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Yellow- For teens
Blue- For parents
Purple- For parents AND teens
Green-Resources

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I want to understand my
feelings because I matter

The I Matter program can connect you with a therapist for up to 6 free virtual counseling sessions (some in-person appointments available, too) that are completely confidential. Talking with someone can make you feel better. To start, click on “Youth” below to take a short survey. Be as honest as possible: your answers will help match you with the right therapist.

If you’re 11 or younger, your parent or guardian must fill out the survey with you.

Parents, seeking support for your child is not a sign of failure—it’s a sign of strength. Start with the survey below.

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I want to understand my feelings because I matter

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Some groups have returned in person, we will continue virtual groups ongoing. Visit OUR VIRTUAL PAGE for online groups, boredom breakers, and virtual drop-in times. Visit OUR IN PERSON PAGE for up-to-date information about our groups that are meeting together with social distancing and mask requirements.

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Grief Resources for Kids, Parents, & Supporters | Dougy Center

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Dougy Center offers a wide range of resources for people of all ages who are grieving before and after a death. Find help you can access anytime here.

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How change of behavior works with the developing brain.

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How change of behavior works with the developing brain.

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What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is depression that happens only at a specific time of year. With SAD, a person becomes depressed in fall or winter, when days are shorter and it gets dark earlier. SAD is brought on by the brain's response to the seasonal changes in daylight. When the daylight hours grow longer again, the depression lifts.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of SAD?

As with other kinds of depression, a person with SAD may notice any or all of these:

Changes in mood. SAD can cause a mood that's sad, depressed, or irritable. SAD can make people feel hopeless, discouraged, or worthless. They may cry or get upset more easily.

Negative thinking. A person can become more self-critical, or more sensitive to criticism. They may complain, blame, find fault, or see problems more often than usual.

Lack of enjoyment. People with SAD may lose interest in things they normally like to do. They may lose interest in friends and stop participating in social activities.

Low energy. People may feel tired, low on energy, or lack motivation to do things. To them, everything can seem like it takes too much effort.

Changes in sleep. A person may sleep much more than usual. They may find it especially hard to get up and ready for school or work in early morning hours.

Changes in eating. SAD may bring on cravings for simple carbohydrates (think comfort foods and sugary foods) and the tendency to overeat. Because of this change in eating, SAD can result in weight gain during the winter months.

Trouble concentrating. Like any depression, SAD can make it hard to focus. This can affect schoolwork and grades.

With SAD, a person notices these changes only during the time of year when there are fewer hours of daylight. As the season changes and days become longer again, their depression gets better and their usual energy returns.

What Causes SAD?

The exact cause of SAD isn't clear, but some teens' brains react differently to fewer hours of daylight.

Daylight affects two chemicals in the brain:

serotoninand melatonin. When it's sunny, the brain makes more serotonin. High levels boost feelings of happiness and well-being. Low levels lead to depression. When it's dark, the brain also makes more melatonin. High levels cause you to feel sleepy and have less energy.

Shorter days and more hours of darkness in fall and winter may decrease serotonin and increase melatonin. This makes depression more likely to happen.

How Is SAD Diagnosed?

If you think you might have SAD, talk with your parents or doctor. To diagnose it, your doctor will ask you questions and listen. You'll likely need a health checkup to see if the symptoms are due to SAD or something else.

How Is SAD Treated?

If a person is diagnosed with SAD, the doctor may recommend one or more of these treatments:

More Light Exposure

Spending more time outside during daylight hours may be enough to ease SAD. Take a daily walk or do another exercise outdoors. You can also bring more daylight into your home during winter months by using special daylight light bulbs that fit in regular lamps.

Light Therapy

Light therapy (also called phototherapy) uses a special light box that is placed on a tabletop or desk. The person sits in front of the light for 45 minutes a day.

SAD may improve within a few days or weeks. Like any medical treatment, only use light therapy after checking with your doctor.

Talk Therapy

Talking with a therapist helps relieve the negative thoughts and feelings associated with depression. It can ease the isolation or loneliness that people with depression often feel. The treatment can also help you understand SAD and learn how to prevent it.

Medicine

Doctors may prescribe medicine like an antidepressant, which can help balance chemicals in the brain.

How Can I Feel Better?

If you're diagnosed with SAD, follow your doctor's advice for treatment and be patient. It can also help to:

Get plenty of exercise, especially outdoors. Both daylight and physical activity can lift your mood.

Spend time with friends and loved ones.

Ask your teachers for help with homework if you need it.

Drink water and try to eat plenty of whole grains (like oatmeal and brown rice), vegetables, and fruits. Avoid less healthy foods and drinks like candy and soda. When your body feels better, your brain will feel better.

Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This can help you get enough sleep and daytime light.

What Else Should I Know?

SAD and other forms of depression are serious. If you think you have symptoms of any type of depression, talk with a trusted adult, like a parent, teacher, or school counselor.

If there isn't an adult to turn to, reach out to a confidential helpline. These are free and available 24 hours a day:

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dealing with seasonal affective disorder

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treatment for seasonal affective disorder

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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects some people and appears at the same time each year.

