We are partnering with the Junior League of Summit to deliver resources and encouragement right to your inbox.
As we continue to see the effects of the pandemic in our community, we are here to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. We’ve created a series of emails that are meant to provide you reminders and tips to help us through it all. Some will be for adults, some for children; some for the employed, and some for caregivers. While you may not benefit from each email, we invite you to participate and pass it along to someone it might.
We will continue to get through this together. If there is a topic you’d like highlighted, let us know! And as always, if you or someone you know might need specific help, please reach out and we will do our best to help connect you.
Simple Strategies for Healthy Sleep Habits with Dr. DiMarco
Better days begin with better sleep! Here are a few tips from Dr. DiMarco:
1. Set a consistent sleep and wake time
2. Use the hour before bed for relaxation only
3. Set up good sleep conditions in your room
Learn more about these and other sleep strategies by watching the video below.
Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and writer specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and stress, with a sub-specialty in working with parents of young children. She is the Founder/Director of the North Jersey Center for Anxiety and Stress Management in Summit, NJ and a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Her writing has been featured in Motherwell, Motherly, Pop Sugar Moms, Psychology Today, Scary Mommy, The Washington Post, The Week, Today Parenting, and Parents.com, as well as on her own blog, DrCBTmom.com. She is the author of Mom Brain: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood–And Relax Into Your New Self.
Overcoming Avoidance Anxiety with Dr. DiMarco
Join us as Dr. DiMarco walks us through a 5 min exercise to help us feel more confident in overcoming avoidance anxiety.
Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and writer specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and stress, with a sub-specialty in working with parents of young children. She is the Founder/Director of the North Jersey Center for Anxiety and Stress Management in Summit, NJ and a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Her writing has been featured in Motherwell, Motherly, Pop Sugar Moms, Psychology Today, Scary Mommy, The Washington Post, The Week, Today Parenting, and Parents.com, as well as on her own blog, DrCBTmom.com. She is the author of Mom Brain: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood–And Relax Into Your New Self.
Resources from the Summit Free Public Library
Books from Summit Free Public Library on Emotional Healing, De-stressing, Self-Care, and Resilience for Adults, Parents, Teens, and Kids.
Mental Fitness Framework
with Jen Milnes
Your brain is being pulled in so many directions lately and it can be overwhelming. So much input coming in, such as emails, texts, questions from colleagues and kids, plus daily changes such as schedules shifting, snow days, and changing world dynamics. Phew. It is exhausting.
Slowing down throughout the day, even for one minute, can help us switch from stress-mode and negative thinking to a positive mindset. Responding to life’s challenges with a positive mindset rather than a negative mindset can improve health, performance, productivity, and relationships.
How can you practice mental fitness?
- Start by slowing down to observe your patterns – when do you get upset? When are you frustrated? When are you stressed? Start to notice what the triggers are to each of these feelings. Observing and creating awareness is the first step.
- Then NAME the feeling that’s happening. For example, if you realize you are being really hard on yourself, NAME those thoughts as “self-criticism”. This way when you hear the voice again, you can think, “Oh, that’s self-criticism showing up again!”
- Take a break in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening for 1 minute at a time. Spend that one minute getting out of your brain and into your body by focusing on breathing only or deeply examining something, such as the lines on your handprint.
- Connect with your most confident self when approaching a difficult situation – connect to this version of yourself by imagining a time when you felt all those positive, confident feelings.
Looking for more support? Reach out at jenmilnes@gmail.com Jen is a Summit local and Connection volunteer who cares deeply about our greater community. She’s also a certified Leadership Coach who supports individuals and groups to find clarity and consciously create more fulfilling careers and lives.
Gratitude Meditation
with Victoria Squazzo
Set aside 8 minutes to join Connection Instructor, Victoria, in a gratitude exercise.
This is a wonderful way to begin or end your day, or to take a break to refresh or re-center.
When you’re ready to begin, please click here; you can choose to listen to the audio or read the transcript.
We are continually grateful for you-our members and friends!