LEVEL UP PARENTING

Mindful Parenting Resources

Parenting Talk by Jason Selk & Ellen Reed

Dr. Jason Selk has been married 25 years, has 3 wonderful children (21, 19, 17) and adores his goldendoodle, Sam.

He also happens to be a five-time bestselling author and is considered one of the top mental performance coaches in the United States. From hall-of-fame professional and Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 executives and organizations, Dr. Selk coaches individuals, teams and entire organizations for high-level success via speaking engagements and private coaching.

After 20 years of working with self-improvement-minded clients — often parents — Jason created the Level Up app after recognizing that parents have unique and specific mental wellness needs to best deal with stress, worries and ultimately build a successful family life.

Dr. Ellen Reed, co-founder of Level Up, has extensive experieince in mental training for consistency, accountability, and execution in business, athletics, academics, and the performing arts, having worked side by side with Dr. Selk for over 10 years. Dr. Reed's book Relentless Solution Focus, written with Dr. Selk, was released in January 2021 and has since hit the bestseller list several times.

How Can I Help My Child Study Effectively

How Can I Help My Child Study Effectively? A Parent’s Roadmap

Children face many academic challenges, such as lack of motivation, distractions, and poor time management. As a parent, you can help them by creating a dedicated study space, avoiding multitasking, utilizing time management tools, and incorporating regular breaks. Lastly, don’t forget to take care of your mental well-being and prioritize self-care.
How to Manage Anger as a Parent

How Do I Manage My Anger as a Parent? Tips for Staying Calm

Parenting can be stressful, and without proper management, it can lead to anger that impacts your children’s emotional well-being. Recognizing triggers, pausing before reacting, and setting structured routines can reduce frustration and create a healthier environment.
10 Hidden Parenting Triggers I Have Found

10 Hidden Parenting Triggers I've Found

Parenting triggers like defiance, public meltdowns, or homework struggles often arise from unresolved personal stress or societal pressures. Recognizing these triggers allows parents to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively. Strategies like calm communication, teaching problem-solving, and consistent routines can help manage these moments. Incorporating mindfulness, self-care, and seeking support when needed can create a balanced, harmonious family environment while fostering stronger connections with your children.
5 Symptoms That You're Burning Out As A Mom

5 Symptoms That You're Burning Out As A Mom

Motherhood burnout can leave moms feeling exhausted, irritable, and disconnected. Signs include relentless fatigue, mood swings, emotional distance from family, feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, and losing joy in activities once loved. To combat burnout, focus on self-care, mindfulness, and small steps to reclaim balance. Strategies include pausing for deep breaths, delegating tasks, journaling, and reconnecting with loved ones. By prioritizing your well-being, you can manage daily demands more effectively and find joy in parenting again. Support tools like guided routines or personalized advice can also help you regain mental wellness and create a healthier, more fulfilling life.
What Is Depleted Mother Syndrome

What Is Depleted Mother Syndrome?

Depleted Mother Syndrome occurs when the demands of parenting, work, and life leave mothers emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. Common signs include irritability, fatigue, and sleep disruptions. Contributing factors include chronic stress, lack of self-care, and insufficient recovery time. To recover, mothers should ask for help, prioritize sleep, and build resilience through practices like gratitude and journaling. Taking time for self-care is essential to prevent burnout and improve overall well-being. With the right support and tools, it's possible to regain balance and thrive as a parent.
5 Steps to Follow When Becoming a Mindful Parent

5 Steps to Follow When Becoming a Mindful Parent

Mindful parenting is about being present, emotionally aware, and intentional in your interactions with your children. Begin by focusing on being present, minimizing distractions, and dedicating time to your child. Learn to manage your emotions, as children often mirror their parents' reactions. Prioritize self-care to maintain balance, as well as open communication with your children to build trust. Encourage gratitude in your household to create a positive, appreciative environment. By practicing these five steps, you can build stronger, more connected relationships with your children and create a more peaceful family dynamic.
Changing Jobs While Pregnant

5 Key Tips When Changing Jobs While Pregnant

Changing jobs while pregnant can be challenging, but with the right approach, it’s manageable. Be transparent with employers to build trust and set clear expectations. Understand your rights, including protections under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, as well as state-specific benefits. Plan ahead by discussing your new role and maternity leave with your employer. Prioritize your health through self-care practices like mindfulness and exercise to manage stress. Finally, build a support system by reaching out to family, friends, and colleagues. With preparation and support, you can confidently navigate this transition.
Tips to Raise Confident Kids

