Natural Wellbeing Blog

Since the school year started, many parents have experienced a scenario that’s all too common. The phone rings, and the caller ID says it’s from your child’s school. Their teacher is on the other end of the line explaining that your child has low grades and poor performance in class. This is all news to you—your kids seem fine when they’re at home!

It can be hard to connect with nature this time of year. It’s cold outside in the Western hemisphere, and in many areas, spending recreation time outside requires gear, or heavy jackets and snow pants at the very least. While there are plenty of reasons why it’s easier to stay inside, making sure that you and your children are getting quality time outdoors is vitally important. 

In general, kids are known for their distracted, high-energy behaviors. Parents everywhere will undoubtedly have days when they throw up their hands, feeling tired of repeating their requests or chasing their kids around the house. But what if this hyperactive behavior and inability to concentrate wasn't their fault at all? Many children struggle with their attention span in our modern age, and with all the fast-paced, distractions all around us, who can blame them? It's up to us as parents to recognize when our kids are struggling, and to help them learn the skills to cope and succeed in spite of their challenges.

Getting out in nature together with your child can not only provide an opportunity for bonding, but also help you de-stress, enjoy physical activity, and get some big breaths of fresh air. Plus, it’s vitally important for you and your child to take a break from screens and inside activities to spend time (safely) interacting with the natural world - the benefits might surprise you! 

As parents, it’s nearly impossible to raise a child without feeling some of the effects of technology usage in the home. Kids beg to watch movies on repeat, play colorful games on your phone and are even given homework assignments on the computer. Unfortunately, the increasingly prevalence of technology in our children’s lives has forced us all to question: What is technology really doing to our kids as they grow up? One major point of concern on this topic has been attention.

Many people have experienced that uncomfortable feeling of anxiety when a due date for a big project is looming and they’re struggling with completing it, or they really meant to have the house clean for guests but got sidetracked, or they just wanted to finish up a creative project and lost track of time. It can be incredibly frustrating and difficult to address why this happens, but for those who are willing to examine the causes, there is good news: There are many ways to strengthen your mental processes and bolster focus and concentration to improve your productivity!

Many people who usually go into work are now working from home instead. If you are WFH, are you more of a “roll out of bed and start work in your PJs'' type? Or are you keeping up the same routine you normally would, except at home? Either way, you might find some challenges to your productivity, and we’re here to help! 

Working on chores or homework assignments with children can sometimes feel impossible. One minute, they’re focusing intently, and the next minute, they’re up out of their seats, interested in anything and everything around them or holding their head in their hands, unwilling to do any more. Your child’s flighty attention span can be frustrating to deal with…but it is also normal.

As you age, taking care of your brain, and memory, in particular, becomes increasingly important. Staying sharp isn’t as simple as doing a puzzle every day—a lot of things contribute to your brain’s power to learn new things and store memories, including your diet.