Just Breathe.
"Make a habit of bringing your awareness to your breathing frequently throughout your day. Our breath connects us to feelings of peace and contentment. Take a minute to deepen your breath from shallow, tense chest breathing to relaxed, deep belly breathing. When you feel totally overwhelmed, stop whatever you're doing, close your eyes if possible, take three deep breaths, and let your body and mind relax." -- Jan Marie Dore
It's impossible to be a compassionate, patient parent when you're tense. But life with children is full of triggers that make us tense.Of course, those triggers, be they tantrums or traffic jams, don't actually make us tense. We make ourselves tense in response to them. It's a choice. Believe it or not, it's entirely possible to breathe deeply and feel relaxed during a traffic jam -- or even a tantrum. (I'm not saying it doesn't take practice. :-))
The easiest way to remind yourself to let go of tension is to breathe. Just breathe. It brings us back into our body, back into the present moment, back into a choice about how we want to respond.
So why not start practicing? Today, stop every so often and breathe throughout your day. Every time you're upset. When you find yourself in traffic. When anyone in your house begins a meltdown. (Especially you.)
Use those difficult moments as red flags. When you feel that tightness in your stomach, or chest, or throat, just stop. Drop what you're doing. Take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself that it really isn't an emergency.
Breathing seems so simple you may find it hard to believe its power. But this practice is transformative, because you're actually rewiring your brain and growing more self-discipline muscle. After a month, you'll find yourself happier and calmer, and the more you practice it, the more powerful the change.
Don't see what's the big deal about breathing? As Sam I Am said about Green Eggs and Ham, "Try it, try it, and you may!"
Choose love!
Dr. Laura
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