In today鈥檚 media and news, I feel like I hear more stories about the benefits of sharing emotions and discussing mental health than I ever did growing up. This is a wonderful thing and through popular media including television and movie portrayals and celebrity confessions, we are growing more accustomed to talking about historically taboo or just unknown topics surrounding emotions and mental health.

With great strides being made in these conversations, it seems important to discuss emotional intensity among our country鈥檚 brightest, and sometimes most vulnerable, youth.

The 聽has a great explanation for why gifted youth tend to experience more intense emotions, saying, 鈥淚ntellectual complexity goes hand in hand with emotional depth. Just as gifted children’s thinking is more complex and has more depth than other children’s, so too are their emotions more complex and more intense.鈥�

Gifted youth are often more aware of and affected by their surroundings. Children who feel things with great intensity experience the world in a different way than their non-gifted peers. Emotional or physical reactions to events can last longer for gifted children. These experiences of heightened stimulation observed in many gifted individuals are referred to as intensities or聽Overexcitabilities. Polish psychologist identified five overexcitabilities and their associated behaviors:

1. Psychomotor: Characterized primarily by high levels of energy
2. Sensual: Characterized by a heightened awareness of all five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing
3. Emotional: Characterized by extreme emotional sensitivity
4. Intellectual: Characterized by deep curiosity and thought
5. Imaginational: Characterized by vivid imagination and visualization

The first step in managing intense emotions is identifying and understanding them. If you think your child exhibits overexcitabilities, talk to your child about how they feel and react to certain situations. Healthy discussions around expressing emotions make everyone feel safer and more understood. Starting these discussions at a young age enforces good habits for the future.

How exactly do these overexcitabilities manifest themselves? It varies from child to child, but there are common associated with all five overexcitabilities.

• Psychomotor responses can include pacing, rapid talk or use of hand gestures
• Sensual responses can include sensitivities to clothing textures, food tastes or a need for physical displays of affection like cuddles or hugs
• Emotional responses can include intense feelings of empathy or compassion, depression, anxiety or loneliness
• Imaginational responses can include visualizations, use of metaphorical speech, dreaming or magical thinking
• Intellectual responses can include constant curiosity, deep thinking or a propensity towards solving puzzles and problems

Understanding what emotional intensities are and the behaviors associated with them can help with misdiagnosis or just plain misunderstanding. While some of the more extreme behaviors associated with overexcitabilities can be worrisome for a parent or educator, such as a child鈥檚 depression or anxiety, there can also be a wonderful bright side to overexcitabilities.

Some of the benefits of overexcitabilities can include:

• Empathy and compassion towards others
• A desire to solve major world problems
• Creativity
• A high sense of self-awareness
• Enthusiasm
• High energy

Intense emotions don鈥檛 always need to be feared or regulated. They are what make so many gifted children wonderfully unique. However, for the times that overintesities do need to be managed, here are some strategies:

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Outdoor physical activities such as going on walks, hikes or playing at a park
• Quiet reflection time
• Journaling or drawing
• Encourage discussions about how your child feels and why they feel the way they do

I hope this blog post helps with identifying and managing intense emotions in a gifted child. 优蜜视频鈥檚 also hosts a list of books, articles, programs and professionals that can be used as additional sources of information about overexcitabilities.

this year was yet another fun-filled week that鈥檚 packed with self-discovery and growth at YMCA Camp Shady Brook! Campers ventured out to try something new, made lasting friendships and attended many impactful workshops that are designed to nurture balance within.

Some people say it takes a village to raise a child. At Yunasa, it takes a tribe to build this camp. For many, it鈥檚 their first sleep-away camp and the longest time apart they have ever spent from their parents. This year, we had 23 new campers! Being mindful of this, our returning campers and counselors actively reached out to new campers and included them in group activities. Some campers are more introverted and reflective than others, but would ensure that they too have a space to share and be heard throughout the week.

From the youngest camper at ag 10 to our most senior elder at 85, Yunasa is a space filled with intergenerational connection and nurturing. Our workshops are designed to nurture balance in all five aspects of self 鈥� intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and physical.

