Welcome,
And thank you for coming and taking a few minutes to pause with me.
I'm Georgiana,
And I'm grateful for this opportunity to lead you through this guided meditation for parents.
It draws on evidence from the psychological research on mental health to help you approach the news in ways that support your and your child's well-being.
Let's begin with a body scan to anchor us to the present moment.
You may start by lying down in a comfortable position,
Arms resting at your sides or on your belly.
Begin with a deep breath that makes your belly rise,
Expands your rib cage,
And brings oxygen deep into your lungs.
As you exhale through your nose,
Notice any tightness you may be holding and release it.
Continue breathing in and out,
And feeling your belly rise and fall.
Bringing your attention to your toes,
Feel any sensations you may have,
Perhaps tingling.
Move your attention across the bottom of your feet,
Letting your feet fall to the sides,
Unsupported and relaxed.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Moving your attention to your ankles and then up your shins,
Feel any points of stagnant energy or tightness,
And release those.
Moving up to your knees,
Your thighs,
Release tension.
Continue breathing in,
Out.
Now move your attention up to your glutes,
Feel them supported gently by the ground,
And release any tension so that you melt deeper into the ground.
Moving your attention up across to your pelvis and up to your belly,
Feeling it rise and fall with your breath,
And up to your chest.
Let your shoulders relax down away from your ears and toward the floor.
Now moving your attention up your neck and to your face,
Dropping your tongue from the roof of your mouth and allowing your jaw to gently relax,
Allowing your ears to relax,
And releasing the many tiny muscles in your face and scalp so that all tension melts away from your body.
Breathe in,
Out.
Finally move your attention down your arms,
Allowing them to feel gently supported.
Moving your attention into your hands,
Feel any sensations you may be having in your hands.
And as you notice the energy moving through your arms and hands,
Let go of any tight spots you encounter.
And breathing in,
Out.
Today with technology around us nearly all the time,
And especially in these trying times,
It may be hard to tune out and give ourselves a break from the seemingly endless news cycle.
Think about a recent time you were preoccupied with the news.
Perhaps you were doom scrolling on social media or watching the news on TV or receiving news alerts on your phone.
How did that feel in that moment?
Did you lose touch with the present moment?
Did you have trouble concentrating?
How did this make you behave?
As you begin to recall and visualize this time,
Notice how your body is feeling now.
Perhaps your breathing is becoming more shallow or more rapid,
Or you may begin feeling tension in your facial muscles or your jaw.
Isn't it interesting how our body reacts to recalling the news?
Now relax any tension that may have brought up in your body.
Take a deep inhalation and through your mouth exhale to release any tension.
If you have ever found yourself feeling anxious or tense or unable to concentrate after being overexposed to news,
You're not alone.
Studies show that excessive news consumption negatively impacts mental health for both adults and children.
The news barrage can activate stress hormones in our bodies constantly.
As you take your next deep breath in,
Repeat to yourself silently or out loud,
I can decide when to unplug.
I can decide when to unplug.
Return your attention to your breath and to the rise and fall of your belly.
Parents resilience and mental health predicts children's well-being later in life.
So we as parents want to be able to both protect our own mental health by having healthy news consumption habits and also to discuss the news with our children in ways that protect their mental health.
If your body reacts to news,
Imagine how children's bodies and brains react.
Children's brains can't yet process complex details and they don't yet have the tools to cope with anxiety and fear.
Untreated anxiety in children also predicts depression in adolescence and adulthood.
For children,
And young children especially,
News stories can create anxiety.
One of children's most basic needs is to know that they are safe and that you,
Their parent,
Is safe.
That children can't distinguish between events that happen near or far to them or determine how likely it is that something will happen to them or to you,
Their parent.
For this reason,
Experts recommend that children not be exposed to the news,
In the sense of TV news or social media news,
Until the age of seven.
Take several breaths and as you do,
Repeat to yourself,
In,
Out,
In,
Out.
Of course,
It is important to be informed so that we can be good citizens and teach our children to do the same.
There are many things you can do to take a mindful and evidence-based approach to news consumption,
One that protects your and your child's well-being.
You can be mindful of the amount of difficult news your child hears.
Simply notice how often you discuss the news in front of your children or whether the TV has the news on in the background.
You can avoid over-explaining with younger children who can't yet process details.
You can have calm discussions about current events with your child or listen to podcasts rather than the news.
Because the tone is different than news and less urgent,
Podcasts might be informative with less potential for inducing anxiety.
You can ask your child questions to understand what they know and how they feel.
If your child expresses fear or worry,
You can validate their feelings and help them feel safe and empowered.
You can choose to unplug from the news daily to protect your mental health.
This will also model healthy behaviors for your children who are constantly learning by watching your behaviors.
As you take your next deep breath in,
Repeat to yourself,
Silently or out loud,
I can decide when to unplug.
I can decide when to unplug.
You can use this mantra during the day when you notice your attention being hijacked by the news or at the start of the day to remind yourself that you can set your healthy habits.
Bringing your attention back to your body,
Feel your belly rise and fall with your breath.
Begin to wiggle your fingers or toes and slowly expand your awareness from your body to the sounds that surround you.
Slowly blink your eyes and become aware once again of the space you are in.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day and for taking care of yourself so that you can take care of your family.
