What a treat, to be able to participate in a webinar with Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk. She is one of my favorite #Twitter friends and the founder of Connected Baby. “Bringing the science of connection to life” is the vision and mission of this innovative organization. Dr. Zeedyk has been one of the leaders in bringing the science of ACEs to Scotland and making it an ACEs aware nation! The generosity of spirit is alive and well with Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk and her team at Connected Baby. They have released the webinar and wonderful resources to share with everyone!
Coronavirus has resulted in all regions of our world coping with new anxieties. As many of you will know, Dr Suzanne Zeedykthinks of these as Sabre Tooth Tiger Times.
We thought it might be helpful if she offered a webinar for the public, which explores how anxiety operates in the body and what you can do to lower levels of anxiety for yourself and others. We’re all going to need strong Internal Teddy Bears in the coming weeks!Here is the content of a handout shared after the webinar:
Coping with the anxieties of coronavirus
Thank you all for joining us at our webinar exploring how anxiety operates in the body and how you can nurture calm for yourself and others. Here are the details of further information that Suzanne promised to send. We hope that you will share these wherever you feel they may be of help in the coming weeks. Every act of promoting emotional safety will help.
The Sabre Tooth Tiger & Teddy Bear divisions of the Stress System
- The autonomic nervous system video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96mSg2_h0c
- Entertaining crash course in the stress system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71pCilo8k4M
- The body’s brake pedal: https://www.firstbeat.com/en/blog/sympathetic-and-parasympathetic-nervous-systems/
Laughter & Stress
- How to humour your stress TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZMJdhe4xhQ
- Stress is a laughing matter: https://www.6seconds.org/2016/11/22/laughter-to-manage-stress/
- The Laughing Classroom, by Karen Kohlberg: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19420499-the-laughing-classroom
Breathing
- Breath can change your life TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFcQpNr_KA4
- Headspace for breathing techniques: https://www.headspace.com/meditation/breathing-exercises
- How to reduce stress with breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjGqtH-2YI
Moving back into the present
- The Power of Now, with Eckhart Tolle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykmwCyHlDXM
- How to live in the present moment: https://positivepsychology.com/present-moment/
- Present-Moment awareness: https://www.mindful.org/present-moment-awareness-buffers-effects-daily-stress/
Talking to your brain
- From nervous to excited, with Simon Sinek:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SUTInEaQ3Q
- Talk to your brain, not yourself:https://thriveglobal.com/stories/talk-to-your-brain-not-yourself/
- How the voice in your head tricks you: https://www.sciencealert.com/brains-think-talking-in-our-heads-is-like-speaking-out-loud
Naming your feelings
- Name it to tame it, with Dan Siegel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SUTInEaQ3Q
- Pixar’s animated film Inside Out – which I LOVE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seMwpP0yeu4
Clothing yourself in love – Transitional Objects
- More than just teddy bears: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-guest-room/201407/more-just-teddy-bears
- You are never too old for a blankie: https://www.simplemost.com/are-you-ever-too-old-blankie/
Gratitude
- Gratitude changes your brain: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
- The science of gratitude video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMd1CcGZYwU
Bio: Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk is a research scientist fascinated by babies’ innate capacity to connect. Since 1993, she has been based at the University of Dundee (Scotland), within the School of Psychology. Her academic career began in the USA, where she completed her PhD at Yale University.
In 2011, Suzanne stepped away from a full-time academic post in order to establish an independent training enterprise. Its aim is to help the public understand all that science has discovered about the importance of emotional connection for human health and happiness. It’s working! Approximately 40,000 people have now attended her speaking events, and she reaches over 50,000 people a week on social media. She works internationally with organisations who are keen to think more deeply about fostering connection, compassion and resilience.
In 2014, Suzanne broadened her public reach even further by founding the organization connected baby. She and her team work to help parents and professionals make practical use of the science of connection. Relationships matter – as much for human brains as for human hearts.
Suzanne’s core aspiration continues to be strengthening awareness of the decisions we take about caring for our children — because those choices are integrally connected to our vision for the kind of society we wish to build.
