How are you?
I mean, how are you really?
These are very extraordinary times and they can be very triggering. The range of emotions that people are feeling right now are all over the place and all that is .... human.
This particular situation we are going through right now can create a perfect storm of anxiety in our brain: our brain was designed in the Stone Age and the design has not changed, so we are all still living with a Stone Age Brain. A pandemic can trigger very profound feelings of fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and stress.
In Natural Highs, we had started an initiative called "How to turn Anxiety into your Superpower" in order to support teens and adults with the epidemic of anxiety that was already happening before Covid-19. We want to offer all the tools and strategies we have developed and hope they can be helpful for you in dealing with this serious situation now.
Stress and anxiety are very misunderstood of how they actually happen in our brain and body and unfortunately it usually takes decades for research to make it into mainstream knowledge. In Natural Highs, we want to change that and bring the latest research and understanding to teens and adults at a time when they need it the most.
If you want to do your own creative exploration around stress and anxiety for yourself, I highly encourage you to look at the attached worksheet and brainstorm before looking at the video below.
After your own creative exploration of your own experience with stress & anxiety, I want to share a TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal with you called: "How to make Stress your Friend".
This TED Talk discusses very important research on stress and anxiety and it holds a lot of practical applications for a time of crisis.
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES: - Feel free to print out the attached Worksheets (or if you don't have a printer you can type directly into the Word documents) - Do the first worksheet BEFORE watching the video: you can use words, images, however you want to creatively express yourself - Then watch the video and feel free to take notes - Then do the Worksheet "Reflections After" with words or images - Feel free to send your explorations to: avani@naropa.edu.
Also, feel free to check out the Natural Highs Google CALENDAR with daily Natural Highs activities for TEENS:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=83gi6m9jfn9j2noao4gac5adlk%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FDenver If you have joined the Natural Highs Academy after March 30, you can find all the previous exercises and worksheets that you might have missed on: & Materials
Feel free to share any of these resources with anyone - teen or adult - who you think might benefit from daily inspiration and structure during these times. I so look forward to have you be part of the Natural High https://www.naturalhighs.org/post/welcome-to-the-natural-highs-academy Want more Natural Highs Resources? Now, everything in the Natural Highs Store is available for FREE with the Coupon: "coronarelief": Community. We can support each other to make the best of these times Stay strong & inspired ❤️ Avani
