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Yoga in the Classroom: Middle School Calm Focus

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The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time, by Dzung Vo MD (New Harbinger, 2015), is a mindfulness book for teens, with mindfulness instructions, guided meditations, examples, and youth voices. Click here to learn more about The Mindful Teen.

Here are some more useful resources for mindful teens:
Mobile Apps
Breathr: Dr. Vo helped to develop this mindfulness app for youth with the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (British Columbia, Canada). Free for Apple and Android mobile devices!

Stop, Breathe, and Think: Web and mobile app for youth, with meditations for mindfulness and compassion.

Calm.com: Free website and mobile app with guided meditation and relaxation exercises.

Insight Timer: Free mobile app with virtual "bells" to time and support your meditations, and access to lots of guided meditations by many different meditation teachers (including Dr. Vo).

Plum Village: Zen Meditation. Free app for iOS, loaded with beautiful meditations and teachings in the Plum Village / Thich Nhat Hanh tradition.

MindShift: Free mobile app for teens developed by AnxietyBC, with mindfulness and other coping skills for anxiety.

Smiling Mind: Free mobile mindfulness app for young people, from Australia.

Headspace: "Meditation made simple." This app has a free introductory period, after which it requires a paid subscription to continue to use.
Mindfulness Books for Teens
Bluth K. The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness and Compassion Skills to Overcome Self-Criticism and Embrace Who You Are (Instant Help Books, 2017)
Bluth K. The Self-Compassionate Teen: Mindfulness and Compassion Skills to Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice. (Instant Help, 2020).
Gina M. Biegel, The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress (Instant Help Books, 2009)

Joseph V. Ciarrochi, Louise Hayes, and Ann Bailey, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens: A Guide to Living an Extraordinary Life (Instant Help, 2012)

Mark C. Purcell and Jason R. Murphy, Mindfulness for Teen Anger: A Workbook to Overcome Anger and Aggression Using MBSR and DBT Skills (Instant Help, 2014)

Christopher Willard, Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook for Overcoming Anxiety at Home, at School, and Everywhere Else (Instant Help, 2014)

Christopher Willard and Mitch Abblett, Growing Mindful: A Deck of Mindfulness Practices for All Ages (Growing Mindful Games, 2015). A deck of cards with short mindfulness practices to "cultivate mindfulness on the go." Available here and here.
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Recordings
In addition to mindfulnessforteen.com's free guided meditations, here are a few more recordings:

Amy Saltzman, MD, Still Quiet Place: Mindfulness for Teens (CD)

Gina Biegel, LMFT, Mindfulness for Teens: Meditation Practices to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being (CD, MP3)

Larry Rosen, MD. "The Buddha and the Fig Tree." (CD, MP3)

Mindful.org's " Audio Resources for Guided Meditations " collection: Online, free guided meditations.
Meditation Supplies: Meditation Bells, Cushions, and More
Parallax Press: search for "bell"

Local import stores such as Ten Thousand Villages often carry Asian-style meditation bells, sometimes called "singing bowls."

Some practitioners and schools prefer to use a musical chime instead of a bell for meditation. Chimes are available at local music stores. The Woodstock Zenergy chime is a popular version, available at http:// www.chimes.com.
Mindfulness Books for Parents, Educators, and Health Care Providers
Patricia C. Broderick, Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance (New Harbinger Publications, 2013)

Matthew Brensilver, JoAnna Hardy, Oren Jay Sofer. Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents. (Norton, 2020).

