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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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10 Mindfulness Tips for Teens

Oct 29, 2021 09:30AM ● By Erin Lehn
Shot of teenager sitting down with hands in meditation pose

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1. Stop what you’re doing and count your breaths to 10. 

2. Devote your awareness to more of the pleasant and beneficial moments in your day. 

3. Accomplish only one task at a time. You will be more productive than if you split your attention to multiple tasks.

4. Start a daily gratitude journal. Each day, consider the big things you’re grateful for, like your family, friends, health or home. Also, don’t forget the little things you’re thankful for, such as a cup of coffee or a hug.

5. Get some form of exercise every day. Even a 15-minute walk can do wonders for the mind.

6. Spend time outdoors enjoying nature. Notice the power of grounding by paying attention to your feet on the ground.

7. Begin a daily mindfulness practice. Start with 10 minutes and work your way up.

8. Commit to a nourishing self-care routine with a caveat to set incremental goals you can accomplish. You do not have to overdo it.

9. Acknowledge the positive qualities of your family, friends and others in your inner circle. Let them know how much they mean to you. Let them know you see them and hear them.

10. Carve out daily enrichment time such as learning an instrument or creating artwork. Bring mindful attention, paying notice to your five senses, to anything you do in your daily life.


Tips courtesy of Gina Biegel, CEO and founder of Stressed Teens; Jem Shackleford, head of curricula for Mindfulness in Schools Project; and Tris Thorp, author and coach. 


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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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