In campers practice guided imagery meditation exercises. The goal is to integrate the conscious self with the unconscious. In the process, campers open a wide flow of energy from their intuition, inspiration and creative energy to the logical self. In the workshop called kindness, campers learn about the biological and physical benefit of practicing kindness and did several meditations in the session. In building and walking the labyrinth, campers constructed a single path in a serene setting. As they walked the labyrinth, they followed a single path that at times appeared to be a 鈥渨rong turn,鈥� but each turn actually leads them to a new beginning and ultimately the 鈥渆ye鈥� of the path. It symbolizes a spiritual journey and the tools needed for transformation. In art-based workshops, campers practiced focus, relaxation, trusting their intuition, self-acceptance and expression through activities such as Intuitive Mandala and Soul Collage.

Yunasa also offers outdoor activities in a traditional camp setting. Campers expand their comfort zones in a safe environment as they try ziplining, rappelling, and rock climbing. They learn about teamwork and build trust on the giant鈥檚 ladder and low ropes. They practiced focus with archery and tomahawk throwing. There are also waterfront activities such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding.

We hope all of our campers and volunteers have been able to get some rest this week. We cannot wait to see you all again in 2020. Until then 鈥� may your year be filled with joy, growth and loving kindness!

the entire Yunasa West photo album on 优蜜视频鈥檚 Facebook page. To learn more about Yunasa

The new school year has started and an exciting year of learning is in full swing! Whether you鈥檝e just started at a brand new school or in a new class, here are some tips on greeting the new school year with confidence, meeting new people and keeping yourself grounded.

1. Let your clothes speak for you. Meeting new people is not easy for some students. (In fact, it can be difficult for adults, too!) If you want to engage your peers in conversation, but don鈥檛 quite know what to say, see if you can get them to speak up first. Do you have a favorite t-shirt? Maybe one that鈥檚 unique or one-of-a kind? You鈥檇 be surprised at how easily a t-shirt, hat or pin can start up a conversation. My favorite animal is the hedgehog and whenever I wear this shirt, people inevitably ask me about it:

You might have a t-shirt from your last vacation, a hat with your Harry Potter house on it, a pin or button from your favorite band or a jersey from a popular 鈥� or even little-known 鈥� sports team. Letting your classmates know what your interests are by expressing yourself through fashion will lead to some great conversations.

2. Remember to breathe. After a summer of camp, vacation, barbecues and adventures with friends and family, getting back into the school year routine can seem daunting. It may seem counterintuitive to add another 鈥渞outine鈥� to your day, but consider meditation. Taking 10-20 minutes to yourself each day to quietly reflect and focus on breathing can help center you and restore a sense of calm. You can do it in silence or with music, or use any of several apps to guide you. You鈥檒l be surprised how something so seemingly simple can have such a large, positive effect on your well-being and outlook.

3. Digital detox: Though a lot of schools now have a one-to-one tablet or laptop program, and more and more schoolwork has a technology focus, make sure you find time 鈥� throughout the week, if not every day 鈥� to unplug, especially at night. Swap your e-reader for a good, old-fashioned book; play a board game instead of a video game; draw, paint or sketch; pick up an instrument instead of an iPod. Being in nature is also a great way to recalibrate, whether it鈥檚 taking a walk, playing Frisbee, riding your bike or having a picnic. Swap screen time for green time for fresh air and a fresh perspective.

4. Write it down!: Let鈥檚 face it: our lives are hectic. After school hours are spent shuttling from piano to soccer to art class to scouts. Sometimes, it鈥檚 nice to take a minute and reflect on all the things we鈥檙e grateful for 鈥� including the people and opportunities we鈥檙e afforded. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great, intentional act that can quickly turn even the most hectic mind calm. A gratitude journal can be blank and freeform or include prompts with different ways of experiencing thanks, such as 鈥淲hat are three sounds or songs you heard today that made you think of something you鈥檙e grateful for?鈥� or 鈥淲hat is something someone else did today that made you grateful to have that person in your life?鈥�

