Something has shifted.
Children are more anxious.
Big emotions are showing up earlier.
Focus is harder.
Behaviour is more reactive.
And teachers and parents are holding more than ever.
This isn’t because this generation of children is weaker.
They’re growing up in a world that’s faster, louder, and far more demanding than the one we grew up in.
More screens.
Less time outside.
More pressure.
Very little true downtime.
The environment has changed.
But the human nervous system hasn’t.
And many children are carrying more than their system knows how to handle.
When that load stays high for too long, the body shifts into survival mode.
And if stress becomes their normal…
they don’t grow out of it.
They grow into it.
Children aren’t more difficult.
Their nervous systems are more overwhelmed.
Why this matters.
Something isn’t working for our kids.
Anxiety is showing up earlier.
Emotional overwhelm is becoming more common.
Waiting lists for support keep growing.
Teachers are stretched.
Parents are exhausted.
When the nervous system carries too much for too long, it shifts into survival mode.
Anxiety increases.
Emotions become harder to manage.
Focus drops.
Behaviour becomes more reactive.
Overwhelm shows up more easily.
Over time, stress starts to feel normal.
And what becomes normal in childhood often continues into adulthood.
We can’t wait until children are struggling badly enough to need intervention.
The Groundwork focuses on what comes before crisis.
Because the foundation for learning, behaviour and mental health is a regulated nervous system.
And without that, nothing else sticks.
Behaviour is the language of the nervous system.
What's missing?
Most support begins when children are already struggling - when anxiety is high, behaviour has escalated, or school and home are starting to feel hard.
By that point, their system is already overwhelmed.
What many children need isn’t another strategy or consequence.
They’re missing the foundations that help them feel calm, settled and able to cope.
More time to slow down.
More time outside.
Space to move, reset and breathe.
Less pressure.
More consistent connection with calm adults.
When a child feels safe and regulated, everything else becomes easier - learning, behaviour, confidence and emotional resilience.
The Groundwork helps families and schools rebuild that foundation, so children don’t just cope - they have the capacity to handle life.
You can’t teach calm, focus or emotional control
to a system that’s overwhelmed.
What is
The Groundwork?
The Groundwork focuses on the system underneath the behaviour.
This work is about reducing the load modern life is placing on the nervous system and rebuilding the conditions children and adults need to feel regulated again.
We do this through:
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Time in nature
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Movement and sensory reset
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Slower rhythms and space to decompress
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Education about how the nervous system actually works
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Practical tools for everyday life at home, school and in the community
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Supporting adults so children have calm systems around them
We’re not trying to control behaviour.
We’re changing the state underneath it.
Why Nature?
Nature regulates the nervous system in a way nothing else really can.
When children are outside, with space to move, fresh air, natural light and less noise, their bodies start to settle. Their breathing slows, their muscles relax, and their system shifts out of that constant “on” state.
This isn’t a new concept.
For generations, children lived much closer to the land. They moved more, spent more time outside, and their days followed a more natural rhythm. Their nervous systems had regular opportunities to reset.
Today, many children spend most of their time indoors, on screens, and in environments that keep their system stimulated and alert.
The Groundwork brings children back to what humans have always needed - time on the land, space to move, and the chance for their system to slow down and come back into balance.
Because regulation isn’t something we force.
It’s something the body remembers.
Nature is nervous system medicine.
Why the nervous system matters
The nervous system is your body’s control and safety system.
It decides whether a child feels calm, stressed or overwhelmed - and it shapes how they behave, learn and cope.
When the nervous system feels safe and settled, children can focus, connect and learn.
When it feels overwhelmed, the body shifts into survival mode - and behaviour, emotions and attention are affected.
Because behaviour isn’t the problem.
It’s a signal.
If you understand the nervous system, you understand behaviour.
The Groundwork focuses on what sits underneath - the foundations that help the nervous system feel safe, settled and ready for life and learning.
Strong roots change everything
Strong roots change everything
How can we support you?
When kids are overwhelmed, everyone feels it.
For Parents
Kids aren’t harder than they used to be.
Their nervous systems are under more pressure.
More stimulation.
More rushing.
Less downtime.
Less space to recover.
When children are overwhelmed, it shows up as:
• Big emotions
• Anxiety or shutdown
• Poor sleep
• Constant pushback
• Low frustration tolerance
The Groundwork helps you understand what’s happening underneath - and gives you simple, realistic ways to bring your child back to calm, connection, and confidence at home.
Because when a child’s nervous system feels safe, everything else gets easier.
Support your family
Workshops and holiday programmes available now
For Schools
Children aren’t arriving at school ready to learn.
More anxiety.
Lower frustration tolerance.
Big emotions.
Short attention spans.
Shutdown or overwhelm.
Teachers are managing nervous systems all day — not just teaching.
The Groundwork works on both sides:
• Staff learn what’s driving behaviour and overwhelm
• Students learn simple tools to understand their bodies and emotions
• Classrooms become calmer, more focused, and easier to teach
Because when children can regulate, they can learn.
Less firefighting.
More teaching.
Enquire for your school
Bookings available Term 2–4
Support your family
Start with a conversation.
Community
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do for our kids is come together.
We’ll be hosting occasional community nature gatherings - relaxed outdoor events for families to connect, move, and spend time outside together.
These may include family nature days, beach or forest meetups, and occasional events with local role models who support children’s wellbeing.
Join the list to be the first to hear when something is coming up.
About
My name is Anna Marshall
Former teacher. Mum. Nervous-system-focused educator.
After years in the classroom, I saw how much children’s needs had changed - and how overwhelmed teachers and families had become.
The Groundwork was created to offer practical, real-life support for what’s actually happening underneath behaviour, anxiety and overwhelm.
This work isn’t theory.
It’s what works in real classrooms, real homes and real life.
Kim, Melbourne
"Anna is bright, reliable, patient and affectionate. She is also well-versed in child development, both
due to her education and a natural affinity toward children. She relates and cared for the children in
a delightful way, turning practically everything into a fun game."
Kate, Melbourne
"Anna is exceptionally knowledgeable when it comes to caring for children.
She has excellent instincts that serve her well but we have also found her great to collaborate with. As parents, we have learnt a great deal from Anna."
Sonja, Auckland
"Anna has a wonderful demeanour and a calming teacher presence. The tamariki have quickly built trusting and firm connections with her. Mana Motuhake, whanaungatanga and manaatikanga are highly evident in her everything she does"