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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/NIH)

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How to talk to your teen about depression

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How to talk to your teen about depression

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There's no shortage of mindfulness and meditation apps these days, promising to help you combat anxiety, sleep better, hone your focus, and more. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that more than 2,000 new meditation apps launched between 2015 and 2018, and offerings have only increased as a result of higher demand during the pandemic-according to the New York Times, mindfulness apps surged in 2020. We took the overwhelm out of finding the most valuable and easy-to-use meditation apps that are available free and narrowed it down to these four apps.

4 Free Meditation Apps We're Happy We Downloaded

Available for iOS, Android, and web

Entry price: Free

Insight Timer has a huge library of content: over 80,000 free guided meditations from over 10,000 teachers on topics like stress, relationships, healing, sleep, creativity, and more.

Right from the beginning, the app feels like a global community-the world map on the home screen shows a collective of 18 million meditators, and announces, "741k today, 7k now." After you finish a meditation, you'll learn exactly how many people were meditating "with you" during that time-and by setting your location, you can even see meditators nearby and what tracks they're listening to.

Once you find a teacher you enjoy-like Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, or Rhonda Magee -you can follow them to make sure you don't miss any new content. You can also tune in to free talks for life advice and inspiration. For those craving real-time interactions, Insight Timer offers live events every hour of the day to join on a whim or plan into your schedule.

You can even sign up to Circle for Teams, one of their newer offerings, which allows you to create circles (read: groups) to meditate in real-time with friends or colleagues.

If you prefer a quieter meditation, however, you can simply set a timer and meditate to intermittent bells, calming ambient noise, or soothing music.

Depending on your preferences, Insight Timer's extensive collection can be either a blessing or a curse-an endless list of choices that leave you overwhelmed or a buffet of tempting options to sink your teeth into.

Paid option: For $60 per year (with a 30-day free trial), you get access to courses with well-known teachers, the ability to download meditations and listen offline, and advanced player functions like repeat mode and fast forward and rewind.

Available for iOS, Android, and web

Entry price: Free

Smiling Mind hits the sweet spot for a free mindfulness app in so many ways.

The not-for-profit app features hundreds of meditations, enough to keep you engaged without overwhelming you with choice. They are organized into structured programs like Mindful Foundations (35 sessions), Sleep (6 sessions), Digital Detox (8 sessions), and Stress Management (10 sessions), but you have the flexibility to choose where to start and to easily jump between programs. Most meditations are in the five- to fifteen-minute range, with a few practices up to 45 minutes for advanced meditators. Smiling Mind also offers bite-sized meditations between 2 to 5 minutes for moments when you're in need of a quick, mindful pause in the day.

Downloaded by over 5.5 million people, the app also has a variety of specialized programs for families, children and teens of various ages, healthcare workers, and educators (including curricula they can use in the classroom); all developed with the help of psychologists and health professionals.

While you could use a meditation app as a temporary break from your hectic life, Smiling Mind wants you to take your mindfulness practice off the cushion and into the rest of your day. Interspersed with some of the meditation programs are instructions for "activities" like Journaling Exercise, Go Offline, Where Did My Food Come From, and Count Your Senses. In the Count Your Senses activity, for example, the audio prompts you to bring your attention to your senses by counting things that can be seen, felt, heard, smelled and tasted.

Smiling Mind was originally created for kids, so they offer a robust selection of kid- and youth-appropriate mindfulness sessions.

Created by a nonprofit by the same name, Smiling Mind is entirely free-so you don't have the distraction of paid content that's inaccessible to you as a free user. The app wants to put a "smile on your mind"-and it might just succeed.

Paid option: None

Available for iOS and Android

Entry price: Free

If all the research on mindfulness has persuaded you that you need to meditate, the UCLA Mindful app could be a good place to start.

Developed by the Mindful Awareness Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the app features about a dozen meditations of different types in English and Spanish. You can learn to focus on your breath, your body, or sounds; work with difficult emotions; and cultivate loving-kindness in sessions ranging from 3 to 19 minutes long.

If you're new to mindfulness, you might choose to take advantage of their Getting Started section, which offers information on what mindfulness is, how to choose a meditation, which posture is best for your practice, and what research-backed benefits you might expect from it.

As a bonus, the app also offers longer meditations that it calls "podcasts." These are half-hour audio recordings of meditations that include talks, typically by UCLA Director of Mindfulness Education Diana Winston, before and after the meditation, as well as plenty of silent practice time.

If you're looking for an app that is heavily grounded in the science of mindfulness, you can put your trust in UCLA Mindful.

Paid option: None

Available for iOS and Android

Entry price: Free

The Healthy Minds Program app wants to help you develop the skills for a healthy mind-by strengthening mental focus, decreasing stress, and growing resilience, compassion, and better immune health.

Founded by neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson (who also founded the research institute Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), the app integrates neuroscience and research-based techniques with meditation training to increase overall well-being.

