Thrive Research

Wellness Is A Practice, Not An Abstract Ideal

Yoga, like wellness, is a practice. 

Sounds good, but what exactly is a practice?  Well, it’s more than a feel-good noun…as I was reminded on Monday night.

Slogging through yoga class, I was feeling oh-so-virtuous for getting to the mat on time (always a struggle), setting an intention, and not stealing too many glances at the clock.  Hey, I was even doing a decent rendition of a standing split! 

That is, until our dear teacher toppled me over with two fingers.

She scolded (in a gentle, yogi sort of way) that although my form looked fine, I wasn’t really practicing the pose.  She pointed out that the standing leg wasn’t engaged and my core was MIA.  Forget breathing and focus--I was alphabetizing a mental to-do list in an attempt to remember it after class.

It was a clear reminder that going through the motions and positioning yourself correctly doesn’t cut it.  You’ve got to do the real work to get the real benefit of any practice. 

That holds true for all of the adolescent wellness domains--mood, stress, sleep, nutrition, fitness, and social connections.  And especially for yoga.

"Resilient As Heck": What It Means

Raising resilient children is a phrase I’ve heard a lot lately.  Thrive advisor, (and Race To Nowhere education expert) Denise Pope is teaching an entire class.  Our own programs promote resiliency in adolescents as a benefit and outcome.

But what does “resilient“ really mean?  That’s a good question that even experts disagree on.  Some think that it’s a genetic trait you’re born with, others swear that it’s a set of skills that can be taught.   I’m not sure who’s right, but I do know resilience when I see it.

The San Francisco Giants are in the middle of a championship series no one ever expected them to be in.  They’re a hodgepodge team--not slick and expensive like the Yankees or been-there-done-that experienced like the Phillies. 

What they are, however, is “resilient as heck”, according to third base coach Tim Flannery.  Even manager Bruce Bochy has started using the word to describe the team.

It makes total sense.  Their top pitcher is a pale, skinny kid called the Freak (Tim Lincecum) and top closer (Brian Wilson) looks like a mohawked Charles Manson.  Their most highly paid player (Barry Zito) is warming the bench, while a late August pick-up (Cody Ross) has hit 3 HR in two games.  Pretty amazing for a guy who couldn’t get his calls returned from any other team.  Everyone on the team has experienced dramatic personal highs and lows, but they keep finding a way to win. 

Maybe that’s the real meaning of resilience.  Regardless of physical ability or genetic traits, digging deep into the mental toolbox and finding ways to overcome adversity.

That’s a great lesson for kids of all ages.

Teen Depression: More Than Moodiness

Parents aren’t the only ones who frequently mistake teen depression symptoms for moodiness.

80s pop icon Rick Springfield attributed his depression to “artistic sensitivity“.  He even tried to rationalize a failed suicide attempt at the age of 17 as “just being a moody guy.”

As an adult, he found success as a singer and actor and still suffered another major depressive episode.  This isn't surprising, because experiencing untreated depressive episodes during the teen years multiplies the risk for adult depression.  During the first adult recurrence, he realized that his illness that could no longer be ignored or rationalized.

Springfield tells all in his new book Late, Late At Night.  He hopes to speak directly to teens who are suffering, telling them to “give themselves a year” and to reach out to get the help they deserve.  He promises that “things will change, they will get better.”

There’s always hope, with or without Jessie’s Girl.

It's Kind Of A Funny Story: Hollywood's Take On Teen Depression

Race To Nowhere shows students dusted up by the aftermath of academic and social pressure.  It’s Kind Of A Funny Story zeroes in on the moment of impact.

While one is a documentary and the other a fictionalized version (that’s not too far-fetched), both reflect the reality that living in a pressure cooker isn’t a healthy place for anyone.

Based on a popular teen book, Funny Story begins with 15-year old Craig Gilmer checking himself into a psych ward.   He does this as a next-to-last resort, after stopping his meds and his clockwork-like suicide dreams take a turn for the worse.  Already a student at New York’s most competitive high school, he’s struggling with completing the application for a prestigious summer program.

A sympathetic psychiatrist asks him to describe the worst thing that would happen if he didn’t get into the program.  His hilarious, but heartfelt stream of consciousness will be familiar to any teen.  Here’s a hint…it’s starts with “I won’t get into a good college” and ends with “I’ll never get ****”.  Oh yeah, there’s also the angst of not being featured on MTV Cribs, but you’ll have to see that one for yourself.

Unlike the concerned, articulate parents in RTN, parents in Funny Story alternate between bumbling and clueless.  Craig’s high-powered dad misses a visit because of a client emergency, but doesn’t forget to bring the summer program application on his next visit.  This is also the same dad who tried to cheer up a despondent five-year old Craig with facts about Beethoven’s prowess at the age of four.  Thanks, Dad.

