Returning to Us

5 Minute Meditation

Today we're switching gears for our micro-practices series, we've been focusing on the physical body but today we're going to shift focus to the mind. In this episode Lauren talks about the benefits of meditation and how you can start to add meditation into your daily routines.  As someone who struggles with meditation, Lauren shares the tips and tricks she finds helpful to becoming successful at meditation. We're giving you this 5 minute habits series as a way to help you move from a surv...

HIIT in 5 minutes

HIIT Workout in 5 minutes or Less

In today's installment of our micro practices series, we're giving you an opportunity to level up the 5 minute workout routines we've been doing. Lauren is walking us through a high intensity interval (HIIT) workout that will help you improve cardiovascular health with just a couple of exercises per day. We're giving you this 5 minute habits series as a way to help you move from a survival state to a place where you are thriving. There is no fast way to do this, but adopting micro practices...

Low-Impact Workout in 5 Minutes or Less

In today's installment of our micro practices series, Lauren walks us through a 5 minute low intensity workout. This workout may feel slightly easier than the other workouts we've shared, but these exercises are still extremely beneficial. Plus, they can be easily fit into your day. We're giving you this 5 minute habits series as a way to help you move from a survival state to a place where you are thriving. There is no fast way to do this, but adopting micro practices like these will help...

Rest to Sweat in 5 Minutes

Today we're continuing our series on workouts that can improve your body in 5 minutes.  It is so important to maintain muscular strength as you age. Adding even 5 minutes of strength training to your day can help with mental health, stress reduction, sleep, and improves your long-term health. In this episode Lauren shares a 5 minute HIIT workout that anyone can do can add to their daily routine. HIIT workouts can be uncomfortable because they get your heart up quickly, but even 5 minutes o...

The 5-Minute Workout

Today Lauren is switching it up! She's noticed that her students and colleagues are feeling drained and exhausted. They've been talking a lot about well-being, self care, and stress management. Strength training, even for just 5 minutes a day, helps improve your overall health, longevity, function, and gets more oxygen to your brain. In this episode, Lauren walks us through 5 classic movements that you can incorporate into your daily routine so that you can start seeing these benefits in y...

Tiny Habits: Flow State, Be More Like Your Children

This is the third installment of out Tiny Habits series. Our focus is on helping you create micro stress management habits that will fit easily into your busy life. In this episode, Lauren walks us through the importance of flow state (or child state) as part of our self care routines. Flow state is an intense state of body and mind in which you are so immersed in the moment and what you are doing that you struggle to even hear others talking. With all of the stress and busyness in our li...

Tiny Habits: Breathwork

This is the second installment of out Tiny Habits series. Our focus is on helping you create micro stress management habits that will fit easily into your busy life. In this episode, Lauren presents an alternative to meditating for other people, like her, that find it hard to maintain a meditation practice. There are a variety of types of breathwork and guided breathwork programs that you can try. All have the benefits of stress reduction and nervous system regulation.  Lauren answers this...

Tiny Habits: Get Into Nature

In the last episode, Lauren gave tips for making micro-habits stick. Today starts a series of micro-mental health strategies that take less effort to implement and are more sustainable than big changes. Getting out into nature is a small change that you can make to regulate your nervous system and decrease stress. Even just 5 minutes of outside time per day provide benefits. We are biological beings so we are hard-wired to thrive in that environment. Remember, to make this a habit, trying...

7 Things to do to Create a Habit

It can be challenging to create long-lasting habits that help to keep you happy, functioning, and regulated. It's so common for to set goals, work towards them for awhile, and then go back to your old habits. In this episode, Lauren layouts out a roadmap for creating new habits that will stick. From starting with easy, tiny changes to learning to celebrate yourself, she shares 7 of her techniques for making meaningful changes to your habits and routines.  The next few episodes will be id...