5. Replace 鈥淵es, but鈥︹�� with 鈥淵es, and鈥︹�� One of the most basic rules of improv comedy is that you don鈥檛 counter what someone says to you; you run with it. If your scene partner hands you a 鈥減hone鈥� and says an alien is on the line, you can鈥檛 say, 鈥淵es, but that鈥檚 ridiculous.鈥� Rather, you must then begin speaking with that alien: 鈥淵es, and he just told me that he wants to play baseball this afternoon.鈥� And so the scene continues. This is a great strategy to employ in everyday life 鈥� especially when trying new or challenging things. If someone asks if you had a good day at school, instead of responding with, 鈥淵es, but math was really hard and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 going to like it,鈥� try 鈥淵es, and I鈥檓 looking forward to understanding these new math concepts that were introduced today.鈥� A negative reaction can be an easy way out if something is frustrating you, but intentionally reacting positively will ultimately pay off much more.

6. Vary your activities: A good rule of thumb is to be involved in one activity you enjoy because you鈥檙e good at it, one social activity and one activity that is new or challenging, but also enjoyable. Maybe you鈥檙e not a confident public speaker, but you鈥檙e involved with a community theater group that requires you to cultivate that confidence in front of large groups. If you can make 100 free-throws in a row, you鈥檝e developed a skill. By stepping back to the three-point line and working to master that skill, you鈥檙e not only developing muscles, but also valuable muscle memory. Greeting challenges with confidence and an open mind will have lasting benefits both in and outside the classroom.

What are some of your favorite back-to-school tips and strategies for success?

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Four years ago,聽I took my first class at聽. It was a film making class and I created a Lego film titled 鈥淣ight of the Living Vacuum.鈥澛燬ince then I鈥檝e done chemistry experiments, learned to meditate and built a Rube Goldberg machine in 优蜜视频鈥檚 various locations.

But of all the classes I鈥檝e taken and all the instructors I鈥檝e had,聽Grayson Kent and his classes really stand out. I remember his first paleontology class where I discovered we both loved reptiles and dinosaurs. Grayson is a great teacher not only because he makes the information really engaging, but also because he is so supportive of students.

Grayson鈥檚 classes are interesting and fun. He doesn鈥檛 only lecture to us. We do a lot of activities, like in our Marine Biodiversity class when we made our own sea monsters and marine species. And we watch nature documentaries together, like National Geographic. He brings out lots of fossils every class, whether it be boney fish, whale baleen or even a narwhal tusk (it was a replica) and they never cease to amaze. He even sometimes brings in live specimens for us to check out or聽sometimes聽taxidermy, like a shark or a small mammal. It鈥檚 always cool. And he tells awesome stories that make the class more exciting and interesting, such as the story of a man who was diving of the coast of an island and an elephant seal came up to him and engulfed his head in its mouth! The seal let go and the diver was unharmed.

The best part about Grayson鈥檚 classes is that he treats me and his other students like equals. His class is like a conversation and not just Grayson telling us things. He is very helpful with whatever you need and he will always hear your ideas and answer your questions without making you feel like it was silly. We both keep reptiles,聽and when I lost my beloved pet聽Bearded Dragon, he talked to me about losing his Tegu and has been very kind and supportive of me.

Grayson is a good teacher and very encouraging, but he鈥檚 also funny and makes us laugh!聽When we were filling out the 优蜜视频 surveys for Marine Biodiversity he told us,聽鈥淭his is the opportunity you all get to say how much you hate me and want to get me fired!鈥澛燨f course, I would NEVER want that to happen.

Would your child enjoy a summer of learning with a teacher like Grayson?聽聽to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount!

优蜜视频鈥檚 pioneering unite highly able youngsters with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children. Campers explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

When I sat down to write a blog post on the wonder of Yunasa and Yunasa West, I was completely baffled as to how to begin. I sat, hands stagnant upon my keyboard as I searched for words that would adequately capture the essence of this magical summer. When I am thwarted by writer鈥檚 block, I often feel compelled to turn to the words of a beloved author or poet for inspiration. And so, I begin this blog with the words of Hafez, a Persian poet from the fourteenth century.

鈥淲ith That Moon Language鈥� by Hafez

Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to them, 鈥淟ove me.鈥�
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise
Someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a
Full moon in each eye that is always saying,
With that sweet moon language, what every other eye in
This world is dying to hear?

