By Daniella Rueda, CEI Intern Although often perceived in a negative light, vulnerability (emotional vulnerability, that is) is actually a necessary and important state of being for achieving human connection. Brené Brown, a qualitative researcher and self-proclaimed storyteller, has spent the last twenty years of her life studying topics such as shame, empathy, and vulnerability, in an attempt to learn about the “anatomy of connection.” In her renowned Ted Talk, “The Power o

By Meghan Wenzel, CEI Intern As humans, we are biologically wired for connection, with belongingness and love being our most basic psychological needs (Maslow, 1943). Brené Brown found that the only difference between people who have a strong sense of love and belonging and those who do not, is that the former believe they are worthy of love and belonging. We have to practice compassion, open up about our vulnerabilities and insecurities, and believe we are worthy of love. In

Meghan Wenzel, CEI Intern, and Christine Mason, CEI Executive Director Sometimes our feeling of vulnerability arises from a sense of shame. Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer (2018) in the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, talk about shame, saying that “Shame feels blameworthy, but it is an innocent emotion. Shame feels lonely and isolating, but it is a universal emotion. Shame feels permanent and all-encompassing, but it is a transitory emotional state that only corresponde

By Yuhan Yuan, CEI Intern How important is it to stay focused for school-aged kids? It is widely known that children who are more focused Why is it so difficult to stay focused? Students may be distracted by a wide array of things that could grab their How could physical activities help with kids’ school performance? Physical activities appear to positively influence academic achievement (Donnelly & Lambourne, 2011). Everyday physical activities are also showing a positive in