The Align Method Daily Five

In our society, many of us are experiencing chronic stress instead of the acute stress our bodies are adapted for. During chronic stress, we aren't able to come back into the window of tolerance. In this episode, Lauren walks through Aaron Alexander's align method and helps us to understand how movement purges stress from the body. The Align Method Daily Five will help you get back into that window of tolerance and keep your body in an optimal state of functioning.  Lauren answers this w...

Nervous System 101

In this episode, Lauren walks through the basics of our nervous system. Whether you have more sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system activation, it is helpful to know how to recognize when your nervous system is dysregulated. The goal is to stay within your Window of Tolerance and to get back into it as quickly as possible after becoming dysregulated. Lauren shares tips and ideas for preventing nervous system dysregulation and restoring regulation. Lauren answers this week’s listen...

Listener Q&A: Lauren Answers Your Most Burning Questions

In today's episode, Lauren is tackling listeners' most common questions. She will walk through answers to questions about topics ranging from regulating your own responses to getting to the root of unwanted behaviors in your students.  Tune in to get some great knowledge nuggets and resources or email your question to us so we can answer your question in a future episode. Try-at-home tip:  Listen to what your body is telling you. Don't explain physical symptoms away so quickly - consider i...

Communicating in a Way That Gets Kids to Listen

The way that you communicate with kids directly impacts their self esteem and worthiness. So often the way that adults communicate with their own children or kids in a classroom setting is not productive. In this episode, Lauren points to some areas that may be going wrong in your communication with kids. She walks through the areas that you can focus on to make sure that your kids are feeling heard and respected. Plus, Lauren gives examples of communication strategies that will improve ...

Suspension and expulsion - why it isn’t helpful and what is

Research show that suspending students worsens behaviors, leads to more negative educational outcomes, and results in poor academic performance. So then, why are 3 million students suspended in the United States every year? Undesirable behaviors in children are most often caused by unmet needs. They are seeking connection and relationships. They very likely don't have the tools to correct the behaviors on their own. In this episode, Lauren gives us alternatives to suspension and expulsion...

Manage Your Stress or It Will Manage You

The terms "self care" and "stress management" are overused terms these days, but what do they really mean? Making the time to take care of yourself and your needs shows respect for yourself and your body and sends a message to those around you. "When you start with yourself on the inside and address things that need to be healed and neutralized, it radiates outward." In this episode, Lauren walks through the big 5 areas of self care and gives tips for creating routines that incorporate h...

Five Things That Drive Unwanted Behaviors

Behaviors are most often an expression of of unmet needs. It's easy to get bogged down in trying to stop a student's unwanted behaviors. Working to meet the underlying needs that are causing the unwanted behavior may be more effective. There are 5 categories of needs that typically drive undesirable behaviors. In this episode, Lauren walks through these needs and gives examples so that you can identify these in your students. She also provides strategies for meeting these needs to reduce t...

New Year and New Family Goals

The start of a new year is a great time to sit down as a family to define your family's core values. This is a conversation that you can have with your whole family, including your youngest kids. Lauren provides a framework for developing and using core values for your family. From accountability meetings to using core values in behavior re-direction, she has a treasure trove of ideas for instilling these values in our children. Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the epi...

A Slow Christmas

If we can create a stabilizing routine, even if it's just morning and evening, we can maintain emotional regulation though the holidays. Lauren gives some ideas for how you can incorporate fun holiday routines into your daily life during the 2 weeks around the chaos of Christmas.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How do we problem solve through behaviors? Try-at-home tip:  Size of the problem - which box does your problem fit into? Other related resources ...

Managing Emotions and Behaviors Around the Holidays

The holidays are fun and exciting, but are also a break from routines and can be chaotic. We're traveling, have new and different plans and events, the house looks different, people you don't see all the time are coming to visit, etc, etc, etc.  In this episode, Lauren focuses on managing kids' emotions and behaviors around the holidays. She talks through how to do all the fun stuff and also maintain some sense of emotional regulation and calm. Lauren answers this week’s listener questio...