Valerie Brown and Kirsten Olson, The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School (Corwin, 2014)

Sam Himelstein, A Mindfulness-Based Approach to Working with High Risk Adolescents (Routledge, 2013)

Sam Himelstein and Stephen Saul, Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: A 12-Session Curriculum (Routledge, 2015)

Susan Kaiser Greenland, The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate (Free Press, 2010)

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (rev. and updated ed.) (Bantam Books, 2013)

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment-And Your Life (includes audio CD) (Sounds True, 2012)

Amy Saltzman, A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions (New Harbinger Publications, 2014)

Daniel Siegel, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2013)

Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Publications, 2010)

Meena Srinivasan, Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness in and out of the Classroom (Parallax, 2014)

Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation (Beacon Press, 1999)

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices (Parallax Press, 2009)

Christopher Willard, Child's Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed (Parallax Press, 2010)

Christopher Willard, Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience (Sounds True, 2016)

Christopher Willard and Amy Saltzman, Eds, Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens (Guilford Press, 2015)

Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (Guilford Press, 2007)
Mindfulness Classes and Retreats for Teens and Families in North America
Connecting Adolescents to Learning Mindfulness (CALM): 8-week mindfulness program for teenagers, in Los Angeles, California.

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme): Teen mindfulness retreats throughout North America.

Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A): 8-week mindfulness program for adolescents age 15 - 19, with psychological distress (depressive and/or anxiety symptoms), with or without co-occurring chronic pain and/or other chronic illness. A joint program between Adolescent Medicine (Pediatrics) and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia. By provider referral only.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Adolescents with Chronic Anxiety. Outpatient mindfulness training for adolescents coping with anxiety. Offered through the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Child & Youth Mental Health Program at BC Children's Hospital and BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver, British Columbia. By provider referral only.

Mindful Youth. Mindful Youth's mission is "To assist youth, especially at-risk youth, to improve the quality of their lives by teaching them mindfulness and related life skills." Based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tools For Peace. In-school, after-school, and summer camp programs for teens. From the makers of the " Stop, Breathe and Think " app.

University of California, San Diego, Center for Mindfulness, Stress Reduction Program for Teens & Pre-Teens.

UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, San Francisco. Mindfulness for Urban Youth program.
Retreats and Days of Mindfulness, in the Buddhist tradition:
WakeUp Movement: Mindfulness retreats and communities for youth and young adults, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Deer Park Monastery: Escondido, California, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Blue Cliff Monastery: Pine Bush, New York, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Magnolia Grove Monastery: Batesville, Mississippi, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Woodacre, California. Family/Teen Program, in the Insight Meditation tradition

Insight Meditation Center: Redwood City, California. Youth and Family Programs, in the Insight Meditation tradition.
Social Networking
Facebook: Like " The Mindful Teen " on Facebook to receive regular inspirational quotes, poems, and articles to help you keep your mindfulness practice fresh and alive.

Twitter: Follow The Mindful Teen (@TheMindfulTeen) for mindful tweets.

Other mindfulness and positive teen Twitter feeds: See the feeds that The Mindful Teen (@TheMindfulTeen) is following, and follow some of those. The more mindful feeds you have on Twitter, the more opportunities you'll have to practice mindfulness!
Websites and Organizations Association for Mindfulness in Education http://www.mindfuleducation.org/
"A collaborative association of organizations and individuals working together to provide support for mindfulness training as a component of K-12 education."
Center for Adolescent Studies www.centerforadolescentstudies.com
Founded by Sam Himelstein. Offers trainings for professionals in all disciplines, in mindfulness and building authentic relationships with adolescents.
Center for Mindful Learning http://www.centerformindfullearning.org/
Based in Vermont, CML's vision is "To build a mindfulness-based educational system that produces powerful, just, selfless leaders."
Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/Stress-Reduction Navigate to: The Stress Reduction Program > Find MBSR Programs Worldwide.

Based at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, this center is dedicated to integrating mindfulness-based approaches in mainstream medicine and health care. Provides a variety of educational opportunities in the United States and Canada.
Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education http://dalailamacenter.org
Inspired by the Dalai Lama, and operating in a non-sectarian framework, this center (based in Vancouver, British Columbia) has as its mission "to educate the hearts of children by informing, inspiring and engaging the communities around them."
Do Nothing For Your Mind (Oxford Mindfulness Centre)
donothing.uk

Mindfulness resources and practices for youth.
Foundry (British Columbia), Mindfulness Page https://foundrybc.ca/resource/mindfulness/
Check out "Laurie's Story," and all of the other great mindfulness information and resources for youth.

