Do you aspire to be that cool, calm and collected parent, breezing effortlessly through the morning routine; getting yourself and the little ones ready for the day, having a fridge full of healthy food choices, ferrying a car-full of obliging children to their after-school activities on time, all while finding peace and so on, and so on??? Yep, me too!
In reality, the pressures of being a modern-day human, let alone a busy parent, can lead to frequent feelings of stress, tension and anxiety. Meeting deadlines, negotiating busy traffic, mediating sibling arguments, hauling heavy grocery bags and searching for that elusive lost sock in amongst 101 other essential daily tasks can deliver unwanted tensions, both mentally and physically.
Common manifestations of these tensions include headache, sleeplessness, exhaustion and muscle pain. When we experience stress, the heart beats faster, the breath rate speeds up and the nervous system prepares for ‘flight or fight’. In contrast, when we feel calm and at ease, the breath and heart rate steadies and slows, our muscles are relaxed and the nervous system can perform it’s healing work in the ‘rest and digest’ mode.
Learning and incorporating a few quick and easy calming techniques into your day can help generate a ripple-effect of relaxation, starting with you! When you feel calmer and happier, those around you pick up on your ‘vibe’. Hopefully, the calm will even be contagious!
Try one or more of these ‘Everyday Calmers’ when you feel stress creeping up and notice the positive effects:
1) The ‘Sighing Shoulder Shrug’
Necks and shoulders are often the first place to tighten up when we’re stressed, and making sound is another awesome way to delete tensions. This tip combines the two to create instant ease! What to do: Take a breath in as you squeeze the shoulders upwards. As you breath out, make an audible ‘aahhh’ sound through the mouth as you drop the shoulders. Try 3-5 rounds.
2) The ‘Even Breath’
Try this simple and effective pranayama technique (yoga breathing) to balance out your mood. Simply breathe in to a steady count of 4, breathe out to a steady count of 4. Take 7-10 rounds then check in with how you feel.
3) The ‘Full Body Squeeze’
This one is best done lying down. Make yourself comfortable, then take a big breath in. Hold the breath as you squeeze and tighten the whole body – tense up the feet, legs, hands, arms, face. Now release and let go of all the tensions as you breath out. Repeat twice more.
4) ‘Smell Well’
Lavender is well known for it’s calming properties. Rub 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil in your cupped palms, then inhale deeply to draw the scent all the way into your amygdala gland (the emotional warehouse) in your brain to relax the mind. You can also rub a few drops on the feet, temples, wrists (or anywhere) for an immediate calming effect on the body.
I’m thrilled to feature this guest post by Bronni Page. Bronni wants to live in a world where calm is ‘in’ and chaos is ‘out’! Her yoga teaching style blends deliciously restful poses with seriously soothing ambience. Students love her personal attention and gentle approach. She’s led classes in Australia and Canada, and recently launched an online yoga program ‘Create Your Calm at Home’. When she’s not playing with yoga props, you’ll ﬁnd her searching out the best cappuccino in town. She blogs at http://www.bronnipageyoga.com.au I can tell you that I’ve personally taken her Create Your Calm online class and it is a perfect idea for self care for moms. Broni focuses on Restorative Yoga. If you’ve never tried it, I highly suggest checking out her course. It’s one of my favorite types of yoga.
More helpful hints at finding peace:
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