How's Your Monkey Mind?

Intentional Practice Through Play

Today on the show we’re going back to basics and returning to why we do what we do, which is intentional practice of social emotional skills through play and engaging activities. Mental health gets talked about a lot, but the skills to find strong mental fitness can feel out of reach or confusing with where to start.  When we started Monkey Minds, we knew we had the tools to help students, families, teachers, and ourselves find a skillful way to live a life worth living. It was just a matter of finding a way to get our message out. Just like going to the gym to build a strong body, mental fitness takes time, practice, dedication and knowing where to turn. We believe in the power of intentional play coupled with skill building is that answer and can make our world a better place.

Back to BASICS

Today on the show we’re going to go back to basics. As it is with any skill in life, the fundamentals are where you start and the most important thing to go back to. Successful athletes and musicians the world over are often seen practicing the same the same skills they learned as beginners right before a big game or concert and so we’re taking the advice of Kobe Bryant, Paul McCartney, Yo-Yo Ma, Hugh Jackman, and Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson and so many more and heading back to our roots.  Going back to the basics might sound boring or contrite, but it’s often the best way to correct errors, find a new way forward, rediscover your purpose or even rediscover yourself. As Monkey Minds continues to grow, we’re keeping this philosophy front and center and invite you to come along with us.

Stay Open-Minded

Today on the show we’re going to try to be open minded, which is much harder than any of us give it credit for. We human beings tend to think that we see it all, understand it all, and know it all. But the philosopher Socrates said it best, the man who knows most, knows he knows nothing.  We here at Monkey Minds are strong believers in dialectics - or the understanding that there is more than just one side to anything. So why are we all so certain that our way is the right way? Certainty kills curiosity and so in an appeal for us all to listen more and talk less, we’re going to open our minds to being more open minded and hope you can be so gracious as to hear us out.

We need to fidget

Today on the show we’re going to fidget. If you’ve got a kid in school, you’re probably sick and tired of all the gadgets and gizmos aplenty, not to mention all those whoozits and whatsits galore. Even if you don’t have kids, chances are you’ve been exposed to the endless stream of things to play with, flick, spin, click, and clack, but do any of them actually do anything to help our focus and attention?  In today’s episode we consult an expert to talk to us about sensory needs, fidget tools versus fidget toys, and the process of understanding yourself interoceptively. Alicia Wimmer is an Occupational Therapist with over thirteen years of experience and we’re thrilled to have her along to explain to us the values and pitfalls of all the choices that are out there.

Resilience

Today on the show we consider resilience. The world is a hard place these days…but really it’s been that way for a while…maybe forever. So how do people now or people who came before us deal with hardship? From what we can tell, the answer is pretty straight forward. Resilience. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.    In today’s episode we explore what resilience is, how to figure out if you’ve got it, how to grow your resilience, recognize when you could use a little more, and then flip the tables and talk about how to help your friends and family and when to recognize that have you been strong enough and could or should look for help.