inner Explorer
https://www.innerexplorer.org/
"Inner Explorer program is a series of daily 5-10-minute audio-guided mindfulness practices. The program focuses on key areas of development, bringing mindfulness to education and helping students prepare for learning. Daily practice teaches kids the practical techniques to appropriately handle difficult emotions such as stress, anxiety, anger and more. Inner Explorer offers programs for all age-groups (PreK-12)."
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, Healthy Living Toolkit http://keltymentalhealth.ca/toolkits
Toolkit for youth and families, with practical information on healthy sleeping, eating, exercise, and stress management.
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, mindfulness page http://www.keltymentalhealth.ca/healthy-living/mindfulness
Check out the three-minute "Mindfulness: Youth Voices" video to learn more about mindfulness for youths, from youths themselves.

Also contains more information and resources on mindfulness for youths.
Learning 2 Breathe
http://learning2breathe.org/

Resources related to Patricia Broderick's Learning to Breathe mindfulness curriculum and book (see also "Books" section, above)
Making Friends with Yourself http://www.mindfulselfcompassionforteens.com/
Resources on Mindful Self-Compassion for teens. Including free self-compassion guided meditations. Developed by my friends Lorraine Hobbs and Karen Bluth.
Mind and Life Institute, Call to Care (C2C) http://www.mindandlife.org/care/
"Call to Care aims to address the limited attention in our educational systems for cultivating care and compassion-what we might call the forgotten heart of education. Operating at the intersections of education, developmental science, and contemplative scholarship, the project incorporates a distinctive hybrid approach focusing on both students and educators through a joint program operating within a common framework."
Mindful Families http://mindfulfamilies.net
Mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhist resources for families. From Sumi Kim, author of Sitting Together.
Mindful Magazine http://www.mindful.org
A bimonthly magazine available in print and digital editions. The website features many informative articles and videos.

Mindful Schools

http://www.mindfulschools.org/

This organization (based in Oakland, California) has as its mission to "lead the integration of mindfulness into education," through training courses and research.
Mindfulness Everyday www.mindfulnesseveryday.org
"Toronto-based Mindfulness Everyday, a registered charitable organization, offers MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) workshops, in non-clinical settings as well as specifically designed programs for youth, parents and educators."
Mindfulness in Education Network http://www.mindfuled.org/
A network whose purpose is to "facilitate communication among all educators, parents, students and any others interested in promoting contemplative practice (mindfulness) in educational settings." Dr. Vo is a member of the Board of Directors for this organization.
Mindfulness Without Borders
http://mindfulnesswithoutborders.org/

A charitable organization offering programs and certification for educators and health professionals interested in facilitating their evidence-based social and emotional learning programs to youth in the communities they serve. Programs are available in Spanish and English.
MindUp http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup
A school-based curriculum that teaches social-emotional and mindfulness-based learning skills in the classroom.
Niroga Institute http://www.niroga.org/
A non-profit organization based in Oakland, California, Niroga offers mindful yoga for youth in community, school, and juvenile justice settings.
Palouse Mindfulness http://palousemindfulness.com/index.html
Free online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
The Still Quiet Place http://www.stillquietplace.com
Mindfulness resources from Dr. Amy Saltzman for parents, teens, teachers, and service providers.
Stressed Teens http://www.stressedteens.com/
Online trainings and resources for parents, professionals, and teens.
Wake Up Schools http://wakeupschools.org/
Cultivating Mindfulness in Education. "A global vision to walk the path of compassion, peace and joy in education through the practice of mindfulness." Inspired by the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

Watch the film, " Happy Teachers Will Change the World," about "teachers learning mindfulness, true transformation and happiness."

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The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time, by Dzung Vo MD (New Harbinger, 2015), is a mindfulness book for teens, with mindfulness instructions, guided meditations, examples, and youth voices. Click here to learn more about The Mindful Teen.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Build social and emotional skills into any class.

Summit students rip up their stress.

