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Emotional Regulation

Reclaiming Potential with Clarity

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WELCOME TO 2026:
A YEAR OF RECLAIMING POTENTIAL WITH CLARITY

Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2026!

We are starting the year strong and we’re thrilled to hold our biannual School Holiday Social Group Programs and Intensive Programs commencing on Monday, 12 January. We cannot wait to see you all there. Until then, we are still enjoying some time off, resting and enjoying the sun! 

2026 Annual Theme: Reclaiming Potential with Clarity

Every year seems to get busier with more expectations put on us to do everything, be everything and more. As a team we are feeling it, and from our observations, so are our families. Each year we think deeply about what is happening with everyone and how our annual theme can resonate with our team, clients and families as well as our wider communities. 

For us this year, it’s about going back to the foundations. By ensuring that we have aced the basics, reclaiming what we are in control of and can achieve, we can restabilise our base of support with clarity for us to then launch off again. This can be in anything that we do, but most importantly it’s about starting with each client’s potential and applying where our knowledge is needed the most. 

What does ‘reclaiming’ mean to us?

First and foremost, ‘reclaiming’ for us means to take back, have ownership, independence or control over what is important to you. This is very personalised and will be different for each person, as your priorities, interests and from an OT perspective, goals are varied. 

This is where our team at Explore and Soar work so closely with you, as we want our clients to have ownership of their goals, progress and become independent in achieving them. Our role is to support, give guidance and strategies to achieve this. 

There has been a lot of noise with changes to NDIS and other governing bodies last year that a lot has felt out of our control due to a level of uncertainty and reactivity to how we can continue to give what we need for our children, and how Explore and Soar will continue to provide OT services to you – our clients. By refocusing and reclaiming what we have, will give strength to ground and feel confident for the year to come to build resilience, adaptability and independence in achieving each individual goal that is set for the year. 

What is ‘potential’ in OT?

The potential in OT is in everything we do, from play, to engaging at school, to eating or sleeping. It is about us all reaching our potential, having access and being provided with the best opportunities to reach our goals and achieve independence. 

Each person’s potential is unique, encompassing their own interests, goals and motivations to achieve this. As OT’s our role is to work alongside each of our clients and families to help them see their strengths, individualise intervention sessions and strategies to highlight these skills and give each client and family the confidence to want to keep practicing and working towards their goals, as all their goals are achievable.

By focusing on each client’s unique qualities and skill sets, we get to witness self confidence and resilience grow, goals be achieved and see each one of our clients realise their own potential and what they can give to the world. 

How does clarity help with reclaiming potential?

Clarity refers to a clear understanding and sense of what you are going to achieve and work towards for the year. As OT’s, we help in providing clarity in the ‘HOW’. The ‘how’ is in the intervention approach, education and the specific activities for our clients to reach those specific goals. This could mean frequency in appointments change (eg: term appointments – clinic vs home vs community, intensives, peer sessions or group programs), different intervention modalities and activities to complete, refined home programming suggestions and activities, as well as continued parent coaching for unwavering encouragement, reinforcement of your current achievements and advocacy to help all our families achieve their goals. 

For our clients and families, knowing you have an allied health team around you who can help provide that clarity and build that support network around you is paramount to your successes! You are not alone, we are right here with you!

Explore and Soar’s commitment to reclaiming potential with clarity

Our team continues to remain focused on strengthening our skills in supporting our clients by further focusing on our parent education and support, finding those go to and achievable strategies for our families that will help reduce the overwhelm, and reclaim our potential and niche as a company. We are really looking forward to remaining focused on our strengths in our foundational knowledge and support to our clients, providing sponsorships within our local communities, as well as exploring what else we have to offer to our clients and families in our local communities. 

We are excited about what this year has to offer us all, how we will grow together and continue to make our clients and communities stronger! 
Keep an eye out for our monthly blogs, termly newsletters and our social media in how Explore and Soar will continue to Reclaim Potential with Clarity over the next 12 months. 

Until next time,
Jess

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

PUBLISHED JANUARY 2026

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A Year of Community for Wellbeing and End of Year Celebrations

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A YEAR OF COMMUNITY FOR WELLBEING & END OF YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Our Focus

This year we have continued to support, shape and refine our support to all families by helping them achieve their goals. The main focus was on how our families are accessing their community to help them, as well as how we can help expand their achievement of goals not just in the home, but in a range of different environments as well. 

