Safeguard the children; they are our sole chance for redemption.

Many are concerned about the lack of compassion and peace in our world. Some are striving to promote harmony in a community fractured by hostility, violence, and despair. Others fail to see that the answers are already within our reach. In my view, children are the most impacted by our circumstances. They represent our future, but without protection, that future may not exist. Each child is unique and invaluable, offering something to the world that no one else can provide. We need to understand that each of us is a piece in what I refer to as the puzzle of life. A puzzle cannot be completed until all its pieces are assembled. If we consider ourselves as these pieces, it means that we all play a role in creating the final picture, which symbolizes unity. We are currently in an era marked by a lack of unity and peace, a world filled with bitterness, rage, and a shortage of empathy, one would hope for peace to flourish.

Despite reaching the year 2025, many individuals are still coping with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, both during and after its peak. As Americans work towards recovery and rebuilding their lives, they are faced with additional economic changes that will similarly impact them in the long term. These changes consist of the dismantling of the Department of Education, reductions in federal funding, and a significant surge in the cost of living. By dismantling these programs, they are reducing financial support for initiatives that support, educate, and protect our most vulnerable and underrepresented students, resulting in heightened fear and anxiety for many families, as well as significant unrest in communities. The Department of Education is crucial in enforcing federal regulations that prohibit discrimination and ensuring that all students have access to an education that allows them to reach their highest potential.

Children who do not eat three meals a day and look forward to going to school to do so are no longer able to do so. Children from broken homes who want to go to school are unable to do so because they are forced to stay in an abusive environment and take lessons online. School children are terrified for their safety after a fellow student chooses to carry a firearm to school and shoot it up. Some kids are buying guns and carrying them to school and other places because they don't feel safe traveling without one. Due to a troubling rise in gun-related violence, innocent children are losing their lives to random gunfire. Concern has been expressed by experts, parents, and service providers, yet I'm curious about their intended actions. In my view, community leaders and government officials must enhance their strategies, as they repeatedly assure us of their support and protection, but their actions so far have not reflected that commitment.

Many of our young people have fallen prey to the misdeeds of others, dealing with struggles around mental health, self-esteem, food shortages, and various other unimaginable problems that have intensified in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Child advocates Frank A. Maffei and Cathleen Palm discovered that child abuse results in more fatalities than the COVID-19 virus. Their analysis of pediatric data related to COVID-19 indicates that the pandemic has had a profoundly negative impact on children. "When a child passes away, the potential that child's life held is now gone, and society suffers as a result," state Maffei and Palm. The frequency of adolescent suicide attempts resulting in emergency room visits has risen, and feelings of isolation and alienation are exacerbating the issues that children and teenagers face. Even though many organizations are working to provide access to their programs for our children, it remains insufficient.

Together, we must safeguard the children, as many are unable to fully experience and enjoy life. Their innocent spirits, along with other at-risk groups, are facing a struggle. The initial action is to raise greater awareness about these concerns.

Examining Your Emotional Health

Happy Wellness Wednesday! Do you feel emotionally well this Wednesday? Shouldn't we all think about this question? We're all guilty of not checking in with ourselves as often as we should, it's easier said than done. Like checking our phones or brushing our teeth, it should come naturally to us.

So what are emotions? How can we examine them? According to Oxford, an emotion is a spontaneous, instinctive mental state brought on by one's surroundings, mood, or social interactions. A tangle of feelings followed by physical and psychological changes that impact our thoughts and actions is a common definition. Since emotions are the psycho-physiological methods in which we respond to an action, our impulses might inform us of what is happening as a means of addressing the issue by involving brain activity (Van Dyck et al., 2014).

According to Calvo et al. (2015), there are numerous physical manifestations of emotions that have a significant role in our social interactions, social outcomes, and the way we express our emotions to others. In my thesis, "Dancing, Mindfulness, and Our Emotions: Embracing the Mind, Body, and Sole," I delve into greater detail on emotions and wellness by identifying how mindfulness and the creative arts may help us identify, understand, and release our repressed emotions. In order to illustrate the relationships between emotions, renowned psychologist Robert Pluchik created the Wheel of Emotions in 1980. The diagram is shown below:

Robert Plutchik created the wheel of emotion, a tool that is crucial for improving self-awareness, communication, emotional intelligence, and the understanding and management of emotions. Better emotional regulation and interpersonal interactions result from its assistance in helping people recognize, express, and control their emotions. According to D'Ascenzo (2009), "since persons bodily resonate with emotions" (Collins, 2004, pg.6), positive emotions can restore reactions to circumstances by reflecting our self-consciousness.