The framework of the app's mindfulness and well-being training is organized into four pillars: Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. Each pillar consists of three to five parts, and each part contains three series and multiple sessions within. For the Connection pillar, for example, the Innate Self-Worth series includes five sessions packaged to foster self-worth (think sessions like Practice Seeing the Good In Ourselves, and Learn Negativity Bias). You have a choice of either a Sitting or Active type of practice-"active" practices include guidance for being mindful while you exercise, or during your commute-and you can customize the length of time (five minutes to 30 minutes).

The app offers a collection of 27 meditations outside their four-pillar wellness framework, including one-minute Micro Practices for when you're in need of a brief respite.

At times the podcast-style app may encourage more thinking compared to typical guided meditations, but for the listener who is seeking guided meditations with the greater goal to increase awareness, cognition, and well-being, Healthy Minds Program app may be just the ticket.

Paid option: None

When we meditate, we inject far-reaching and long-lasting benefits into our lives: We lower our stress levels, we get to know our pain, we connect better, we improve our focus, and we're kinder to ourselves. Let us walk you through the basics in our new mindful guide on how to meditate. Read More

Practicing gratitude has incredible effects, from improving our mental health to boosting our relationships with others. Explore ways you can be more appreciative in our mindful guide to gratitude. Read More

Mindful writing can lead you on the path of inner discovery. It can be the place where your experience meets your mindfulness practice, a place to encounter the twists and turns of your emotional life-and a bit of solid ground to stand on. Read More

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Free Meditation Apps Worthy of Your Attention

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We scoured the app stores to find the most popular, educational, and easy-to-use free meditation apps available.

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How much exercise should you be doing? What kinds of training are best for you? How can you fit an effective training regimen into your already busy schedule?

These are all questions you've probably wondered about before (we all have), and they're definitely worth exploring.

But too many people overemphasize formal exercise while neglecting informal movement for the other 15 hours a day (assuming you do an hour of exercise a day, which is a lot!).

Studies show that non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) or non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) is far more important for overall health and longevity. That doesn't mean formal exercise isn't important-it is! But we have so many more opportunities for informal movement throughout the day that it can have a much greater impact on our health and wellbeing.

Lots of people will just give the advice to "walk more" or "take the stairs" but there are so many more fun and unique ways to achieve NEAT and get more daily movement practice. To prove it, we put together this ridiculously long list of ideas 😉

Here's what you'll find in this guide to getting more daily movement practice:

👉 You can also download a cheatsheet with more ideas and resources.

How is This Guide Different from All Those Other Lists on the Internet?

The importance of NEAT/NEPA is becoming more popular, which is great, but let's be honest. Most lists of ideas you'll find on the Googles are just plain... lame and boring. You're not going to be motivated to incorporate more movement into your day if it's not fun or interesting.

Simply parking further from the store isn't enough to make you want to move more throughout your day.

In this guide, we've tried to give you as many interesting and different ideas as possible. That doesn't mean you should try to do them all-that would be silly. Just pick the ones that speak to you or seem like fun.

A lot of other lists of non-exercise activity thermogenesis ideas also pretend that the biggest benefit of doing more of these kinds of activities is to burn extra calories and lose weight. While there may be some impact on weight maintenance, the purpose of doing these activities shouldn't be to lose weight-the impact on your metabolism will likely be minimal.

So, what is the point?

Well, you probably know this by now, but weight loss is not the only marker of health. Doing more of these kinds of activities is good for your cardiovascular system and might actually help you live longer. Plus, it just makes your day-to-day activities a lot more fun and interesting!

We've trained over 60,000 clients from all backgrounds, and we've seen how much of an impact regular movement can make in people's lives, both physically and mentally.

It's well worth the effort!

OK, are you ready to dig in?

Let's do it. Feel free to skip ahead to the section that interests you most:

🏠 11 Ways to Get More Movement Practice at Home

Your home is probably the easiest place to get more movement practice. You do so much around your house that you probably don't even think about! Any part of your morning or evening routine, or other things you do around the house, can be an opportunity to change things up.

Here are some ideas.

1. Sit on the floor while doing things

Most of us spend most of our time sitting on a chair, couch, in the car, or on other raised surfaces. But how often do you sit on the floor? Probably not too often.

Try changing things up a bit. Sit on the floor while folding your laundry or watching Netflix or petting your dog.

Shift your position periodically, seeing how it feels to sit cross-legged vs. in seiza vs. in a wide leg stance vs. in a longsitting position. Try reaching forward or to the side to get a good stretch as you do whatever you're doing.

2. Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand

Doing almost anything with your non-dominant hand feels super weird (unless you're among the lucky few to be ambidextrous), but it's a good way to get your brain ticking.

Give it a try while brushing your teeth, maybe on a morning when you're not running late for work, since it'll take you a bit longer than usual. Be prepared for it feel really awkward, and to probably get toothpaste all over the place.

3. Stand on one leg while putting on your socks

Instead of sitting on your bed or a chair to put on your socks, take this daily opportunity to get in some balance training. Stand on one leg as you put a sock on the opposite foot, then switch sides.