The Successes!

As the whole team has reflected on this, we are so proud of what we have achieved together! 

For our clients and their communities: we have had clients successfully engage in their first experience of team sports over the winter as well as some clients that have learnt new skills within a clinic environment and transferred to home or in the community. Our families leaned in and allowed us to continue to support them with any challenge that has come their way this year. We have been absolutely overjoyed watching all these successes with the excitement and confidence it has given all our clients and their families! It is the reminder each year of why we are here to support you and remaining true to our values – working within our local communities. 

For our team: we have loved being present by providing our ongoing, consistent support to our monthly parent and caregiver support group as well as our ongoing social group programs. We also successfully passed our NDIS reregistration and were able to adapt quickly to support our team, clients and community with all the NDIS changes!

The Challenges!

I don’t know about our clients and families, but this year has come with an array of challenges that we have needed to address and overcome in order to continue to support ourselves, our team and the Explore & Soar community! 

For Explore & Soar specifically, there is no lie, at the beginning of the year we had some staffing changes which impacted our consistency of interventions and support initially for some clients. We had to be flexible and creative in adapting to the NDIS changes in July and continue to do so for all our clients for the rest of the year. We are beyond grateful for our team and community in supporting us in doing so over the last 12 months with these changes!

For our clients and their communities; the financial, time and NDIS pressures have definitely taken its toll this year. We are seeing increased challenges for our caregivers when trying to problem solve how to give everything they can for their children whilst navigating these challenges. This has contributed to the increased pressures and demands of everyday life – only increasing stress and fatigue! We see you, we hear you and we are also navigating the same challenges personally with you. We hope that we can continue to be a support around you still helping navigate success within the chaos! 

End of Year Celebrations and the Year Ahead

The Explore & Soar team took a well earned afternoon off to celebrate the end of year with some great food, connection and some axe throwing to end the year with a challenge. It was so much fun to enjoy the quality time together and seeing who had the best aim with the axe. Can you guess which one of us has the best aim??? If you guessed Sophie, then you are right! She definitely threw it out of the park, with many bullseyes, while the rest of us were just trying to let the axe stick!

We also spent some time sitting on what we would like to focus on and support our clients into 2026 based on what we have seen the common themes for the coming year! We are excited to share the theme for 2026 with you in January and direct our focus again in the new year to  provide support, knowledge and high quality interventions to achieve your goals!  

Important Dates: Holiday Closure and Upcoming January School Holiday Programs

As the year comes to a close our team will be taking a well-deserved break to rest, recharge to either stay at home, visit a new place or spend some time with our family or friends. 

This year, our end of year closure will begin at the end of business Friday 19th December 2025. We will return with our January School Holiday Group Programs & Intensives on Monday 12th January 2026!

If you would like to join our January programs, be sure to secure your spot today! These fun and engaging programs will run from January 12 to 16 & 19 to 23 January 2026. We cannot wait to see you there. CLICK HERE to see more about the programs and secure your spot.

Our intensive programs will be running each week in the January school holidays, including the 27 to 30 January 2026! Enquire today on which week will suit you best! 

We wish all of our Explore & Soar families and communities a joyful Christmas and New Year break. We look forward to continuing our journey together in 2026 with lots more support coming! 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Until next time,
Jess

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2025

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Welcome to 2025: A Year of Community and Wellbeing!

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Girl Enjoying the outdoors - promoting community wellbeing

WELCOME TO 2025: A YEAR OF COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING!

Welcome to 2025: Explore and Soar is focused on community wellbeing!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Welcome to 2025! As we step into this new year, we’re thrilled to kick off our January School Holiday Group Programs and Intensives, starting January 13th. We can’t wait to see you all there!

Our Annual Theme: Community for Wellbeing

This year, Explore and Soar is focusing on community wellbeing by fostering strong connections within our local communities.

For us, being an active part of both the Explore and Soar and Occupational Therapy communities enriches our connections, support, and resilience, allowing us to provide the best practices for our clients and families. This highlights the importance of communities remaining connected to promote our collective wellbeing.

Every member of our Explore and Soar team is part of their own community outside of work—whether through hobbies, volunteering, or local activities. This community provides them with joy and support. When you think about “Community for Wellbeing,” what comes to mind for you?

What Does Community Mean to Us?