5 Tips To Raise Confident Kids (Backed By Science)

Raising confident kids means helping them set boundaries, feel connected, and make decisions. Celebrate their efforts and let them learn from both success and failure. Give them safe chances to explore and take risks. Use role-playing to teach them how to handle tough situations and build their confidence.
Tips to Become a Generous Partner

8 Proven Tips on How to Be a Generous Husband Or Wife

Marriage grows stronger through small, meaningful acts of generosity, like listening, helping out, and showing care daily. Generosity is all about making your partner feel valued and respected. Moreover, simple gestures, like sharing chores or spending quality time, helps create deeper love and trust between you and your spouse.
Supporting Child With Special Needs

How Can Parents Maintain Their Mental Health While Supporting a Child with Special Needs?

Supporting a child with special needs requires balancing their care with your own mental health. I recommend building a support network, engaging in mindfulness practices, and creating a consistent self-care routine. Collaborating with professionals and accessing educational resources can ease the burden and improve outcomes for both you and your child. Prioritizing your well-being ensures you can provide the best care while maintaining your resilience.
Time Management

Top 10 Time Management Tips For Parents

Ellen shares 10 practical time management tips for parents to balance work, family, and personal time more effectively. She emphasizes prioritizing tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix, learning to say "no" to prevent overload, and setting realistic goals by breaking down larger tasks. Ellen also highlights the importance of using a family calendar, allocating personal "me time," limiting distractions, batching similar tasks, delegating responsibilities within the family, utilizing technology wisely, and practicing mindfulness to reduce stress and improve focus.
How To Become A More Present Parent

How To Become A More Present Parent

Being present with your children strengthens bonds, reduces their anxiety, and fosters emotional well-being. Minimize distractions, practice mindful parenting, and focus on quality over quantity. Small, intentional moments of connection make a big difference in your child’s life and development.
Top Family Routines For A Better Household

Top Family Routines For A Better Household

Consistent routines like bedtime and mealtime create stability, reduce parental stress, and improve children’s behavior and emotional well-being. Start with simple routines, involve your kids in the process, and stay consistent to build a calm and organized household.
Juggling Responsibilities

Strategies To Help Parents With Multiple Responsibilities

Parenting can be overwhelming, but practical strategies can make a significant difference. At Level Up Game Plan, we emphasize the power of mindfulness to reduce stress, building self-confidence to improve parenting interactions, and addressing stressors like time management or lack of support. By integrating routines, self-care, and effective communication, parents can avoid burnout and achieve a better balance between their roles. With the right tools and resources, you can manage responsibilities more effectively and create a fulfilling family life.
Self Care Routine For Parents

Self Care Routine For Parents

Parents can build a practical self-care routine by focusing on small daily habits such as physical activity, mindfulness, and prioritizing rest. Incorporating emotional and social support, along with setting healthy boundaries, helps reduce stress and prevent burnout. These strategies improve both mental health and parenting effectiveness, creating a positive impact for both parents and their children.
Motivated Parents Build Happy Families

Effective Ways to Battle Low Motivation in Parenting and Your Family

Dr. Ellen Reed advises that proven activities like proper goal setting, process mindset, positive reinforcement with constant evaluation and fun rewards among others are the recipe for creating motivation in parenting for your mental wellbeing and overall health.
Balance Work And Family Life

10 Tips for Parents To Balance Work And Family Life

Balancing work and family life can be challenging, but it’s achievable with effective strategies. Prioritizing tasks, setting boundaries, delegating responsibilities, and using a planner can help create harmony between work and home. Additionally, self-care and relying on a support system are essential for maintaining mental well-being.
Implement a To-Do Lists

The Best Way to Implement a To-Do List to Improve Productivity, Self-Confidence, and Success

Implementing a structured to-do list enhances productivity, self-confidence, and success by providing clarity, prioritization, and time management. This system helps reduce stress, increase accountability, and improve goal achievement, leading to consistent progress and personal growth.
Prompted Bullet Journaling

The Power of Using a Written and Prompted Journal or Bullet Planner for Goal Setting and Tracking

