborhood, family chores, etc.

2. Take frequent study breaks.

Typically speaking, frequent breaks help students get mentally and physically recharged. It is also an opportunity for kids to socialize with their peers. Nowadays, these breaks at school are coined “mask breaks” and involve kids being at least six feet away from their peers. However, for distance learners at home, this can help alleviate some of the mental fatigue and frustration associated with being in front of a computer screen for so long. It can also help children better self-regulate.

Ultimately, these study breaks can prevent the often dreaded “homework struggles” from ensuing between many parents and their children. These breaks can be physical in nature such as playing, running around, or could just be relaxing, such as listening to or playing music, drawing, singing, or doing a quiet activity such as reading a pleasure book (anything that doesn’t involve more screen time). 

3. Sign your child up for at least one virtual extracurricular activity.

Parents can contact their child’s school and ask what clubs or activities your child can get involved in. Many children these days are experiencing feelings of loneliness. Thus, being able to facilitate a child’s social-emotional well-being by helping connect them with their peers and make friends is so important for their mental health (especially these days). For example, there may be opportunities for your child to start a virtual club at their school and make those social-emotional connections that are much needed.

4. Stay in contact with your child’s teacher on a regular basis.

If your child is in elementary school, they most likely don’t have a school email and oftentimes parents are the ones who are reaching out to the teacher on behalf of their child. However, when a child reaches middle school (definitely high school), this is a great opportunity for them to take the initiative to regularly communicate with their teachers regarding questions about homework assignments or seeking extra help.

Making that connection with your child’s teacher(s) will reduce your own stress levels, provide clarity on the class rules, expectations, and routines and will help everyone be on the same page to help create a caring and safe community to best help your child to reach their full potential.

For a complete guide to help you and your family’s overall well-being during these challenging times, from all things healthy home to eating, moving, sleeping, and thinking well strategies, grab a free copy of my 25-page WHOLE LOTTA LIVING GUIDE here.

Work with me personally! I am currently open to clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions that will help you regain balance, joy, and happiness in your life, all while handling the current state of affairs. You can e-mail me at: info@doughaddad.com

Feel free to check out my program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply specific to your lifestyle, starting today. Click here to learn more.

Wishing you to stay mentally and physically healthy and strong!

How to Raise Kids Who Can Stand Up to the Peer Pressure in School

Going to school for many kids is like going to war each and every day. It is a battleground where they are faced with the responsibility of making all kinds of decisions and having to deal with the consequences of their actions.

You see, making decisions independently is hard enough for a child. However, when faced with pressure from their peers to make a decision one way or the other, it becomes a whole new ball game.

There are so many more pressures that kids face today than ever before in history. The traditional pressures of smoking, drinking and drugs continue to pervade our society. But these days children have to engage on two different fronts: making wise decisions in person, and while using technology in the cyberworld, in particular on social media.

As a middle school teacher of 20 years, I have seen the evolution of challenges and the social pressures and expectations that kids face. Peer pressure to look and act a certain way, say the right things to be accepted into the “in-crowd,” play the “cool” games everyone else is playing, wear the latest designer clothing brands everyone else is wearing, and — nowadays — partake in the social media forums everyone else is taking part in. [Click here to read the full article] – originally published for www.afineparent.com

To an Empowered Future Leader of the World!

Six Things to Ditch This New Year

A

s you reflect back on your Snapchat year in review, you may be wondering what to expect for the New Year. This past year proved to be a time of change for our country. We experienced a fluctuation between what some may consider a loss of semblance for dealing with prominent issues, while others would claim it to be a long awaited bolster in our economic infrastructure.

While uncertainty continues to persist (and when doesn’t it) for the future of our country, void of any major catastrophes, you should be poised for an extraordinary year ahead. In order to stake your claim and position yourself to accomplish your goals and take your life in the direction you envision, there are some housecleaning items that you must square away to best leverage yourself for a healthy and happy New Year!

Here are the SIX THINGS TO DITCH THIS NEW YEAR!

1. Toxic Chemicals in Your Home

Set your home up for success. Don’t wait for someone to come down sick or for something to rear its ugly face and go wrong and then decide to do something about it. I live in a community that possesses a number of known chemicals in the water that are cancer-causing, which, I may add, really challenges my ability to pronounce correctly, such as bromodichloromethane, chloroform, chromium, dibromochloromethane, and a variety of trihalomethanes. It is important to know what you are consuming on a regular basis and be aware of your options for clean drinking water. I am currently researching various high quality home water filtration systems that not only remove heavy metals, asbestos, coliforms and other contaminants leached into the water, but also the above mentioned carcinogens and this is something I highly recommend you look into as well, especially if you have city-treated water. I do welcome your advice if you have recommendations for an effective system that satisfies these needs.