A community can be defined in many ways. While it’s more commonly known as a ‘geographical location or place of residence’, at its core, it’s about relationships that bind people together.

In occupational therapy, there are many definitions of community, but this one stands out for us:

“to do something that cannot be easily done in isolation

(Scaffa, 2001, Pg.8)”

It highlights that the basis of a community is in the relationships of people who come together. A community built around wellbeing thrives when its members come together to share values and cultures and support each other. For us, engaging in our community through jobs, schooling, sporting activities, volunteering, shopping locally, or advocating for community improvements (such as new parks or pathways) are just a few ways we can connect and support one another to achieve common goals.

When we contribute to something meaningful and can use our unique skills and talents within our community, we not only find joy but also enhance our contribution and connection within our community to help improve our health and, ultimately, our wellbeing. 

Understanding Wellbeing

Wellbeing is a personal and multifaceted journey. It is defined by what, how, and where each person is in a positive state. Wellbeing encompasses many aspects of our lives: Occupational/Work, Emotional, Financial, Social, Environmental, Intellectual, Spiritual, and Physical health. Each of these elements plays a vital role in our overall wellbeing, helping us find purpose, contribute, and find meaning in what we do.

When we actively work towards improving our wellbeing, we improve our health and enhance our everyday lives, by finding more motivation and meaning to keep going. 

Now, don’t get me wrong — improving our wellbeing isn’t always easy. It requires consistency, support, and adaptation. Some days, I find balance; other days, I need to focus on my social connections or my physical health. 

It is important to remember that everyone’s version of wellbeing and where they find meaning is unique, and that’s perfectly okay!

Building Connections for Your Wellbeing

Where can you start building connections to enhance your wellbeing? Consider your current relationships. Do they bring you joy, and are they conducive to my wellbeing? What areas could you improve? Reflect on the time you can dedicate to nurturing these connections.

These are all great starting points to direct yourself towards where you want to start building these relationships. 

Here are some great ways to enhance your wellbeing through connection:

  • Volunteer at your child’s school to meet other parents and teachers – This is both rewarding and helps build connections.
  • Say hello to someone who walks at the same time as you are taking a morning stroll – Connect over shared interests.
  • Join a group or activity that sparks your interest.
  • Sign up for a local team sport to enjoy camaraderie and physical activity.

Building relationships in your local community can significantly enhance your community wellbeing, helping you achieve a more balanced life.

Explore and Soar’s Commitment to Connection

At Explore and Soar, we are deeply committed to supporting our local communities and fostering meaningful connections. To learn more about our team, values, and the work we do to enhance community wellbeing, we invite you to visit our About page and discover how we’re making a difference in the lives of our clients and families.

Some ways we do this are:

  • We have continued to develop group programs to support our clients in socialising and engaging in fun activities with children of similar ages, consistently offering these opportunities within our local community in Branxton.
  • We have attended local community events and school expos. 
  • We have sponsored local sporting associations. 
  • Education has also been our way to connect. Volunteering our time to offer online and in-person educational talks to parents of children transitioning into Kindergarten and teacher education and training to further enhance their connection with our clients within the classroom and playground environments. 

Exciting New Initiatives!

We are continually creating opportunities for our clients and their families to connect, share their lived experiences, empathise, and feel supported in their communities.

This year, we’re excited to announce the launch of a Parent and Caregiver Support Group. Join us for coffee, conversation, and connection in a warm, welcoming environment. Keep an eye out for details in the coming weeks.

We cannot wait to see you there!!

Tracking Your Wellbeing Journey

Our own Jess Rodgers has been working behind the scenes to develop a Wellbeing Planner designed to help track goals and wellbeing progress. This planner originated during the rapid changes of 2020-2021 when Jess realised she needed a way to stay accountable and look after her health and wellbeing. 

Jess created a Wellbeing Planner to achieve this goal!

Our Explore and Soar team will utilise this Wellbeing Planner throughout the year to support our journeys and remain accountable for our health and wellbeing to ensure we are happy, healthy, and present to support you, our clients, and our families. And we’re thrilled to offer it to you as well.

If you’d like to join us on this journey, purchase your Wellbeing Planner today. With the new Wellbeing Planner, we hope this will help our clients track and improve their health through intentional goal-setting.

Wellbeing Planner for sale - https://www.jessrodgers.com.au/

We look forward to being part of our community this year, providing support, education, and engagement for all our clients and families.

