Flourish Family Focus Coaching for Parents Wednesday 13th May 2020
Positive discipline for harmonious living
Discipline often takes the form of direction, telling what to do or not to do, or punishment after an event. This approach all too often leads to disagreement and/or feelings of injustice that detract from harmonious living.
Positive discipline is an approach that focuses on solution instead of punishment. Research shows that children who feel a sense of connection to the family, community and school are less likely to misbehave. This sense of connection is supported by positive engagement with others, and adopting a positive approach to discipline teaches important social and life skills such as self-discipline, co-operation and problem solving – skills that help children develop a sense of self-reliance and capability that will serve them through life. Discussion points:
To reserve your place please email Sally Sharp on ssharp@edgegrove.com by 5.00pm on Tuesday 12th May indicating the name of your child(ren) and the session you would like to join:
Pre-School and Pre Prep: 3.00-3.45pm Lower School: 1.30-2.15pm Middle School: 11.00-11.45am Upper School: 9.30-10.15am
Sessions will take place via Google Meet, and the joining code will be forwarded with your booking confirmation.
I look forward to ‘seeing’ you there. With very best wishes. Sally Sharp Head of Wellbeing
Flourish Thoughts
Riding the Waves By Sally Sharp
“You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabbat-Zinn
There is a fine line between contemplation and overthinking. Many things can tip the balance and it is easy to become stressed about something that has become troublesome - the transition from a calm state of mind to one that is less so is often due to overthinking, where importance becomes exaggerated, causing worry and possibly self-doubt.
Most of us are affected by overthinking at some point, however, this is a state of mind that can be managed. If you are able to identify thoughts that have the potential for overthinking when they begin, and recognise when overthinking is taking place, you can choose to take control of the energy used and headspace occupied - it may not be possible to control what is going on around you or what others do, but it is possible to choose your responses.
Top tips:
Being present in the moment: Overthinking takes the mind away from what is in front of you, and issues may become distorted by imagining future outcomes. Bringing your mind back to the present moment when you notice those thoughts is the first step to calming the mind. It enables you to focus on the reality now rather than what may be or not be in the future.
All change: Changing position provides the brain with a change of focus. If possible move to a different location, as you move reinforce why you are moving; if you cannot change location, try changing your posture – relax your shoulders, sit up straight, stand up or move about. Positive physicality supports positive psychology!
Breathe: Focussing on the breath brings the attention back to the body and calms the mind, and is an effective anchoring technique. The simple act of taking slow deep breaths in and slow breaths out works wonders, mentally and physically.
Take charge: Overthinking or rumination is time and energy spent on thoughts about things that are not actually happening now – try to remind yourself of this with a simple phrase to ground your thoughts. Having your own unique phrase to emphasise this point can be comforting and help to anchor your brain in reality. Here are some examples:
“This too will pass” “I am in charge of my thoughts and feelings” “I choose calm”
Take action: Distraction can be a powerful antidote to overthinking. Chose an activity that requires focus, something mindful, phone a friend, make sure it is something that will occupy your mind in a way that enables you to redeploy your thoughts.