Summit Preparatory Charter High School in Redwood City, California, uses a variety of activities in the weekly, 90-minute Habits, Community, and Culture (HCC) class, where students learn Habits of Success and develop social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. The school has developed an HCC curriculum for grades nine through 12 and hired two full-time teachers for HCC, but Summit's academic teachers also use some of these activities to build SEL skills and deepen their relationships with their students. Cady Ching, a biology and AP environmental science teacher at Summit, incorporates opening activities into all of her classes: "In my freshman classes, we do them every class period."

Visualization to release stress: Have your students imagine what stress looks and feels like inside their body, and then ask them to release it. "The mindfulness practice makes you think the stress is coming off your body," says Geoffrey, a 12th-grade student.

Noise isolation: There are a variety of sounds that your students hear when they're in your classroom, from students walking in the hallway to outdoor construction noise. Have your students focus on one noise and describe it to themselves and recall the last time they interacted with it.

Here are some of the opening, group sharing, and closing activities that teachers use at Summit:

Opening Activities

Summit students practice mindfulness.

2. Name the emotion you're bringing to class: Have each student call out the emotion they're feeling. This helps each student know how they and other students are feeling, what different emotions look like, and how to better interact with their peers based on how they're feeling.

3. Write down, rip up, and throw away your stress: Have your students write down their expectations and insecurities, rip them up, and throw them away. This emotional check-in takes about three minutes. By acknowledging how your students are feeling at the start of each class, you'll acknowledge their barriers to learning and create a safe space for your students to overcome them.

5. Quote of the day: Introduce a quote relevant to what your students are learning or to a shared experience-for example, an act of violence in the community. You can facilitate a whole-class discussion, group students into pairs, or have each student share a one-word response to the quote. This gives students the space to reflect on their beliefs and experiences and whether they agree or disagree with the quote and other students' opinions, and it gives them insight into their peers' perspectives and feelings.

6. Where we came from: Collect baby pictures from your students. Project one baby picture at the start of class, have your students guess who it is, and then have the featured student share something about their childhood.

7. Starting positive: Have each student tape a sheet of paper to their back and then walk around and write positive qualities about their peers on their backs.

8. Motivational moment: Have two students start the class with a three- to five-minute presentation-and come up with two or three discussion questions-based on their interests. The presentation must be related to the course content in a real-world context. "Many students include a video for visuals and increased engagement, but it's optional," says Ching. Have the rest of the class partner up to discuss their questions for one minute and then give them the opportunity to share out to the whole class. This exercise gives your students insight into their peers' interests.

Grades 9-12 | Redwood City, CA

Enrollment

388 | Charter, Suburban

Per Pupil Expenditures

Free / Reduced Lunch

47%

Data is from the 2014-2015 academic year.

Group Sharing

9. Circle sharing: To encourage active listening, create small groups. Have your students position their chairs in a circle so everyone can make eye contact. To strengthen empathy, you can facilitate deeper discussion around what a student shares by asking, "Why did that student share what they did?" or "What perspective is that student coming from?"

When discussing emotionally charged topics, it's important to have guidelines to foster a safe space. Summit uses the Courageous Conversation protocol created by Glenn E. Singleton when discussing race. The protocol is guided by four agreements-stay engaged, experience discomfort, speak your truth, and expect and accept nonclosure. Here is an example of elementary school discussion guidelines from School 21.

Summit students sit in a circle for a whole-class discussion.

10. Write a poem from someone else's perspective. Have your students choose someone they don't know. This helps them to understand that they don't "need to be best friends with someone to empathize with them," explains Ballard.

11. Have a conversation with someone you don't know. Have your students pair up with a student they don't know and provide the pairs with five questions to ask each other. Each student introduces their partner to the class, speaking as if they were their partner, while the rest of the class looks at the student being introduced. "We don't see people sometimes," says Ballard, "and this exercise helps students to see each other more deeply."

