Engage with children, disengage with screens

 What if you had a tech free day, not a free tech day? 

Studies show that the amount of time we spend on a screen continues to increase. Did you know the posture most people sit in while engaging in smartphone use is head, neck, and shoulders hunched forward? This posture puts strain on the neck. Have you ever asked an 8-year-old to spend the day sitting on your neck and shoulders? Probably not, that sounds like a strange request. The posture you sit in while on your smartphone puts pressure on your neck and shoulders. That pressure is the same amount of weight as if you asked an 8-year-old to sit on your neck and shoulders.

Research shows an increase in mental health concerns for children and youth. The top three are anxiety, depression, and stress.

30% of 2-year-old know how to use a smart device but have limited to no language skills.

Many children age 3-4 years old use a smart device daily, however, they lack fine motor skills.

Recent studies have found that the number of children with a smart device addiction is higher than the rate of alcoholism in America. 

These recent studies report that there are three key things to look at to assess a smart device addiction.

1. Does this person show signs of anxiety?

2. Does this person show a lack of fear of consequences?

3. Does this person show a lack of impulse control? When was the last time you checked your phone? Did you know that research shows we check our phones on average of 150 times a day?!

A study done by Microsoft found that our attention span is now only 8 seconds. That is less than the attention span of a goldfish. 

We could dive deeper and deeper into study after study related to technology and how it can harm our children. This background is important to understand. This helps fuel a drive to encourage tech free times. 

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could increase attention span, reduce anxiety, and help address depression?

We can!

An article out of the Mayo Clinic from October 2022 shares that mindfulness can not only help with attention, anxiety, and depression, but possibly other health concerns.

The Mayo Clinic reports that mindfulness may help control diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood presser, lessen insomnia, reduce pain, and reduce job burn out.

Take some time today to sit still, breathe deep, and calm your mind. Engage in a mindfulness practice daily. The Mayo Clinic suggests creating a daily routine. It is reported that after about six months it will become a habit completely interwoven into your daily routine. 

Quick 2 Minute Mindful Break

I encourage you to explore some tech free time and be mindful. 

I challenge you to start noticing how often you pick up from phone during the day. What if you put it down without looking at the screen? What if instead you took a deep breath and spent time engaged in mindful meditation? 

Remember, the more we work on our own attention span the better equipped we will be to help our students with their attention.

If we want engaged learners, we need to be engaged leaders. 

Calm the body with the body

Would you like to help your student calm when stressed, needs to get sleep, or are feeling overwhelmed?  

Have you ever heard of or tried The Havening Technique?

The Havening Technique was developed by Dr. Ronald Ruden. Dr. Ruden used decades of neuroscience research to create Havening.

Havening helps trigger the production and use of the Delta brain wave.

Delta Brain Waves are known to be the slowest waves and they promote deep levels of relaxation, restorative healing, and restorative sleep. Delta waves also promote healing and a stronger immune system. 

Problems with Delta waves are typically related to sever ADHD, brain injury, learning problems, and inability to think.

If Delta waves are suppressed it can lead to the bodies inability to create restorative sleep, inability to rejuvenate the body, and an inability to revitalize the brain. 

Ok...Now that we have had a mini neuroscience lesson to help us understand why Havening is helpful, let's get back to Havening.

Dr. Ruden has found that when practiced Havening's ability to trigger Delta waves can help the mind and body heal from trauma and stress. Havening has been shown to help de-traumatize the memory and remove negative affects of trauma on the mind and body.

The practice of Havening can be done by others or the self. Self-Havening is a great technique to teach to our students. It creates a mindfulness practice that can help us as adults find peace in our own minds and body and be better equipped to support our students.

The Havening Technique focuses of hand movement on three specific areas of the body. 

The Face

The Arms (downward from shoulder to elbow ... or all the way to hand to transition into hands)

The Hands