By focusing on community wellbeing, we hope to inspire you to start building meaningful connections, too!

Stay tuned for exciting events and monthly blogs filled with valuable information just for you!

Until next time, 
Jess and the Explore and Soar Team

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2024

References

  • Hyett, N., McKinstry, C. E., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2015). Community-centred practice: Occupational therapists improving the health and wellbeing of populations. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(5-8).
  • Scaffa, M. (Ed.). (2001). Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Practice Settings. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

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Embracing Transitions and Growth: A Year of Learning and Achievement

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EMBRACING TRANSITIONS AND GROWTH:
A YEAR OF LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT

Embracing Transitions and Growth Fuels Our Success!

As we approach the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared. All I can say is, “What a year it has been!”

It was a year of exploring ways that we transition throughout our lives. From significant life changes such as transitioning into adulthood, moving homes, transitioning into a new school year (especially Kindergarten or year 7), starting new careers, trying a new sport, or managing health conditions to the everyday transitions we experience, like transitioning from home to school, catching the bus, transitioning from playtime to dinner, or switching off technology devices. The list is endless.

Every transition, big or small, contributes to our growth and learning.

By embracing transitions and growth, we develop new skills and gain valuable experiences at each stage of life.

Celebrating Success in Life Transitions

At Explore and Soar, we understand that embracing transitions is essential for both children and their families. Each step forward is a sign of progress.

What truly stands out this year is the unwavering support from parents and caregivers. Your dedication, love, and hard work in helping your children navigate these transitions have been truly inspiring. The effort, persistence, and love you pour into supporting your children as they reach their goals is a beautiful sight. We’ve witnessed the joy and pride on their faces as they master new skills – a testament to your hard work. We also recognise the challenges you face, and in those tough moments, please remember – we see you, we hear you, and we are here to help!

For more on managing life transitions, check out our previous blog to learn more about transitions in therapy.

Explore and Soar: Growing Together

This year, Explore and Soar has expanded its horizons! We introduced a fresh new look and broadened our age range to better support clients transitioning from school to university, work, or community life. We were also thrilled to open our new space in the Kurri Kurri clinic for therapy sessions when home or community settings aren’t ideal.

These transitions wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration and commitment of our families and, most importantly, the continuous work of our dedicated team, who tirelessly support these transitions and consistently assist our families in new and evolving ways.

End-of-Year Celebrations & Transition Ahead

As we wrap up the year, the Explore and Soar team celebrated with a joyful Christmas party, creating beautiful macrame pieces and enjoying a delicious dinner. We had so much fun!

We also held our Annual Reflections and Projections Day, where we identified our achievements and worked toward an actionable plan for the new year. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, share ideas, and commit to growing together as a team while continuing to support each other, our families, and our communities.

Important Dates: Holiday Closure & Upcoming January School Holiday Programs

At the end of each year, our team takes a well-deserved break to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with our families and friends!

This year, our Christmas closure will begin at the end of business on Friday, December 20th. We will return with our January School Holiday group programs starting Monday, January 13th, 2025!

If you’d like to join our January programs, be sure to secure your spot today! These fun and engaging programs will run from January 13th to 17th and again from January 20th to 24th, 2025. We cannot wait to see you there. Click here to see more about the programs and secure your spot!

Looking ahead to the new year, embracing transitions and growth will remain a central focus at Explore and Soar.

Until next time, we wish all of our Explore and Soar family a joyful Christmas break filled with quality time with loved ones, sunshine, and relaxation. Look after yourselves, and we can’t wait to reconnect in the New Year and continue this journey together!

Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next time, 
Jess and the Explore and Soar Team

PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2024

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Smooth Sailing Through Life’s Changes: Mastering Emotional Regulation During Transitions

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SMOOTH SAILING THROUGH LIFE’S CHANGES: MASTERING EMOTIONAL REGULATION DURING TRANSITIONS

As we delve deeper into 2024, emotional regulation is a prominent theme that goes hand in hand with supporting transitions.

Understanding Transitions

Transitions in life are inevitable. Whether it’s starting a new school year, moving to a new home, or experiencing changes within the family dynamic, transitions can be challenging for both parents and children alike. During these times of change, emotions can run high, leading to stress and uncertainty.

What is Emotional Regulation?