If you have a furnace filter, check it monthly and change it when it gets dirty. This will help extend the life of your furnace and save money on your utility bills. Choose alternatives to plastics where you can, and go glass for storage as much as possible. Try and avoid Teflon (non-stick) cookware or at least turn down the heat when cooking with these products. Non-stick cookware is made using a carcinogenic chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). When you cook with a non-stick pot or pan, harmful fumes are released, especially when pans overheat, which are toxic to the body.1

Furthermore, choose furniture that doesn’t contain flame retardant chemicals that are endocrine system disruptors. To keep your home clean, avoid using mainstream cleaning supplies. You can use white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice (to name a few) that will do the job. It’s cheap, effective, environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

2. Unhealthy Eating Habits

We all know that this is the time of year where we are coming off those family and work-related holiday parties where all the goodies from cookies to cakes and other pastries were readily available at your fingertips. It is amazing how we, as a society, are addicted to sugar in all its forms. The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 6 teaspoons a day of sugar for women and 9 teaspoons for men, yet we tip the scale by consuming between 20-24 teaspoons a day, on average.2 With all the added sugars hidden in food, we are consuming more than we ever have before in history, which experts claim is a large contributor to the obesity crisis.

In general, limit or avoid foods that contain corn syrup, corn sweeteners, and a multitude of sugar molecules ending in “ose” – such as dextrose, sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose. Long story short, limit purchasing processed foods that come in a box and consume whole food products.

3. Toxic People

It is easy to get caught up in other people’s dramas and pulled into their quagmire of problems.  However, as American writer and political activist Charles W. Chesnutt once proclaimed, “There’s time enough, but none to spare.” Who you spend your time with and how you spend your time and focus your energy will determine your state of mind and direction of your life.

Don’t be afraid to establish healthy boundaries with others and set the record straight once and for all. Toxic people aren’t looking out for your best interests. They are motivated by their own fears and spider web of troubles and can easily draw people in and entangle them into their crises. They will give you a lot to be angry, guilty, and sad about (if you let them) and wouldn’t mind for you to jump on board their “Misery Train.”  It may not be easy to simply dismiss these people from your life, but putting up and maintaining boundaries is the first crucial step and surrounding yourself with uplifting, positive, and happy people will help you ultimately break free.

4. Negative Thinking

The beauty of a New Year is that we get to hit the refresh button all over again and refocus our mind, body, and spirit with a renewed and positive outlook on life. The only problem is that 95% of our thoughts today are exactly what they were yesterday and 80% of them are negative. My solution to that is to lay it all out in the open. Some people can clear their minds by talking it out. Others meditate, some hit the gym, while others take a walk and focus on what they are grateful for. Personally, I’ve noticed that writing down my thoughts and how I feel can be extraordinarily powerful.

My suggestion to you is to take your thoughts, both positive and negative, and write them down on paper. One at a time. Go ahead…beat yourself up, praise yourself, express any and all thoughts down on paper about anything and everything that you feel. Cut out each one separately and read it out aloud to yourself. I would do this in a private setting so you can be free to express with complete truth and expression as to how you are feeling.

After you’ve read one, place it either in the “to keep” pile or “to discard” pile. For the ones you don’t want to keep, put them in a frequently visited place in the house to serve as a constant reminder of all the good in your life. Take the ones you want to discard and tear them up, one at a time, and throw them in the garbage – to rid once and for all. Whether it be a relationship, an unfulfilled or failed goal, or someone who has wronged you, you need a sense of closure to these matters in order to truly move forward and close the door on these chapters of your life. We all do!

5. Excuses

Ah, excuses, excuses, excuses! What better means to justify why we should have that piece of cake we know is bad for us or why we can’t make it to the gym again today. Yes, I will admit…guilty as charged!  It is easy to blame someone or a situation for why you didn’t do, did do, should have, or shouldn’t have done this or that.

First off, be honest with yourself and second off, give yourself a break. Be kind to yourself and talk about what you want to accomplish, the obstacles that may get in your way, and formulate a plan to achieve your goals. If you don’t know  by now, I’m a big fan of  the paper and pencil. Writing down your goals on paper is about gaining a vision and holding yourself accountable for your actions. It also turns the obscure into something real and palpable.

6. Phone

Yeah, I know… leaving your phone behind is like “Mission Impossible” these days. Everywhere we turn these days, it seems as if someone is making a text, talking on the phone, checking the weather, reading an article, listening to music, hanging out on social media somewhere…all on our electronic gadgets.

