There are a number of things I have done over the last year to help cope with isolation, stay-at-home orders, general anxiety, stress, worry, depression or collective trauma that this pandemic has caused. As I indicated in my last post Are you hitting the wall during COVID-19? I said I would share some things I have … Continue reading 9 Ways I Navigated the Pandemic
An interesting discussion on looking for the small positives, turned into a connection with my daughter and discovery that today is National Bubble Wrap Day.
I've been thinking about grief and loss for awhile now. We know many caregivers for individuals with FASD experience grief and loss. We hear others say, "Oh, that's grief and loss!" - but what do we really know about it? Most of the information available on grief and loss is about death. Or in relation … Continue reading FASD: Grief and Loss for Caregivers
I recently saw the graphic below, of a sloth riding on a turtle’s back, saying “too fast”. I was going to share it on my Facebook page, with a short comment about how we may need to slow down in order to accommodate an individual with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Either in what we say, how … Continue reading FASD: Lessons in Processing Speed from the Turtle, Sloth and Snail
May 4 - 10, 2020 is CMHA Mental Health Week As we know, over 90% of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder will also have a co-occurring mental health disorder. While the Canadian Mental Health Association campaign is a general mental health campaign, the Canada FASD Research Network has indicated it will be releasing information … Continue reading Mental Health Week, FASD and COVID-19
According to Merriam-Webster: Definition of self-regulation the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as; Self Regulation: the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity emotional self-regulation. We know individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder often struggle with self-regulation, which can lead to many … Continue reading Self Regulation in FASD and me
Today (July 24) is International Self-Care Day I’d never heard about it before yesterday when I was looking on the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) website at work. A bit timely since self care is, and has been, pretty low on my radar lately. Many people in a caregiver role do not have time for self … Continue reading Self Care and Messages from the Universe in the FASD Lane
Here is a very creative way to not only learn about emotions/coping skills/self regulation, but help identify how and when to use them. A fellow mama and FASD advocate, creator of Team Love - a group for connecting families living with FASD - made this resource after being told about a bus metaphor for emotions. … Continue reading Who is driving your bus?
sunday, september 21 was the quiet day. a movement started by the quiet place project. a day when we all stop yelling at each other. we write everything in lowercase. during the quiet day you should not write anything with your caps-lock on (and no — don’t use the shift key either). the use of … Continue reading the quiet day: a good day for a drive and being mindful
Nothing like getting a person to contemplate her entire existence on the second day! I am a day behind so really I am examining myself on the first day. Today's challenge is to look at the title of our blog and tag line. Does it reflect who we are and what we do? My blog … Continue reading Blogging 101 : Title and tag line