At Yunasa last year, I was deeply moved by the overall acceptance I witnessed as the uniqueness and individuality and quirkiness of each child was celebrated by the entire group. I never experienced anything like that amongst my peers as a child, and I felt grateful that a place exists where such unconditional acceptance envelopes each young person. This year, I was especially struck by the wisdom of the campers at both Yunasa and Yunasa West.

I watched, in awe, as campers 鈥� both new and seasoned 鈥� intentionally reached out to include some of the more shy and timid children; I listened, in awe, to conversations between campers that reflected profound insight and deep thought; and I shared conversations with quite a few campers whose empathy and self-understanding touched me deeply. This year, the Counselors in Training (CITs) at Yunasa in Michigan decided to orchestrate a 鈥渇riendship panel,鈥� or an open discussion with the entire population of campers about issues pertaining to relationships amongst friends. The younger campers had lots of questions, both general and specific, and the CITs demonstrated the type of wisdom one encounters within clusters of brilliant philosophers. They led an enlightening and interesting conversation that could easily have continued for hours.

Both camps were marked by traditional Yunasa Programming: Heart of the Matter 鈥� small group sessions with clinical psychologist and Senior Fellow Patty Gatto-Walden; Fellows鈥� Workshops, e.g., Emotional Life of the Brain with Michael Piechowski, Energy Healing with Stef Tolan, Archetypes: The Four-Fold Way with Shelagh Gallagher and Dan Tichenor, and Psychosynthesis Scenarios with Jim Delisle; Counselors鈥� Workshops, e.g., Duct Tape Crafts with Darcy, Russian Fairy Tales with Paul, Soccer with Lucy and Steph, History with Wade, and Music Improv with Ethan; traditional camp activities 鈥� zipline, giant swing, high ropes, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, and hammockville; Psychosynthesis 鈥� daily guided meditation in small groups; and evening activities such as the Variety Show, Campfire, Social, and Movie Night (we watched Big Hero Six). Special guests of Yunasa West 鈥� Louise Hindle and Dr. Amy Gaesser 鈥� offered workshops on poetry and EFT, respectively. Dr. April DeGennarro, our special guest at Yunasa Michigan, offered two compelling workshops pertaining to the identity we display on social media.

At Yunasa West, each psychosynthesis group performed a skit to demonstrate one of Dabrowski鈥檚 overexcitabilities. The Fellows, counselors, and I laughed hysterically as our wise young campers harnessed their creativity and impressive theatric talent to portray individuals who exemplify the intellectual, sensual, imaginational, emotional, and psychomotor overexcitabilities. Although we all laughed 鈥� a lot 鈥� their dramatic depictions were not far from reality!

This year, we read Listen! by Stef Tolan to correspond with the Yunasa theme, which was also 鈥淟isten.鈥� We chose this theme because listening to our bodies, minds, spirits, emotions, and, of course, listening to one another is imperative as we seek balance. At Yunasa, we aim to pay attention 鈥� to listen closely 鈥� to the world around us, even as we sit silently amongst the trees, absorbing the sounds, colors, life, and history of our surroundings. Listening and mindfulness are closely related. As I listen, I grow attentive to the way my body feels and what that means; I am able to gauge my emotions with a deeper sensitivity; I am more equipped to empathize with others.

I have now participated in three Yunasa camps, and each time, I come home with a heightened sense of attentiveness. My interactions with the Fellows, campers, and counselors of Yunasa help me return to a vibrant place of attention. We miss so much when we dwell inside our heads, bend our heads over our phones, and stare blankly as we move through life. Thank you, people of Yunasa, for existing and for inspiring.

And with that, I shall end this blog post in the same way it began.

鈥淭en times a day something happens to me like this 鈥� some strengthening throb of amazement 鈥� some good sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.鈥�
鈥揗ary Oliver

Summer is a busy time at 优蜜视频 鈥� all of our programs are in full swing, and many of our community members use the time off school to work on projects and participate in competitions. Take a look at what took place within the 优蜜视频 community in June!

