In the past decade, more attention has been given to the mind/body connection and how it affects everything from sleep patterns to school and work performance. One company, in particular, is taking notes and helping to teach kids from a young age that feeding their body and taking care of their overall health is just as important as feeding their mind. Park Tutoring, based in Irvine, CA, has developed a holistic mind/body program for all of its students that participate in ongoing tutoring or college counseling with them. This program acknowledges the fact that all people, but children in particular, need proper nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, and an effective study environment in order to give them the best chance to succeed. Park develops nutrition plans for its students based on age, and includes things like plenty of Omega-3s and 6s for brain development, healthy fruit-derived sugars for energy, antioxidants to help ward off illness, and teaches the benefits of healthy fats such as nuts and avocados.
A large part of Park Tutoring’s “whole child” program is the importance of exercise. Increasing your heart rate leads to better focus and concentration. More energy means you have more time to accomplish the goal you set for yourself. Exercise also helps aid in getting a good night’s sleep which is the third component of their approach. Sleep helps the brain to reset and rejuvenate and helps students retain the information they learned during the day. Depending on age and activity level, kids on average need between 8-11 hours of sleep each night. In today’s technology driven world, this can be challenging as more of us are on screen-based devices often right before bedtime. However, those devices emit blue light, meaning they mimic the light the sun gives off, oftentimes tricking the brain into thinking it’s daytime and making it difficult to get to sleep.
All of our elements are connected in meaningful ways. The food we eat feeds our brain and can dictate our energy levels, how we feel overall, and how often we get sick. Low energy may mean less motivation, perhaps you exercise less, which leads to less endorphins being released, which can increase stress. Increased stress can make it difficult to sleep at night, then the cycle begins all over again. Park Tutoring takes the position that they can teach someone math, for example, but if they aren’t eating properly, getting the right amount of exercise, or sleeping well, all the tutoring in the world might be for naught. As we push kids to do more academically and socially, it’s a good reminder to help them also focus on their overall health and wellness as a component of overall success.