Although phone use has pervaded into an overwhelming and exhausting portion of our daily activities, perhaps of greater concern is the effect that cell phone use has on the quality of our interactions with others. Research has shown that having electronic devices out when spending time with someone sends a nonverbal message of devaluing the person you are with, by answering the call or responding to the text. People have more meaningful conversations and report higher levels of trust and empathy when they speak with people who do not attend to their devices during the conversation.3  The moral of the story – we all know of course – is to limit time spent on social media and overall electronic use and do something that will enrich our lives and the quality of our relationships with those individuals we are actually spending time with, in person!

For a complete guide to help you and your family’s overall well-being, from all things healthy home to eating, moving, sleeping, and thinking well strategies, grab a free copy of my 25-page WHOLE LOTTA LIVING GUIDE here.

If your New Year’s goal is to regain balance, joy, and happiness in your life, all while handling life’s day-to-day responsibilities, or you know someone who is interested to take their life to greater heights this year, check out my new program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply specific to your lifestyle, starting today. Click here to learn more. 

To a Healthy, Fearless, and Fulfilling New Year!

Sources:

 1. “Non-Stick Cookware Dangers: Hundreds of Scientists Issue Warning.” Mercola.com, articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/03/non-stick-cookware-dangers.aspx.

2. Sugar 101, www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Sugar-101_UCM_306024_Article.jsp#.

3. “Can You Connect with Me Now? How the Presence of Mobile Communication Technology Influences Face-to-Face Conversation Quality.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407512453827.

Three Steps to Living the Life You Imagine

when you wake up in the morning, how do you feel? Exhausted? Dreading to get up and go to work? Or do you feel invigorated and ready to go for the day? Why is it that some people feel energized and excited to take on the world most days and others are on auto pilot, feeling like they are doing the same old same old, just another day? Personal development coach Jim Rohn once said that the big challenge of life is, “You can have more than you got because you can become more than you are.” The other side of the coin is, “Unless you change who you are, you will always have what you got.”

The three steps I am going to share with you have helped me in my personal and professional life and can work for you. No matter what phase of life and situation you are presently in, taking these three steps can catapult you from where you are to where you want to be and who you want to become.

1. Know Your Outcome

Not everything in life warrants knowing an outcome. However, if you are looking to make a significant change, grow, and make progress in some area of your life, you must know the result you are looking to obtain.

For instance:

  • When you go to work each day, do you have an outcome in mind as to the difference you want to make?
  • When you speak with your children, do you have an outcome as to what you want them to take away from the conversation?
  • If you are looking to get a better job, do you know what you are looking to get out of the job and how you want to feel?
  • If you are looking to get into better shape, do you know what that exactly looks like?

2. Know Your Why 

So the million dollar question is: “How do you go from where you are today to where you want to be?” My answer is simple: by deciding on the person you want to become. We are all pulled in a bunch of directions each day and can easily be influenced by our environment. It all starts by having a foundation of purpose set firmly in place. From there, everything else in your life can be constructed. How strong you build that foundation is determined by the amount of work you are willing to put into your personal development. That means your thoughts, your actions, your core beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you. By doing this, you will attract like amount in success. This goes for everything in your life. Success at your work, success in your finances, success in your relationships, success in your health… you name it!

3. Set Goals and Take Action

How many times in life have you daydreamed about having more or improving your life in some fashion?  Maybe you wondered how you could have a better relationship with your significant other or your child. Or you are trying to figure out how to attract the right person into your life and live happily ever after. Maybe you look at yourself in the mirror and aren’t happy with what you see and need to lose some weight and get your health in order. No matter what you desire, the question that will determine whether you take action or not is, “What is your plan?”

Having goals written down is a crucial step that will help you achieve your desired outcome. In the beginning, setting goals is fun. It’s a challenge most people look forward to going after. But as time goes on, you will be tested to see if you will stay on track and go the distance. This is where most people fail. Just think about most New Year’s Resolutions that are made and how quickly they are broken.  Why is that? Very simple.

Equation for failure = NO OUTCOME + NO PURPOSE + NO GOALS + NO ACTION

So when you know your outcome (what results you desire), you know your why (what your purpose is for doing this), and then you go ahead and set goals (dreams with a deadline) and  take action (on a consistent basis), you are on your way to living the life you imagine. Your ultimate challenge in this quest for a better life is to appreciate what you have at this very moment and “fall in love” with the process along the way. There is no doubt that to achieve anything of value, you will be tested emotionally and physically. Now it’s time to get started!

In my program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply to your life and implement these principles to ensure that you stay the course and achieve your dreams. Click here to learn more.

To A Happier and More Fulfilled YOU!