You'll probably find that one side is harder than the other-that's normal!

If you want some more help with improving your balance, we've got a whole article with lots of ideas and exercises you can work on.

4. Crumple newspaper

Still read the paper? Well, when you're done, take a sheet or two of newspaper and crumple it in your fist. Sounds silly, I know, but it's a pretty amazing wrist and hand workout. You can squeeze hard, then release tension, or try to crumple as much at once as you can.

While you're at it, you can try the same thing with your toes to get some extra foot mobility work.

5. Deep squat when petting your dog

Really, when you're doing anything-be it petting your dog, picking up his poop, playing with your kids, or anything at ground level-getting into a deep squat whenever you can is just good practice.

That doesn't mean you should be spending hours a day in a static squat ( we've written about our thoughts on this), but using the squat as a transitional movement to do things in your daily life can be a big shift from how you usually do things.

6. Do chores in a different way

You clean your house, put away your groceries, and cook dinner all the time anyway, so why not shake things up a bit?

Use these daily activities as an excuse to move in different ways. Try squatting down and turning as you do your daily chores. Maybe kneel and twist as you put away your laundry. See how long you can stand on one leg while you wash the dishes.

Focus on each motion and on making it smooth. Practice mindfully instead of just going through the motions mindlessly.

7. Do shoulder circles with a broom handle

Everybody's got a broom in their house, right? Take a little pause while you're sweeping the floor, or just go grab it from the closet, and hold on to the handle with both hands, reaching overhead. Carefully bring your arms back in a circular motion (you may not get very far, but that's okay! It's still a good stretch).

Play around with having your hands closer together or farther apart. See what feels better or gives you a better stretch where you need it.

8. Mop the floor while squatting or stretching

Instead of mopping with a standard mop, try it the way your grandma used to do it-with a rag and a bucket of soapy water. Then get down on the ground and mop the floor as you squat down or stretch. You'll be amazed at what a good workout this can be (and at how clean your floor gets!)

One of our clients, Amanda Chung Fat posts lots of ideas for cleaning in this way on her Instagram channel.

9. Stretch while getting dressed

There are so many ways you can do this. Bend down to touch your toes before stepping your feet into your pant legs. Or stretch your arms overhead as much as possible while you pull your t-shirt over your head.

Basically, exaggerate your movements as you get dressed. These little stretches will feel really good, and are a great way to start the day.

10. Find different ways to stand up

Sit down on the floor (play around with different seated positions), then try to find as many ways as you can to stand up off the ground. Try to stand up without using your hands for an even bigger challenge. Check out this video of Jarlo demonstrating a bunch of different ways to stand up off the ground. Play around with what works for you.

11. Pick things up with your toes

Work on your strength and control in your toes and feet by putting them to use! If you see something on the ground, try to grasp it with your toes and lift your foot off the ground, bringing it up to your hand, rather than bending down to pick it up.

As you get more comfortable with this, you can make it more challenging by picking up different types of objects, or lifting your leg further.

🗄️ 8 Ways to Get More Movement Practice at Work

You probably spend a lot of time in the office-maybe even more than at home! So, getting some movement throughout your day shouldn't just be relegated to your house. The good news is there are tons of things you can do while at work.

1. Rotate in your chair

While seated in your chair, keep your hips facing forward, and rotate your shoulders and torso to the right and to the left, going as far as you can.

Pick a fixed object behind you and try rotating further and further in that direction each time. This is a great stretch that can be done any time.

2. Spread your toes at your desk

Most of us get very little movement in our toes, ever. But it's so easy to just spread your toes whenever you get the chance! And while you're at your desk, writing an email or during a conference call, that's a perfect time to give those toes a good stretch.

3. Move your spine around while seated

Continuing from the previous tip, there are all sorts of ways you can get movement in your spine while sitting in a chair.

Try flexing and extending different segments of your spine. Make circles with your upper back, mid back, and low back. Do side bends. Move your pelvis in a circle, or tuck and untuck your tailbone. The possibilities are endless!

4. Hold your phone or pen with your non-dominant hand

Just like the example up above of brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, there are so many opportunities to practice this at work. Maybe if you're signing important documents, you won't want to mess up by writing with your non-dominant hand, but you probably write notes or lists throughout your day, and that's a great time to try switching to your other hand from time to time.

5. Practice lazy grabs

You can do this with any object on your desk. Try to pick it up in the laziest way you can-meaning, with the least amount of effort. Pick it up and move it without making any noise. You can think about a cat lazily batting an object across the table.

6. Stretch your fingers

Typing on a keyboard all day can wreak havoc on your wrists! Set a timer to stretch out your fingers and shake them out at least once an hour or so. While you're at it, add in some rotations of your wrists too.

For more ideas and stretches for your wrists, see our full tutorial. Many of those stretches can be practiced right at your desk, or you can do them when you get home if your wrists are feeling achey.

7. Do some desk stretches

There are all sorts of stretches and exercises you can do at your desk. We put together a routine of some of our favorites, which you can check out here.

