Proven Ways to Increase Focus in Kids
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Kids today are being brought up in a world full of distractions. Previous generations witnessed the development of real life, real time notifications. The only notifications and distractions we've had before was music, a phone call, or a pager. Getting a notification for an email only happened in real-time when logged online. Today, the menus of our phone have an area strictly for managing notifications. We have ways to pick and choose what we want to be notified about and when,
because we get notified for everything
. Notifications are just one small example of the way that the digital modern world provides us with distractions. Adults are better equipped to handle distractions than kids are. Kids are naturally distracted and attracted to distraction. For teens who are recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, maintaining focus is important. It is likely that their academics have suffered as a result of their addiction. Focusing on treatment, aftercare programs, and schoolworks is essential to create a fulfilling and successful life in sobriety.
Scheduled and improvised meditation
Meditation is a proven technique for enhancing focus. Many people find meditation challenging because they cannot keep themselves from getting distracted. Thankfully, that is what meditation is all about. Meditation encourages the practitioner to focus on the breath and become aware of their thoughts by noticing their thoughts, rather than focusing on their thoughts. For kids who are in recovery from addiction, meditation is strongly suggested. The practice is scientifically proven to reduce symptoms of stress, reduce cravings, and help the brain grow new grey matter. Meditation works best when it is done at the same time everyday, but it can be helpful anytime of day. When your kid is struggling to regain their focus, set a quick timer for a 3 or 5 minute meditation. A few minutes focusing on the breath can help get their mind back to action.Applied mindfulness
Mindfulness is both a form of meditation and a practice separate from meditation. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction has proven to be a worthy technique for helping kids recover. Mindfulness can be practiced all day by focusing attention to noticing and awareness. Playing mindfulness games with your kid throughout the day is one way to build mindfulness in addition to doing mindfulness meditations. Ask your kids what they notice they are thinking about. Ask them to pay attention to their senses when they are eating. Encourage them to become aware of their environment. Mindfulness is an action and a lifestyle as much as a solitary practice.Treatment should effectively transform life from the bottom up. Our programs for adolescent and teenage boys at Stonewater Adolescent Recovery help build a positive foundation while providing life cleansing therapies for healing. Call us today for information on our residential programs with academic support: 1-662-598-4214
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