Celebrate Family Day™ - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children on September 28, 2020

 

InnerAct Alliance and its coalition partners, StandUP Polk and UthMpact, are proud to join in the national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to reduce youth substance abuse and other risky behaviors. We encourage everyone to participate in Family Day™ – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children next Monday, September 28, 2020.

Family Day began in 2001 as a national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to help kids grow up safe, healthy, and drug free. Research from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University consistently finds that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they will be to smoke, drink, or use illegal substances. To sign the family day pledge and find helpful tips to talk with your children, please visit www.informedfamilies.org.

Another way to celebrate healthy living without harmful drugs is by participating in the 2020 Red Ribbon Virtual Challenge presented by InnerAct Alliance and Title Sponsor, Publix Super Markets, Inc. 

The Red Ribbon Challenge will kick off on September 28 and continue during the month of October with virtual weekly challenge activities featuring themes of: Nutrition, Healthy Mind/Healthy Body, Kindness & Tolerance, Help Save The Planet, and Healthy Lifestyle. Children in grades K-8 can register for FREE and complete the challenges with family members and friends, post pictures of their activities, and earn cool prizes!

Additional information and online registration for the Red Ribbon Challenge can be found at: www.RedRibbonRun.com 

Tips for Self-Care While Practicing Physical Distancing

 

How to Care for Yourself While
Practicing Physical Distancing

If you are feeling overwhelmed or mentally exhausted because of changes to our society brought on by COVID-19, you’re not alone. The pandemic has impacted millions of Americans physically, mentally and emotionally.

People across the country are experiencing increased levels of stress and fear because of the new disease as well as feelings of isolation brought on by physical distancing. Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation says 45% of adults report feelings of worry and stress related to COVID-19 that have negatively impacted their mental health. Feelings of anxiety are becoming more common as people are worried about themselves or their loved ones getting sick.

The Mental Health First Aid Blog (www.mhfa.org) offers these easy self-care strategies to help reduce feelings of depression and prevent anxiety while social distancing:

1.    Eat healthfully to keep your body in top working order.

2.    Exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, whether we’re working out at home or taking a solo jog around the neighborhood.

3.    Practice relaxation therapy. Focusing on tensing and relaxing muscle groups can help you relax voluntarily when feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious.

4.    Let light in. Increased exposure to light can improve symptoms of depression. If you can, open the shades and let more sunlight in.

5.    Be kind to yourself! Treat yourself with the same compassion you would a friend.

6.    Stay connected. Even if you can’t get together face-to-face, you can stay connected to friends, family and neighbors with phone calls, text messages, video chats and social media. If you’re feeling lonely, sad or anxious, reach out to your social support networks. Share what you are feeling and offer to listen to friends or family members about their feelings. We are all experiencing this scary and uncertain time together.

7.    Monitor media consumption. While you might want to stay up-to the minute with COVID-19 news, too much exposure can be overwhelming. Balance media consumption with other activities you enjoy, such as reading, cooking or listening to music.

 

Helpful Tips & Tricks for Back to School Success!

 

Happiness Chemicals for Positive Mental Health

Happiness Chemicals for Positive Mental Health

With everything going on in our world today, it is more important than ever to be mindful of our overall health and well-being, which not only affects how we think, act, and feel, but also how we are able to handle stress, relate to others, and make important choices for our families. If we are not feeling 100%, then our decisions may not be 100%. 

Take time to engage in healthy activities that can help create a hopeful mindset and maintain a safe, positive home environment during these unsettling times. Mental Health MATTERS, so check out the simple tasks posted above to help boost your mood!

Family-Friendly Summer Activities

HAPPY SUMMER!
Family-Friendly Summer Activities

suggested by our friends at Informed Families

Summer is finally here! We're all ready for a much needed break from homeschooling and looking forward to some fun. However, a less structured day and minimal supervision can spell trouble for some kids and teens.

Spending time together as a family is a great time to build healthy relationships. When you're enjoying activities with your kids, use it as an opportunity to talk and really listen to one another. The earlier you start connecting with your kids, the better. If your kids aren't used to talking to you about what's going on in their lives when they are 8 or 10 years old, it's harder to get them talking when they are 12-14 years old.

Check out the list of family-friendly summer activities below that are not only fun but also healthy and safe!

