Try these 5 things when you need to change the mood in your household.
Let’s be honest. Being a parent is no joke. We all have these views of how we want to parent, yet most of us have had zero experience in this. Some days are a struggle and the emotional rollercoaster of all can be really tough. One of the hardest parts is realizing that some things are out of your control. As parents we can’t control our kids but we can guide them and help them manage their emotions with the right techniques.
There are days when you’ve just stepped on a third lego of the day, swept up a pile of crumbs on the floor, and your kids are bickering for the 5th time, it’s easy to lose your patience and start yelling at your kids. We’ve all been there, and that yelling is often followed by feelings of frustration and guilt like you aren’t a good parent, or at least that has been my experience.
Today I wanted to share techniques that you can use to calm down as a parent when you feel like you’re spiraling out of control.
My 5 Favorite Calming Techniques for Parents
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Take a deep breath or five.
Breathwork is so simple and yet so powerful. When you take a minute to pause before reacting, you allow your parasympathetic nervous system to relax and the cortisol levels in your body to lower. When your body is not in fight or flight mode, it will naturally react in a much calmer way.
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Get everyone outside.
When we are out in nature, we are instantly calmer. Take your shoes off and allow your bare feet to connect to the earth. Grounding to the earth will instantly calm your entire nervous system. Plus, vitamin D is not only good for your immune system, but it also makes you feel good.
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Get Moving.
Go for a walk, run, do some stretches, or do an online workout class. Movement releases endorphins like serotonin, which are responsible for feelings of happiness and contentment. Ever noticed how you feel like you can conquer just about anything on the days you workout? That’s because all the right chemicals are being released into your bloodstream.
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Change what you’re doing.
Maybe it’s time to sit down and play everyone’s favorite board game, or head to the park so the kids can play and you can have a little alone time. Sometimes you need a change of scenery to reset everyone’s moods.
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Check-in with your kids.
Kids act out most of the time because they have some big emotion going on that they don’t quite know how to handle. Sitting down and having an honest conversation with them can generally clear things up and make both of you feel better. Most often, it creates a stronger bond between you and your child.
