Just Breathe​

Sometimes our emotions run away with us. Something challenging happens and our adrenaline kicks in and we react with an outburst that we usually later regret.

But we can learn how to slow that process down.

One great way is through meditation, and the simplest form of meditation is to take a few moments to breathe. When we practice breathing and slowing down, we eventually gain a longer response time and can begin to manage our reactivity.

This video is a great way to start a conversation with your child about taking time out to breathe. In it, various children talk about what it feels like when they are angry and then they talk about the benefits of breathing. I think you'll enjoy it.

Watch it together, and have a conversation with about how you can start to practice breathing. Maybe institute a few minutes of breathing together before dinner or before bed to make it a habit.

Even this small act can begin to create space in which you can stop, breathe, and change the way you react to challenges.

Tags: mindfulness breathing

​