How to Practice Mindfulness as a Parent : Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

practice-mindfulness-as-a-parent-

By Siyona Varghese

As a parent of infants and toddlers, it’s common to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that can help you reduce stress and anxiety and improve your overall well-being. By being mindful, you can learn to be more present at the moment and appreciate the little things in life. In this article, we’ll explore some simple techniques to help you practice mindfulness as a parent of infants and toddlers.

Take a Mindful Breath

The simplest way to practice mindfulness is to take a mindful breath. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed, take a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Focus on the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body. Pay attention to how your body feels as you breathe in and out. This simple technique can help you calm your mind and reduce stress.

Practice Mindful Listening

As a parent, you may feel like you’re always on the go, trying to keep up with your little ones. Take a break from the chaos and practice mindful listening. Choose a quiet spot in your home and listen to the sounds around you. Focus on the different tones and pitches of the sounds you hear. This practice can help you develop a sense of calm and mindfulness.

Practice Mindful Eating

Meal times can be stressful when you’re a parent. Instead of rushing through your meals, practice mindful eating. Focus on the flavors, textures and smells of the food you’re eating. Pay attention to how your body feels as you eat. This technique can help you develop a healthier relationship with food and reduce stress.

Engage in Mindful Play

Playing with your child can be a great way to practice mindfulness. Instead of going through the motions, be fully present during playtime. Pay attention to the sounds, colors and textures of the toys you’re playing with. Engage in meaningful conversations with your child and enjoy the time you spend together.

Practice Gratitude

As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily struggles of raising children. Take a moment each day to practice gratitude. Think about the things you’re thankful for, big or small. This simple act of mindfulness can help you appreciate the little things in life and reduce stress.

Conclusion: Practicing mindfulness as a parent of infants and toddlers can help you reduce stress, anxiety and improve your overall well-being. By being present in the moment, you can learn to appreciate the little things in life and build a stronger bond with your child. Whether you’re taking a mindful breath, engaging in mindful play or practicing gratitude these simple techniques can help you develop a healthier relationship with yourself and your child. Remember, mindfulness takes practice, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come naturally at first. With time and practice, you’ll find that mindfulness can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and anxiety and improving your overall well-being.

References:

By vitalmadevadmin in Parent Care 0 Comment

The Ultimate Guide for Developing Patience as a Parent

ultimate-guide-for-parents-to-develop-patience

By Dr. Dhanalakshmi N.

Ph.D. (N), PG Psychological Counselling, M.Sc. Psychology

Introduction

Parenting is an art. Every parent loves their children and yet, we all had experienced losing our temper sometimes. It is important to practice patience daily while caring for our children because children imitate by observing us. Practicing patience will benefit our health, family and other people around us.

The following are some strategies for parents to practice patience while caring for their children:

  1. Identify triggers: Identify the factors causing you to lose your patience. Finding the cause will help you to prevent the triggers or solve the problem.
  2. Self-care: Caring for children and managing their daily activities may be stressful at times. It is important for the parents to care for them with a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, exercise, yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques that will promote their physical and mental well-being and also helps to manage their emotions appropriately. Set a time for yourself.
  3. Practice patience: Whenever you feel stressed and frustrated, consciously calm down and think twice before you answer or speak to your child. Whenever you are angry, practice counting from one to ten before you answer your child. Avoid raising your voice, hitting, shouting or screaming etc.
  4. Practice breathing: Sit in a comfortable place, close your eyes, begin with a few normal breaths and followed by deep breaths, breathing deeply through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. Focus on breaths while practicing. Practice 10 to 20 minutes daily. While breathing relax your muscles and body.
  5. Practice mindfulness techniques: Live in the present moment. Living in the past makes you depressed and living in the future will lead to anxiousness. Live in the present moment by mindful eating, mindful bathing, mindful talking, mindful breathing, mindful working etc., being aware of every activity will promote satisfaction and balance your emotions. For example, feel the color, texture and taste of the food while eating than eating food by watching TV or phone.
  6. Practice Gratitude Journal: Set a regular time to record three to five things for which you feel grateful. Write down an inspiring person, good experiences, happy moments, and blessings etc., Daily practice of a gratitude journal promotes a good mood, positive emotions, satisfaction with life and develops patience.
  7. Practice listening skills: Listen to your child before you respond or react to your child’s behaviour. Ask your child to explain her behaviour or the reason for her behaviour, this will help the parents to understand the child from her perspective.
  8. Practice kindness: Practice kindness. One who is kind to self will be kind to others. Practicing kindness helps you to develop patience. Being kind to self and others reduces the secretion of stress hormone(cortisol) and promotes self-confidence and compassion.
  9. Assess the child’s needs: Assess the child’s needs frequently and meeting the needs will prevent stress and frustration for the child and also for the parents. Making a schedule from waking to bedtime will prevent confusion and minimizes stress.
  10. Work-life balance: Plan for a fun day. Spend time together with your child, relax and enjoy playing some fun games, sharing some stories, doing art and craft work, taking a short walk or planning for a picnic etc., setting time for having fun daily promotes happy hormones and balances your emotions. Daily we have the opportunity to practice patience

