Recharging is something every parent needs!  We are constantly on the go and often sleep deprived, yet we still have to show up and be our best selves for our kids. Parental stress negatively impacts your children, so how can you create more calm within yourself to nurture better outcomes for your kiddos?

Use this Mindfulness Practice after a long day or when you face those challenging parenting moments:  (great throughout this holiday season)

1. Find a comfortable seat.   

2. Tense your all of your muscles starting with your toes all the way up to your face.  Hold it for 10 seconds and release.

3. Roll your shoulder back and down.  

4. Close your eyes gently and take 3 deep nourishing breaths and then settle back into a natural rhythm.

5. Observe your body starting with the physical body (from toes to top of head notice sensations, aches, relax, nothing) and then drawing inward to the emotions.  Just notice the experience of your being without judgement (“wordless watching”). As you are observing you may find yourself getting distracted by emotional thinking, to do lists, noises around you, body sensations.  Don’t push these experiences away, but rather allow them to happen, even if they are painful without staying focused on it for long.

6. Gently call your focus back to your breath and purposefully take 1 deep breath in and out to move away from the distraction. Then return to scanning your body and/or emotions.

7. Describe what you are observing without judgment and interpretation (ex. My body feels tense, I feel overwhelmed, I’m having the thought that…, I’m having the urge to…). Stick to the facts!! Instead of “that kid has an attitude”, describe actual behaviors of the child, the facts of your observation, such as “I saw her rolling her eyes, He threw his toy, He was whining”.  

8.  Take 3 deep cleansing breaths. Let go of negative feelings (ie. vengeance and useless anger) and shoulds (ie. John should have…) that can hurt you or make things worse.  Focus on what can actually help you achieve your goal and nurture the parent/child relationship

9. Gently flutter the eyes open and return to the present world around you

10.  Now go out recharged and practice compassion for yourself and those around you

** Practice daily and often- the more you practice the easier it is to be less reactive in the moment