12. Play interest and identity-related bingo. Instead of squares filled with numbers or vocabulary words, create cards with information relating to your students. Summit's Bingo cards have things like "'I like to read' or 'I was born in a different country,'" says Armando, a ninth-grade student.

I would like to appreciate Brenda for facilitating the conversation in our small group.

I would like to thank everyone for taking this class seriously.

I apologize to everyone for having my headphones in for half of the time.

Closing Activity

13. Appreciation, apology, aha: Have your students get in a circle and share an appreciation, apology, or realization with the group. Students in Ballard's class have shared things like:

Encourage authentic and timely apologies. Apologizing for something that happened a long time ago has less impact than apologizing for something that happened that day or week. Let your students know that they don't have to name who they're apologizing to when they apologize for what they did.

Help students share helpful, not harmful words. "I often say, 'Appreciations, apologies, and ahas should be something that you genuinely think will be useful for people to hear,'" says Ballard.

Have your students snap, clap, or shake both hands when they hear something that resonates with them. "We snap to let people know that we hear them without exerting our own voice in their narrative," explains Ballard. Students shake their hands when peers share things that are emotionally charged. Ballard often gets this started by saying, "Let's shake it up for that."

"When you pay attention to each other, not only does it build a sense of community, but we're more able to understand other people," says Janet, a 12th-grade student. "If you're able to understand people at a younger age, you could work better with them as adults. That changes how the future generations will be. People can be more accepting, more helpful towards each other."

What makes this a SCHOOL THAT WORKS

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Build social and emotional skills into any class.

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This is a guest post by Kristen Nichols Heitman, MPH, an epidemiologist in the Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She received a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in epidemiology from Georgia State University.
What is stress?

"I am so stressed out!" "My job really stresses me out." You've probably heard similar statements - or even said them yourself - throughout your life. But what exactly is stress? " response, a survival mechanism hardwired into our nervous system, kicks in and your body releases a burst of hormones. When these hormones are released, your blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose level increase; other hormones suppress functions like digestion and the immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to illness. Once the threat is gone, your body is designed to turn this reaction off and return to a relaxed state. Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction. When your brain perceives a threat, a " flight or fight

Unfortunately, the nonstop stresses of life do not always allow your body to turn this reaction off. This results in your body releasing stress hormones more frequently, which can have a negative impact on your health over time. Chronic stress can lead to a wide range of illnesses - from headaches to stomach disorders to depression and memory impairment - and is known to contribute to high blood pressure , heart disease , obesity, , and even suicide.

The warning signs of stress...

Managing stress

People react to stress differently and some people cope with stress more effectively than others. Knowing your signs of stress and how you respond may help you manage stress better.

Common ways to reduce and manage stress:

Monitor your stress level and know your stress triggers

Recognize the things you cannot change

Regular physical activity

Daily relaxation: meditation, practice deep breathing and yoga, get a massage

Maintain a healthy diet

Get enough sleep

Avoid alcohol, drugs, and tobacco

Find support in and talk to your friends, family, and loved ones

Spend time with your pets

Set priorities and learn how to say no to responsibilities which will leave you feeling overwhelmed

Seek help from a qualified mental health care provider if you are overwhelmed, feel you cannot cope, have suicidal thoughts, or are using drugs or alcohol to cope. If you or someone close to you is in crisis, call the toll-free, 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
American Heart Association: "Four ways to deal with stress" American Heart Association: "How does stress affect you?" Center for Disease Control and Prevention: "Managing Stress" Mayo Clinic: "Healthy Lifestyle - Stress Management" The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

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April is National Stress Awareness Month - BioIQ

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This is a guest post by Kristen Nichols Heitman, MPH, an epidemiologist in the Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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National Humor Month was conceived as a means to heighten public awareness of the therapeutic value of humor. Laughter and joy - the benchmarks of humor - lead to improved well-being, boosted morale, increased communication skills, and an enriched quality of life.

