CTC1990.COM
CTC1990
  • Home
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Free Resources
  • Contact
  • About
  • Sign up for our free resources!
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Free Resources

What does "rest" really look like?

6/24/2015

 
Picture
Last summer I  sat by the side of this glacier fed lake.  The Rocky Mountains stretched before me.  I rested in front of them.  

Someone from the city asked, "What do you do out there?"  
The answer, simply, was, "Nothing."  

I rested. Creativity flourished.  Life was enhanced.  In this tranquil setting I began my first book.    Soon I will be at the edge of the lake again, resting, writing, pausing, slowing, breathing.

So what does rest look like for you?
Recent research on toxic stress points to the importance of "getting away from it."  After 21 days neural networks that were stressed begin to heal themselves.  The damage of persistent stress begins to reverse. This is true for adults.  Unfortunately, exposure to persistent damaging stress has different impact on our children's developing brains.  More on that later. 
As an adult, what can you do to "get away from it?"  Where can you find your 21 days to be absent from the stressor?  Impossible?  Perhaps we build to 21 days, starting with a weekend, a week, two weeks, then more. Be kind to yourself as you pry apart the "shoulds" and "oughts" to create some space to regenerate. 

What seems impossible may just be the beginning of you flourishing, and turning a new page as well.

Comments are closed.

    Caring. 
    Transforming.
    Connecting.

    Mary-Catherine Bailey-McKenna is a registered psychologist and author of the Caring Adults Helping Kids Series, including:
    - the I Series Instead I, What if I, So Then I, Why Can't I, But When I (released June 2019)
    - CHILL - like a superhero (graphic novel)
    - My Backpack ("flip book" on  separation and divorce).

    These posts explore  basic models and strategies for supporting self-regulation skills in school-aged children, and in the adults who care for them.

    Categories

    All
    Adolesent
    Books
    Strategies
    Understanding Complexity

    Archives

    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

 What people have said 
My daughter (going on 4) is younger than the intended age group but she loves the “I Series”, she calls them her “Happy Face Books”. I love that even though she may not fully understand all of the content, there is a lot that I have been able to relate back to situations where she has been playing with her cousins and with other kids at the playground. The techniques demonstrated in these books have been a great guide for me as a parent to teach my pre-schooler emotional regulation skills and prepare her for future social situations."        Ainsley Painchaud                                                                                                                                       Instead I ...            and      What if I ...        and     So then I ...             and     Why Can't I ...

About Us


​

Contact Us
I highly recommend [Instead I...'s] use in homes as well as in schools, where these concrete skills can be effectively modeled by adults and practiced by children.                            
   W. Dale Heide, MSW, 
Clinical Social Worker,                                  
   AB​,                                     

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! “Instead I...” will help children navigate the many challenges of a school day.
         Madeline DeLorey,
                      B.A., B.Ed.                    Teacher, ON

[Instead I ...] really helped my son with his behaviour in school and at home.  He is now in Grade 5 and is making better choices and is a better student.  Thanks for the AMAZING book!
                          Robert
Parent   Entrepreneur,                                        AB

 

 

 



What If I … teaches skills to calm the worried mind.  These skills that are foundational to good mental health in childhood  AND  adulthood.  What If I … draws the reader into the day-to-day realities of children and young students.
                Van McGeein, MSW, RSW
​                                                    AB


This book is exceptional in helping quiet worriers build language around their feelings and develop simple strategies to begin to find new patterns. 

                      Dr. Jennifer Batycky,
                                Principal, AB



 

​
So  then I… is a book that children will identify with and that adults will find invaluable in helping kids to ‘have a great week.’     Mary-Catherine ... weaves straightforward and research-based strategies for dealing with ... challenges into the story.
                               Craig Harper, M.Sc.
​                                   Psychologist, AB

 
So  then I…  is a great companion to the first two books.  My daughter engaged with them imm
ediately.  
 I know she will love this one too!
                                        Heidi Grogan, M.A.
                            Writer, Instructor, AB


This beautiful little book is a much needed resource for kids and the adults in their lives.  ...   Why Can’t I helps every child to understand what they’re feeling, and to take simple, practical steps toward a healthier and happier state of being.      
                                   Tam Lundy, Ph.D.,
   Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative

This series is exceptional at giving children and adults the language to describe, and practice, emotional, calming, and social skills. ...  Children can discover that they can “grow” important survival skills, that these skills aren’t simply innate or absent.  
              Liz Spittal, B.Ed.,  M.Ed.- TESL,                      English Language Learning                                                  
​