Another stressor for Craig is his perception that he’s the only one having a rough go of it.  His long-time best friend makes everything look easy and gets the girl, who also happens to be Craig’s crush. 

The story turns ironic when the crush reveals her weekly therapist visits and Craig becomes big man on campus after word gets out about his hospitalization.  Every teen loves a good drama!  Even the best friend ends up revealing that he’s “sometimes bothered by that depression stuff”.

Although billed as a comedy, Funny Story offers some serious lessons about the value of perspective and the importance of flexible thinking.  Suffice it to say that Craig leaves the hospital with a vastly different outlook and some newfound skills.

Skills, for dealing with everything the teen years can throw at you, are what we're all about at Thrive Research.  Our Stanford-developed programs are private, online and can be accessed 24/7.  No need to check-in anywhere but your computer.

Visit us today to see how we can help you learn skills and techniques to help your adolescent avoid or cope with depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. 

Race To Nowhere: What You Can Do Right Now

“I wish I could help more. I just don’t know what to do.”

This was from the distraught mom of a distressed teen in the documentary Race To Nowhere (see the trailer here).

Subtitled, The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture, Vicki Abeles' film profiles parents, students, teachers, and education experts to illuminate how well-intentioned initiatives such as "No Child Left Behind" have changed the culture of educating our kids…not always for the better.

One thing is clear--people are in pain.

You see them every day.  Kids trudging to and from school, slumping under the physical and metaphorical weight of their books and expectations to get into a “good“ college.  Even ergonomic backpacks and after-school Kumon classes don’t help, leaving many to lose hope and feel like failures. 

These were the most heartbreaking kids in the film--the ones who felt worthless because their talents didn’t always translate into high test scores and good grades. 

A 9th grader named Kelly summed it up best, “You have to be smart, but also you have to be pretty, and also you have to do sports and you have to be involved in the arts, and you have to find something unique about yourself.  And you have to know yourself, because if you don’t know yourself before you do all that, you’re going to lose yourself.”

A therapist in a posh New York suburb expressed frustration over parental denial.  She said that every time she stands in a supermarket line and hears parents telling each other how great their kids are doing, she wants to scream, “They’re not ok! They’re in my office, I know the truth!”

Thrive Research Advisor and Stanford University professor Denise Pope was featured prominently in the film, discussing the effects of homework at different developmental levels.  She cited several studies showing that more homework doesn’t equal higher grades and test scores.  At most developmental levels, some amount of homework is productive, but too much is detrimental.

According to the students in the film, detrimental enough to make them cheat rampantly, sacrifice sleep, or turn to drugs and eating disorders to give them “more energy” to get everything done.

Race to Nowhere will make your heart hurt and your stomach ache, right alongside the teens in the movie.  The ending provides partial relief, offering a clear cut, bulleted manifesto about what you can do as a student, parent, coach, teacher, etc.

Walking out of the theater after the discussion though, the conversation among parents mirrored the words to John Mayer’s “Waiting On The World To Change”

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Structural and cultural changes take time.  What can parents do now to give their kids some relief? 

This is what we’re all about at Thrive Research.  Our Stanford-developed programs assess your child and build skills in the six wellness areas that matter most: mood, stress, sleep, nutrition, fitness, and social connections. 

These evidence-based programs also teach flexible thinking and self-awareness, making your child more resilient in weathering the ups and downs of school and life.

Our programs are so effective that they have been shown to reduce the risk of depression, sleep and eating disorders by >25% in trials. 

Programs take 30-45 minutes/week and are available online, anytime.  Parents receive weekly emails and reports, alerting them to potential issues.

Give your child the help they need and give your family some peace of mind.  Sign-up for our free, 3-session trial today and help your adolescent learn skills for prevening or coping with depression, anxiety, academic stress, and other mood disorders.

Obama + Yawning Kid: Boredom, Stress, or Needs a Nap?

Leave it to Jon Stewart and The Daily Show to find the most embarrassing piece of any situation.

Last night’s show featured a clip of Obama speaking to a group of students.  Although his words may have been fascinating, one kid couldn’t stop yawning.  (Earlier in the year, one graduating student fell asleep behind Obama during a commencement.)

 
Boredom?  Maybe.  More likely, though, it’s the result of poor sleep. Sleep issues impact a large percentage of teens, leaving them with lower grades and at increased risk for depression and obesity.  According to a new study, sleep loss is "contagious" among groups of friends and the spread of sleep loss influences drug use in adolescent social networks

Yawning can even be a symptom of generalized anxiety--something anyone could feel sitting three feet away from the leader of the free world.

No matter what your interpretation of the video is, Thrive Research can help your child build skills in all six areas of adolescent wellness:  mood, social connections, nutrition, fitness, and yes, even sleep and stress.