Emotional Brain Parts and How Executive Functioning Heals It

After giving a quick overview of the anatomical parts of the brain and their roles in functioning, Lauren moves focus to how we can strengthen and grow our executive functioning skills as a method of calming our limbic system. Incorporating games and activities that strengthen executive functioning and cognitive flexibility at all ages helps to grow and strengthen these important skills. Strong executive functioning skills allow you to consciously assess situations instead of just reacting...

A Sequence for Emotional Regulation

PAUSE this series until after new year!!!!! In this episode Lauren walks us through the 4 steps for emotional regulation and gives tips for how to provide support and space for these in your classroom. These skills should be practiced, evaluated, and adapted as you continue to use them with your students and in your own life. Check out the resources below. These should make it easier to set these spaces and practices up in your classrooms. Lauren answers this week’s listener question du...

Understanding Behavior and Regulating It

Behaviors are not the result of moral or personality flaws. They aren't signs of lack of willpower or bad character either. Behaviors are caused by neurochemical changes in the brain and can change based on your environment or experiences. Positive loving environments can change these patterns in a positive way to make space for our brain to focus on things like exploration, play, learning, and cooperation. In this episode Lauren walks us through the experiences, environment, thoughts, an...

Trauma 101

Healing takes place in the presence of positive, loving, and empathetic relationships - it only takes one positive relationship to form new neural pathways. Connectedness has the power to counterbalance adversity and that is something that we can foster in classrooms to promote focus and learning. Understanding trauma and its causes is important for recognizing stressors in the classroom. In this episode Lauren explains the different types of childhood trauma and some of the life events th...

Life Online - Teaching in a Digital-First World

The internet has opened up a world of resources and connectivity, but online teaching and learning has its challenges. Organizing lessons, keeping students interested, and assessing what they are learning are unique challenges when it comes to online learning.  In this episode Lauren unpacks the pros and cons of teaching online and gives tips for keeping students engaged. She also walks through the logistics of setting up an effective online learning environment from the best way to positi...

Perfectionism: It’s leading to procrastination

Are you a perfectionist? We live in a world where everyone is striving for perfection, but it's an impossible goal. Because perfection doesn't exist, the more you chase it the more likely you are to experience anxiety and depression. In this episode Lauren walks us through the dangers of perfectionism, its connections to anxiety and depression, and how you can practice self-love to turn these thoughts and habits around.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: Wha...

Assessing in Education

Today the focus is on assessments in education. Lauren walks through self assessments, pre-testing, formative, and summative testing and how they can be actively and interactively implemented in the classroom setting. When it comes to assessments in the classroom, remember that the goal is for students focus on the mastery of learning instead of their test performance. Comment below if you use self assessment and tell us how you use it! Lauren answers this week’s listener question during ...

Collaboration in the Classroom (Part 2)

Ideally we'd spend 20% of our days in group work; whether it's adults at work or kids in the classroom.  Group work doesn't always have to be an assignment, though. There are a lot of ways to build collaboration into classroom activities. In this episode Lauren provides a framework for planning group work, walks through her simple method for handling conflict, and gives some out-of-the-box ideas for incorporating groupwork ad collaboration into your classroom activities. Lauren answers th...

Collaboration in the Classroom (Part 1)

We are biological and social beings that seek human connection and belonging. Collaboration in classrooms, schools, and workplaces provides synchronous time to connect with your peers. In this episode, Lauren discusses the importance of collaboration and how you can successfully create a collaborative environment in your classroom or workplace. From skills preparation to setting expectations to setting up systems to handle conflict, Lauren gives you everything you need to provide positive c...

Memory Hacks for Better Productivity

As part of our mini-series focusing on productivity, Lauren shares memory enhancers that will help your students (and you!) to hone their memory skills. These ideas can be implemented in the classroom and taught to your students to help improve their memories. Techniques like connecting information to the senses and creating funny mnemonics can improve information retention and create strong memory building skills and lasting habits. This week, think about how can you take these memory enh...

