Goldie Hawn shares wellness tips with U-46 students, families

"Don't forget to breathe," Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn says in a special video message to Elgin Area School District U-46 students and families.

In it, Hawn shares wellness tips for coping with stress and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The video, which was requested by U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders, is posted on the district's new wellness webpage and on YouTube, and has garnered more than 4,000 views.

Hawn is the founder of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a not-for-profit whose MindUp program provides children with tools to manage stress, regulate emotions, and face challenges with optimism, resilience and compassion.

In her video message, Hawn talks about bringing positivity into the home during these tough times, reassuring adults they "have the power and the resilience to be able to parent appropriately."

It begins with training the brain to relax, she says, " ... because stress is not a good thing for your brain. It's not a good thing for your body. It's not a good thing for how you relate to each other."

Hawn urges taking "brain breaks" and suggests feelings of anger and fear in children and adults can be mitigated through mindful breathing.

"Sit in a circle with your children. Hold hands ... twice a day ... we will breathe in and breathe out together as a family. Hold tight. Things are going to change. Please believe it."

Sanders reached out to Hawn after being introduced to her foundation. The two had been corresponding since last fall, but it wasn't until Sanders heard from U-46 families struggling due to the pandemic that he solicited Hawn's help.

"Our families are really hurting," he said. "The amount of food that we are distributing says it all. So many families are without work now. (Students) just miss the human interaction with their friends. I feel the stress myself. Sometimes we do just forget to breathe and breathe deeply."

Sanders connected with Hawn over Zoom video conferencing and recorded the message on Tuesday. Her foundation "does amazing work to encourage breathing and mindfulness activities," he said.

U-46 is providing wellness resources by grade level, and for parents and guardians on its website, u-46.org/wellness.

District principals, administrators and teachers also are reaching out to check-in with families whose children are not engaging fully in distance learning to see if they need additional supports, Sanders said.

The Illinois Department of Human Services has launched a support line called Call4Calm where people can text a mental health professional with the word "TALK" or "SPEAK" (for Spanish speakers) at 552-020, he added.