One thing moms struggle with is feeling bad about their progress in becoming calm and showing up calm with their kids. Whenever they have an mad mom episode and act in a way they don’t think they should, a lot of criticism, guilt, and doubt pours in.
They think they should know this already. They think they should be getting there faster.
What they don’t understand is that becoming calm is a PROCESS. It’s a PRACTICE. It’s something you work on over time. Some days it’s easy, and some days it isn’t. All all of that is ok.
I wanted to give you some real understanding of what it ACTUALLY looks like when you are changing your brain and the way you show up as a parent. The actual process of becoming calm – so you don’t feel so bad when you lose your shitola with your kids.
How To Calm Down
We all know we aren’t at our best when we’re stressed, overwhelmed and reactive. But knowing how to calm down in the moment isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
I’m walking you through my 3-step process to catch yourself, pause and get back to feeling calm.
Mom Stress
With summer in full swing, I’m sure you’ve had some really tough moments over the past few weeks. Moments when you’ve been stuck in what I call Mad Mom Syndrome
You know what I'm talking about.
- Moments when your child is a bit off track and you get upset and all of a sudden you are yelling, threatening, and lecturing, followed by guilt and rushed apologies.
- Moments you are worried that the behavior you see in the present is a predictor of the future, so you act super strict and controlling.
- Moments when you are frustrated and say a snide or mean remark to your kid.
These types of moments are a clue that you are in your stress cycle and feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Your brain is convinced that the circumstance is an emergency. Then, the brain activates a BIG, INTENSE STRESS RESPONSE.
You become super reactive and respond to your children with stress, anxiety, frustration or anger.
Then they escalate their stress behaviors and the next thing you know you are in a chaotic argument with your kids.
How Do I Stop Reacting?
To get out of Mad Mom Syndrome and get back to feeling calm, you need the Pause Break. This is the thing you do when you feel yourself spiraling. You CATCH YOURSELF AND PAUSE.
There are three steps to the Pause Break:
Step 1: STOP
Don't Talk. Don't Engage. You can stop yourself at any point when you notice you are in your stress response and are seeing signs of Mad Mom Syndrome.
Step 2: DELAY
Don’t decide. Don’t act. Don't do anything about the situation (unless it’s a true emergency). Give yourself time to think and get calm.
Step 3: RESET
Actively do something to calm your stress response. During a "Reset", you will move your body, your mind or both.
When you’re first starting out, you may only catch yourself after you've yelled or gotten upset. After a while, you’ll catch yourself while you are yelling or acting upset. Eventually you start to catch yourself before you yell or act out your frustration/overwhelm.
Learning to pause is a process. It takes time. Be gentle with yourself.
Pause is where all of your personal growth happens. It’s the space where change occurs. If you only take one thing away from this episode, I hope it’s this: You can always PAUSE.
You’ll Learn:
- Why you become reactive and yell, threaten or ice your kid out
- Three steps to pause and get back to calm
- Clues you need a Pause Break
- What to do after you’ve reacted in a way you don’t love
Free Resources:
Get your copy of the Stop Yelling Cheat Sheet at https://www.calmmamacoaching.com/stopyelling.
In this free guide you’ll discover:
✨ A simple tool to stop yelling once you’ve started (This one thing will get you calm.)
✨ 40 things to do instead of yelling. (You only need to pick one!)
✨ Exactly why you yell. (And how to stop yourself from starting.)
✨A script to say to your kids when you yell. (So they don't follow you around!)
Want to connect?
