Mindful parenting is much easier to learn in theory but much harder to put into practice; especially your child is in the midst of a meltdown! How does mindful parenting look in the midst of a struggle or challenging situation? If you are in the middle of a stressful situation, take a few moments to step back and do one of two things: the 3-Second Breathing Space or the Positive Pause.
The 3-Second Breathing Space is a way to step out of your automatic pilot mode and come back to the present moment. You can find the handout for the breathing space with more details on the resource page. There are 3 steps to this process:
Becoming aware of what is going on with you, mentally and physically.
Redirecting your full attention to breathing slowly in and out.
And then allowing your awareness to expand to encompass your whole body.
The second method is what I call the Positive Pause. If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious as a parent, give yourself a few moments to regroup and think about something which brings you joy and lightens your load or stress! My happy place usually involves imagining myself at the beach with the sun on my skin, the sounds of waves crashing in my ears, and the feeling of my toes digging into the warm sand. I imagine all these sensations at the same time while taking some slow deep breaths and it really allows me to relax. Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes of visualizing to calm you down and allow you to move on.
Hope these tips help you next time you're in a challenging situation with your child. And hope you have a beautiful week! 🌺 💕
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