It is that time of year again where GCSE’s and A levels begin.

As if Covid has not been enough to deal with, robbing our children of huge chunks of their education not to mention emotional and social growth, we now have many of our neurodiverse young people going through this sausage meat, one size fits all system without a formal diagnosis or any support whatsoever due to waiting lists of 3-5 years.

We need to stay as strong and positive as we can. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or sick with anxiety, I look at my hand and think to myself “Ok, outside of my hand is what I can’t control or change – but inside my hand is what I can do to handle this.”

By putting the body and brain in a proactive rather than reactive state, this will automatically reduce that chance for fight or flight to kick in.

The very discreet, easy breathing and self-massage techniques I have shared this week all stimulate non adrenaline which is the chief combat to stress.

Serotonin (the neurotransmitter of happiness, confidence, self-esteem) as well as dopamine (the neurotransmitter of concentration, attention, focus, clarity of thought) are both pushed up from the gut and into the brain.

Blood and oxygen are also pushed up into the brain just surging it with focus and concentration.

I so feel for you all. You have all been through so much. Just please remember you can only do your best and that SO SO much learning is done outside of four classroom walls. These exams certainly do not define you.

I am living proof of that. Not only did I invent my own job, but I now give talks and webinars all over the world on neuroscience …. And I barely scraped my science GCSE!

YOU define you and getting exams purely shows you can pass exams and tick boxes. It does not encourage learners or seekers.

Employers now do not just look at exam grades. They look at other skills like hyper focus, team building, passion, emotional and social intelligence.

I am a recent training I did we were told that the statistics are “IQ may get you the job but EQ (emotional intelligence) and SQ (social intelligence) will get you the promotion “.

So, I am thinking of you all over the coming weeks and I believe in you ALL.

Just do your best in an outdated system where no one really thrives and know that not only do you have the best and longest Summer ahead but the rest of your amazing lives too!

Take care, Giuliana xx

https://www.therapiesforspecialneeds.co.uk/

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Arm stroking – always downwards 

Arm stroking – always downwards 

Arm squeezing – always downwards

Neck massaging or stretching 

Hair squeezing 

Centre of palm rotations