If you've found your way here,
I'm guessing it's been one of those days.
Maybe the noise has been relentless.
Maybe you've been pulled in 10 directions before you've even had a chance to think.
Maybe you've snapped,
Or cried,
Or you've just gone really quiet.
And now you're here,
Searching for a moment that's just for you.
And that's enough of a reason.
You don't need to justify needing this moment.
So let's begin.
Find somewhere that you can be still for a few minutes if you haven't already.
That could be sitting or lying down.
Allow your hands and arms to rest either on your lap or by your sides.
And close your eyes or soften your gaze towards the floor.
And for just a moment,
Let everything that's happened today stay where it is.
You don't have to process it right now.
You don't have to figure anything out.
This moment right now is for you.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
And a long breath out through the mouth like you're breathing out all of those frustrations from the day.
And again,
Breathe in.
And breathe out,
Letting your shoulders drop,
Your jaw unclench,
And your hands soften.
And once more,
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
And allow yourself to be here now.
Now gently bring attention to the body and notice where you're holding tension.
It could be your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your belly,
Behind the eyes.
And just notice it.
Let it be seen.
Perhaps you're noticing that your nervous system is buzzing.
You might feel wired and exhausted at the same time.
And that makes sense because you've been absorbing a lot.
You've been doing a lot.
And the body keeps the score even when we don't.
So now we're going to do something simple to let the body know that it's safe to come down a few notches.
Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.
And feel the rise and fall beneath the palms.
Now we're going to breathe in and out in a pattern that tells your nervous system that it's safe.
There is no need for urgency right now.
So breathe in through the nose for a count of four.
Hold gently for four.
And breathe out slowly for six.
Breathing in through the nose for four.
Hold gently for four.
And breathe out for six.
Breathing in for four.
Hold for four.
And breathing out for six.
In for four.
Hold.
And breathe out.
And now resume normal breathing and observe how it feels in your body to receive.
The fact that you're feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated doesn't mean that you're failing.
It means that you care.
It means that you care deeply and that you're sensitive enough to feel what's happening around you.
And that means that you're human.
You're not weak.
You're not a failure.
You're having a human experience.
And yes,
It's heavy.
Of course it's heavy.
Nobody tells you that parenting can feel this exhausting.
That you can be so depleted and grateful at the same time.
And all of those things can be true and all of those things are allowed.
So keeping your eyes closed,
Imagine this.
You're standing somewhere outside,
Somewhere quiet and restful.
Maybe it's a beautiful garden,
A green field blooming with flowers or somewhere near water.
And it's the end of the day.
The light is soft.
And you have with you everything that you've been carrying.
All the noise,
All the frustration,
The guilt,
The exhaustion,
The overwhelm.
And just feel the weight of it.
Now,
In your own time,
Let it go.
So you might imagine that it's dissolving into the ground beneath your feet.
Or it's rising up out of your chest with each exhale.
Or maybe you're setting it down in front of you on the ground.
You can always come back to it later if you need to,
But right now you don't have to hold it.
Notice what it feels like to just be here.
Without the weight of what you've been carrying.
Even if just for a moment,
This moment belongs to you.
Slowly allow the vision to fade,
Knowing that you can come back here anytime you need it.
Take one more long breath in and let it go.
And whenever you're ready,
Gently open the eyes.
You came here because you needed this,
And that matters.
That is self-love,
Not selfishness.
And remember that this quiet moment doesn't have to disappear as soon as you step back into your life.
You're still a good parent,
Even on the hard days.
Especially on the hard days.
So take care of yourself.
