🌱 The Inner Garden: Transitioning from Winter Blues to April Showers

When we view the mind as a garden, we see problematic behaviors as a reflection of the environment, and not ourselves.

The metaphor of  the ‘ Inner Garden’ helps visualize how we go through different seasons in our lives. This metaphor is so effective because it:

1. Removes the Blame: Makes it easier for kids to admit they’re being difficult

2. Visualizes Big Concepts: Helps kids problem solve more effectively by sensing what’s happening in their body 

3. Teaches ‘process’ over ‘perfection’: A garden is never finished- it’s a cycle of planting, growing, dying, and weeding

4. Encourages Self-Gardening/Autonomy: Empowers kids to become the lead gardeners of their own minds by independently selecting the most effective tools for managing distress.

🌱 Garden Check-Ins to practice at home:

• What’s the weather like in your garden right now? 

• Did anything happen today that made you feel a little wobbly? What helped your roots stay strong so you didn’t tip over?

• Did any ‘prickly weeds’ get stuck in your garden today? Do we need to pull them out so you can sleep better?

• Was there a time today where things felt ‘muddy’ or just kind of ‘blah’? How did you handle sitting in the mud?

• If a storm clouds up tomorrow, which tool in your gardener’s toolbox do you think you’ll want to use first?

❋ Model it yourself: Though it may seem silly at first, try talking about your stressful day as if your mind is a garden as well. When they see you gardening your own mind, they’ll be much more likely to try it themselves.