by Noel Foy | Jul 5, 2022 | Newsletter
Hello Brain Changers! I hope this newsletter finds you well and looking forward to fun, adventures, and good summer reads! Speaking of which, my second book Are You a Bird Like Me? is set to release on Thursday, June 23rd, just in time for summer reading! More on this in a minute. You’ve likely noticed “mental health” making consistent headlines throughout May (Mental Health Awareness Month). So, I wanted to check in. How’s your mental health literacy? Are you paying attention to the warning signs of stress, anxiety, and burnout? As the window of stress tolerance has grown smaller for many folks, anxiety has continued to climb among kids and adolescents to over 30%. This increase in anxiety has caused the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) to call it a national emergency. When you take into account the increase in stressors and lack of training in mental health literacy, it’s no surprise many kids and adults are having difficulty coping. Stress and anxiety impact learning, relationships, behavior, mood, sleep, health, school/job success, and overall life enjoyment. At an earlier point in my life, I didn’t have the language or tools to understand the impact of stress/anxiety or how to respond to it productively. Equipping myself with these skills has been a game-changer, and it can be for you, too! By empowering yourself with accurate information, practical language, and productive responses to anxiety/stress, you can learn better, feel better, and work more efficiently. This is the core of my work. I’ve been thrilled to provide keynotes and workshops to schools,...
by Noel Foy | Jul 2, 2022 | Resources
Experiencing or witnessing episodes of terror, violence and destruction places extra challenges on parents’ ability to talk about and respond to highly stressful events with their children. Whether discussing Ukraine or other crises, kids look to their parents and the adults around them for how to interpret stressful situations—even infants and toddlers notice anxiety in adults and can pick up on their tone, mood, or language cues. So what can parents say and do to help kids cope? What follows are examples of practical language and productive responses parents can use to decrease anxiety and boost kids’ mental health, even during adverse experiences. Practical Language Validate how you and your child feel: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious in times of uncertainty or crisis. Acknowledge what someone is feeling with the words “of course” and “and”. For example, Of course this is scary, and we are here to protect and support you through this difficult time. Listen to your child and use objective language such as, I’m noticing…, It seems…. Adults may find it helpful to first process their own feelings of sadness or anger so they can talk about a situation more calmly with their child. Avoid ineffective comments such as, Don’t worry about it, Get over it or Calm down. Talk about what’s happening in developmentally appropriate ways: Be mindful about kids overhearing adult conversations. It’s not necessary to discuss specifics of a crisis with kids under 7; however, acknowledge something is happening (i.e. even young children can relate to the concept of someone who takes something that does not belong to them) and share concrete...
by Noel Foy | Apr 11, 2022 | Newsletter
Welcome Brain Changers! With spring around the corner, the season beckons a sense of new beginnings and growth, which makes it extra fitting to announce the “birth” of my second book, Are You a Bird Like Me? It’s about a hatchling named Sky who believes her nest is the “whole entire world” — until she falls out of it! We can all relate to times when we find ourselves in a world outside of our comfort zone. In those times, we need to manage the uncertainty that accompanies the unknown. From discussions with teachers, parents and professionals, the ever-changing developments of the last two years have led to an increase in stress/anxiety at work and the prevalence of more behavior issues in school and at home, particularly in regard to anxiety and lack of self-regulation. Consequently, mental health literacy and anxiety/stress management skills are more important than ever for kids and adults. This is where I can help. I provide schools, families, and businesses an understanding of anxiety/stress. Through workshops, keynotes, and one-on-one coaching, clients learn practical language to talk about anxiety/stress and productive responses to manage it. Additionally, I find storytelling an approachable and playful way to tackle uncomfortable or complex topics. In ABC Worry Free, I provide readers a relatable story and actionable approach to curb anxiety’s vicious cycle. In Are You a Bird Like Me?, Sky meets a diverse group of friends who help her discover a world beyond her nest and the amazing things that happen by working together. Both books encourage productive change and the will to face fears through courage, perseverance, and friendship....
by Noel Foy | Dec 17, 2021 | Resources
With anxiety at record high numbers, kids and adults need practical, playful and action-oriented books to help them show anxiety who’s boss. As an anxiety expert and author, I have my “go to” faves. So, when Ben Fox asked me to be a featured author for shepherd.com, a website designed to help readers find amazing books, I was all in! Shepherd is re-imagining online book discovery…one way they do so is by helping authors who are experts on specific topics to share book recommendations with readers…kind of like wandering your favorite bookstore and receiving little notes from authors pointing out their favorite books. Check out the link below and please share with others to spread the word!...
by Noel Foy | Dec 11, 2021 | Newsletter
Season Greetings Brain Changers! With a name like Noel, it’s no surprise I have a weakness for the holidays, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at my first Santa visit Yep, that’s me on Santa’s lap, consumed by catastrophic thinking, avoidance, and inflexibility–anxiety’s hallmark patterns. The other kids enjoyed this moment and wanted to get closer to Santa, while I felt uncomfortable and didn’t see myself ever liking this experience. I wanted out! At the time, I had no clue I was dealing with anxiety or could do anything to combat it. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case! In my commitment to supporting schools, organizations, families, and individuals with anxiety management, I teach kids and adults what anxiety looks, sounds, and feels like in the mind and body. More importantly, I empower them with practical “real-time” tools to help them feel better. By understanding how anxiety works and how to respond to it in more productive ways, you can turn down its volume, reset, and pivot. You may be aware that a little stress can actually be good. It can enhance performance and growth, just like when doing strength training in the gym. However, if you never stop working or never give your muscles (and mind) an opportunity to rest and repair, it can lead to burnout and chronic stress. The brain has the ability to rewire itself, so why not train it to your advantage! The ability to reset and pivot is key, especially given the ever-changing stressors of the pandemic, coupled with the excitement and triggers of the holiday season. This holiday season and throughout the...
