We were beyond excited earlier this month to produce our Back To School 1-2-3 video with Hello magazine's guest editor Giovanna Fletcher, for the Back to School digital issue.
Read the full article here here for some simple, effective ways to help kids with the transition back into school.
The Back to School 1, 2, 3 is all about three key tools for physical and mental wellbeing. Move, Breathe and Believe. We've given kids these very specific little tools that they can use whenever they need, which are practical and also really fun.
Within the Move aspect, we really encourage kids to get moving and use their physicality, because it's a proven thing that if we move our bodies, we clear our minds and we relieve stress and anxiety. In the video, I guide kids through a really quick and very easy 'hello sun' sequence, which is basically a sun salutation, to start our engines and get the whole body moving.
The Breathe aspect is all about giving kids the tools to relax when they feel stressed, or when they want some quiet time to relax. Petal breathing is a lovely way of opening your hands really wide as you breathe in. And as you breathe out, you close your fingers up towards each other, like a tulip bulb. It's also something that children can do quite quietly sitting at their desk, if they're feeling a bit nervous; it's not a big ostentatious movement.
The final aspect is Believe. This is where we use positive affirmations in a simple and active way. There's a lot of merit in kids taking themselves to the bathroom, looking themselves in the eye in the mirror and saying 'I am strong' or 'I am calm' or 'I can do this'. It helps to have a word with yourself sometimes, say it out loud, make it real and encourage yourself.
The Back To School 1-2-3 is a great tool to use it in the run-up to going back to school, but also each morning before school, to get into the habit of setting yourself up for a successful day.
