Gail attended the Mindfulness Stress Reduction Series in 2021 in hopes of helping her child manage their stress during a time of constant change due to COVID-19. She was referred from an educational professional at her child’s school and it turned out to not only benefit her child, but help the entire family.
At the end of every session, Gail would share the information she learned with her family. As a family, they would discuss the topics, tools, or tricks that were shared and would practice using those tools and tricks throughout their daily routines.
Due to COVID-19, there was constant instability in the community and remote learning was put in place which was a huge adjustment for not only students but for their families. Being that students were learning remotely, Gail thought the Mindfulness Stress Reduction Series would be a great opportunity for her child to connect with other kids who were not in the classroom in order to boost her socialization skills.
Gail was more engaged and active in the series compared to her child but she enjoyed being able to interact with other families. She was reassured throughout the entire series that her child’s struggles are normal and all anxieties are unique.
The “Q-Tip” session was the most beneficial tip Gail learned from the series and still implements at home. Gail slips “q-tips” and small notes of encouragement in her daughter’s lunch pail during stressful times. This usually results in a light, heartwarming conversation that involves laughter later in the day. Her daughter is appreciative for these q-tips and notes and they tend to always brighten her day.
She enjoyed how the program was structured. Instead of feeling like it was more work that had to be done, the experience of participating in the mindfulness and meditating exercises that were facilitated helped Gail get in the right mindset. She was able to be receptive to receive information and practice good listening skills for not only the other participants but for her own child’s needs as well. Gail learned to “Listen with new ears and an open mind to let her child talk about their stressors and anxieties.”
Gail attended the entire Mindfulness Stress Reduction Series and at the end of the experience she was able to reflect and stated “…things are way better than I thought they were. The series pulled me out of this feeling of isolation that I had before joining.”
Instead of feeling alone during a scary and hard time, Gail mentioned “It’s great to see that there are other people going through the same things you are going through. We’re all going through this together. It was a place of acceptance and everyone was respected and encouraged.”
