Trauma no matter how severe or seemingly simple can affect how we think, remember and learn. Creating an environment where students and professionals are allowed to thrive is a very important piece to not letting that trauma control their everyday lives.
Outdoor Learning: Being outside, surrounded by trees, sunshine and the tactile sensations can help in reducing stress and anxiety. There is an element to outdoor learning that allows for movement and dance and feeling the ground through our fingertips. (O’Toole & Mulholland, 2021). As students experience the outside world, they can come face-to-face with bugs, plants, the wind. All of these elements add to the learning experience as well as understanding how compassion for the environment and the small things that grow. By learning in a space that is free of walls, the memory factors are stimulated and retaining those experiences can be stronger and more apt to be recalled.
Taking Time to Breathe: Whether in a classroom, or a professional setting, taking a few minutes each day to stretch and breathe can be exponentially important in centering the mind to improve memory. By learning how to take time out of a busy and just breathe, many at risk students can slowly begin to learn how to regulate their emotions, and potentially have less outbursts and more focus. (Metz et al., 2013). As stated in the article, prolonged exposure to stress hormones can lead to a decline in the hippocampal neurons, which can cause issues with memory retention. (Metz et al., 2013).
References:
O’Toole, C., & Mulholland, M. (2021). When it matters most: a trauma-informed, outdoor learning programme to support children’s wellbeing during COVID-19 and beyond. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03323315.2023.2261432
Metz, S. M., Frank, J. L., Reibel, D., Cantrell, T., Sanders, R., & Broderick, P. C. (2013). The effectiveness of the learning to breathe program on adolescent emotion regulation. Research in Human Development, 10(3), 252–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2013.818488
Memory and Transfer Professional Resource 
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