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5 Empowering & Inspiring Videos to watch

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5 Empowering & Inspiring Videos to watch

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5 Empowering and Inspiring Videos for Students, Teachers from Soul Pancake - Emerging Education Technologies

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Image SourceÂ Inspire, Amaze, Learn, Change, Grow, Laugh … Need a little lift to get you through the day, the week, and propel you through to the end of the school year? I’ve so enjoyed the videos from Kid President, I wanted to check out some other content from Soul Pancake. I was not disappointed…

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Videos to Cheer You Up When You're Having a Bad Day at Work

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Videos to Cheer You Up When You're Having a Bad Day at Work

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As an Editor for The Muse, Alyse is proud to prove that yes, English majors can change the world. She calls many places home, including Illinois where she grew up and the small town of Hamilton where she attended Colgate University, but she was born to be a New Yorker. In addition to being an avid writer, Alyse loves to dance, both professionally and while waiting for the subway.

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15 Best Funny Videos to Watch on a Bad Day at Work

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As an Editor for The Muse, Alyse is proud to prove that yes, English majors can change the world. She calls many places home, including Illinois where she grew up and the small town of Hamilton where she attended Colgate University, but she was born to be a New Yorker.

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Our goal is to spread the spirit of global gratitude & kindness. Free tools, inspiration, and educator lesson plans to help cultivate positive values/virtues.

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Try Not to Laugh Funny Cat & Dog Video Challenge

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Try Not to Laugh Funny Cat & Dog Video Challenge

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Try Not To Laugh Challenge - Funny Cat & Dog Vines compilation 2017

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REALITY CHECK: Reports say that stress is mounting in our children, and that we parents are often unaware of just how stressed our kids are.
Each child handles and shows stress differently. A big key to helping our children is learning to recognize their unique signs, which type of events or issues cause angst, and then teach healthy ways to manage stress.

Stress: A Top Kid Health Concern

The American Psychological Association (APA) released troubling survey results about our kids. The "Stress in America" surveyed 1206 young people ages eight to seventeen as well as 1568 adults conducted by Harris Interactive. The report, building on past research, revealed that stress is a top health concern for American teens between 9th and 12th grade. Among key study findings is this:

"Parents underestimate the extent of their kids' stress."

The big red flag for parents and educators to keep in mind: Our kids are much more stressed than we think. Here are just a few telling signs:

~ 31% of parents say their child has little or no stress vs. 9% of kids report little or no stress

~ Tweens (30 percent) and teens (42 percent) say they get headaches vs. 13 percent of parents

~ Tweens (39 percent) and teens (49 percent) cite difficulty sleeping vs. 13 percent of parents

~ Tweens (27 percent) and teens (39 percent) report eating too much or too little vs. 8 percent of parents

What's more, tweens and teens were far more likely than their parents to report that their stress levels had increased in the last year. Nearly half of all teens (ages 13 to 17) said they were more worried than last year, while only 28% of their parents thought their adolescent's stress had increased.

So what else is causing our kids to be so stressed? Here is what the kids say:

44% of young people say doing well in school was a source of stress

30% of young people worry about their family having enough money

29% of teens say they worry about getting into a good college or deciding what to do after high school

22% of tweens worry about getting along with friends

If the survey were done today I'm sure we'd see "severe weather" and "shootings" added to the list.

Psychologists also say that if teens don't learn healthy ways to manage their stress now, it could have serious long-term health implications.

Research finds that between 8 and 10 percent of American children and teens are seriously troubled by stress symptoms. And stress is also hitting our children at younger ages.

If left untreated stress not only affects children's friendships as well as school success, but also their physical and emotional well-being. Chronic stress symptoms break down children's immune system as well as increasing their likelihood for depression.

Stress Signs in Kids and Teens

Each kid responds differently. The key is to identify your child's physical behavioral or emotions signs before he is on overload. A clue is to look for behaviors that are not typical for your child "normal." Here are a few of the most common stress signs. Is your child displaying any of these symptoms? What else? Could it be stress related?

