The current state of our world has forced many of us to be stuck inside physically. Mentally, the social distancing measures along with the uncertainty of what鈥檚 to come can cause a lot of unrest and unhappiness. I know I personally have been feeling anxious and nervous when I think about everything going on right now. Even when we weren鈥檛 in such unprecedented times and things were more 鈥渘ormal鈥�, spring has always been a wonderful time to reset mentally. It鈥檚 a season of life and growth; flowers bloom, days are longer and the weather is warmer.

If you are looking for things to keep your mind and body occupied while adhering to physical distancing, explore some of the options below.

鈼� Clean and reorganize spaces in your house.

If the prospect of deep cleaning your entire house seems daunting, simply focus on clearing out an overflowing closet or throwing away old papers on your desk. Decluttering and organizing might help you feel productive and of your situation. journal even found a correlation between people doing dishes and an increase in positive emotions like inspiration and mindfulness and a decrease in negative emotions like nervousness.

鈼� Try an online workout.

In this digital age and with social distancing in full-swing, there is no shortage of online workout classes to choose from. Check out YouTube for some free yoga flows, or find a gym that might be live-streaming a Zumba class. Exercise is linked to many , such as improved mood, decreased anxiety and boosted creativity.

鈼� Plant something.

Getting down in the dirt and growing plants can , reduce stress and increase mindfulness. If you have access to a yard, try planting flowers or vegetables. If you don鈥檛 have a yard, you can always pick up seeds from your local nursery or order them online and start an herb garden on your window sill.

鈼� Create art. Draw, paint, sculpt or write.

Whatever gets your creative juices flowing, try it out! shared that expression through art can improve cognition, reduce stress and promote relaxation. Creating art can also give your eyes a much-needed break from staring at your computer and phone screens.

鈼� Journal.

Writing your thoughts and emotions down on paper can give you a sense of release and an Sometimes, simply writing down your fears and concerns can instantly help you feel more at ease. It can also allow you to examine negative thoughts and potentially identify situations or moments that contribute most to those feelings.

鈼� Talk to someone.

Whether you choose to talk to someone you live with or call a friend or family member, interacting with other people, focusing on topics that aren鈥檛 centered around the news and enjoying the company of others can allow you to feel more social and improve your mood. There are also apps and online tools like where you can speak with licensed therapists if you are seeking professional mental health help.

鈼� Meditate.

There is may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. In a rapidly moving and chaotic world, many people find comfort in and benefits associated with sitting and focusing on breathing through a guided meditation for a few minutes. If interested, try or an app like Calm or Headspace.

I also feel compelled to end this list with a disclaimer. The activities mentioned above are simply suggestions that might provide some relief to any mental distress you may be experiencing right now. They are not meant to stand in for professional guidance nor do I hope they make you feel anything other than intrigued or inspired to try a new, soothing activity.

Right now many of us are inundated with a seemingly constant, discouraging news cycle. Many have also been under a barrage of encouragement from brands and peers to Viral challenges and lists like the one above may make you feel like you should be as busy as– or even busier than– you were in your pre-quarantine life; baking cupcakes in the morning, running three miles in the afternoon, knitting in the evening and finishing that best-selling book you鈥檝e been meaning to read all before you go to bed.

American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, These needs are physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. Before we can even begin to work towards feeling confident in who we are (our esteem) and feel we are achieving our greatest potential (self-actualization), we must first ensure our physiological needs and safety. This means we must have food, water and a place to sleep. After that, we need to feel safe and secure, we need a predictable environment that is free from threats and harm.

In the current situation, many people鈥檚 physiological and safety needs feel threatened. If you are worried about getting food, staying healthy or ensuring you have a home to sleep in, it might be very difficult to focus on painting a portrait or feel motivated to clean your closet. Our regular lives and most basic needs are suddenly no longer guaranteed in the way we might have always known them to be.

So before you feel like you need to learn a new skill, pick up a hobby or FaceTime all your friends and family members, focus on meeting your basic needs. Setting even just three simple goals for yourself to achieve in a day, like making your bed, brushing your teeth and eating breakfast, can help you feel more productive and in control of your situation. We cannot move onto meeting our higher needs or even helping others if we have not first prioritized ourselves. Be gentle with yourself and focus on getting through your day, little by little. We can all use a bit more self-love during this strange spring season.

优蜜视频 is here for you.

Each year during the month of May, organizations like and , raise awareness and highlight the importance of mental health through local events, media, and health screenings. The unfortunate reality is there is a growing number of Americans who are living with mental illness or have been impacted by trauma. This, in turn, can significantly affect their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Mental health organizations, like NAMI, work to support, educate, and advocate for policies that assist children, families, and communities.