Conclusion

Patience is important in our daily life. Practicing the above strategies will help as the key factor to developing patience at home, office and while waiting at a traffic signal etc., Daily practice will help parents to develop patience.

Reference:

By vitalmadevadmin in Behaviour and Discipline, Child Safety, Parent Care 0 Comment

Tips to parents to develop patience 

tips-for-parents-to-develop-patience.

– By Dr. Dhanalakshmi N.

Ph.D. (N), PG Psychological Counselling, M.Sc. Psychology

Introduction

We love our young children but they can be a lot of work. During their early childhood, the demands of their upbringing can be sometimes taxing. Their cute questions may turn exhausting. Dealing with their tantrums may become seemingly impossible. However, it is very important to remember that they are just kids and that they are facing the pains of growing-up and we as adults must not lose our patience at least most of the times. Here are some tips to gain composure and remain calm, for parents in trying times.

  • Breathe and Relax: Before responding or reacting to your children, take a moment to breathe and center yourself. Tell yourself to wait if you notice your body tensing up or your heart starting to beat when you start to get frustrated. Take a five- count inhale and hold it for an additional five seconds. Gently exhale. As you do this, consciously relax your muscles. You could be taken aback by how much calmer you feel. Taking a minute to breathe slowly also gives you time to connect with your thoughts, which will help you respond calmly. If it calms you, repeat a word as you take deep breaths. You might simply say to yourself “I love my child.”
  • Never resort to physical violence: As tempting as it may be, avoid spanking, hitting, throwing and shaking at all costs. Avoid yelling and loud scolding too.
  • Step away for a moment if possible:  Take a short break to calm down and think before you react. If you’re struggling to remain patient, it’s completely fine to take a short break. Say something like, “Let’s meet after 5 minutes, and then we’ll discuss your situation.” If you are stepping away from a young child, leave her in the hands of a responsible adult first.
  • Practice patience: The more you practice being patient, the easier it gets. If you make a conscious effort to be calmer in your interactions with everyone, you’ll find it a lot easier to be patient with your child. For example, if you’re stuck behind a slow driver, you might say, “Gosh, we’re going slow. Oh well, at least we’ve got more time to enjoy the music.”
  • Spend time having fun with your kids: Relax and enjoy time together to reduce your frustration with each other.  Make a point of spending a little time every day just enjoying each other’s company. You might make simple cooking, play interesting games together, read a story to your child or allow them to choose an activity. If you don’t have a lot of time to schedule fun activities, don’t worry, simple things can be fun too. Make the most of the time you do have, even if it’s just spending a few minutes listening to music or reading a book together when you get home from work.
  • Set aside time for self-care: Do things that make you feel rested, healthy and happy. As a parent, we maybe place our children’s needs first, most frequently without looking after ourselves. It’s important to practice self-care so you have the energy and enthusiasm to care for your children. Get plenty of sleep since feeling rested can help you have patience. Eat nutritious food so you feel your best.  Spending time with your partner or friends is another important aspect of self-care. Make plans to get out with other adults occasionally since you could find that you become crankier when you haven’t spent time away from your children in a while.
  • Count to 10: Close your eyes, take deep breaths and count to 10. This is one of the oldest yet most effective calming-down techniques that is still recommended and practiced widely.
  • Forgive yourself: Occasionally, we all lose our patience. If you do, it is okay. Forgive yourself, reflect on it and be better the next time.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6203666/pdf/nihms961935.pdf
  2. https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Patient-With-Kids
By vitalmadevadmin in Behaviour and Discipline, Child Safety, Parent Care 0 Comment