Headache, neck aches and backaches

Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomachache, vomiting

Shaky hands, sweaty palms, feeling shaky, lightheadedness

Bedwetting

Trouble sleeping, nightmares

Change in appetite

Stuttering

Frequent colds, fatigue

Emotional or Behavior Stress Signs

New or reoccurring fears; anxiety and worries

Trouble concentrating; frequent daydreaming

Restlessness or irritability

Social withdrawal, unwilling to participate in school or family activities

Moodiness; sulking; or inability to control emotions

Nail biting; hair twirling; thumb-sucking; fist clenching; feet tapping

Acting out, anger, aggressive behaviors such as tantrums, disorderly conduct

Regression or baby-like behaviors

Excessive whining or crying

Clinging, more dependent, won't let you out of his sight

What To Expect By Stages and Ages

Kids as young as three years of age experience stress but it can go unnoticed because preschoolers can't put their feelings into words. Pay closer attention your child's stress symptoms.

Stressors include: new things; dogs, monsters, spiders, being sucked down a drain; abandonment of any kind: being away from home, separation from parents or loved ones, being kidnapped.

Stressors include: Performing in front of others (like a speech, recital or sporting event); tests, grades and school; bedwetting; being chosen last on any team, getting along with peers; real world dangers: fires, burglars, illness, storms; disappointing their parents.

Kids younger than ten are especially vulnerable to repeated stress.

Stressors include: Grades, school and homework; taking on too many activities; negative thoughts and feelings about themselves; moving or changing schools; family pressure, arguing, financial problems, and tension; friends and peer acceptance; peer humiliation and pressure; gossip and teasing; worry about changing bodies, being different from others; letting their parents down.

If you suspect stress could be the cause of these symptoms then look for triggers that you can reduce. For instance: if you suspect scary nightly news could be a trigger then a simple solution is to turn it off!. If you child has no time to relax, then cut one of those activities. If the fear of flunking a math class is causing too much stress, then consider getting a tutor and calling for a teacher conference to create a remedy.

But don't stop there! The key message from the APA study is that our kids must also learn healthy ways to replace that stress.

Turn to the chapter on STRESS in The Big Book of Parenting Solutions. You'll find a complete section on research, more signs, stress triggers, and stress-reducers for preschoolers, school age children and tweens and teens. Choose the one strategy that you think will work best for your child. Whatever stress reducer you adopt, continue practicing the strategy together until your child can use the stress-reducer without you. At that point you'll know your son or daughter has learned a life-long habit.

Best!

Michele

I am an educational psychologist, parenting expert, TODAY show contributor and author of 22 books including The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries.

You can also refer to my blog, Dr. Borba's Reality Check for ongoing parenting solutions and late-breaking news and research about child development.

My new book, UNSELFIE: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me Worldwill be in print June 2016. (Yahoo!) I've spent the last five years researching and writing this book as well as literally flying around the world to find the best ways we can activate our children's hearts. My goal is to create a conversation that makes us rethink or view of success as exclusively grades, rank and score and includes traits of humanity! It's filled with common-sense solutions based on the latest science to help us raise compassionate, caring, courageous kids. It's time to include "empathy" in our parenting and teaching!

For more parenting advice, follow me on twitter @MicheleBorba, go to my website, MicheleBorba or subscribe to my blog, Dr. Borba's Reality Check.

Ideas from this blog were from my book, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries

About the author: Michele Borba View all posts by Michele Borba

Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned consultant, educational psychologist and recipient of the National Educator Award who has presented workshops to over a million participants worldwide. She is a recognized expert in parenting, bullying, youth violence, and character development and author of 22 books including UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About Me World, The 6Rs of Bullying Prevention: Best Proven Practices to Combat Cruelty and Build Respect,The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, and Building Moral Intelligence. She has appeared over 130 times on the TODAY show and is a frequent expert on national media including Dateline, The View, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, CNN, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Phil. To book her for speaking or media even refer to her website: www.micheleborba.com. Follow her on twitter @MicheleBorba.

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REALITY CHECK: Reports say that stress is mounting in our children, and that we parents are often unaware of just how stressed our kids are. Each child handles and shows stress differently. A big key to helping our children is learning to recognize their unique signs, which type of events or issues cause angst, and then teach healthy ways to manage stress.