As an organization, 优蜜视频 is also dedicated to serving the holistic development and needs of gifted youth by recognizing that they have important aspects of themselves, including intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical. These unique facets of gifted youth must be met for them to find balance in their lives and actualize their full potential. We know that some of these young people are more vulnerable to facing social and emotional challenges that stem from being gifted and trying to navigate a world that doesn鈥檛 readily accept or understand them.

In support of National Mental Health Month and to acknowledge the importance of mental well-being among our gifted youth, we鈥檝e compiled a list of mental health professionals and organizations who understand and have experience working with gifted families and communities.

Licensed and SENG-certified psychologist, Dr. Vula Baliotis, is based out of the Los Angeles area and specializes in working with gifted, creative, and highly sensitive youth and their parents. She offers psychotherapy and consultation for children and parents and assessment for twice exceptionality, learning disabilities, and emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties.

CFC utilizes a connection-based model that provides more comprehensive services for families, with independent professionals ranging from psychotherapy to parent education to neuropsychological assessments, from physical health and educational therapy to occupational therapy, and more.

The Center for the Gifted, located in Philadelphia and led by Dr. Suzanne Schneider, was established in 1983 to meet the needs of gifted people of all ages. Services include counseling and psychotherapy, gifted identification, vocational interest testing and guidance, and workshops and publications focusing on the needs of the gifted population.

The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. They work to deliver the highest standard of care, advance the science of the developing brain, and empower parents, professionals, and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most.

Gloria Sandford MA, LMHC specializes in Marriage and Family Therapy and has worked with a variety of issues concerning adults, children, marital issues, families, and support groups. She is a professional member and trained Parent Facilitator of and a Certified Lifespan Integration therapist.

The Daimon Institute for the Highly Gifted provides psychotherapy and educational consulting to support the overall development of exceptionally and profoundly gifted people. Located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, their practice implements the Integral Practice for the Gifted model which addresses all aspects of the gifted individual: intellectual, emotional, moral, spiritual, social and physical.

Gunn Psychological Services is a group of professionals dedicated to providing the highest quality psychological services and referrals, including developmental, psychoeducational, and intellectual giftedness assessments, as well as individual, family, couples and group therapy.

Linda Powers-Leviton is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child therapist who specializes in counseling for the gifted. Since 1974, she has developed and taught programs to help parents and educators best reach children with learning and emotional challenges. Her expertise with the gifted population, particularly twice-exceptional youth, has prepared her to offer a unique specialized program to address the needs of this community.

As a clinical psychologist in practice for over 30 years, Dr. Post specializes in gifted adults and adolescents. Through private practice, she offers individual, couples, family and group therapy for adults and adolescents; consultation and supervision for treatment professionals; and educational consultation services for gifted children and adolescents.

SENG is a national organization which seeks to inform gifted individuals, their families, and the professionals who work with them, about the unique social and emotional needs of gifted persons. SENG supports programs that foster in gifted individuals the mental health and social competence necessary for them to be free to choose ways to develop and express their abilities and talents fully.

Summit Center provides educational and psychological assessments, consultation, and treatment for children, their parents, and families. Summit works with all kids 鈥� including those who are gifted, those with learning challenges, and those who are twice-exceptional.

Terry Bradley is a gifted education consultant specializing in the social and emotional aspects of giftedness. Her services include a full-day workshop training for school personnel and mental health professionals on facilitating discussion groups for gifted K-12 students; a professional development training on the affective needs of the gifted; and a presentation for parents on what to know when raising gifted youth.

Tyler Institute provides high-quality mental health services by qualified professionals to children, adolescents, adults and families. Anne Tyler, its founder, is devoted to helping children, adolescents, families and adults work through mental health challenges in order to live up to their potential and manifest their talents and strengths in a more vibrant way in everyday life.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Patty has provided individual, couple, family, and group counseling to gifted and profoundly gifted individuals across the life span, from very young children to people in their elder years. Her therapeutic orientation is holistic with a relationship focus.

For additional resources, visit our online (GRC) which contains an ever-growing and robust listing of over 800 resources appropriate for gifted learners from pre-k through high school.

Want to share a resource? Email GRC@educationaladvancement.org or comment below!

I started my volunteer work as a teenager, when my local group needed participants to join their choir to perform at nursing facilities.聽 In addition, our high school highly encouraged students to volunteer their time, either at school or within the community, way before schools required students do a minimum of volunteer time during the school year.

Subsequently, my first important job was as an assistant at a Head Start program in the San Fernando Valley.聽 Project Head Start was a great proponent of parents volunteering and becoming engaged within the educational and neighborhood community, whether the volunteer work took place in one鈥檚 home cutting crafting paper; or being a part of a committee that made important decisions for the program or the community.

Ever since, I have been a volunteer at my children鈥檚 schools and my community for several years, whether it was getting our neighbors together to start a Neighborhood Watch, or organizing and running the school Book Fair.聽 I wanted to instill on my children that part of being a productive community member is giving your time, and sharing your knowledge, expertise or special skill; that volunteering is one way of giving back to the community, whether it鈥檚 the school community, your neighborhood community, a community struck by disaster or a community that may be distressed or hurting.