Curb Your Multitasking with the Pomodoro Method

Our brains are not capable of doing multiple cognitively demanding things at once which is why reducing multitasking will increase your productivity and motivation. In this episode Lauren breaks down the Pomodoro Method and how people from toddlers to adults can use it to build stamina around focus and sticking to one activity at a time. Try-at-home tip: Use music to regulate (use 80 beats per minute as a benchmark), check out Happy Hits playlists on Spotify On the Show: Five Ives Websit...

Space Design with the Brain in Mind

What kind of environment can we create that's more conducive for productivity, learning and listening? There are some simple environmental changes you can make to improve stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. In season 1 we did a series on Room Design and how to optimize spaces for better learning and attention. In this episode, Lauren gives an short overview of how to optimize spaces for nervous system regulation.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: ...

Interview with Sean Inderbitzen & Jessica Doering: Dysregulation and Polyvagal Theory

Sean has lived 32 years with autism spectrum disorder. He consults on autism and working with people with autism. Sean is working on a book (Summer 2024) looking at autism in terms of polyvagal theory.  Jessica loves helping people who help people. Jessica and Lauren have partnered on a new project that provides training and resources for organizations that want to implement trauma-informed care. Check out the Five Ives website to learn more! In this episode, Lauren, Sean, and Jessica dis...

How to Get and Keep Student's Attention

Every moment of every day, your brain and body are subconsciously working to appraise your current situation. While you aren’t conscious of this, your nervous system is.  In this episode, Lauren walks you through how to set up your routines to help students prepare to learn, AS well as the UDL engagement guidelines: recruit interest, sustain effort and persistence, and self-regulate.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How can we help students deal with stress...

How Emotional States Impact Learning

When your emotional networks impact your state of mind it disrupts your ability to be present, neutral, and ready to learn. Emotional states impact attention, memory learning, and they are contagious. So, how do you teach students who have dysregulated emotions?  Today Lauren discusses how to use  non-verbal cues to help understand someone’s current emotional state and how to change your emotional state. Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How do we help teache...

How Does a Child’s Brain Actually Work?

In this episode, Lauren delves into how the brain works and what to do at each stage of childhood to best help your child. She walks through suggestions from toddlers/preschoolers all the way through the difficult teen years. Two of the biggest requirements for children and adults are sleep and water intake.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How can I know that a student is too stressed to learn? Try-at-home tip: Sobriety References for this episode: NIH: ...

How the Brain Stores Information

When a person is under stress, especially chronic stress, they struggle to focus, can’t make smart or wise decisions, and have trouble remembering information they learn. In this episode, Lauren starts by walking through how the brain takes in and stores information. She uses that as the explanation for how the amygdala short circuits that process when under stress or trauma.  All of this affects emotional regulation and learning. So, how do you handle children when they are suffering traum...

Questions and Answers, Round 2!

Today’s Q&A continues the discussion around stress, trauma and emotional regulation. How to recognize it and how to help those who are struggling with their emotions and stress.  How do you guide the student that uses the stress as a way to avoid work?  What are some suggestions for self-regulation curriculums and coping strategies for students? What are some strategies we can use with our students who are experiencing trauma/stress? What is the most common stressor for students?  How m...

How Selfish Are You Really?

Today’s episode is a shift from the last two. In this episode, Lauren focuses on the “continuum of self-values” created by Ross Rosenberg in his book “Human Magnet Syndrome.” This continuum orders human behavior based on 11 numerical values to represent the full range of self in relationship to others. These numerical values range from -5 to +5. A zero is the perfect balance of one’s self and another’s orientation, very few, if any people fall in the zero category. The negative side of the s...

How to teach based on what we know about the brain (Pt. 2)

Last episode Lauren discussed the five ways to solidify content in your students’ brains. This episode follow-up on that knowledge with a teaching model which prepares your learners and creates an optimal environment for learning using the before, during, and after teaching model.  Before: prepare for your diverse students’ needs in advance, visualize your lessons and how you'll engage your students.  During: engage the students by getting emotionally invested, frame learning to make it re...