Using written and prompted journals or bullet planners to set and track SMART goals enhances clarity, organization, and accountability, leading to increased motivation and achievement. These tools support self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience, making them effective for personal and professional growth.
Bullet Journals for Students

The Benefits of Using a Planner and Bullet Journals for Students: Enhancing Academic Performance and Mental Health

Using planners and bullet journals can significantly enhance students' academic performance and mental health by improving organization, time management, and self-reflection, while also reducing stress and fostering emotional well-being. These tools promote goal setting, gratitude, and mindfulness, providing structured support for personal growth and resilience.
The Power of Prompted Planners and Bullet Journaling

The Power of Prompted Planners and Bullet Journaling

Staying organized as a parent can feel overwhelming, but the power of prompted planners and bullet journaling makes it less complicated. Prompted planners provide ready-made templates for managing daily tasks, while bullet journaling offers creative flexibility for long-term goals. Both tools are great for streamlining routines, reducing stress, and improving family life.
Prompted Journaling for Mental Health

Benefits of Prompted Journaling for Mental Health and Performance

Prompted and bullet journaling, as advocated by performance coach Jason Selk, offers structured reflection to enhance mental health, high performance and ultimately success in life by fostering self-awareness, reducing stress, and supporting goal achievement. Supported by extensive research, this practice can improve mood, cognitive function, creativity, and emotional resilience, making it a valuable tool for day-to-day personal growth and resilience.
Raising Confident, Self-Assured Kids

Building Confidence in Kids: Tips to Raise Kids Right

Building confidence in kids requires intentional parenting and consistent support. Encourage them to take on challenges, celebrate their efforts, and set realistic goals. Allowing them to experience failure while offering guidance fosters resilience. Teaching positive self-talk, modeling confident behavior, and nurturing curiosity helps them develop a strong sense of self. Avoid being overly critical, and focus on progress rather than perfection. By creating a supportive environment and offering unconditional encouragement, parents can raise confident children ready to face life’s challenges with determination and perseverance.
Fun and Effective Strategies to Motivate Kids

How to Motivate Children: Fun and Effective Strategies

Motivating children in a world full of distractions needs patience and simple strategies. Support their interests, break big tasks into smaller steps, and be a positive role model. Turn everyday tasks into fun challenges and teach them to learn from mistakes. With patience and encouragement, you can help your child stay motivated and grow into their best self.
Nurturing Youth Athletes

Competing Hard: Jason Selk's Guide to Nurturing Youth Athletes without Becoming Crazy Sports Parents

In this comprehensive guide by Dr. Jason Selk, parents learn specific strategies to support youth athletes without becoming "overbearing sports parents." Through effective goal-setting, fostering mental toughness, promoting balance, and modeling positive behavior, parents can help their children compete hard while maintaining a healthy perspective on sports and life.
Practical Strategies for Parenting Success

Mastering Anger Management: Practical Strategies for Parenting Success

Jason Selk provides practical strategies for parents to cope with anger effectively and parent with patience and resilience. Through mindfulness, positive self-talk, setting boundaries, and seeking support, parents can create a nurturing environment where both they and their children can thrive emotionally and psychologically.
Teaching the Benefits of Delayed Gratification

How To Teach Delayed Gratification To Your Children?

There are certain tried and tested methods you can actively promote delayed gratification in children. This article will serve as a crash course for the dos and don’ts of delayed gratification. Here you’ll learn what delayed gratification can do for the mental wellness of your child and how you can teach it.
The Art of Healthy Marriage

The Art of Healthy Marriage: Embracing the 60/40 Principle

We explore the concept of the 60/40 principle in marriage, emphasizing empathy, flexibility, and communication between partners — where each partner is striving to be the 60% knowing that life inevitably will require you to at times be the 40%. By prioritizing your relationship and supporting each other through thick and thin, couples create a stable and nurturing home environment that fosters children's emotional, social, and psychological well-being, laying the foundation for their success and happiness in life.
The Power of Constant Recognition

The Power of Constant Recognition of Wins in Building Parental Confidence

Parenting often throws us into uncharted waters, where every decision and action feels like a leap of faith. It's in these moments of uncertainty that our confidence as parents can falter, leaving us feeling unsure of ourselves and our abilities. Thus, by constantly recognizing 'Done Wells,' no matter how small, we reinforce our belief in ourselves and our capabilities as parents.
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