My hope in filming this short video of the Five Things Exercise is to provide a simple mindfulness tool during a time of increasing anxiety in our community surrounding COVID-19. Given our current circumstances of isolation, this is not studio-quality or without imperfections but I hope it will be helpful for some of you. The purpose of the exercise is to mindfully direct your attention to your five different senses, paying close attention to what you are describing and experiencing and drawing your focus away from anxious and distracting thoughts. This is a straightforward grounding tool that you can practice on your own or with a partner, wherever you find yourself needing to take a few deep breaths to calm your body.
There are many online resources available that can help you practice mindfulness, relaxation ways to manage stress during this challenging time and I encourage you to find the ways that can be restorative for you.
Take care and I hope you stay well,
Carlene
I have selected some of the books and websites I find most useful in my counselling work for self-learning, growth as well as awareness of helpful workshops and courses.
Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson
The Seven Principles for Making a Marriage Work by John Gottman & Nan Silver
Passionate Marriage by David Snarch
The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner
Getting Past the Affair by Snyder, Baucom, and Gordon
Resurrecting Sex by David Snarch
Websites
iceeft.com
drsuejohnson.com
vcfi.ca
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
DBT Workbooks
Websites
brenebrown.com
cmha.bc.ca
Hold On to Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman & Julie Gottman
Parenting from the Inside out by Daniel Siegle & Mary Hartzell
Websites
ahaparenting.com
neufeldinstitute.org
Carlene has been involved in a variety of teaching, facilitating and public speaking roles throughout her career. She enjoys leading groups, workshops, and is skilled in guiding the dynamics of group conversations to enrich the learning of those participating. She believes in interactive learning that is targeted towards the participants’ needs in order to create active understanding of new information and skills. Carlene can work with you to develop an engaging and relevant experience for your group or organization.