33 campers gathered in Colorado for Yunasa West, a week of balance, community, and fun. Campers participated in yoga, guided meditation, small group sessions with 优蜜视频 Fellows, and traditional camp activities such as kayaking, swimming, ropes courses, horseback riding, and campfires.

22 students took classes like Chemistry Lab, Exploring French Culture, and Geology and the World around Us in Summer Academy Session I.

2011 CDB Scholar Anirudh was one of the at-large winners for the for his research into a genetic technique for autoimmune diseases; he also participated in the national competition in Philadelphia. Great work, Anirudh!

Academy students who enrolled in Astronomy took a fun field trip to the Griffith Observatory.

Three Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Selection Committees met to determine 2015 CDB Finalists. Then 优蜜视频 staff members set out to begin interviewing Finalists, a process which will span two months and include travel to 14 cities across the country!

Yunasa camper and Academy student Xander starred as Lord Farquaad in his school鈥檚 production of Shrek.

2011 CDB Scholar Shiloh was a national winner in the . Congratulations, Shiloh!

Several Academy classes ended the session with field trips to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Caroline D. Bradley Scholars across the country graduated from middle school, high school, and college!

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

One of the questions we routinely ask applicants during an interview for a position with 优蜜视频 is: 鈥淗ow do you deal with stress?鈥�

If one were to ask me that, I would have several answers鈥攖ake deep breaths, go for a walk, or listen to music, for example鈥攂ut the answer that would describe the tactic that is first and most effective for me would be, 鈥淛ournal about the situation.鈥�

My good friend鈥檚 father is a very wise, very prominent businessman. One piece of advice I will always remember from him is, 鈥淚f you are mad, write a letter. Don鈥檛 mail it. Put it in your desk drawer and sleep on it. If you are still mad the next day, then you can mail it, but usually by then, you won鈥檛 want to.鈥�

Writing things down is a way to get situations and feelings out and to express them, to see them in a new light. The very act of writing is cathartic. In , Mary Gordon says:

Writing by hand is laborious, and that is why typewriters were invented. But I believe that the labor has virtue, because of its very physicality. For one thing it involves flesh, blood and the thingness of pen and paper, those anchors that remind us that, however thoroughly we lose ourselves in the vortex of our invention, we inhabit a corporeal world.

There are many ways to journal; travel-writing, write on a topic, describe yesterday, scribble thoughts of your future goals, aspirations, hopes and fears. One of the most effective ways for me to journal is . One example of this is the Morning Pages, made popular by Julia Cameron in her seminal book, The Artist鈥檚 Way (1992). In it, she says, 鈥淧ut simply, the morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly steam-of-consciousness: 鈥極h, god, another morning. I have NOTHING to say. I need to wash the curtains. Did I get my laundry yesterday? Blah-blah-blah鈥︹�欌��

Cameron assures us, 鈥�There is no wrong way to do morning pages. These daily morning meanderings are not meant to be art. Or even writing. I stress that point to reassure the nonwriters鈥ages are meant to be, simply, the act of moving the hand across the page and writing down whatever comes to mind. Nothing is too petty, too silly, too stupid, or too weird to be included.鈥�

One key to getting the most out of Morning Pages is that they do not need to 鈥渟ound smart鈥�, and they are not meant to be read. By anyone. Including you. You shouldn鈥檛 read them yourself for at least two months, if ever. The point is to get the thoughts out, not to analyze them.

It doesn鈥檛 matter whether you are a writer or a carpenter, there is something useful in journaling. As Brenda Ueland said, 鈥渨riting is talking, thinking, on paper. And the more impulsive and immediate the writing the closer it is to the thinking, which it should be鈥�.It has shown me more and more what I am 鈥� what to discard in myself and what to respect and love鈥� (If You Want to Write, 1938).

So, as a method of meditation or stress-management or introspection, I invite you to write. As Julia says, 鈥淛ust write three pages, and stick them into an envelope. Or write three pages in a spiral notebook and don鈥檛 leaf back through. Just write three pages鈥nd write three more pages the next day.鈥� And please, let me know as it helps you create peace in your day.

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This post is part of the . Check out all of the other great blogs participating in Hoagies鈥� November Blog Hop!