Here is another idea for parents to destress!
GIVE LOVE! Give love in everything you do! Especially to your children.
One thing I noticed about parents, who seem stressed, is they are on their child's/children's case over very, very minor things. Now, I am talking about family, friends, and total strangers in public. What I notice is anger, irritability, and sweating the small stuff. I don't really know the whole story but I do know that anger, irritability, and sweating the small stuff is a habit just like giving love is and can be a habit.
What happens when you change these negative emotions into a positive one, like love, is the parent feels better about themselves and they teach their child how to love. This in turn will assist your child/children to feel better about themselves and all kinds of positive outcomes will follow like better behavior at home and at school.
If you are angry and irritable, especially when under stress, look back at who raised you. Was that person, your primary caregiver, angry or irritable too? If so, you may have learned that habit from them.
Emotional states are much of habits, I know because my emotional state is very playful and loving. That statement may seem like I am bragging but it is true. You can ask anyone who knows me now, I am the happiest person they know. Of course, it didn't use to always be that way but I don't wanna get into that, lol.
Back to giving love! In order to give love you have to have love in your mind and emotions more often. One way to do this is to be grateful for all you have especially your children. There is so much to be grateful for.
Every morning I get up, the first thing I think is how grateful I am for my bed. Oh boy do I love my bed. It is cozy, soft, and warm. I get up every morning grateful for all I have. The first thing I do is get down on my knees, next to the bed I love, and thank Heavenly Father for all that I have. This takes a long time because I am truly grateful for His love, my family, my friends, and the list goes on and on. This state of gratitude fills my soul with joy.
If you choose to live your life focusing on what you are grateful for you choose to live your life full of love. The emotions of gratitude and love are very similar.
Another way you can feel love more often is to consciously think and feel love when you are spending time with and talking to your child, your family, and your friends.
When you feel love you feel good. When you feel anger you feel bad. Take the time to replace the anger (or any negative emotion you have) with the habit of feeling gratitude and love.
If you are stressed out you are not enjoying life and if you learn to replace that stress with love and gratitude by giving it and making it a habit, I promise you will enjoy life.
Try it! Try to consciously hold gratitude and love in your mind and emotions as often and as long as you can and I promise that you will be so happy you did. See how long it lasts and when it disappears or dissipates, come back to this post and read it again.
Parents! Give love!!! I know this will increase your happiness, energy, and vitality for life!
Have a super duper week and don't forget to have fun and be playful!
Elizabeth
