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Suzanne Brownell guides |
"Talk yourself through stress and empower yourself."
"Even though I feel overwhelmed and stressed...I love and accept myself and how I feel."
"Cultivate a positive attitude--an attitude of gratitude!"
These are just a few of the tips that Suzanne Brownell, a local health and wellness expert, gave the 9th graders during a presentation about managing stress on Friday, April 26. The Guidance Department arranged for this special presentation for the Class of 2016.
Brownell showed the students breathing techniques for relaxation and stress relief, as well as yoga and meditation practices. Some were simple, unobtrusive breathing exercises that can easily be done at a desk before a big exam; others involved patting the limbs and head or massaging the ears and are perhaps better suited to outside the classroom. No matter the method, each of the techniques that Brownell demonstrated had an immediate impact on the students, who eagerly followed her instructions for each exercise.
Jaimie O'Neill '15 has asthma and said, "I felt it really helped my breathing, and I felt more relaxed."
Classmate Alia Spring '15 agreed, saying, "It was fun! I am definitely going to practicing the breathing before tests."
Brownell also talked to the students about the importance of eating healthy, calling it "mood food" and reminding the girls that "you are what you eat." Each student received helpful handouts with healthy recipes and descriptions of the stress relief exercises, as well as links to more information on Brownell's website, healththyself.com. You can visit Brownell's site for videos, classes and recipes for living healthy.