Do you find yourself getting caught up in an argument and you just lose it? How much simpler would your life be if you could learn a quick way to pause before things got out of hand? Let’s talk about how to handle yourself during a stressful situation, whether it's with a loved one (including your child) or a co-worker. Sometimes all it takes is a five minute breather to regroup and calm down before things escalate. I like to call this breather a “Me Moment” or in parenting, a “Mommy Timeout” (or daddy/caregiver, etc.,).
So what does this look like? If you are in the middle of a stressful situation, maybe a parenting crisis or an argument with your spouse, take a timeout for yourself, that's right, for yourself! I used to tell my now 17 year-old that mommy was getting tense and needed a timeout to calm down! 🙂 Go somewhere quiet and take a breather. And follow these steps:
(1) Let yourself get really grounded, either standing or seated. For standing, stand tall like a tree. Imagine roots running from your feet into the earth. Seated would be similar to what we do in seated meditation so letting your muscles relax into the seat and feeling the tension slowly ooze out.
(2) Next take a few slow deep breaths, following each breath all the way in and all the way out. Let each in-breath fill you with calm and let each out-breath take out the stress.
(3) Relax the muscles in your body as you continue breathing normally, starting with your facial muscles. Soften the frown lines in your forehead, let your jaw muscles slowly unwind.
(4) Allow yourself to become fully present in the moment. You have nowhere to be but here and now. Allow that calm to spread throughout your body and into your muscles and bones. You are an oasis of calm and peace. Continue to breathe slowly.
As the calm fills you up, you will feel better equipped to deal with the situation. Take this newfound peace back with you. I made a video of this for a Facebook page for which I do weekly lives, so check it out below.
For additional tips like this one, remember to subscribe to my newsletter (on the home page) and you’ll get a FREE guide on Finding Calmness in Chaos: 5 Quick Techniques for Mindful Parenting of Neurodiverse Children. Also, you are very welcome to join our private Facebook group: Mindfulness for Neurodiverse Families by clicking on the picture below. Thanks and have an amazing week! 🧡