It is not surprising that the findings on research about volunteering result in a .

Social Impact:聽 Volunteering encourages you to make friends and connect with others.聽 It can help increase your social network and strengthen your ties within your community. You may meet others that share the same interests, hobbies and have the same neighborhood resources.

Physical and Mental Health:聽 Volunteering has many physical and mental health benefits, including becoming more physically active, feeling less isolated and raising your self-confidence and self-reliance.聽 It helps counteract the effects of stress, anger and anxiety. This is especially true for volunteers that work with animals.

Job Skills:聽 You can increase your job skills or advance your career by volunteering at places that will help you acquire those skills or enhance skills you already have. For example, volunteering your time to help fundraise may help improve your skills in communication, marketing and outreach. In addition, some organizations provide workshops or pay for their volunteers to attend seminars or workshops to help improve their knowledge base or particular skills.

There are so many ways to volunteer, some more time-consuming than others, but no matter how much time you volunteer, the benefits are valuable, both to you and the organization. Here are some suggested places that need volunteers:聽 your local community organization such as your neighborhood council or community art center, hospitals, non-profit organizations, libraries, parent/teacher organizations, schools, churches, animal shelters, crisis centers, to name a few. in various roles, from office help to attending outreach events.

Also, there are organizations that specifically focus on matching volunteers with organizations.聽 Two of them are Giving Tuesday and Big Sunday:

(today!) is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social collaboration. Giving Tuesday has to help you find organizations, charities, events and more in your own community.

is an organization that connects people through helping by offering 2,000 ways for people to help out every year.

For more information on how you can help change the life of a gifted child through the gift of volunteer time or a financial contribution, visit our and pages.

As a parent, you always want what is best for your child and strive to provide it for them.聽 Developmental specialists, health providers and other experts are always researching and recommending ways to raise a child in order to reach their full potential. One of the focuses for parents should be the mental health of a child and understanding and learning .聽 (1)

But how do you know whether or not the emotions that your child is feeling are normal? Or if your child may need additional mental health intervention? Certain life stressors, changes or transitions may cause behavioral changes in a child, and these changes may be normal.聽 For example, it is normal for a child to start acting out after the arrival of a new baby.

However, if they seem extreme or go on long after the event, you may want to consult a professional such as a mental health counselor, school nurse, school counselor or another health care specialist if a child you know (2):

• Feels very sad, hopeless or irritable
• Feels overly anxious or worried
• Is scared and fearful; has frequent nightmares
• Is excessively angry
• Uses alcohol or drugs
• Avoids people; wants to be alone all of the time
• Hears voices or sees things that aren鈥檛 there
• Can鈥檛 concentrate, sit still, or focus attention
• Needs to wash, clean things, or perform certain rituals many times a day
• Talks about suicide or death
• Hurts other people or animals; or damages property
• Has major changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Loses interest in friends or things usually enjoyed
• Falls behind in school or earns lower grades.

Because children often can’t understand difficult situations on their own, you should pay particular attention if they experience (3):

• Loss of a loved one
• Divorce or separation of their parents
• Any major transition鈥攏ew home, new school, etc.
• Traumatic life experiences, like living through a natural disaster
• Teasing or bullying
• Difficulties in school or with classmates

What Parents Can Do (2):

• Care for your children鈥檚 mental health just as you do for their physical health.

• Pay attention to warning signs, and if you鈥檙e concerned there might be a problem seek professional help.
• Let your children know that everyone experiences pain, fear, sadness, worry and anger and that these emotions are a normal part of life; encourage them to talk about their concerns and to express their emotions.
• Be a role model 鈥� talk about your own feelings, apologize, don鈥檛 express anger with violence, and use active problem-solving skills.
• Encourage your children鈥檚 talents and skills, while also accepting their limitations. Celebrate your children鈥檚 accomplishments.
• Give your children opportunities to learn and grow, including being involved in their school and community and with other caring adults and friends.
• Think of 鈥渄iscipline鈥� as a form of teaching, rather than as physical punishment; set clear expectations and be consistent and fair with consequences for misbehavior; make sure to acknowledge both positive and negative behaviors.

• Lastly, just be a parent to your child, and let the professionals do their job, as that is what they are trained for.

Mental disorders in children are treatable. Early identification, diagnosis and treatment help children reach their full potential and improve the family dynamic. Children鈥檚 mental health matters! To learn more, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.

Additional Resources:聽 Some of these organizations have local affiliates, provide support groups both within the community and online, and provide resources such as workshops and classes.聽 In addition, your local school district has mental health resources, or may partner with community organizations that provide mental health services.

References:

(1)听

(2) 聽聽

(3)聽 聽