You definitely don't need to do all the exercises-just pick one or two that you enjoy and can do consistently. The important thing is taking advantage when you have a chance to get a good stretch or two in during breaks.

8. Train your head/eye coordination

Pick different points around your office to focus your eyes on. Rotate your head around to those different points, letting your eyes lead your head where you want it to go. This improves your head/eye coordination, and can be good for your neck mobility too.

🚶‍♂️ 12 Ways to Get More Movement Practice on the Go

While you're out and about, you can find countless ways to bring more movement into your life, if you're paying attention.

1. Climb stairs, but make it interesting

Everyone says to "take the stairs," and that's not bad advice, but it's become almost cliché. You can make things a lot more interesting by changing up how you take the stairs.

You can try walking sideways or backwards (just be careful). Go up two stairs at a time. Play around with staying flat footed vs. walking on the balls of your feet vs. walking on the heels of your feet. As long as you're being mindful and paying attention to safety, there's so much you can do to make the stairs a lot more fun.

2. Get a good stretch when walking through doorways

You walk through doorways probably more times than you could count. Next time you're walking through a doorway, place your hands or forearms on either side of the frame and lean forward to get a nice stretch in your shoulders and upper back.

Do this a few times a day and your tight, achey back might not feel as tight and achey anymore.

3. Hang from a tree branch

If you happen upon a strong, sturdy tree, with a branch within reach, hop up and grab a hold of it.

Let your body relax and you'll feel a really nice stretch in your shoulders. Plus, this can be a great challenge for your grip.

As your grip gets stronger, play around with lifting your legs up or switching your grip.

4. Step up and over objects

Instead of walking around things like fire hydrants or big rocks, try stepping up and over them. For some objects, that may mean getting a real challenge for your hip flexors, for others it may be more of a challenge for your foot and ankle mobility, and often it may just be a good balance challenge. Any way you slice it, it's a win.

Look for those opportunities to put your mobility and control to the test.

5. Hug yourself while waiting for the bus

This one may sound weird, but bear with me. If you happen to be waiting around at the bus stop and there aren't too many people around, give yourself an exaggerated hug-you know, the kind where you reach your arms around your body as much as you possibly can. Try to see if you can get your fingers to touch behind your back!

6. Jump between things

I'm sure you did this as a kid. When you saw a bunch of rocks near each other, you just couldn't help but jump from one to the next. Well, there's no reason adults can't do that too. You can try this with any objects you find along your path.

No need to make the jumps big, just try to focus on moving smoothly from one object to the next.

7. Practice balance-walking throughout your day

You don't even need a raised surface for this one. Anytime you see painted lines in the road, or cracks in the sidewalk, pretend it's a tight rope and work on balance walking your way across it. You'll be amazed at how challenging this can be.

And when you do see a raised surface like a curb, that's an even better chance to practice your balance.

8. Focus on your breathing

If you're out walking around, take a few minutes to pay attention to your breathing as you walk. Where are you breathing into in your body? Is your breathing shallow, or are you taking deep breaths? Just notice what's going on.

Then, you can start manipulating your breathing as you go. Maybe focus on inhaling for 4 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, then exhaling for 4 seconds, then holding it for 4 seconds, and so on, until you reach a certain landmark. Play around with it!

9. Walk on uneven surfaces

When you're out and about, seek out uneven surfaces to walk on. Big tree branches, rocks, an uneven sidewalk-these are all good ways to challenge your balance and give you some different inputs to respond to.

Go slowly and carefully, and pay attention to how your body responds to walking on different types of surfaces.

10. Look for different ways to get from point A to point B

If you usually drive or walk a certain route, try to think of some other ways to get from point A to point B. Maybe you could ride your bike there, or skip there.

One of our staffers, Stacey, sometimes kayaks places if she can-that may not be an option for you, but it's just another way of thinking about this.

11. Walk barefoot

You'll want to ease your way into this if you're used to walking in shoes all the time (like most of us). Look around to make sure there isn't broken glass or anything like that before you take off your shoes, then spend a few minutes introducing your feet to totally different textures than usual. Notice how your feet feel and if there's any impact on the way the rest of your body feels.

12. Help your neighbors

Besides for just being a good thing to do, often, you can find really fun and interesting ways to move your body when a neighbor or friend calls on you for help. Maybe your neighbor has a fence that needs mending, or your friend needs help moving. Perhaps there's a beach cleanup effort near you that you can get involved in. All of these are great ways to give back to the community, while using your body in ways you probably don't get to most of the time.

🏋️‍♂️ 4 Ways to Get More Movement Practice at the Gym

If you're training, you're already moving, right? Not necessarily. And even if you are, there's always room for experimentation or changing your routine to give your body and mind a different stimulus.

1. Warm up with locomotion

Most people either skip their warm-up altogether, or do some random, boring stretches. Why not make things more interesting and get your body warmed up with some locomotion?

Do bear walks or moving squats (what we call monkey and frogger in our Elements program). Try lizard crawls or low cartwheels. Check out this article for more about locomotion and why we are such big fans. And for another approach to your warm-up, check out this article.

