Episode 88 - Why Mental Fitness Matters for Children with founder of Mindfully Natalie Von Teichman

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of mental fitness for children and how it can help them build emotional strength and resilience.

What if we treated mental health the same way we treat physical fitness? In this episode, we explore the concept of mental fitness and why proactively building emotional strength, regulation, and resilience is one of the most important gifts we can give our children. My guest, Natalie von Teichman, children’s mental fitness coach and founder of Mindfully, shares how mental fitness helps children develop the skills they need before stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm show up. Together, we discuss why simply telling kids to “calm down” doesn’t work, how breathing and co-regulation support nervous system regulation, and why allowing children to experience manageable discomfort actually builds resilience. Natalie and I chat about: What mental fitness is and how it differs from mental health Why kids need to practice emotional regulation before big feelings arise How breathing supports the nervous system and emotional regulation The power of role modelling (and why perfection isn’t required) Why naming emotions is only the first step and what comes next  How imagination, play, and storytelling strengthen emotional resilience Ways to support children’s mental fitness in a…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Hilary Claire

Guest: Natalie von Teichman

Topics covered

• mental fitness
• children's health
• emotional regulation
• resilience
• mindfulness
• parenting

Keywords

• mental health
• emotional strength
• stress management
• co-regulation
• breathing techniques
• children's mental fitness
• resilience building
• mindfulness education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mindfully

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