HEALTHY CHAPS
  • School Based Therapists
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Calm Room
  • Challenge Success
  • Community Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Academic Counseling
  • Nurses' Clinic
  • Nutrition & Wellness
  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
  • Speaker Series
  • Speaker Series - Handouts/Videos
  • Stress Management
  • Study Skills & Tips
  • Substance Abuse Prevention & Intervention
  • Quick Report
  • Healthy Chaps PSA Contest

TO Juul Or Not To Juul

8/30/2018

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
While we are only a few days into school, we are already seeing the Juul come back with a vengeance. Many parents (and kids) still aren't appropriately educated about e-cigarettes/vapes/Juuls so we wanted to share some of the latest research! (I'm going to link several articles in here so be sure to click on the blue highlighted text for individual articles!)

To begin, if you didn't know what a Juul looks like, you aren't alone, and as you can see above they walk among us disguised as USB drives. 
To reiterate, one Juul pod contains the nicotine equivalent of an entire pack of cigarettes!  

And while many say that it's still a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes,
 
Dave Dobbins, the chief operating officer of the Truth Initiative, bluntly states, "Jumping off a 10-story building will kill you, and jumping off a two story building will only hurt you," he said, adding that he wouldn't recommend doing either and he wouldn't recommend smoking cigarettes or a Juul. 

"Juuling is all the rage right now, and if you think it’s only “those” type of kids who are vaping in place of cigarette smoking, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Ask your teenagers right now if they know what Juuling is, and I guarantee you they’ll tell you they’ve seen kids Juuling right in the middle of class without anyone even knowing they’re doing it- including the teachers"

Mil Schooley, an 18-year-old student in Denver says most of her friends have a JUUL — an e-cigarette that can vanish into a closed fist. When asked roughly how many, she stumbles a bit. "I wanna say like 50 or 60 percent."

"
Juul has become a cultural phenomenon and has been called the ‘iPhone of electronic cigarettes". Evidently, Juuling has become so popular that there are now Instagram and social media users whose entire accounts are dedicated to some of their "tricked out" devices or showing off the different "cool" smoke rings they can make. They have elevated this to the status of "art" in many cases. 

Personally, there are many things about the Juul or e-cigarettes that I find concerning but here is where we are seeing addiction really come into play. We have been fortunate that most of our students have not had the habit of smoking cigarette. Therefore, they do not need any kind of smoking cessation assistance because they have never been exposed to tobacco and nicotine (smoking cessation is how the Juul was originally branded). But now we have students that never were exposed to any kind of nicotine getting it at highly concentrated levels, and this is where addiction comes into play. 

And for some families, catching a child using a Juul is just the beginning. 

How do we overcome? Thankfully many students are using our Quick Tip system for things they are seeing at school but further  intervention happens at home and communication is the key. Revisit last week's blog to get some excellent tips about effective ways to communicate with your child! 

Stay Healthy, Chaps!
-Kristi Waidhofer

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!

8/22/2018

 
If the song wasn't already in your head, now it's sure to be. Sorry! But in all seriousness, we hope that you had a wonderful, relaxing, and memory filled summer and are ready to take on a new school year. 

Be sure to look over last week's blog as it covered some excellent tips for preparing for back to school (that can still be used even though school has already begun!)

While there are many important focus points to help support a healthy school year, there's two I really want to focus on. Connection and Sleep! 

Challenge Success put out a list of 10 back to school tips to help your child thrive! I'm going to share a couple of my favorite that really hone in on the idea of connection.
 
  • Ask your child: “How was your day? Learn anything interesting? Get to spend time with friends?” instead of “How did you do on the math test?” 
    • ​Check out this article for 25 Ways to Ask Your Child "So How Was School Today?" Without Asking "So How Was School Today?"
 
  • Make time for PDF:  playtime, downtime, family time. Research shows PDF is critical for overall well-being.
 
  • Create a technology-free environment during mealtimes. Every adult and child can benefit from a break from constant interruptions and distractions.
 
  • When your child wants to talk with you, stop what you are doing and engage. Does “I hate school” really mean something else:  “I am being bullied” or “I don’t fit in"
 
  • Help your child develop his or her interests and strengths. Discover what your child really loves to do outside of school, not what you think a college admissions officer would like to see on an application.
​
Now, probably the single biggest indicator of health and success in high school - SLEEP! 


  • ​An extra hour of sleep is more valuable than an extra hour of studying. Research shows sleep deprivation can be associated with depression and anxiety. 

In a recent article about helping with back to school anxiety sleep and a new routine was heavily encouraged. 

  • It's kind of a no-brainer that sleep is essential, Mackey points out, but patterns can't be adjusted (literally) overnight. "Kids really get out of rhythm in the summer," she says, and this has a bigger impact than adults realize. "When we're tired, we're moody, and little things can feel really big," Mackey explains. "Anxiety is much worse if sleep is bad. Make sure you have a good quiet routine and early enough bedtime that your child can get sufficient sleep."

  • If you’re between the ages of 13 and 64, and don’t get eight to ten hours of sleep per night, your logical reasoning, executive function, attention, and mood can be impaired. Worse, severe sleep deprivation can lead to depression, anxiety, and symptoms of paranoia. 

With those statistics in mind, check out this article for some ideas about ways to support your children (and maybe even yourself) in getting optimal sleep! 

We're wishing everyone a super successful school year and we are here to support everyone. Don't forget to check the blog weekly for new updates and don't miss our Speaker Series with topics carefully chosen for you and your student!

Here's to an incredible school year!

Stay Healthy, Chaps!
-Kristi Waidhofer 

Picture

Preparing for Back to School!

8/15/2018

 
The JED Foundation put out an excellent back to school preparation list. 

"...it can often feel stressful and overwhelming to get ready for the school year.
One way to reduce back-to-school anxiety and experience a more seamless transition into the new school year is to actively organize and prepare yourself, mentally and academically, for the upcoming semester.


Take Care of Yourself
Get on a regular sleep and exercise schedule 
“Making sure that I get on a consistent, healthy sleep and exercise schedule before going back to school is really important for me. I feel less stress when I’m well-rested, and exercise boosts my energy, endorphins and makes me feel productive. It’s much easier to wake up for those 8am classes when I’ve gone to bed at a reasonable hour the night before!”
— Savannah, Claremont McKenna College


Do Some Research
Locate exactly where your classes are on your school map, especially if your campus is large
“If your school has a big campus, it can be pretty overwhelming to figure out where all of your classes are and make sure you get to them on time in the first couple weeks. Don’t be afraid to ask older students or your RA for help, they went through it too. Maybe even ask someone you know to do a walking tour through campus with you, or take the time to do it by yourself before classes start.”
— Davis, The University of Alabama


Get Organized
Use a planner
“Keeping a planner helps to reduce some of my stress when it comes to homework and making sure I get everything done on time. Writing down what I have to do day-by-day for the week helps to keep me organized and motivated!”
— Abby, Fieldston High School

Review and make note of important dates on your syllabus
“Check your syllabus at the beginning of the semester and make sure you know when all your major assignments are due. Mark them in a calendar so they don’t catch you by surprise later on!”
— Ella, University of St Andrews


Get Connected
​
If you’re a first-year student…reach out to other first-years! They know what you’re going through
“Don’t be afraid to speak to other students. Chances are they are just as nervous, uncomfortable and new to this as you are. They can also make your first years of college your best years.”
— Alana, City College of New York"



If you have any additional worries or concerns, don't hesitate to make an appointment with either one of us or just stop down to meet us! We look forward to an incredible school year. See y'all next week!!

Stay Healthy, Chaps!
-Kristi and Katie 

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.