2. Test your balance

There are a lot of ways you can add a balance component into your training. Obviously, this will work better with some exercises than with others, but look for opportunities to add in some balance work.

If you like working with kettlebells, for instance, you can try standing on one leg as you do overhead presses (with a lighter weight than you normally would). Or, if you're working on bodyweight squats, try closing your eyes and go really slow as you lower yourself.

3. Change your environment

We're all creatures of habit, especially in our training routines. Sometimes, even small differences can change the way we look at the same exercises. Here's a few ideas to make small changes that can make you more aware of your movements:

Face a different direction in the room-Were you focus your vision impacts technique, so looking at something closer or further away may subtly change your balance.

Different surfaces have different levels of friction and padding. that can make some exercises more challenging or just force you to focus on your feet.

If you normally practice indoors, try going outside. It can change things dramatically!

4. Practice with a metronome

Even if you're paying close attention to your technique, your breathing, and everything else you should be when training, you may not be as aware of your pacing. Using a metronome can add a rhythm component to your training that can make you think about things in a totally different way. Don't be surprised if it trips you up a bit at first!

💎 11 Ways to Get More Movement Practice Anywhere, Anytime

You can probably sense a theme with all the tips above-you're surrounded by opportunities for movement all the time. You just have to look out for them. So, here are some more tips for changing things up wherever you are, no matter what you're doing.

1. Lift one leg

Here's an easy balance exercise you can do anywhere, anytime. Just lift one leg! You can try this while standing in line at the grocery store, while watching your kids play on the playground, or any other time you see a good opportunity to practice. And if you feel like your balance is really poor right now, you can always do this while standing next to something that you can grab onto if need be.

2. Close your eyes

Anything you're used to doing with your eyes open (I'm guessing that's 100% of the things you do, other than sleep) will be exponentially harder with your eyes closed. Obviously, don't go crossing the street or cutting onions with your eyes closed, but there are plenty of things you can safely do with your eyes closed for a minute or two. Your vestibular system is going to feel all sorts of wonky at first!

3. Make faces

We almost never think about the muscles in our faces, but they play a big role in how the head and neck (and everything that follows) function. Making exaggerated faces by tightening and releasing the muscles is a good way to exercise your face muscles and improve how you control tension overall. And an added bonus is you can make random kids on the bus laugh at you (...or babies might start crying left and right. On second thought, maybe practice this one at home) 😉

4. Go backwards

This is another one that can make your normal actions feel totally different than usual. Try walking backwards or doing motions in reverse whenever you can, and you'll see just how much more effort it takes to get your brain and your body acting in unison.

5. Visualize yourself doing something

This is a technique that's been used in sports and training quite a bit, but can be applied to just about anything. Before doing something, visualize yourself going through all the steps you'll take to do that thing. What are your body mechanics like? Your breathing? How will you stand?

Going through this exercise can bring mindful attention to the task at hand, and help you do it more efficiently.

6. Slow it down as much as possible

We tend to move through life at a fast pace, rarely slowing down to pay attention to what we're doing. But anything you do throughout your day can be slowed down. And when you do that, try to pay attention to the little details that usually slip right past you-you may make some interesting discoveries!

7. Change your stance

Making your stance wider, narrower, or more staggered can have a big impact on how your body responds to whatever you're doing. One of my favorite "games" is to widen my stance when riding the subway, trying to balance myself and keep myself steady without holding on. You can try other things like that throughout your day.

8. Do slow calf raises

Whenever you can, try to do some slow calf raises to strengthen those calves and ankles. You can do this while standing still, or you can stop every few steps when going up a flight of stairs to get a good stretch in the lowered position, and a good strength challenge as you raise up. Or find a wall to use as support while you do calf raises in a straight or bent position.

9. Shake it out

Whenever you start feeling stiff from sitting too long, or at any other point during the day, just stand up and shake out your body a bit. It's a quick and easy way to relieve some tension, even if you don't have time for stretching or other movements right then.

10. Walk on different parts of your feet

Try walking on the balls of your feet or on your heels, and see how you have to adjust the rest of your body mechanics to maintain your balance. You can also try shifting your weight to the insides or outsides of your feet-just do this gently and carefully so you don't accidentally twist your ankle.

Play around with how the different positions of your feet feel.

11. Do scales

This is one of our favorite balance exercises that can be practiced anywhere, anytime. Stand with your feet together, with a straight posture. Then, point the toe of one leg and keep your leg locked out (knee straight), as you lift it up as high as you can while maintaining good stability in the rest of your body. See our tutorial for more help with this one, along with other ideas and variations you can practice.

🏆 Our 11 Favorite Moves You Have to Try

Even with all the ideas above, the very thought of working movement into your day is totally foreign for most people. So here are some more ideas of movements you can try.

1. Wall angels

Squat with your back against the wall. Try and maintain contact through the length of your spine. Place your arms in a field goal position. Raise them upward as high as you can while the back of your hands, wrists, forearms, shoulder blades, and back continue to maintain contact with the wall.

