Emotions can get the best of us, can’t they? Covid gave us all a new reality. Being cooped up indoors, feeding, nurturing, educating, catering to our children night and day was an exhausting and sometimes daunting task. Even if you don’t have children and are living at home alone- chores, cooking, a full-time job, or maybe you are responsible for taking care of an ailing/aging parents or family member- it can all get incredibly overwhelming. I have to keep reminding myself to be kind and patient with myself, with my children, with my partner, with the world.
Today in one of my son’s zoom lessons, they had a video on emotions. The topic was: How to deal with our emotions. In particular, the focus was on understanding our feelings and some tips on dealing with extremes like anxiety or anger. In the presentation, there was a page titled “10 ways to calm down”. I thought it was so perceptive, I shared it with a group of mom friends because I don’t think it applies to just children. I will add it here so i can remember and memorize it
- BREATHE IN AND OUT SLOWLY 10 TIME
- SQUEEZE A STRESS BALL
- TAKE A BREAK FROM WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND GRAB A DRINK OF WATER
- TALK TO A GROWN UP (YES YOU, ADULT! CALL A FRIEND, YOUR MOM, YOUR HUSBAND, RELATIVE....ETC)
- HUG SOMEONE
- DRAW A PICTURE ABOUT IT
- WRITE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
- DO SOME STRETCHES OR PRACTICE SOME YOGA
- THINK OF SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, OR A HAPPY MEMORY
- READ A MAGAZINE/BOOK OR DO SOME PUZZLES/SUDOKU
Remember, be kind to yourself. Especially when you react in a less than expected way toward kids, family, your partner, or a stranger. Reset the battery, step away for a few moments and grant yourself a chance at forgiveness toward others, but most importantly yourself.
