How Fast A Quick Fix?

I remember when Sesame Street first came on the air, there was great concern that we were in effect “training” children to pay attention for shorter periods of time.

How could even the cleverst primary school teacher compete withthe live (often musical) fun and games with cute characters on Sesame Street?  Well, I guess the kids grew up and they want stuff like these Resources for Stress and Mental Health.

At least they suggest some visualization techniques after the tensing/relaxing muscle stuff. My own mother taught me that one when I was a toddler as a way to go to sleep faster. Her mom had taught it to her, so it is a pretty sure bet that it has been around for a long time.

But these one minute techniques seem like they will require focusing on the attempt to relax for a moment, to exclusion of focusing on whatever else is going on. This may simply cause whoever is around you to think (probably wrongly) that you have ADHD (a diagnosis which I rarely find a reason to take seriously, anyway.)

Stress management is usually a longer term concern.

The resources they list are okay. Maybe this is the kind of stressor students have when they are away from home for the first time. These aren’t the same concerns I had, but France was my first time being away from home, so I can hardly claim to be normal.  Psych Central is a quality website. I have not yet checked out all the apps recommended. I am intrigued by the whole idea of trying to fix your anxieties with an app. If the idea appeals, try them before the need seems acute.