ARISE announces riveting new webinar on negotiation skills.

Learn how to master “Everyday Negotiations” at home and work in this enlightening hour-long webinar.

Life is filled with small moments of negotiation—with coworkers, spouses, kids and salespeople to name a few. Take charge of any situation and learn the intricate art of compromise by taking part in the ARISE “Everyday Negotiations” webinar Thursday July 30, 2009 at 11:30 AM.

In this fourth ARISE webinar, participants will learn how to sharpen their communication skills, see both sides of an issue and emerge from a conflict feeling confident and comfortable with the outcome. The webinar costs just $19.00 for those who have not been previously trained by ARISE.  To sign up for the webinar, simply visit ariselife-skills.org, click on the orange training calendar and use the “register” button beside the webinar. Experienced ARISE trainers Anne Jones and Joliett Vega-Klucevsek will lead this interactive discussion and training session on how to collaborate with others without giving up or giving in.

For over 20 years, ARISE has operated as a developer and publisher of Life Management Skills curricula and staff training programs. Designed to reach at-risk, incarcerated youth in detention centers and secure facilities and on probation, ARISE is also utilized as a powerful prevention tool for teenagers and young adults.  ARISE programs consist of interactive group discussions and activities designed to break the ice quickly and grab the attention of even the most turned-off participants.. 

In its home state of Florida, ARISE was utilized for decades in the Miami-Dade School system. ARISE has forged a strong partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). ARISE programs have been changing the lives of juvenile offenders in the Florida juvenile justice system since 1996. Its dynamic programs are currently being taught in 74 DJJ facilities across the state, as well as the Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Clubs and alternative schools.

ARISE programs are also used in over 100 organizations in the District of Columbia, including public and charter schools, the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the Metropolitan Police, the District of Columbia jail and the D.C. Superior Court Probation Department.

A 2007 study by Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland showed that the cost of one offender with at least six police contacts from childhood to age 32 is $3,172,998. In other words, rescuing one youth from a life of crime saves taxpayers more than $3 million dollars.

Since ARISE was established over two decades ago, it has trained and certified  5,760 Group Facilitators who have taught over 4,055,708 documented hours of ARISE life-skills lessons across the United States. ARISE is also being used in Canada, Jamaica, England, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Kingdom of Bahrain. ARISE curricula are presently being translated into Kazakh, Russian. Requests for translations have also come in from as far away as Pakistan and South Africa.

To sign up for this webinar or get more information, please call toll free:  1 (888) 680-6100 or visit ariselife-skills.org.

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Five Wise Quotes About Anger, Brought To You By ARISE Life Skills Curricula and Training

• A man is about as big as the things that make him angry -Winston Churchill
• Not the fastest horse can catch a word spoken in anger -Chinese proverb
• Do not teach your children never to be angry; teach them how to be angry.  -Lyman Abbott
• Resentment is an extremely bitter diet, and eventually poisonous.  I have no desire to make my own toxins.  -Neil Kinnock
• Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.  -Marcus Antonius

Anger is a poisonous emotion.  Each moment you are angry, your heart races, your body tenses up, your mind shuts down and your immune system weakens. A life spent in anger and resentment is a life wasted.

It’s not always easy to let go of anger. People often need guidance on how to consciously choose peace over conflict. If you or someone you know needs help controlling your emotions, ARISE can help.  The CHOICES: Drop It At The Door program teaches participants how to shed negative emotions and stop the boomerang effect of stress and anxiety ricocheting between home and work. Stop bringing your troubles at home into the workplace and vice versa. Relax and choose your own thoughts.  It is possible.

For more information on the CHOICES workshop or the ARISE Anger Management books, visit the ARISE Website.

Dealing with Stress and Anxiety at Work, Brought to you by ARISE Life Skills & Training

43 percent of U.S. adults suffer adverse health effects from stress, according to an American Psychological Association (APA) study.

Stress and anxiety are not just in your mind. They weaken your immune system, making you vulnerable to illnesses and putting you at an increased risk of allergies, autoimmune diseases and heart disease, according to the APA. Stress can trigger or worsen diabetes. Your body releases stress hormones that automatically release extra sugar into your bloodstream.

Stress can also accelerate aging. According to a 2006 studyof the APA, people with chronic stress are more likely to suffer from age-related diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, major depression, mental decline, osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome.

Stress can even impact your weight. According to the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, the greater the stress in a woman’s life, the greater her weight.

The #1 Cause of Stress

According to The American Institute of Stress (AIS), “Job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults … and it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.”

Consider the following statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health:

• 40% of workers say their job is very or extremely stressful
• 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
• 75% of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
• 29% of workers say they feel “quite a bit or extremely stressed at work”

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health problems than any other life stressor, including financial or family problems

Job stress can result from any number of things, but often it has to do with fears of getting laid off, unrealistic expectations, an emotionally hazardous work environment or a physically hazardous one.

Stress in the workplace is clearly becoming a public health issue. Following are even more startling findings from a 2000 Integra Survey:

• 65% of workers said that workplace stress had caused them difficulties (and 10% said the difficulties had major effects).
• 62% routinely had work-related neck pain at the end of the day.
• 44% reported stressed-out eyes.
• 38% had pain in their hands.
• 34% reported difficulty sleeping because of work-related stress.
• Nearly one in four workers has cried over workplace stress, and 19% have quit a job because of it.
• Over half of workers say the frequently skip lunch because of job demands.
• 29% have yelled at co-workers because of job stress
• 42% say that yelling and verbal abuse are common
• 2% have actually struck someone at work.

