Roots & Wings Mental Health Fitness for Families
Building Roots for Wings to Unfold
Category: Uncategorized
-
The Parenting Contradiction: From Correction to Supported Independence Many of us were raised to believe good parenting means catching mistakes quickly correcting, reminding, directing. But the more we manage every moment, the fewer chances children have for supported independence and to practice the skills we hope they’ll carry for life: self-regulation, problem-solving and emotional flexibility.…
-
Why Big Feelings Aren’t Bad Behaviour Understanding Emotional Outbursts Through a Developmental Lens As children, we didn’t have control over our emotional experiences. Many of us were taught, by well‑meaning parents—to manage, suppress, or “control” our feelings rather than understand them. These approaches weren’t rooted in harm; they reflected the limited understanding we had about…
-
5 minute read It’s common for folks with ADHD, ASD and PTSD to develop coping mechanisms that can sometimes feel a little out of sync in certain interactions. Let’s explore some ways you can cultivate more mindful listening and responding. Mindful Listening Techniques Cultivate Focused Attention: Before someone starts speaking, take a conscious breath to…
-
The Four Agreements is a book that has been influential since a college teacher mentioned it when I was 18. It talks about self-limiting beliefs and the agreements we make with ourselves, that are not based in truth and are often the cause of unnecessary suffering. The author Don Miguel Ruiz shares ancient Toltec wisdom…
-
Finding Points of Choice A sense of personal authority or agency refers to a feeling of control over your actions and their outcomes and consequences. You can actively build the awareness that you are interacting with your nervous system to initiate, execute, and take action, knowing life has choice points even when there are…
-
It is never too late to explore and assert our identity. We spend time looking at the why of a situation and get stuck there instead of asking how to take information from the situation to reflect on self and find ownership of beliefs and perceived or actual roles that are limiting. As adults it…
-
“Grief is one of the heart’s natural responses to loss. When we grieve, we allow ourselves to feel the truth of our pain, the measure of betrayal or tragedy in our life. By our willingness to mourn, we slowly acknowledge, integrate, and accept the truth of our losses. Sometimes the best way to let go…
-
We cannot simultaneously set a boundary and take care of another person’s feelings. When we know what creates our negative feelings and responses, we can use boundaries to manage relationships and ask for our needs to be met. An internal boundary is like an invisible shield preventing us from compromising our emotional, physical and spiritual…
-
Our nervous system is made to be a guide and is designed to be automatic in its perception of protecting our survival, real or imagined. Emotions are meant to be experienced to process experiences – good and bad. Stressors are meant to be relieved – not exacerbated. It is valuable to make a written plan…
