Don’t worry = parent happy.
Worry!
It’s almost like as soon as you became a parent, your worry meter shot through the roof. You worry about your child’s development. You worry about your child’s health, her safety, and just about anything else you can think of, searching for answers and solutions.
In your heart of hearts, you know those feelings aren’t helpful. But it can be very difficult to let those feelings go. In fact, research shows that people who worry more don’t solve more problems or gain more understanding - they just make themselves unhappy. Worrying about your child doesn’t protect him, it just keeps you from living in the moment, and enjoying life with your little one.
Researchers now believe that these worrying, stressful thoughts constantly playing through your mind on a loop are actually teaching your subconscious to create more of these scenarios. In other words, by letting worry take hold, you are creating even more feelings of stress and anxiety.
If you want to break the pattern and begin to enjoy peaceful parenting, just follow these steps:
- Notice when you start to worry. Don’t let it sneak up on you. Acknowledge it. Pause, breathe and consciously relax to let go of the fear.
- Recognize that you don’t have to give in to it. Just because your mind is feeding you frightening images or ideas doesn’t mean it’s true - especially if it’s a thought about the future.
- Calm yourself. Take a deep breath. Recognize the truth of the situation you are in, and choose a hopeful thought instead.
- Reprogram your thought process. When you focus on the new thought, picture how you want things to be. Don’t worry about how you get there - just be happy that the desired outcome was achieved.
- Take action. Think of one thing you can do now to get you and your child closer to that desired outcome, and then do it.
Every time worry tries to creep back in, follow these steps. Soon, you’ll have taught your old mind some new tricks, and you’ll find yourself in a happier, more peaceful place.