*Please note- this blog post was written during my time at Brain Fit Academy Inc. I have since continued this amazing work under my own company- Brain FUNdamentals LLC. I hope you enjoy!

Survival. We all need to survive. Physically, emotionally, cognitively- survive. We go through our days, sometimes only seemingly "just surviving". It happens- to all of us, right?

We have stressors in our life that can push us into that "just surviving" mode. And, when in the middle of a pandemic, those stressors seem to keep coming, don't they? At least I feel like that for me. 

It could be the stress of remote learning and how it affects everyone- not just the kids. The stress of uncertainty- in the world as a whole as well in our own little world. Or the stress of trying to play multiple roles at once. The roles of parent, spouse, secretary, employee, friend, teacher or --add your own role here--. All of those stressors can put us into survival mode. 

But that's just us- the adults. What about the kids? 

Now in "normal" times, we might talk about kids being in survival mode due to learning challenges, anxiety provoking tests, social difficulties, other challenges such as ADHD/ADD, Autism, Dyslexia, or multiple unintegrated Primitive Reflexes. But add in COVID-19? Well- take all those stressors I mentioned above and throw in even more!

Now before I go further, let's back-up a minute. I mentioned at the beginning that we all need to survive- physically, emotionally, and cognitively. What do I mean by that? Well, if we're in survival mode, here is how a child might be affected:

• Physically: Having difficulty sitting still, manipulating pencil, coordinating your eyes to focus, sleep and eating patterns are disrupted.

• Emotionally: Reactive vs responsive. Difficulty controlling frustration- there’s no joy. A pervasive sense of fear and stress and anxiety over issues that are not a real threat takes over and experienced on daily basis. 

• Cognitively: Having difficulty thinking straight, can’t remember things. There is no long term or medium term plan, it’s all about getting through the next 24 hours. No goals. Planning and organizing is challenging.
  

Read those again. Read how kids can be affected. 

In that state, that state of survival, do you think much learning is going to happen? Go ahead, raise your hand if you think learning can happen when someone is physically, emotionally and cognitively in survival mode. And now, please tell me that you don't have your hand up!

How on earth could we expect someone to learn when all of that is going on? 

We can't!! They are just trying to make it through the next 24 hours!

Just.trying.to.survive.

Ok, so by this time, you may be wondering- what's the point here Amy? 

I'll tell you. The point is this- there is something that can help people come out of survival mode. Can help kids come out of survival mode. And what's strange to me? Is that this "mysterious" thing kind of seems like a secret, but it really isn't at all.

Want to know what it is?

It's movement.

Yup, you heard that right- movement. Intentional movement to be more specific. 

Not some miracle drug, or new-fangled therapy- just movement. Moving our bodies in intentional ways, with purposeful movements. 

We can move from "survival mode" to "learning mode" with movement. Isn't that amazing, and awe-inspiring and oh-so-easy?!?

At Brain Fit Academy, we can teach people how to do just that. We teach kids, teens, adults, parents, teachers, professionals (anyone who wants to learn!) how to move out of survival mode and be ready and able to learn, grow and enjoy life!

And those intentional movements? What are they? Well, we have a host of them. The 26 Brain Gym® movements are a staple, but we also incorporate other movements such as those from the Rhythmic Movement Training program, additional movements that mimic Primitive Reflex motor patterns as well as from a host of other tried and true programs. 

As I said- movement, intentional, purposeful movement is what can help us get out of that survival mode and back into learning mode. Doesn't that sound good?

It's not a secret. It's not a miracle. 

It's movement. We use movement.