The flailing economy and its sky-high unemployment and job-loss statistics have only put more pressure on the American work force. The fear of job loss through lay-offs, outsourcing or company closures is a very real and very stressful reality.

If you are one of the millions of people feeling anxiety, stress and pressure, what can you do? First off, make sure you are getting enough sleep, exercising, talking about things with a trusted friend and eating right. Once you are living a healthier life, the next step is to take control of your emotions. ARISE has the perfect workshop to help you do just that.

ARISE has a fantastic program called CHOICES: Drop It At The Door, which is proven to help reduce stress, diffuse conflict and help you manage anger, especially in the workplace. CHOICES teaches participants that negative energy, stress and anger are all emotions you choose to take part in. By actively choosing to stay calm and release your fears, you steer your life in the direction YOU want it to go.

It works.

For more information or to schedule a training session, call ARISE at 1-888-680-6100 or visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org. 

* special thanks to sixwise.com for the statistics about stress.

Teaching & Motivating Youth with ADHD/ADD and Learning Disabilities, brought to you by ARISE Life Skills

Building a rapport with a learning-disabled, frustrated child or teen starts with tailoring your teaching style to their special needs. ADHD/ADD is a neurological disorder that impacts individuals in four main categories:

1. Attention: youth with ADHD/ADD have trouble paying attention and focusing on tasks, especially if they are not interested in them.
2. Impulsivity: lack of self-control can cause impulsive behaviors and choices.
3. Hyperactivity: many kids and teens with ADHD are “bouncy,” hyperactive, restless and on-the-go.
4. Boredom: Unless a task is very stimulating, those with ADHD/ADD often get bored easily.

ARISE lessons are specifically designed for people with difficulty reading, writing and staying focused. All guided group discussions and activities are structured, interactive, to-the-point and easy-to-understand.  Forget about boredom and acting out! These dynamic lessons will get even the most reserved students involved and learning about anger management, conflict resolution, job search and interview skills, health and hygiene, nutrition and exercise and much more.

Here are 15 ways to teach and connect with these unique, and often very bright, youth.

1. Give simple one-step directions.
2. Give both verbal and written instructions.
3. Maintain eye contact when giving instructions.
4. Help learners get started on an activity, then encourage them to complete the activity on their own.
5. When you ask a question, allow extra time for them to answer.
6. Encourage rather than criticize.
7. Focus on and praise positive behavior. Catch them doing good things and compliment them immediately. Praise and reinforce ALL good behavior: not interrupting, being patient, remaining seated, cooperating, participating in group activities.
8. Be sure they understand that it’s OK to ask for help.
9. Have them sit up front with their backs to other learners.
10. Let them doodle; it helps them focus and pay attention during quiet activities.
11. Hyperactive behaviors when seated are a release for the hyperactivity. It’s best to ignore them unless they are distracting for other learners.
12. Use activities that allow and encourage movement. Let the ADHD learner distribute and collect materials or erase the board.
13. If reading aloud frustrates them, do not ask them to do it.
14. Move closer to them when you want to get their attention.
15. Tell them what you want them to do, not just what NOT to do.

For more information, or to order from the ARISE curricula, please visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org or call 1 (888) 680-6100.

25 Tips for controlling stress, brought to you by ARISE Life Skills & Training

It’s a stressful world out there. Work, family relationships, traffic, economic worries, environmental concerns… it all adds up to life in a pressure cooker. What can you do when your heart is racing and you feel close to losing control?

Relax. ARISE to the rescue! Here are 25 helpful tips to bring a little peace to your life and help you handle the strains of everyday life.

If you like what you see, please visit the online store at http://www.ariselife-skills.org for more of our fantastic life skills materials.

25 TIPS TO CONTROL STRESS:

1. Confront problems, don’t ignore them.
2. Don’t be stressed when others tease or criticize you; they may just be envious of you.
3. Identify stressful situations in advance and keep a positive outlook.
4. Reach out to a new person in the neighborhood. Be aware of his feelings and invite him to join in the activities.
5. Ask others for support and guidance when faced with stressful situations.
6. Choose your own behavior. You CAN make a difference.
7. “There are thousands of causes for stress. One antidote to stress is self expression. That’s what happens to me every day. My thoughts get off my chest, down my sleeves and onto my pad.” – Elia Kazan
8. Don’t get stressed out over things that are out of your control. Life is too short to worry about things you can’t change.
9. Take deep breaths.
10. Work to eliminate the problems that you CAN change.

10 Things to Remember about Conflict Resolution, brought to you by ARISE Life Skills Training & Curricula

Anger management and conflict resolution are a big part of the innovative WORK IN PROGRESS  series.  This series, like all the ARISE lessons, are interactive, dynamic and anything but boring! Work in Progress also features lessons on: drug prevention, peer pressure, alcohol abuse, gun safety, violence and domestic abuse and sexual abuse

Without further ado: 10 Things to Remember About Conflict Resolution.