My practice mostly involves children, thus I frequently stress the importance of educating them to recognize and control their emotions and to cultivate a healthy and strong subconscious mind. Which techniques can we use to help children learn to identify and control their emotions? A child's mental growth will benefit from learning how to express their emotions. Children who are aware of and in control of their emotions will feel capable of handling whatever challenge life presents. A child who can express "I'm mad at you," or "that hurts my feelings," is better equipped to handle disagreements politely rather than physically. Regretfully, emotional expression is often portrayed by society as a sign of weakness when, in reality, it is a sign of extraordinary power. As an adult or person in a position of authority, think about explaining a circumstance that made you feel a particular way. This is an excellent method of teaching children about emotions and how they are normal.

We should encourage children to share what triggers a certain emotion. Despite this, children's books, animation movies, and television shows emphasize it or even implore children to connect the word to the emotion's face (for instance, a red, frowning face would indicate an angry face). It is questioned whether kids comprehend the true meaning of emotion or what caused them to feel it, let alone recognize it. Families and classrooms need to support this strategy more often.

We are all aware of how important mental health is throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood; emotional well-being is essential for managing life's challenges and maintaining positive relationships.

Be well!

A Painful Kick to the Butt

We can say this about a lot of different things, I suppose. Trauma and the healing process can both be excruciatingly unpleasant. Bob Marley once said, "You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice." The quote is frequently used to inspire people to persevere in the face of difficulties.

In addition to causing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse, traumatic experiences can have an impact on relationships with friends, family, and coworkers. Never dismiss feelings or behaviors that might indicate a traumatic experience. Take action against them! Listlessness, sadness, and relationship issues could be symptoms of previous trauma. Trauma falls into three categories: acute, chronic, and complex. Acute trauma is the result of a single incident. Chronic trauma, such as violence or domestic abuse, is recurrent and persistent. Complex trauma is the result of exposure to multiple and numerous traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal kind.

Let's kick it in the butt! Which routes will lead us to recovery? When we ask ourselves, "How can I get past this?," we need to think about the good aspects of rehabilitation. Don't be too hard on yourself, have patience with yourself, and keep in mind that you didn't deserve the pain or the circumstances around the incident that hurt you. Allow yourself to have both happy and bad days.

Experiment with body and dance movements or exercise regimens; movement can help your nervous system recover from stress. Include more creative methods to boost your mood and increase your blood flow. A lot of memories, tension, and negative emotions are stored in the body; if you don't move or let them out, they will accumulate and may cause illness. Based on changes in motor behavior, autonomic nervous system activation, and metabolic processes that produce enhanced moods, lower stress-anxiety, and depression, various forms of motor behavior alterations aid in emotion regulation. (Calvo and others, 2015). By directing the brain to keep these issues from manifesting, dancing can help people who have memory loss and dizziness operate better. Positive behavioral changes, calm breathing, and appropriate blood vessel and vein circulations are all signs of a healthy brain (Philadelphia Integrated Medicine, 2018).

According to Burton (1925), dance therapy may foster both body and spirituality. This refers to the theory of the mind, body, and soul, which holds that all three are interconnected. The mind and body function as one and cannot be divided, unlike the soul. Although they originate in the mind, many emotions, memories, feelings, desires, etc. are frequently felt throughout the body (McGonigal, 2012). The European Renaissance produced a variety of dance over time, leading scholars to assume that dance evolved after that period (Payne, 2006). Dance has changed and will continue to evolve over time due to a constantly evolving society. As a reflection of neurons activating during motor observation, researchers have demonstrated how emotion regulation happens through movements.

Listen, listen, listen if you know someone who is dealing with prior trauma, here are some wellness tips you can offer:

• Give them time.

• Accept their feelings.

• Use the same words they use to avoid triggering them.

• Don't dismiss their experiences.

• Only give advice if you're asked to.

• Ask for help, find out what resources is accessible in your neighborhood.

• Connect with positive people.

• Give yourself credit when its due...and stop looking at what didn't work out.

  
  

  Happy Wednesday! Be Well!