Notice if you can raise one arm higher than the other, or how heavy, light, or evenly the contact feels throughout the movement. This one can really wake up some parts of your shoulders you might not have worked on much before!

2. Spinal articulation

Getting every part of your spine moving in every possible direction is so important for keeping it moving and feeling good. You can practice from a tabletop position on the ground, seated in a chair, standing, supported against a wall-really, anywhere and in any way.

It may take a bit of practice to be able to control the different parts of your spine, and be prepared for some awkwardness.

3. Twisting squats

Get down into a squat (hold on to something if you need to) and twist to one side, then to the other. This is a great way to work on your squat mobility while getting some extra movement in your spine.

You don't need any space at all, so just give this one a whirl when you have a spare minute or two.

4. Point with your toes

You can do this sitting on the floor or on the couch with your legs stretched out. Lift one leg and point your toes toward an object that's at a somewhat challenging angle. See if you can go higher or further out in any direction, pointing at objects at more challenging angles.

5. Roll on the floor

If you have a bit of space, you can work on forward rolls and back rolls (see our tumbling tutorial for some help with these). But even if you don't have much space, you can work on rolling on the ground. Just lay down flat on your back, and trying to keep your body straight, roll over onto your belly in both directions.

For more of a challenge, you can practice hollow body holds to Superman holds. This video describes how to do a hollow body hold (the most advanced version has you pressing your low back into the ground, with your head, shoulders, and legs off the ground), then you'll keep your head, shoulders, and legs off of the ground as you flip over to do a Superman hold.

6. Move in and out of a squat

It's become popular in the fitness world for people to recommend sitting in a static squat for as much time in a day as possible. We're not big believers in that because a squat is inherently a transitional movement in your daily life (think: squatting down to reach a pair of dirty socks under your bed).

We do love squats, though! We just prefer them in motion, so that it has better carry over into your daily life. So, get down into a squat and move around however you can! Rotate your hips in and out; place your hands on the ground and shift your body forward and back; do some monkeys (lateral moving squat) or froggers (forward/backward moving squat). Have fun with it!

7. Try hopping

Yes, hopping! On one foot, or on both-either way it's going to be a lot of fun. Here are some ways to play around with this:

In place

Do it with minimal power

Try with more power

Turn 45-degrees, 90-degrees, and 180-degrees

Land as softly as you can

If you're on both feet, try landing in a squat

8. Whip out your old jump rope

The jump rope is a great tool that can be used in lots of different ways. You can practice jumping in different ways (two legs at once, or one leg at a time), and at different speeds. And you can even use a jump rope as a stretching tool. Hold on to the rope with both hands and reach your shoulders up and back overhead, or use it as a strap around your feet if you're having trouble getting into a forward fold. There are lots of possibilities!

9. Juggle things

It doesn't matter if you've never been good at juggling-practicing it can still be beneficial for your hand-eye coordination (plus, there's a good chance you'll actually improve your juggling skills, so you'll get yourself a good party trick in the process).

Juggle whatever you have handy-no need for special balls or hackey sacks. Just maybe don't start juggling knives 😉

10. Cross body movements

Doing movements that create more communication between the right and left sides of your body is great for improving gait, coordination, balance, and a whole lot more.

Our favorite cross body movement is the Bear walk, which involves moving your opposite arm and leg concurrently, but you can even do something as simple as standing up and touching your elbow to your opposite knee.

11. Do foot and ankle mobility exercises

Most people rarely think about their feet and ankles (until something goes wrong) but you can do some simple mobility work for the feet and ankles just about anywhere, anytime. Even if you're wearing shoes, you can think about scrunching up your toes as much as possible, then releasing. Or coming up onto the balls of your feet. Or doing some slow and controlled ankle circles wherever you happen to be.

🗓️ How to Take Action on All These Ideas

No list of this many things to do should come without advice on how to actually use it. Here's some things we've found that have helped us change our habits.

📱 Use a tracking app

There are tons of habit tracking apps out there now, and there's a lot to be said for the convenience factor of being able to check things off and get reminders wherever you are. Here are a few apps different members of our team have found useful (we don't get a commission or anything for recommending these-we just like making recommendations when we know something is good):

📓 Or use a good 'ole fashioned paper tracker

Even with all the apps in the world, lots of us still prefer good 'ole fashioned pen and paper. You can use your favorite notebook or, if you want something more official, we made a handy monthly tracker you can use to keep track of your habits. You can download it by entering your email below (and we've also included some of our favorite movement tips).

🤝 Find an accountability partner

Anytime you bring another person into the picture to hold you accountable, your chances of success with building a habit go up exponentially. And it's not just because the other person will keep you honest, but because it can make things way more fun!

Think about the people you know and who might be interested in practicing different ways of moving their bodies throughout the day, and see if you can be each other's partner in making this happen.

😏 Do the minimum

We always try to do too much. We take on too many habits at once, or try to make huge changes in our routines, and then we wonder why we have a hard time staying consistent. When you think about it, though, one minute is better than zero, and one new solid habit is better than 10 that you can't maintain.