MIND

• Do a puzzle – create a cozy puzzle corner so you can complete complex puzzles over time
• Watch a documentary – Netflix and Disney+ has some great ones
• Write a story or play – get those creative juices flowing
• Listen to a podcast – check out NPR’s Wow in the World
• Build with Legos or blocks – an all-time favorite for younger kids

BODY

• Take a walk – hit the beach or a nature trail
• Do yoga – Cosmic Kids Yoga combines yoga, mindfulness and storytelling
• Have a dance party - take turns being the DJ!
• Bike riding – have your kids map out the route beforehand
• Play charades – everyone can join in the fun

SPIRIT

• Pray – pray through words, art or song
• Listen to music or sing – share some of your favorites with your children, and listen to some of theirs
• Write in a journal – a great activity for reflection & goal setting
• Meditate – everyone benefits from taking time out each day to "unplugged", relax, and focus.
• Create a gratitude or vision board – hang the completed masterpiece up where it can be seen everyday

ENVIRONMENT

• Wash the family car – kids love to help out
• Draw murals outside with colored chalk – the driveway or sidewalk is your canvas
• Garden – start an herb or vegetable planter
• Go through toys, clothes and books – decide what you can donate
• Volunteer – help your kids develop empathy & compassion for others

FAMILY

• Play board games – so many great ones to choose from
• Cook dinner together – the Food Network has tons of kid-friendly recipes
• Watch a movie – perfect for a family night in
• Have a picnic – this can be as easy as spreading a blanket down in your backyard
• Tell stories about old memories – a great way to create new memories too

Happy 4th of July - Have a Safe Summer!

Red Ribbon 2020 - A Hopeful Look Ahead!

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused InnerAct Alliance’s board of directors and staff to doubt the wisdom of holding our usual Fall programs and events that are attended annually by large groups of people, including children and their families. Safety is our main priority. While no one knows for certain what the months ahead will bring, we are beginning to plan some special activities and events that may take on a different look for 2020 as we attempt to follow safe social distancing practices.

Here’s a preview of what’s ahead:

With the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus and the challenges associated with hosting a large community event within social distancing guidelines, the InnerAct Alliance board of directors and staff have made a difficult decision that the Red Ribbon Run cannot be planned in its traditional format this year.

Exciting plans are underway to create a new Red Ribbon Virtual Race and Challenge which will begin on September 28, 2020 with Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children and continue through the month of October. The Red Ribbon Race and Challenge will present "prevention challenges" for students and adults to achieve milestones in an Olympic-themed virtual race offering bronze, silver, and gold levels for participants to earn medals and prizes! Completed challenges will be represented as milestones along a virtual path. 

Details for registration and weekly themed prevention challenges will be announced soon. Challenge themes may include: Nutrition, Healthy Body-Healthy Mind, Kindness, Anti-Bullying and Tolerance, Push-ups/Sit-ups, Run/Bike/Hike a Mile activities, etc. 

We hope you will join us for a new, different, and fun Red Ribbon event!

2020: A Year Like No Other!

We can probably all agree that it’s been one heck of a crazy year! 2020 began in the usual way - going to work, learning at school, playing sports, attending events, enjoying restaurants and movies, and hanging out with friends. Then suddenly in mid-March, along came the COVID-19 pandemic and our everyday lives came to a screeching halt as we were forced to adjust to a “new normal” to keep safe. Suddenly, we were staying home, social distancing, wearing a face mask, washing our hands more often, and experiencing life virtually rather than in person!

This has not been an easy time for anyone. No one wants to be apart from friends and family members and we miss interacting with each other. And, with school closings and many other closures and cancellations, we have missed out on celebrating special events such as prom, graduation, sports seasons, weddings, parties, vacation trips, etc.

As Summer begins, we are beginning to see hopeful signs that spread of the Coronavirus has lessened with fewer people becoming seriously ill. Hopefully, we can start to enjoy a return to normal with workplaces, restaurants, beaches, and theme parks reopening with safety precautions in place. Scientists are still studying COVID-19, so it’s important that we continue to keep safety in mind and social distance because there is no vaccine yet to help us become immune to this quick-spreading virus.

We want to stay connected while social distancing so we can continue to give and receive support from one another. InnerAct Alliance is committed to staying in touch with our amazing students, supportive business and prevention partners, families, and community. We are planning our Fall activities and events within safe social distancing guidelines and we look forward to celebrating the Annual Red Ribbon Campaign during October, teaching prevention education classes to students, and providing a great learning experience for our UthMpact Leadership Class X teen leaders – albeit in an alternate way. Be safe and stay well!