Anger management specialist shares steps to help kids' mental health as they go back to school

LISA, THAT’S ALL GREAT NEWS. AND WITH KIDS HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL, THERE IS AN INCREASED FOCUS ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THEIR EMOTIONAL FITNESS, IF YOU WILL. AND JOINING US MORE TO TALK ABOUT IS GARY DUMAS. HE’S AN ANGER MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST BUT ALSO THE FOUNDER OF REROUTED. AND YOU HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE, NOT JUST MEN AND WOMEN, BUT ALSO CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND FITNESS. CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO TALK ABOUT IT? EVERYBODY’S BACK TO SCHOOL. THEIR ADRENALINE IS UP. EVERYBODY’S EXCITED. THE DOPAMINE THE PLEASURE HORMONE IS IN FULL EFFECT RIGHT NOW. SO PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT EMOTIONAL FITNESS. THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF ANXIOUSNESS THOUGH TOO FOR SOME CHILDREN I KNOW I USED TO GET A STOMACH ACHE EVERY NIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, EVEN IF I WAS GOING TO THE SAME SCHOOL, EVEN IF I KNEW THE TEACHERS AND FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, THERE’S JUST A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT FOR KIDS. WHAT SHOULD PARENTS BE LOOKING OUT FOR FOR THEIR CHILDREN AS WE HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL? WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS, AND ONE IN PARTICULAR, AS YOU SEE, I BROUGHT IT IS NOT PAYING FOR THE CAMERA OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST SOME IDEAS. HERE I CREATED AN EMOTIONAL FITNESS KIT, IF YOU WILL, FOR KIDS EVEN THOUGH IT’S FOR KIDS. BUT I FOUND THAT A LOT OF ADULTS USE IT AS WELL. THIS ONE. THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL THERMOMETER. IT IS AN ANGER THERMOMETER. AND WHAT HAPPENS THERE? I HAVE SIX DIFFERENT MODULES THERE AND IT’S A REALLY COOL ACTIVITY. IN FACT, THE PARENTS CAN EVEN CREATE ONE OF THESE AT HOME AND OR WHAT I LIKE EVEN BETTER IF SOME OF THE TEACHERS WOULD ACTUALLY CONSIDER INCLUDING THIS IN THEIR CURRICULUM SOMEHOW. BUT AT ANY RATE, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE KID, OR THE TEEN, OR EVEN THE ADULT FOR THAT MATTER, THEY WOULD ROLL THE DIE IN WHICHEVER NUMBER THE DIE LANDS ON, THEN THAT’S AN INDICATION THAT THEY WILL ENGAGE IN THAT PARTICULAR MODALITY. OKAY. SO SO FOR EXAMPLE, SO HE’S GOT ON HERE. YOU WANT TO SQUEEZE THE STRESS BALL. YOU WANT TO DO JUMPING JACKS FIVE MINUTES WITH A FIDGET SPINNER AT FIVE AFFIRMATIONS. DEEP BREATHING TEN MINUTES TEN LINES IN A JOURNAL. SO I LOVE THIS. SO ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, LET’S SAY I ROLL THE DICE AND I HIT IT AND I HIT TEN SQUEEZES ON A STRESS BALL. THESE ARE JUST LITTLE THINGS THAT WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR ANGER IS BOILING UP OR YOU’RE GETTING A LITTLE ANXIOUS, YOU CAN DO SOME OF THESE THINGS. ABSOLUTELY. ROLL THE DICE AND DO SOME JUMPING JACKS, OR WRITE IN A JOURNAL FOR TEN LINES. ABSOLUTELY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS, LISA, IS THAT THIS IDEA CAN APPEAR TO BE VERY INSIGNIFICANT, BUT IT’S QUITE THE OPPOSITE. IT’S JUST AS THINKING ABOUT WHAT THIS IS TO US AS WATER IS TO THE BODY. IT’S EASILY ACCESSIBLE. IT DOESN’T COST MUCH, BUT WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON IT RIGHT AWAY AND IT WORKS. SAME WITH THESE ANGER MANAGEMENT EMOTIONAL FITNESS TOOLS. WHAT SHOULD SOME OF THE SIGNS BE FOR AS A MOM AND OTHER PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO LOOK OUT FOR? IF THINGS AFTER SCHOOL STARTS AND THINGS AREN’T GOING WELL FOR YOUR CHILD, WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING OUT FOR? WHAT ARE THE RED FLAGS? WELL, ONE OF THE PRECIPITATING EMOTIONS THAT’S MOST COMMONLY RECOGNIZED IS THE ANXIETY PIECE. AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER. BUT IT GOES BACK TO THAT. ANXIETY IS WHAT I CALL THE DOUBLE EDGED SAIL OF FEAR. AND USUALLY THE ANXIETY IS IS ROOTED IN LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN OR HAS ALREADY HAPPENED BEFORE IN THE PAST. AND FOR SOME REASON WE THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN OR THERE’S NO EVIDENCE AT ALL THAT IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO THAT’S USUALLY SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT FOR. THE INCREASED HEART PALPITATIONS, THE SUDDEN INCREASED HEART PALPITATIONS WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF EXPERIENCING THOSE MOMENTS OF ANXIETY. AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE EXPERIENCE ACTUAL ANXIETY ATTACKS, BUT BECAUSE THEY’VE NEVER BEEN CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED, THEY JUST KIND OF OVERLOOK IT AS JUST ANOTHER FLUKE SITUATION, WHEN IN FACT, THAT’S A CLEAR INDICATOR. ALL RIGHT. SO THESE ARE AND IN ALL OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE EMOTION THERMOMETER WOULD HELP WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST IT WOULD HELP, ESPECIALLY THE BREATHING AND THE STRESS BALL. IT WILL. AND IF YOU NOTICE I CREATED THIS FOR IT TO BE FUN. YEAH. BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WORDS LIKE ANGER AND EMOTIONS, PEOPLE TEND TO TAKE IT SERIOUS AS IT SHOULD BE, BUT OVERCOMING IT WITH THE TREATMENT MODALITIES SHOULD ACTUALLY BE FUN AND EXCITING. THESE ARE GREAT THINGS WE’LL BE SURE TO GET THIS@KCRA.COM JUST SO YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT. MAKE THIS LITTLE KIT FOR YOURSELF AND MAYBE HAND IT TO THE TEACHER ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. THAT’S A GOOD ONE GARY.