In this blog we hear from the creators of a new tool to improve the wellbeing of children and adults.

Being ‘switched on’ 24/7 to all kinds of connected technology and social media such as Snapchat and Instagram, is now the norm especially for young adults and many children. It seems almost as vital as breathing. But with the increasing publicity showing the huge rise in anxiety and stress levels in these same groups, maybe it’s time to look at some alternative ways of connecting well, that can help to reduce some of this excess stress and anxiety.

More and more studies are showing that getting into the habit of taking ‘down time’ for yourself each day can lead to some unexpected ‘connections’ especially when combined with a few simple effective daily practices, among them: daily gratitude and random acts of kindness. These have been found to:

• nurture positive qualities,
• improve your emotional intelligence which can improve relationships,
• improve performance,
• reduce excess stress and so help to
• support emotional well-being.

These daily practices are used by thousands of people worldwide every day from top sports personalities, business professionals, senior citizens to children.

‘My Time to S.U.R.B.* A Journal to Nurture Balance’ is a guided daily journal created to introduce older children and young adults, to these same simple, effective practices to make connections in unexpected ways not only with others but with themselves too. It combines these practices with inspirational quotes and also captures the benefits that studies have found come from daily journal writing – memory improvement, self- discipline, learning to focus on goals and some aspects of mindfulness.

“My Time to S.U.R.B” has been piloted by children and adults over the last couple of months and the feedback has been very positive:

“My daughter took part in the pilot of this journal and having read through it I decided to follow along as well. We found that it helped us to connect with each other more also when my daughter chose to share some of her thoughts from her pages, I understood much better the pressures she has been feeling from the need to perform well in school exams, sports and at home”– Di, South London.

“I think the booklet would be a very useful tool for adolescents and older children in primary schools. It would help them focus on something positive and recognise strengths and qualities that they can nurture while being more inclusive and respectful of others (and let’s face it this society needs a bit of that at the moment).” – Luisa, Lead School Counsellor, North London.

“It has helped me to try to listen more to my mum and sometimes think what I can do to help someone else” – Kai, London.

“After using the journal for just the first couple of weeks I find myself giving more thought to the kind of person I want to become and how I can help myself to become that person. I also love the feature of quotes throughout the journal” – Katy, Essex

We hope the journal will encourage older children and young people to help create balance in their lives through using simple, effective practices.

For further information please contact Nina at: johnsm2643@gmail.com or telephone: 07900 215 914. Alternatively you can visit their website here

---

Sources: The Observe (Guardian) ; University of Toronto; Harvard Health Publications