How to Teach Based on Our Knowledge of the Brain (pt.1)

This episode switches gears a bit in order to focus on how to teach people to listen, attend, engage, learn and remember. There are 5 steps to this:  Pre-exposure: covertly preparing students for future learning of content. This is done days, weeks or even months ahead of the teaching. Preview: this involves setting the stage for the content minutes or hours ahead.  Priming:  introducing words, concepts, or skills in advance then coming back to those moments before you teach.  Review: Go...

Question & Answers

After a summer break, Lauren returns with a question and answer episode focusing on stress in both kids and adults and how to process, deal, and return to stable emotional regulation after increased stress and trauma.  How do we help students cope with stress and/or trauma so that they can learn as well as process their stress/trauma? How can we limit our stress as teachers to better serve our students? How can we help students handle stress from home that is making things harder for them...

Book Study Series: Limitless part 2

In the second part of our book study on Limitless by Jim Kwik, Lauren discusses how to make new habits stick.  Want to know which activity you do everyday is worse than smoking? How to unlock your limitless brain?  Do you give speeches and want to know how to remember your talking points so you don’t have to read from a script?  This episode covers all that and more.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How do we help students navigate stressful situations? ...

Book Study Series: Limitless part 1

This episode continues our book study series. Today Lauren discusses Limitless by Jim Kwik. This book discusses brain development, how to make the things you learn stick, why multi-tasking is possible but not a good idea, why holding on to emotions is detrimental for your health, and how emotion and irrationality influences your long-term memory.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How do we best support a kiddo that has experienced trauma? Try-at-home tip:  T...

How Trauma Travels

In today’s episode Lauren discusses how trauma travels through families and through generations. Trauma and the relationships that create trauma are passed on from one generation to the other. However, these patterns can be broken and today’s episode helps you begin the journey of breaking those patterns. Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode: How do we recognize that a student’s response to a situation is driven by trauma? Try-at-home tip:  Add a good and remove ...

Book Study Series: “What Happened To You” pt. 3

Today is the third, and last, episode with Lauren discussing some of, “What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey.  Today Lauren highlights some passages she found interesting and insightful. She focuses on how our modern society has created a stress response in all of us and what that looks like. She talks about connecting with people who are disregulated, our distance from nature and how that is impacting our health and stress ...

Book Study Series: “What Happened To You” pt. 2

Today is the second episode in our “Book Study Series.” We are continuing our discussion of “What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey.  In this book study episode, Lauren discusses narcissism and how changes in our societal belief systems have made us more narcissistic, more distracted, and less present in our lives. This leads to less grace for our kids and others and more stress.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question...

Book Study Series: “What Happened To You” pt. 1

Today is the first episode in our “Book Study Series.” We are kicking it off with a book released in 2021, “What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey.  In this episode Lauren connects Dr Perry’s thoughts on trauma with her experiences. She discusses divorce as a type of death for kids and the importance of attachment and relationship bonds developed in childhood on our adult selves.  Lauren answers this week’s listener question...

Burning Teacher Questions Pt. 3

Today is the third, and last, episode in a mini-series of teacher questions and Lauren saved the toughest questions for last. Lauren reached out to different school districts and teachers for a list of their most pressing questions to answer. While these were asked by teachers there is a lot of information that relates to parents and other caregivers. Don’t miss this episode.  Today’s Listener Questions:  How do you we ask students about traumatic events in their lives to gain knowledge an...

Teacher Questions - Pt. 2 of 3

Today is the second episode in a mini-series of teacher questions. Lauren reached out to different school districts and teachers for a list of their most pressing questions to answer. While these were asked by teachers there is a lot of information that relates to parents and other caregivers. Don’t miss this episode.  Today’s Listener Questions:  How do you tell the stress level of your students? What are the indicators of stress that a student might demonstrate? How does stress help or...