BJ Fogg talks about taking on micro-habits -"floss one tooth" is one example of taking on habits that are "so small they seem trivial."

I know we just gave you a huge list of ideas, but don't try to take them all on. Just pick a few and do them well. When they stop being fun, pick some other ones.

📺 Anchor habits to other activities

One good way to remember to do these actions is by anchoring them to other things you already do. You brush your teeth every day, right? So use that as a trigger for some of these other actions. Or, every time you watch TV, you could use that as a trigger to do some stretches when a commercial comes on.

Linking these habits to things you already do is a good way to remind yourself to practice.

🐒 Make it fun!

We've said this a few times already, but seriously, make this fun. If it's not fun, you're not likely to actually do it, and then what's the point? Don't think of these as exercises that you "have" to do-pick the actions that sound the most fun to you, and you'll have a much better chance of making regular movement a part of your life.

Where to Go From Here

Damn, that's a lot of tips! But we wanted to give you a lot of them to show you how much is possible, and to spark your imagination. And to show all that you could do beyond dedicated time on a specific exercise program. But of course we aren't saying you don't need one! - otherwise we wouldn't bother making programs 🙂 - and if you are interested in those and like what we have presented here, head over to GMB Programs and see what you want to get started on!

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57 Ways to Get More Physical Practice in Your Day

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How much exercise should you be doing? What kinds of training are best for you? How can you fit an effective training regimen into your already busy schedule? These are all questions you've probably wondered about before (we all have), and they're definitely worth exploring.

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How to talk to your teen about self harm

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How to talk to your teen about self harm

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Most people, including children and adults, feel low occasionally. This is a normal reaction to events that are stressful or upsetting. It is even more common for teenagers to be affected by a range of moods, particularly feeling 'blue'. However, sometimes these feelings continue or become extreme and turn into depression.

The overall prevalence rates of depression are suggested to be 2.8% for children under 13 years of age and 5.7% for those aged between 13 and 18 years. However, recent NHS Digital data (2018) suggested that depression occurred in as many as 1 in 4 young people aged 17-19. Depression responds well to psychological treatment through changing the behaviours and thoughts associated with depression.

Move Mood is an app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Dr Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, and uses the evidence-based treatment Behavioural Activation Therapy to help you improve your mood by encouraging you to increase your motivation to carry out a variety of tasks in order to help you to move forward, take control and feel positive.

You can personalise the app by selecting a companion and you will be able to track your progress and notice change. You can download our guide to using the app during Covid-19 here.

Please note the app is an aid in treatment but does not replace it.

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Most people, including children and adults, feel low occasionally. This is a normal reaction to events that are stressful or upsetting. It is even more common for teenagers to be affected by a range of moods, particularly feeling 'blue'. However, sometimes these feelings continue or become extreme and turn into depression.

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How to talk to your teen about addiction

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How to talk to your teen about addiction

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How to talk to your teen about eating disorders

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How to talk to your teen about eating disorders

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Archery
Badminton
Boccia
Bowling
Canoeing
Cornhole
Cricket
Curling
Cycling
Fencing
Fishing
Handball
Longboarding
Mountain Biking
Paddleboarding
Pickleball
Racquetball
Rock Climbing
Rollerblading
Rollerskating
Rowing
Skateboarding
Spikeball
Table Tennis
Trampoline
Ultimate Frisbee

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Calm Harm is a free app to help teenagers manage the urge to self-harm. Available on Google Play & App Store.

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The fear of threat, or anxiety, is like a strong gust of wind. It drags you in and makes you want to fight it or run away.

Instead, face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions.

Anxiety is a natural response to fear, threat and apprehension. However, when anxiety is extreme or goes on for a long time, or the response to a threat is disproportionately large and affects a person negatively, it may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and respond very well to a form of treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT.
When you face your fear, you will reduce the threat and glide.

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Clear Fear is the latest app from award-winning teenage mental health charity stem4.

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Free App for supporting others Mental Health

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Free App for supporting others Mental Health

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Combined Minds is an app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Dr. Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, to help families and friends support young people with their mental health.

When a child or young person has a diagnosed mental health condition, families and friends want to support them in the best way but also know when to step back. Combined Minds uses a 'Strengths-Based' Approach which has been shown to be effective in recovery. This approach focusses on the positive attributes of the person and builds on resourcefulness and resilience.

A shared harness can balance or protect a climber and help catch them when they fall. Keep on partnering so they can climb tall.

Combined Minds helps families and friends to find ways to provide the right environment to help the individuals they support affect their own change. As important influencers in the lives of young people, this provides positive impact on their mental health.

A 'Strengths-Based' Approach works both ways, also helping families and friends to search for their own strengths.

Please note the app is an aid in treatment but does not replace it. Please help the young person you are supporting to see their GP. stem4's Asking For Help leaflet on their Resources page provides help on how to book a GP appointment.

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Combined Minds is the latest app from award-winning teenage mental health charity stem4.