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Helping Students Reflect and Act on Gratitude Article

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Helping Students Reflect and Act on Gratitude Article

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Maurice J. Elias

Prof. of Psychology, Director, Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab (www.secdlab.org), Director, the Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Service (engage.rutgers.edu)

Gratitude no longer has to be reserved for special occasions and amazing circumstances. Researchers, led by The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and Robert Emmons and Jeffrey Froh, have shown that there are benefits to expressing gratitude, even to "counting one's blessings." But doing so takes a bit of practice.

Classroom Activities

What follows are some practical ways you can have students reflect on and express gratitude:

Thank You Cards

Ask students to think of someone in the school who has been helpful to them in some way, large or small, to whom they would like to thank, or express extra thanks. For younger students, you may have to help them think of some different groups of people to consider -- teachers, office staff, custodians, school support staff, and aides. Have students write and/or draw a card that communicates their appreciation for that help. Once completed, arrange for these to be delivered within the school, ideally by the children. Afterwards, discuss as a group how it felt to write to these various people.

Appreciation Journals

Ask students to keep journals in which they make entries each day about things big or small that they appreciate. This can be coordinated with language arts curricula, in that they can be asked to use different writing styles, sentence lengths, vocabulary, etc. to express themselves. Have them review their journals periodically and, ideally, share with one or two classmates. Help students expand the everyday occurrences for which they feel a sense of gratitude.

Where Did That Come From?

In conjunction with ongoing curriculum emphases, pick common objects that you are studying and ask the question, "Where did that come from?" or the related question, "How did that get here?" A good example is an apple. Work backward with your students (using the Internet or other sources when necessary), to trace the path that led that apple to find its way from a seedling to your school. Other common items -- chalk, a ruler, a piece of paper, a musical instrument, a piece of sports equipment -- can be traced back to their origins so that students can develop a sense of appreciation for the many things that had to happen to bring these objects to your school, and to them.

Gratitude Poster/Gratitude Board

Put a Gratitude Poster/Gratitude Board in your room that students can write on. You can have a different gratitude-related theme each month or you can alternative between two themes, for example: "Things We Are Grateful For" and "We Did It!" The first theme is about basic gratitude and it provides the opportunity to broaden students' appreciation for people and things that affect their lives. The second theme is a listing of something a student accomplished and the names of one or more people who helped them to be successful. We want students to recognize the truth of the statement that in success, we stand on one another's shoulders. This does not take away from students' success, but in fact adds to it. Two examples: "I got a B+ on my test because my sister let me study" and "I learned a solo in a song in chorus because Thomas practiced with me."

Gratitude Reflection

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has a Gratitude Works program with resources that help bring a variety of gratitude approaches into schools, as well as connecting to the home.

One activity that NASP recommends is a process of reflecting on gratitude. Have students consider the following:

Why this good thing happened

What this good thing means to you

What you can do tomorrow to enable more of this good thing

What you learned from taking the time to name this good thing

What ways you or others contribute to this good thing

The Rationale

When we promote gratitude in our students -- and in our own children -- we are giving them a great gift. What we understand about the effects of gratitude is similar to what we understand about the benefits of giving up grudges and more generally embracing a stance of greater appreciation. Dwelling in negative emotions --including selfish emotions -- is not the optimal state for learning, growth, or well-being. One of the reasons why writing about trauma is so effective is that it helps dispel the negative emotions involved.

It does not and cannot change unfortunate and sometimes tragic events. But it can help shift perspective toward greater positive engagement with others and with life. So it is with gratitude.

How do you practice and teach gratitude in your classroom with your students? Please share with us in the comment section.

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Habits of Heart: Helping Students Reflect and Act on Gratitude

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Maurice J. Elias Prof. of Psychology, Director, Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab (www.secdlab.org), Director, the Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Service (engage.rutgers.edu) Gratitude no longer has to be reserved for special occasions and amazing circumstances.