Emotional regulation refers to an individual’s ability to recognise, process and act upon the emotions that they feel within different situations on a regular day. It is one’s ability to adjust and control their energy level, emotions, behaviours, and attention to allow for success in connecting with our loved ones and engaging in our daily lives. We provide even more information on our “Tools to Support Emotions” blog.

Emotional regulation is a skill that is developed over time. Emotional regulation is essential for healthy emotional development and well-being throughout life. There are two stages to emotional regulation.

Co-regulation is the foundation for emotional development, allowing children to explore, learn and understand unfamiliar situations while parents support them by providing a safety net. 

Self-regulation involves the ability to notice and change/control one’s own feelings and adapt to surroundings. Emotional regulation is essential for healthy emotional development and well-being throughout life. To find out more information, refer to our “Emotional Regulation” blog.

The Emotional Rollercoaster

Transitions can evoke a range of emotions, from excitement and anticipation to anxiety and fear. Children who thrive on routine and stability may feel their sense of security disrupted, leading to vulnerability and insecurity. Similarly, parents may experience a mix of pride, worry, and doubt as they navigate unfamiliar territory. With the right tools and support, families can navigate transitions more smoothly, fostering emotional regulation and resilience along the way.

Strategies for Emotional Regulation

So, how can we help you support your child emotionally regulate during transitions? As Occupational Therapists, our role is to enable children and parents to recognise, understand and manage their emotions during times of change. Whether they are transitioning from breakfast to getting dressed or from home to school, navigating our emotions is a difficult task and can depend heavily on our sense of safety within ourselves and others and our connection to place, person, or thing. 

Here are some practical strategies and tools:

1. Transition Time: Allow ample time for transitions, providing a buffer for individuals to adjust mentally and emotionally.

2. Observation: Pay attention to the child’s body language, affect, tone of voice, and overall demeanour to gauge their emotional state.

  • Are we slouching our shoulders or dropping our head?
  • Are we smiling, and are our faces lit up? 
  • Is our tone of voice low, high-pitched, or fast-paced? 
  • Do we appear frazzled or disinterested?
  • Do we seem tired or overwhelmed from something that happened earlier?

3. Tools and Techniques we utilise, and you can too.

  • Visual schedules for predictability and routine. This also provides a point of orientation. 
  • Visual timers to set task timeframes and provide visual information of how long the task is.
  • Therapressure brushing is a technique for grounding and calming.
  • Therapeutic use of self for connection, following their lead and co-regulation.
  • Breathing exercises such as belly breathing or blowing bubbles.
  • Incorporating vestibular input through activities like wobble boards.
  • Providing oral input with stretches, cold drinks, or chewy foods.

Setting the Body Up

We call this process ‘Setting the Body Up’ as this prepares the body with sensory input and transition time to ease into daily activities.

Once our body is adequately ‘set up’ and we’ve allowed ‘transition time’. Transitions into daily activities won’t be as overwhelming. 

Emotional Continuum

We use cognitive-emotional strategies to support the emotional continuum. Strategies like sensory processing and cognitive strategies can help refine knowledge and apply skills in social situations. To learn more about how we use the above techniques as well as “Zones of Regulation,” “Size of Problem vs Reaction,” “The Alert Program,” “The Incredible Flexible You Series,” and “The Social Thinking Detectives” refer to our “The Emotional Continuum” blog. 

Embracing Change Together

Transitions are unpredictable, and allowing yourself grace in navigating them is essential. Understanding your own triggers and emotions is key to understanding how to emotionally regulate yourself. As parents, showing vulnerability can help model to our children that, YES, change can be scary, but you can do this as a TEAM.  Encourage open communication about challenges and solutions, empowering your child to take ownership and responsibility for the transition process.

Ask your child and yourself what is challenging about the transition to school/work or what makes it hard to go to soccer training or out for a catch-up with a friend in the afternoon, and what could we do to make it easier? This collaboration provides a sense of ownership and responsibility for our child and can result in increased adherence to routine, reducing the risk of emotional dysregulation.

Ready to embark on a smoother journey through life’s transitions? Start implementing these strategies today to foster emotional regulation and resilience in your family. Remember, every small step counts towards a smoother sail!

By implementing these strategies and fostering a supportive environment, families can navigate transitions more smoothly, fostering emotional regulation and resilience along the way. Contact us today if you would like to chat about transitions and how we can help.

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Until Next Time,
Molly

PUBLISHED MARCH 2024

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