Being there for your kids - Stressed? Just Breathe.

Episode Date: May 25, 2018

Breathing comes naturally, but we don’t think of taking a deeper breath when you want to manage stress. My “Chillin’ Out” resource on my website, www.THEREFORMYKIDS.com takes you through the steps to manage your stress in the moment, clear your mind, and get back to task renewed and refreshed.

Hi, I'm Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. Do you have enough stress in your life? When a person finds the one and they marry, each doubles their stress load. Add children and the stress load continues to multiply. Like intersecting circles, each person requires time and attention as relationships form. For yourself, even in your growing family, it is critical for all to remember to just breathe. Joni is a new mom again. She has newborn Jamie now, along with his three preschooler siblings. Tom works long hours just to keep current with all of their expenses. He helps when he's home, but with his work, that's not much. How is new mom, Joni, ever going to meet the needs for time and attention from hubby and her brood? Philosopher Mitch Throer notes that one of the best things you can do when the world is storming around you is to pause. Pause. Pause. That doesn't take a lot of time.

About the time it takes to take a deep breath. But that deep breath is critical to the health and well-being of you and of your family. A deep breath is a calming technique used for stress management. There are lots of affirmations tied to that deep breath. I can do this. I'm important too. I can relax for a moment, even in all of this turmoil. I will restore my perspective and my soul.

In my book, Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, I offer directions for what I call chillin' out. This is a way to help you focus on the moment, turn worry into curiosity, and fully relax by noticing the happy place you visit in your mind when all of your five senses come alive. Joni paused as she diapered Jamie at the changing table, and she took a deep breath. She transported herself to the beach last summer, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, and hearing the gulls in the air and the waves tumbling on the sand. She smiled softly, finished changing her newborn, and then directed the other children to pick up all the toys off the floor around her and return them to the toy box. Her deep breath helped her energize, prioritize, and realize the joy of family. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologist and Christian author, and this has been Teachable Moments.

Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, is available online at AmazonBooks.com, and in local and national bookstores. More on Dr. Robinson at TMCP-I-N-C.com.